[WFRP2e] The Saga of Jorunn - Part 1 - "That Which Remains"

[bramblefoot]

jorunn sighs. "tell me more about how doomed i would be if i grabbed some warpstone?" he says, listening with half an ear while scanning the horizon

[MrAbdiel]

Ortel is surprised; either by your willingness to entertain his fears or by your lack of immediate agreement with them.

"It's dark and evil magic made solid, Jorunn - stuff of the Dark Gods. The gods throw it to earth only to punish mortal men; and it is sought after only by power-hungry wizards, monsters, and mad men who wish to invite mutation and insanity. You might gather up much and sell it very well when we get to the Graeling moot; but it may turn you blind or twisted before you get there!"

Byjan demures. "Your people don't understand all the gods, Ortel. You fear those that are stronger, because their gifts are strange to you. What you call 'Dark Gods' are just gods your people hate. But here in Norsca, where we are not afraid, history is made by men who have grabbed their gifts in hand and shown no fear; and been master of such power instead of pawns to it."

[bramblefoot]

jorunn will unbuckle witherbrand, and pass it to byjan "hold this while i gather some warpstone" he says, slinging on a pair of leather gloves and moving to gather pieces of warpstone

[MrAbdiel]

You take Ortel's warning enough to heart to be extra careful about how you handle the warpstone, wrapping it in the furs and cloaks of the slain Graelings. Byjan is happy to absorb some of the burden for you, leaving Marlene holding the volatile sword while Ortel roams the battlefield, gloomily surveying the carnage and trying to keep warm. It's also helpful because the initiate of Ulric is on hand to restrain your mangy wolf companion whose natural instinct is to sniff at the radiant green shards - Ortel keeps him well away. "You idiot pup, keep back - we need a collar for you, and a leash. If you lick that rock you'll grow a bloody fishtail out of your forehead!"

In the end, you rig your pack up with seven large, forearm sized shards of stone bundled in cloth and fur. Byjan does the same; and Marlene, won slowly over, takes one such shard, wrapped twice and paranoidly so. Ortel takes none, fiddling with his surgeons tooks habitually, minding your nameless wolf; keeping watch. Just as you and Byjan are checking the rope fastening of each other's burdens, Ortel calls the warning.

"Hey - psst! We must move, there's beastmen coming!"

Peeking up over the lip of the crater where you have finished your looting, leaving plenty of the stone behind, you see what Ortel sees. The trees for far around have been blasted flat by the impact, but beyond that to the north west, where they stand cracked and broken, a host of monstrous beasts are surging toward the battlesite. More than a hundred, at a glance; a small tide of the beast on the move no doubt to eat the flesh of the slain here and take the warpstone for themselves. Tactical instinct says it would be wise to hide - but with the sparse battlefield and the flattened trees beyond, withdrawal is a challenging prospect.

"Hell... Bloody beasts! Why the tribes of men have not striven to drive them from the face of the world, I will never know. What do we do, Jorunn? Run, or sneak..?"

Running, of course, means they will see you emerge from the crater just as you see them. A herd moves slower than a small band, but if they have runners or scouts, they will surely send them to hunt you and slow you down. But sneaking, staying low among the dead as you head away, will be much slower; and if you are seen by the approaching herd, the whole mass of them will be much closer when you are forced to run after all.

Fighting such a mass seems a forlorn option - not without finding some advantageous terrain to funnel them through and take them a few at a time.

[bramblefoot]

"marlene, pass me my sword, and then we run" jorunn barks, taking his sword from marlene, and moving to book it out of the crater

[MrAbdiel]

Marlene tosses you Witherbrand; your party shoulders their burdens; and you set off at the best pace you can manage away from the crater toward the distant treeline. At once, you hear the rising, guttural barking of the herd in the distance. You took apart a hunting party of such creatures before, and you certainly cannot fight this small army... but you were more poorly armed then, and with a small break of fortune, you will only have to contend with whichever outriders or runners they send against you. A snarling pack of monstrous hounds bark impatiently in the distance, but they aren't loosed on you - perhaps they, like your wolf, cannot be trusted around the wyrdstone without strict control. Instead, your pursuers are those with their own minds - and not an inconsiderable opposing party it is.

Five equine bodies that, at the neck, morph into muscular beastmen torsos topped with snarling heads and rams horns race across the field toward you. They vault over the fallen trees as they come, closing the distance with swift and deadly mastery of the terrain. The three at the vanguard hold shortspears and shields, prepared to barrel into the midst of your party and make immediate war when they arrive; the two lagging just behind them hold longer demilances in one hand, and heft high each a stone axe ready for throwing. And behind these five centigor comes their reinforcement; a heavy hardwood chariot with ironshod wheels, hauled by a pair of monsterous, overgrown pig creatures who have the brawn to drag the chariot over the smaller branches and boughs, while their driver - a scarred and wild eyed gor - weaves them around those obstacles they cannot cross. This means the chariot will reach your party after the centigor do - perhaps, your tactical mind suggests, if you are swift enough to overcome the centigor, you might deal with the chariot in succession without being overwhelmed by all of them together. This is well; riding alongside the driver of the chariot is a massive bestigor, red furred and snarling, in whose hands awaits a massive axe of black steel and fiery red runes in the beastman daemon-tongue.

"Damn, damn; ready yourselves, southmen - and call your wolf god, Ortel! His aid would not go amiss!", Byjan growls as he draws hand weapon and shield and prepares receive the centigor charge. Byjan's appetite for combat has grown considerably since rejoining you - perhaps your valor is rubbing off on him. Ortel draws his great axe; Marlene produces her bow and prepares to fire off atleast one shot before the abominable horse-men make contact. And your wolf, growing in faithfulness and courage of his own, snarls and bounces at your heels, waiting for its chance to dart in and finish your foes so you can leverage your might against the next.

If you are quick enough, deadly enough... you can get away with it.

Spoiler: OOC: Roll for Initiative!

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Here's how this combat is going to work:

There is one round (Round 1) as the centigor are closing in for you to prepare for combat. Marlene is going to spend it shooting; Ortel, probably praying.

On the next round, (Round 2) atleast some of the centigor will charge on their turn, on initiative (1d10+2)[11]. There's no avoiding it; as the 'cavalry', they're always going to be able to dictate who charges.

After that, there's three rounds before the chariot arrives to join the combat (Round 5).

Finally, at Round 10, the rest of the warherd will be close enough to start breaking into charges of their own, sick dogs on you, etc, etc. Thus, your goal is not just victory; but definately victory inside of 10 rounds. If you can pull that off, you and your allies will be able to book into the treeline; and the warherd will have to choose to guard the precious warpstone in the crater rather than devote forces to chasing you further.

Wolf: (1d10+4)[6]
Byjan: (1d10+3)[13]
Marlene: (1d10+4)[7]
Ortel: (1d10+3)[8]

[bramblefoot]

jorunn will use lure of chaos on the gor driving the chariot. hopefully the gor will drop the reins, and the chariot will topple

(3d10)[7][5][8](20)

initiative

(1d10+4)[11]

[MrAbdiel]

You level Witherbrand at the chariot in the distance, an focus the bound magics of the weapon upon the beastman drivers mind. With a sense you do not possess, almost borrowed from the weapon itself, you sense the magic of the blade lurching out and dissipating pitifully short of the target - it seems the spell does not reach much beyond twelve yards; and that would be much too close for comfort for a charging chariot of such mass and promised injury.

...But a clear and inexplicable instinct encourages you to persist, to try harder; to demand more of the dark blade. And it seeks for more power, to accomplish your will - and finds it. An arc of green voltage sears a hole on the bundled wyrdstone shard's snug wrapping, near to your shoulder; and with an audible snap it connects that cursed crystal to the ricasso of Witherbrand in an eye searing instant flash. And then the magic spikes out from the blade like a lance - no, almost like a hunting animal with its desperation to kill.

Beyond the centigors, you see the chariot suddenly veer to the side and collide with a tree that had been knocked down by the comet's blast. The porcine beasts scream and cry as they suffer injury and pain; but the chariot itself does worse, flipping up and over, launching both champion and driver from the platform and tumbling into the snow and debris. With a furious bray, the bestigor is up first; and takes just a moment to brutally slam his axe into the rib cage of the bewildered gor you had ensorcelled. You catch a glimpse of the goatman's body dessicating to a bloodless husk inside of seconds before the Centigor are blocking your view as they crowd in. Marlene looses her arrow, and then takes up her melee weapons; Byjan rolls his shoulder of his recently recovered arm, slaps his helm a few times to psych up, and prepares to meet the enemy.

Ortel heaves with breath. He is mostly recovered from the pummeling he took from the giant; but his face is crusted now with snow sticking to his beading sweat. He didn't want anything to do with the stone; and now he is contending against such odds again. But he holds where he stands, trying to keep his legs limber to get out of the way of the bulky body bearing down on him.

Spoiler

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The range on Lure of Chaos is 12 yards. But I liked the idea; and also you're carrying like 50 pounds of wyrdstone, so it goes off! The chariot is destroyed. Driving into hazardous terrain risks exactly this. The driver and the tuskgors are out of the fight; the champion is up, but takes (1d10)[6] wounds from being thrown from the chariot, and will arrive late - in turn (1d4+5)[9].

Marlene's shot in the prep turn: Vs47 - (1d100)[92] for (1d10+3)[11].

Byjan gets a second turn before the centigors arrive, as do you; but Byjan has nothing to do with that action, so he will just take a defensive stance to make the charge harder to hit him.

You go again with Jorunn's Round 2, then the Centigors will charge/throw!

[bramblefoot]

jorunn takes a defensive stance, preparing for the imminent charge. "bring it on!" he bellows, banging sword against shield

[MrAbdiel]

And on they come, each half beastman, half horse, with battering ram force in their charge. Predictably, the two centigors with throwing axes veer off to one side, releasing their weapons in flight towards you and Byjan, trying to split your focus or score a lucky blow before the charging centigors with shortspears and shields come slamming into you - one into each you, Byjan, and Ortel while Marlene makes use of your defensive line to nock another arrow and loose it. You and your companion's efforts to make ready pay off; and much of the charge is spoiled on good defensive footwork avoiding the centigor's bulk, and bracing against the coming strikes. A throwing axe sails over your head and into the woods beyond. One cracks into Byjan's shield and stays there. The only blow that seems promising to either side in the mash is the shortspear of the centigor charging you, whose elevation and downward strike makes defending yourself here as daunting as if you were fighting true cavaliers!

Byjan snarls, catches the spearblow down at him on his shield, and tries to work his way in for a response attack; even as he does, he calls to you:

"Nnn! They are strong, Jorunn - faster than they look!"

Ortel creates space against his enemy with big swings of his axe, forcing it to rear back - and adds his own dire warning to you over the din. "You mustn't let the bear take you - we will be unable to restrain you going after the whole herd!"

Spoiler: Attacks!

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Thrown axes!

vs31 - (1d100)[32] for (1d10+2)[5] Vs Jorunn
vs31 - (1d100)[98] for (1d10+2)[10] Vs Byjan

vs53 - (1d100)[32] for (1d10+4)[11] Vs Jorunn
vs53 - (1d100)[44] for (1d10+4)[14] Vs Byjan
vs46 - (1d100)[33] parry as required.
vs53 - (1d100)[98] for (1d10+4)[6] Vs Ortel
vs38 - (1d100)[41] parry as required.

Presuming everyone survives:

Malene's shot: vs47 - (1d100)[85] for (1d10+3)[8]
Wolf's bite: vs36 - (1d100)[92] for (1d10+4)[5]
Byjan's blow: vs46 - (1d100)[57] for (1d10+4)[8]
Ortel's blow: vs38 - (1d100)[67] for (1d10+3)[4] or (1d10+3)[9].

Parries as required, in succession, against NPC attacks:

vs53 - (1d100)[71]
vs53 - (1d100)[94]
vs53 - (1d100)[32]

Will edit in the outcomes of all this after it rolls.

Edit: What a whifftacular whiff party - everyone misses except the one guy who clocks Jorunn for 11, pending a parry!

[bramblefoot]

"wasnt thinking about it" jorunn hisses, blocking the spear with his shield and making two attacks. one hits, and one misses. bjarna, a little help here he prays silently

(2d100)[43][87](130)

(1d10+5)[14]
(1d10+5)[13]

parry was a 16 in the ooc

[MrAbdiel]

Your blow snaps around your primary opponent's guard, badly shearing down the shield arm and eliciting a rewarding, pained bray; and causing the clumsy response strike to go so wide you have the luxury of sidestepping also the the demi-lance charge of a second centigor charging to join his companion. Another rushes in to Byjan, cracking into his shield with the lancetip and actually prying off the axe he had thrown a moment later, but the big man remains unharmed as he, delivers a reprisal blow of his own that batters his enemy's shield but can't break the defence, like you have. The enemy charge has scattered battered your band, but your people are regrouping; having taken the worst of it, marshalling their balance to respond even as they seek a way to engage such towering and surprisingly nimble opponents. Marlene's cautious arrow goes sailing wide, and both Ortel and the mangy wolf cannot find purchase with their attacks.

But Ortel pays a price - while trying to land a telling blow with his great axe, his enemy swings down from above and brings the blade of his axe into the crown of the initiate's skull. If he hadn't been striving to duck away, the blow would have split his skull like dry firewood; as it is, it bites deep, and causes blood to gush down into his eyes, and over his face as he snarls and regroups.

Spoiler: Turn 2 Rolls!

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Demilance Charges!

vs53 - (1d100)[72] for (1d10+4)[5] or Impact - (1d10+4)[14], -10% to parry, Vs Jorunn
vs63 - (1d100)[66] for (1d10+4)[11] or Impact - (1d10+4)[6], -10% to parry, Vs Byjan

vs43 - (1d100)[62] for (1d10+4)[8] Vs Jorunn
vs43 - (1d100)[78] for (1d10+4)[7] Vs Byjan
vs46 - (1d100)[75] parry as required.
vs43 - (1d100)[1] for (1d10+4)[14] Vs Ortel
vs38 - (1d100)[54] parry as required.

Presuming everyone survives:

Malene's shot: vs47 - (1d100)[49] for (1d10+3)[12]
Wolf's bite: vs36 - (1d100)[95] for (1d10+4)[10]
Byjan's blow: vs46 - (1d100)[12] for (1d10+4)[10]
Ortel's blow: vs38 - (1d100)[75] for (1d10+3)[10] or (1d10+3)[9].

Parries as required, in succession, against NPC attacks:

vs53 - (1d100)[95]
vs53 - (1d100)[41]
vs53 - (1d100)[7]

Centigor1 (9 Wounds) and Centigor2 (Unwounded) face off against Jorunn and Wolf (Unwounded).

Centigor3 (Unwounded) and Centigor4 (Unwounded) now outnumber Jorunn (Unwounded).

Centigor5 (Unwounded) faces down Ortel (10 wounds taken!).

Marlene is (Unwounded) is unengaged.

[bramblefoot]

"play it safe ortel" jorunn calls, preparing for another two strikes on the centigor. the first misses, but the second bites deep

(2d100)[84][5](89)

(1d10+5)[7]
(1d10+5)[14]

same attack same centigor

[MrAbdiel]

You cannot reach up to the beast's head easilly, as it towers over you like a cavelier. Does it have a heart in the horse-chest, and another in the man-chest? Are both lethal to lose?

You take no chances. Smashing aside the next spear blow with your shield, you drive Witherbrand deep into the breast of the equine portion of your opponent and rake it upward, spilling gore and blood until you shear up through the upper heart and splay open half the ribcage. Needless to say, that enemy collapses...

Both demilancers wheel away from the combat, preparing to charge again next time; with your first enemy dead, the only one remaining nearby trades blows and parries with Byjan. It warms your heart a little to see him fighting so fiercely; the one-eyed warrior who nearly lost an arm to the Graelings, who was never the most fierce bondsman, is finding reserves of courage for you, and your quest.

Elsewhere, Ortel takes your advice and stoops low, defending himself; the centigor harassing him cannot land a blow, even if he continues to avoid arrows fired at him.

Something about Ortel's distress triggers a response from your wolf - Ortel is his primary minder now outside of combat, and perhaps the wolf-god is looking after his own; but the lupine dashes off to join that melee, giving the centigor another opponent to worry about.

Spoiler: Round 3 Rolls!

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Both lancers withdraw, this turn.

vs53 - (1d100)[57] for (1d10+4)[9] Vs Jorunn (This guy is dead)
vs53 - (1d100)[27] for (1d10+4)[7] Vs Byjan
vs46 - (1d100)[23] parry as required.
vs53 - (1d100)[84] for (1d10+4)[13] Vs Ortel
vs38 - (1d100)[52] parry as required.

Presuming everyone survives:

Malene's shot: vs27 - (1d100)[74] for (1d10+3)[12]
Wolf's bite: vs46 - (1d100)[91] for (1d10+4)[8]
Byjan's blow: vs46 - (1d100)[15] for (1d10+4)[10]
Ortel's blow: (Defensive stance).

Parries as required, in succession, against NPC attacks:

vs53 - (1d100)[16]
vs53 - (1d100)[16]
vs53 - (1d100)[78]

There is one centigor within swift-attack distance (the one on Byjan, +10 to hit for outnumbering). The one on Ortel is within charge range.

[bramblefoot]

jorunn will make a charge attack against the centigor attacking ortel

(1d100)[28]

(1d10+5)[14]

[MrAbdiel]

The stalemate grinds on, for the most part. You and the wolf rush across the field to assist Ortel, who defends himself squinting through the blood in his eyes, spitting and wincing. One of the centaur lancers slams back into combat, but you are ready for it, and you defy its blow easily enough while landing a bloodspraying, serious wound on the foreleg of the monstrosity that injured your initiate companion. Byjan holds his own against both his opponent and the other lancer, and Marlene swears loudly as another arrow goes well wide of the mark. Aside from your personal contributions, the combat seems to be even - though if you keep delivering blows like that, it will be over soon enough.

Spoiler: Round 4!

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Narration pending outcomes!

Charging again!

vs53 - (1d100)[72] for (1d10+4)[5] or (1d10+4)[14] Vs Jorunn
vs53 - (1d100)[83] for (1d10+4)[6] or (1d10+4)[7] Vs Byjan

vs43 - (1d100)[27] for (1d10+4)[7] Vs Jorunn
vs53 - (1d100)[26] for (1d10+4)[5] Vs Byjan
vs46 - (1d100)[92] parry as required.
vs43 - (1d100)[62] for (1d10+4)[6] Vs Ortel
vs38 - (1d100)[39] parry as required (full defending this turn).

Presuming everyone survives:

Malene's shot: vs27 - (1d100)[83] for (1d10+3)[9]
Wolf's bite: vs66 - (1d100)[100] for (1d10+4)[13]
Byjan's blow: vs46 - (1d100)[83] for (1d10+4)[9]
Ortel's blow: vs38 - (1d100)[98] for (1d10+3)[6] or (1d10+3)[12].

Parries as required, in succession, against NPC attacks:

vs53 - (1d100)[89]
vs53 - (1d100)[92]
vs53 - (1d100)[89]


In Combat with Jorunn are the wounded Centigor he just whacked, and also an unwounded lancer.

[bramblefoot]

jorunn will make two attacks on the wounded centigor

(2d100)[70][90](160)

(1d10+5)[9]
(1d10+5)[15]

parry and dodge

parry
(1d100)[69]

dodge
(1d100)[33]

[MrAbdiel]

The beastmen do their best, but the tide is turning now; they cannot get their blows through. The demilancers do not wheel away; staying to support their comrades this time; but their attacks glance from shields and are struck aside, for all their bulk and power. Witherbrand takes another life, your backhand blow hacking into the joint of man and horse and severing the spine, as if you were attempting some surgery to undo their unnatural union. The beast does not survive the procedure. Byjan holds his own against who opponents, even landing a blow on one and letting his own first blood while Marlene slings away her bow and rushes to join him in his fight. And your mangy wolf takes initiative, leaps up, and sinks his fangs into the belly of the lancer remaining in combat with you, and Ortel, drawing great gouts of blood. The beastigor champion is drawing closer- but if you hadn't destroyed his chariot, he'd be here already, and you have bought yourself precious time!

Spoiler: Round 5!

Show

vs53 - (1d100)[84] for (1d10+4)[6] or (1d10+4)[9] Vs Byjan
vs53 - (1d100)[85] for (1d10+4)[13] Vs Byjan
vs46 - (1d100)[89] parry as required.
vs43 - (1d100)[79] for (1d10+4)[9] Vs Ortel
vs38 - (1d100)[58] parry as required (full defending this turn).

Presuming everyone survives:

Malene's shot: vs27 - (1d100)[33] for (1d10+3)[12] Joining Melee.
Wolf's bite: vs66 - (1d100)[4] for (1d10+4)[13]
Byjan's blow: vs46 - (1d100)[39] for (1d10+4)[8]
Ortel's blow: vs38 - (1d100)[38] for (1d10+3)[5] or (1d10+3)[13].

Parries as required, in succession, against NPC attacks:

vs53 - (1d100)[64]
vs53 - (1d100)[35]
vs53 - (1d100)[33]

You're on a roll, now. There's one wolf mauled centigor in melee with you now, and you outnumber it 3 to 1 for +20! And there's two in melee with Byjan and Marlene, one already wounded.

[bramblefoot]

jorunn will move to finish off the centigor, and then move to help marlene and byjan. "finish em off, and then bug out!" he calls. "no reason to give the enemy any more chances"

(2d100)[61][48](109)

(1d10+5)[6]
(1d10+5)[11]

[MrAbdiel]

You hack down the last centigor near you, and your companions precede you charging across to assist Marlene and Byjan. In the frenzy to defend themselves, the remaining pair land no blows; and Ortel gets some revenge, slashing into the haunch of the last lancer. Now there are just these two centigor left, both wounded, surrounded by your whole gang; though the bestigor champion is picking his way through the fallen trees nearby and braying his challenges; and in the distance, the scattered brayherd is cohering after passing through and over the crater and cajoling their more distractible members to pay attention.

Spoiler: Round 6!

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Narration Pending!

vs53 - (1d100)[75] for (1d10+4)[8] or (1d10+4)[14] Vs Byjan
vs53 - (1d100)[65] for (1d10+4)[13] or (1d10+4)[8] Vs Byjan
vs46 - (1d100)[86] parry as required.

EDIT: Screwed up the rolls - they don't have impact - but they both missed anyway, so whatever!

Presuming everyone survives:

Malene's Attack: vs37 - (1d100)[46] for (1d10+3)[10]
Wolf's bite: vs56 - (1d100)[71] for (1d10+4)[11]
Byjan's blow: vs46 - (1d100)[54] for (1d10+4)[13]
Ortel's blow: vs48 - (1d100)[43] for (1d10+3)[11] or (1d10+3)[5].

Parries as required, in succession, against NPC attacks:

vs53 - (1d100)[20]
vs53 - (1d100)[18]
vs53 - (1d100)[93]|

Both remaining centigor are significantly wounded! Bring it home!

[bramblefoot]

jorunn will charge the more wounded centigor, blade flashing

(1d100)[2]

(1d10+5)[9]

[MrAbdiel]

Spoiler: Round 7!

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Narration Pending!

vs43 - (1d100)[73] for (1d10+4)[11] or (1d10+4)[11] Vs Byjan
vs43 - (1d100)[69] for (1d10+4)[9] or (1d10+4)[9] Vs Byjan
vs46 - (1d100)[76] parry as required.

Presuming everyone survives:

Malene's attack: vs37 - (1d100)[91] for (1d10+3)[7]
Wolf's bite: vs66 - (1d100)[36] for (1d10+4)[8]
Byjan's blow: vs56 - (1d100)[51] for (1d10+4)[6]
Ortel's blow: vs58 - (1d100)[4] for (1d10+3)[6] or (1d10+3)[12].

Parries as required, in succession, against NPC attacks:

vs53 - (1d100)[10]
vs53 - (1d100)[22]

Together, you and your warband close around the centigors. You charge in and slash across the launch of the lancer where he cannot parry, and as he rears up in pain, Byjan slam his axe into the creature's belly and rips it out with a trail of guts and gore. Marlene swipes and misses at the other centigor, but as he raises his shield to block her blow, your mangy wolf latches on to his wrist and, snarling, pulls his guard down; just in time for Ortel to land a heavy, leaping blow onto the centre of the horse-back, cutting the creature's spine and dropping it, like all the others, to the earth in a bloody heap.

A few dozen yards away, the Bestigor champion roars as he negotiates the forest of fallen boughs on his way to you - frustrated, too late, to catch you.

"This way!" Marlene calls, and takes off. She has failed to do much damage in the combat, and her cheeks are red from frustration; but she can pathfind well enough, and with your glowing green bounty, now freed of your pursuers, you dash away into the trees and leave the beastmen to the bulk of their prize; to burn, or bury, or eat their dead, however they do their dark deeds.

Spoiler: OOC:

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You did it! Between Witherbrand wrecking the chariot, and your violent efforts combined with your warband, you wiped out the centigor before even the champion could reach you. Have 200xp for all your efforts in this challenge, as well as a load of highly dangerous wyrdstone.

* * * * *

It's several more days of travel, but in these you find less conflict; and eventually, you find yourself drawing up to your destination: the Graeling Moot. The Moot is the meeting place for the various Graeling clans that compose the Graeling tribe; a great, wide palisade wall surrounds a large township of huts and longhouses, modest markets, roving raider bands at rest. You know the Graeling by their tattoo distinctive and fill of triskeles and threefold spirals. Likewise, the Graeling bondsmen who eye your approaching party at the gates one tired dusk know you are not of their kind; and they ask naturally enough:

"Long way from home, Bjornling. What do ye here, at the Moot? What business is there, between you and we?"

[bramblefoot]

jorunn will walk up to the bondsmen, and say "im here on selling some goods i found" assuming they push him for more information, he will reveal a small bit of wyrdstone to see how they respond

fellowship roll

(1d100)[17]

[MrAbdiel]

Seeing you and your small crew laden with bundles, this seems to be a good enough reason to come through. Ultimately, there aren't enough of you to cause trouble on a grand scale, he might think; and the modest assortment of skulls in your possession suggest it might not be worth the small trouble trying to keep you out.

"Alright. Don't cause any mischief, ja? You make enemies here, you will make enemies with the whole tribe."

An ominous threat. On one hand, you don't want a whole tribe as an enemy... on the other hand, what are they going to do - burn your village?

The modest market is shut up with its vendors packed and gone home, already done for the evening as the sun slouches toward the horizon. There does not seem to be much set aside for far travellers here, except a patch of ground within the wall for folk to set up their tents and bedrolls; all the longhouses are earmarked by the various clans of the Graeling.

Your warband set up their tents, with a minimum of grumbling.

"We will need to take shifts staying up to feed the fire between the tents," suggests Ortel with a puff of frosty breath as he uses a rock to hammer in a tent peg. "These old tents seem barely to cut the wind at all."

"They are not meant for such punishment, southlander;" Byjan supplies, "they are Skaeling-made; meant for the south coast where the ice is oft melted, and sometimes there is a warm breeze blowing from the south. Up here, beyond the Helspire mountains, there is only ice winds from the mountains south and ice winds from the frozen hell to the north. The difference between elk skin and goatskin, my friend."

Byjan gestures across the dark street to a Graeling peasant wandering on his way. He leads a goat behind him the size of a mule, laden with shaggy, almost woollen fur. "Perhaps we will get one such creature while we are here, to carry our things. The beasts are not big enough to ride, but they mount the terrain well and can carry burdens; and are fair eating, if things get bad."

With watches set, you spend a night in the Graeling Moot; and awaken at the township's early bustle of fishermen heading out to their frozen river, hunters and foragers heading into the wilds; and townies going about their ways.

Spoiler: OOC: Agenda

Show

What now, Jorunn? You've a few 'quests' active.

1. Find and obtain the idol of the Free Maiden from the Graeling Moot.
2. Get directions from someone in the Graeling Moot where to find the village Fjirgard.
3. Offload this Wyrdstone for some moolah before it turns you all into wailing man-squids.

Plus anything else you want to do!

[bramblefoot]

jorunn will rise, and look around for the local markets, hoping to offload his supply of wyrdstone in bulk if possible

gossip roll

(1d100)[99]

[MrAbdiel]

Byjan goes with you, while Ortel minds your camp with your wolf, and Marlene seeks to replenish your travel supplies. Byjan is no Leibwen, but he's a decent trader; having been a shipwright before, and used to selling atleast his labor for a right value. But the thing you are trying to sell has extreme value, but a very narrow market; and without being too revealing about what you possess and how much (and therefore inviting theives), you have a hard time finding a buyer within the Graeling Moot.

You are growing in frustration before an old, curve-backed goatherd catches wind of your efforts, and intercepts you. The townsmen give him something of a wide berth.

"If ye're trading what I think ye're trading... then ye will find not men with right wealth or ambition to make the sale. But if ye do not limit yourself to mankind... Yer options greatly improve. A half-mile north of town there is a naked tree bound with bones - the beast men know to avoid it, because it is meeting ground for the ratmen. But if you go there, and camp through a night or two, they will find you. They will try to steal from you, if they can; if they think they can do it, they will kill you, or take you slave, and all your possessions. But if you are smart - if you hide what they want, and are too strong to snatch and torment... they will pay very well indeed."

He turns to leave, having furnished you with this cryptic advice. You wonder what is in it for him - perhaps the 'ratmen', about which you have heard very little, pay him as a go between to send foolish and fair traders to their trading tree. It's a risk - but the longer you carry around these stones, the greater the likelihood that something will go wrong.

[bramblefoot]

jorunn considers. "lets get better tents, and then check out the bone tree while the light permits" he will go looking for better tents, and then move to check out the bone tree

jorunn and byjan arrive at the bone tree a few hours before the sun sets. the tree is decorated with skulls and femurs of many different species, and a small blood trail leads off to one side of the tree

[MrAbdiel]

Setting your thralls free has reduced the loot you take for yourself in your travels; but it has the mitigating benefit of democratizing costs like tents. Your warband visits a workshop with the Graeling's premier tentmakers; their works are in high demand for the warbands travelling hither and yon in this region of the frozen north, but the owners know that the money belonging to travellers will leave with them them they go; while the money of locals will remain nearby even as its owners become angry for being pushed back in the queue. Seeing the layered furs, rugged stitching, and frankly comfortable and waterproof interior manufactured by these two joint families of craftsmen, Ortel and Marlene go in on buying a tent between them that can comfortably house two, or uncomfortably four. It costs most of their small accumulation of wealth, but they seem keen indeed to have this small amount of comfort from the travel.

Byjan offers to go halves, with you. After all, sharing a tent is a good way to preserve warmth - and considering how you got your previous tents, it might be a comfort to have a good, defensive friend nearby when you sleep.

Spoiler: OOC:

Show

A Best Quality Large Tent (going halves with Byjan) will cost you 13 sceattas, after trading in your current ill-gotten tents for their barter value as well.

If you want to buy up to two Graeling Mountain Goats, you can get them for 37 sceattas each. That's for beast, harness, and saddlebags. Statistically, they are the same as a riding horse, except they also have the Stout-Hearted talent, and they can navigate mountain and forest terrain without risk as long as they aren't running flat-out. They can carry a horseworth of burden and are perfectly edible.

You can make a Haggle Roll for each of these purchases (at +10% for Byjan's help - he doesn't have haggle, but he does have the Dealmaker talent to assist you with.) Success will knock 2 sceatta off the cost of the the tent, or 4 off the cost of a goat. Failure by 3 or more degrees will add 2 or 4 to the prices, respectively.

Marlene picks up a few odds and ends, and a few more arrows; Ortel comes to you with a proposition after some of his own shopping.

"This wolf of yours - he was a coward, but he has learned some lessons, and is worth keeping, I think. I think I can make a salve to treat the blighter's mange, and help its pelt grow back healthy - but I'm almost flat broke. I can get what I need here in the Moot for, maybe, five sceatta or so."

* * * * *

Later, after your shopping escapade, you travel out to the bone tree. The blood trail is promising - something has been here, at least - but for all you and Marlene search, you can find no sign of the bleeder. Something was injured here; but then it either escaped or, more likely, was taken away before it could bleed out completely.

You wait out on the hill hoping to see some sign of your potential buyer; the day drags on toward twilight.

"The old man did say it might take a few days of waiting - do you think it is worth it? I have had no dealings with such creatures before..." Byjan asks.

Spoiler: OOC:

Show

Make a +0% Perception Check, keeping watch through this first day.

[bramblefoot]

jorunn will agree to go halfsies on the tent, and will give ortel the 5 sceatta for the salve. he'll also pick up a mountain goat.

as the party arrives at the bone tree, jorunn will set a watch, and ask that the fire be kept high, for better visibility. he will stash the wyrdstone with him and byjan, trusting the two of them to be able to defend it should any ratfolk approach

the watch order is byjan, jorunn marlene,

haggle rolls

tents
(1d100)[44]

mountain goat

(1d100)[62]

perception

(1d100)[51]

[MrAbdiel]

An uneventful evening; vigilant as you are, you are not accosted or stolen from. But during your watch, you do catch a glimpse of watchers in the dark; the glint of the witching-moon's wan light creating green flickers in their wet eyes that would be imperceptible to most eyes... but not yours. They come and go in twos and threes, watching your group; watching your sentinels feed the fire; watching, watching, apparently unwilling to try anything, and to make contact. Not on the first day.

At dawn, your party rises; Marlene treks back toward town to return with a brace of fish pulled up from under the ice, and you eat well for breakfast.

Byjan and Marlene could not see such watchers in the dark; but they trust your vision in the night, and believe you.

"Testing us, maybe...? This could as easily be a trap for them as for us." Byjan guesses. "We must wait them out, until their curiousity overwhelms them. Shall we stay together, awaiting them - or leave some of us to watch for them while you get about your other business in town?"