[TRoS] Into the Dark Night [IC]

[ProgressPaladin]

Archer will go for another Stab to the chest, capitalizing on the advantage from his prior one.

Spoiler: OOC

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Red die, Thrust with 7 dice (7d10)[1][5][3][5][7][6][6](33) ATN 6

[bramblefoot]

Johann will casually step on detlefs injured knee "look boys, why dont you just slink away?" he says "you tried and failed, or are you afraid of disappointing the head honcho?"

(5d10)[9][2][6][2][3](22)

[Lacco]

Archer

Even with shaking knees, the man still fought. He was thrown off balance, off-tempo, but scrambled to make the parry and fight back. In a way, it was admirable. But it was a fight.

And Archer was just too good. His blade found an opening, his lunge gave him speed and strength, and neither the man's chest, nor his fur armor offered any significant resistance. The sidesword punctured his heart.

His eyes got glassy and he fell back onto the ground, dead before his head landed in the flower patch.

Archer looked around. Johann, seemingly amusing himself with idle banter and causing pain to the foe he downed was being charged by the man whom Narset shot down from the horse. The strong-looking lad that tried to bash Archer's head in was laying in a pool of his blood, fading quickly - he was still alive, but looked rather pale. The spear-and-shield wielding man was trying to get on a horse, but the arrow in his belly made it very difficult, and the man that Johann seemed to know was also lying in a pool of blood.

It seemed there was just one last enemy.

Spoiler: OOC

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Archer has 3 successes on chest thrust.
Baze goes for parry for 3 dice

Parry: (3d10)[8][3][2](13) TN6
1 success

2 net successes for Archer:
Hit location: (1d6)[5](5) = chest

Damage: 6 + 2 +2 net successes; 10p
Resist: TO 3 + AV 1 = 4

Level 5 wound to the chest. Immediate death.

FYI, Initiative stays with you when you successfully attack, so no red/white die at the moment: that comes when there is a break in combat.

Johann

Gistaf's eyes narrowed, but he threw back no insult - he just shouted "For Ardukh!" and ran forward, wildly swinging his sword in a wide overhead swing.

Spoiler: OOC

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Intimidation attempt failed.
Gistaf's stance: aggressive, he's charging you.
Throwing RED.
He's going for an 7 dice diagonal overhead cut

Your response? Stance, red/white, maneuver?

[ProgressPaladin]

Archer will yell “Narset! Spearman! before charging over to help Johan.

[bramblefoot]

johann will take a block open and strike on gistaf, attempting to bat the spear away and run him through

i will throw white, take a neutral stance, toss a 7 dice high block, and go for a 4 dice strike to zone X

(7d10)[4][7][1][6][5][6][10](39)

(4d10)[3][7][10][10](30)

[JNAProductions]

"On it!" Narset replies, hurrying to nock her arrow back.

[Lacco]

Gistaf's blade, powered by his anger, struck Johann's shield with a loud clang. Johann received the swing with firm footing, and swung his shield outwards. Gistaf underestimated him, and paid the price: his sword was deflected with a powerful block and left him open for Johann's attack.

Behind them, Narset was working on nocking the last arrow she prepared for this fight. Her target, the spearman, managed to climb up on a horse, breaking the arrow and screaming curses in pain. It made him pause.

Spoiler: OOC

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R1E1 (total: 3+1 rest +1)

Gistaf's diagonal cut: (7d10)[1][8][8][7][8][3][3](38) ATN 7 = 4 successes
If it connects - hit location (1d6)[3](3)

Rerolled using Drama!

Johann's block open & strike: 4 8 successes (the 'block' part)

A tie! Unless you use Drama to reroll, Gistaf keeps initiative.

R1E2: Gistaf attacks with a cut at arms, investing 3 dice and getting +1 die (for attack on arms). Johann gains initiative, attacks with an upward swing for 4 + 4 dice.


Also: in case of maneuvers like Block Open, or Counter, I'd suggest using more dice.

[Lacco]

Johann
Johann quickly used the opening his enemy gave him and responded with an upwards swing, but did not count with the man bending slightly forward when evading - and hit him straight in the gambeson, piercing it slightly. The opponent winced and had to step back, but continued fighting - but poorly.

Johann managed to hit him with a powerful upwards blow, which even the gambeson could not stop completely, making him lose his breath. Two other cuts followed - one cut his arm deeply, and the other one finished him - a quick blow across his neck.

He fell down dead.

Spoiler: OOC

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R1E2: (updated due to the change in post above)

Original roll: (4d10)[3][7][10][10](30) + (4d10)[4][9][7][1](21) TN 7 = 5 successes

Detlef goes for a straight block for 3 dice: (6d10)[9][3][7][2][5][9](35) TN 6 = 2 successes (messed up, thought it's a new round; took first 3 dice)

3 net success

Hit location (1d6)[6](6) = chest

Damage: ST 4 + 1 (weapon) - 1 (dull) + 2 net successes = 6 cutting

Resist: TO 5 + 1 AV = 6

A level 1 wound into the chest.

Blood loss: 2 (total 5)
Shock: 4
Pain: 5-WP (0)

You keep initiative.

R2E1: New round, new dice!
Your opponent is bleeding, but he pushes through.

What do you do?

BTW, need to check, but in round 3 should hit the first point of Fatigue.

Archer
The two were still fighting, but it seemed Johann had the upper hand: the enemy was slowed down by his wounds, and Johann was still fresh. But it was time to finish it - the fortune of battle could turn at any moment; one bad step or single blow could change the almost crushing victory to an unpleasant event.

Narset was in the meantime already raising her bow, her arrow nocked. She was watching the rider.

Archer surveyed the battlefield: the burly man he fought was unconscious - his eyes closed, his face pale. He was still bleeding. The man Johann fought - and knew - was also unconscious and bleeding. His black-haired opponent was dead - his blood, drawn straight from his heart was still on Archer's blade.

The whole fight took just few moments, but it seemed they had won.

Narset

The arrow was in place, the bow was drawn.

Her target, the spearman, was already on the horse - speeding up, away from them. At this moment, he was almost 20 yards away, getting further every moment.

Spoiler: OOC

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At this moment, he's at short distance (+0 dice to your roll). You have your Proficiency in your dice pool.
In a round, he'll be at medium distance (-1 die from your roll). But you'll have a full CP.
Do you wait?

[bramblefoot]

johann will drop an 11 die upward slash into zone VI

(11d10)[4][5][9][4][9][10][10][8][2][2][7](70)

[JNAProductions]

Narset waits just a moment. She steadies her breath... And chooses not to fire. He's running, not fighting-it'd be wrong to shoot him down.

[bramblefoot]

"fugging shoot him!" johann barks at narset. "this is not some game of pretend where everybody gets up again!"

[JNAProductions]

"I won't kill someone that's running or surrendering. And you," she says, "won't either if you want my help."

[ProgressPaladin]

”I stand with Narset. Fletcher says Killing a fleeing man is dishonorable. He wipes his blade of with a cloth, and then sheathes it.

[bramblefoot]

johann shrugs, and blows air out his nose "chivalry will get you killed in the trenches" he comments to archer

as for narset, he studiously ignores her . "In the somber and bloody times of combat where shadows whisper ancient truths and the air is thick with the scent of impending doom, there exists a harsh reality veiled beneath the veneer of mercy—a reality that bears witness to the necessity of swift and decisive action, even amidst the chaos of battle.

When the clamor of conflict reaches its crescendo and the din of war echoes across the blood-soaked fields, there comes a moment when the choice between mercy and justice hangs heavy in the balance. It is in these fleeting moments that the wisdom of the warrior is put to the test, for to let fleeing men live is to risk the resurgence of strife, to sow the seeds of dissent amidst the ashes of defeat.

In the unforgiving crucible of combat, where the line between victory and defeat is drawn in the crimson sands of fate, there exists a stark truth that cannot be ignored: to permit the escape of those who would seek to sow discord and despair is to court the very chaos from which they sprang.

For every man who flees from the fury of battle carries with him the ember of rebellion, a smoldering flame that threatens to ignite the flames of insurrection once more. In the eyes of the vigilant, in the hearts of those who stand as guardians against the encroaching darkness, there exists but one course of action—to snuff out the spark before it has the chance to engulf the world in flames once more.

To shoot down runners as they flee is not an act born of cruelty, but of necessity—a grim reminder of the sacrifices that must be made in the name of order and stability. For in the crucible of conflict, where the fate of nations hangs in the balance, there can be no room for hesitation, no quarter given to those who would seek to sow the seeds of discord.

In the annals of history, amidst the tales of valor and sacrifice, let it be known that the greatest warriors are not those who shy away from the harsh realities of war, but those who possess the courage to do what must be done, even when the cost is steep. For it is in the act of shooting down runners as they flee that we safeguard the fragile balance between order and chaos, and ensure that the flames of rebellion are snuffed out before they have the chance to consume us all."

johann will pick up kodlaks club, walk over to detlef, and look at him like a bug "wheres your camp, and how many men are in the vicinity?" he hissses, tapping it against against his palm "tell me, and ill grant you a swift death"

[JNAProductions]

"Say what you will, but becoming a monster helps no one," she replies to Johann. "I would rather die well than live cruelly. And besides..." Narset continues, moving towards their prisoner. "Just as evil can grow into a horrid future, so can the seeds of good be planted."

She moves towards the prisoner, standing nearer to Johann than their captive.

[bramblefoot]

johann shrugs "to quote my old teacher, The dead are useless. The living, however, can shed light on things, illuminating the paths we must tread and the shadows we must leave behind." he will stare at narset with dead eyes "im going to interrogate him. archer needs me, and intel about the priest-kings men will prove useful. now you can either lend a hand, or stay out of my way" he'll brush past narset, and step on detlefs knee again

"where is the priest-kings camp, and how many are out and about?"

he will turn back to narset

"Your perspective is naively idealistic, Narset," Johann remarked with a hint of condescension, his tone tinged with the wisdom of experience. "In the harsh crucible of our world, where survival is the ultimate currency, notions of good and evil often crumble beneath the weight of necessity. It's easy to speak of dying well when you haven't stared into the abyss and felt its icy embrace. But mark my words, the path to true understanding is stained with the blood of compromise."

He paused, his gaze piercing, as if seeking to impart a hard-earned lesson. "There's no room for sentimentality on the battlefield. Sometimes, to ensure the survival of those we hold dear, we must embrace the darkness within ourselves. It's not about cruelty, Narset. It's about survival. And survival demands sacrifice, even if it stains our souls with shades of gray."

johann will turn back to his grisly interrogation duty

[Lacco]

Finishing the fight with the red-headed bandit, Johann found Detlef dying. The man woke up when he introduced him to the living world using the pain from his wound, but his pale face and his fading eyes told Johann that Detlef was already one step in the afterlife.

To his questions, he almost managed to smile.

"You broken tool. I fear not your hand - I die in service to the priest-king and I will get my reward. We rode to catch you - there is no camp of mine." He closes his eyes, but he awakens once more when Johann pushes him. "Fool. You always were a fool. Overestimating your value." He attempts to laugh. "The priest-king would not chase you. But the riders were sent. Words were sent. You will be hunted everywhere by the unrelenting hand and you will be killed."

He looks directly into Johann's eyes. "There will be no happy ending for you. Just death. You know I do not lie, you can read the truth in my words. We will meet again and you will serve me in the afterlife. So says the pries..."

With that, he closes his eyes for the last time.

***

The skirmish was over. Narset could still see the dust rising from the galloping horse of the last survivor. The sun managed to find a gap in the grayish clouds - it shone and she felt its warmth on her face, in stark contrast to the bloodbath that she just witnessed. While the sight of death was not new to her - after all, she hunted for her food for long years, and she witnessed violence in the past - being in combat was a different beast.

[bramblefoot]

johann will snarl, and kick the corpse. "we need to move stat. gather the horses, strip the dead, and then lets ride like lightning" he will gather weapons, and then move to collect the horses. "no reason to linger, unless you want the hordes of hell after us"

[Lacco]

It felt strange, but suddenly, the combat was over. The overcast sky allowed few rays of sunshine to pierce it. It felt unnaturally calm.

The spearman got away - he rode away, horseback. He seemed severely wounded, but there was no certainty in his death, unless they decide to catch him. In his escape, he drove away also some of the horses. Only two of them remained directly outside of the gate - the rest were gone.

All the others were dead. Narset looked them over: the black-haired young man was dead immediately as Archer's blade pierced his heart and he suffered no pain. The same could not be said for the burly thug - his wound was painful, although he lost consciousness and died in peace.

The ones killed by Johann were a different story: the man went for gruesome kills, and spared no pain he could inflict. On the other hand, with Detlef it seemed personal.

A magpie could be heard in the forest behind the refuge. Clouds rolled over the sky. Wind picked up.

Of the four dead, the leader wore a worn red leather gambeson - it was quite large, made for a well-built men, but with a good belt, that could be overcome. He also wielded a longsword - it looked to be in a good condition - and a round wooden shield.

The one Johann knew - Detlef - wore a leather gambeson. His longsword lay on the ground, the hilt covered in his own blood. His round shield was slightly cracked. He wore a small leather satchel across his chest.

The black-haired youngster and the large thug both worn simple fur armor - not more than a tunic made out of fur and hide, held together with a belt. They wielded a quarterstaff and a cudgel, but these were just simple weapons.

The horses outside, the two that remained near the gate, seemed a bit spooked by the smell of blood, but they remained. Two others ran away - they could be found, maybe, if they had time to spare. The two horses had both a sack bound to the saddle, and one of them even had a backpack bound to the saddle, while the other had saddlebags.

Archer

Archer took a deep breath. He did not notice that he actually held breath as he watched Johann 'dance' with his enemy, but he needed him alive. And while he, as a squire, had already killed in battle, it never felt so personal. For a moment, he just breathed and enjoyed the warm sun on his face. Even if for just few seconds.

While there were many things he'd disagree with Johann, the man's words rang true: they needed to move. Maybe grab an item or two, but no looting. There was no time to spare.

And they had to take Narset with them. At this point, she was their enemy's enemy. And she would not be spared.

Narset

Her knees shook a bit, but she managed to overcome the sensation. Her gut felt like on water, but focusing on the task at hand made the feeling go away.

There was nothing that could be done for either of the men. Luckily, her companions were unharmed - but she had a distinct feeling that would change in the future. Their enemies would be even less likely to show them mercy - if they even knew the word. But there was something strange on Johann and Archer: it felt like they had a purpose. A fate.

But there was work to be done. Luckily, she already managed to pack up most of her things before: she had collected the herbs that she came for. And the part of her garden where the summer batch of herbs grew was now being fertilized by one of the dead men.

Johann

Taking few deep breaths, he felt his heartbeat slow down.

Detlef was dead. And Gistaf too, his tracker chased away. He knew there would be others - the servants of the Cult were many, and the King-Priest sent out riders. They would ride fast and reach far, and alert others. There would be ambushes, traps and assassins on their heels and in their vanguard.

And he needed a new weapon. His sword was dulled down - its former master cared little to make it sharp, and he needed to cut just once, not three times.

Spoiler: OOC

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Each one of you gets 1 point of Drama.

Each one of you also gets 1 point of Fatigue. You can rest for 1 hour to be allowed to roll EN/6 (TN is modified by conditions; if you are cold, miserable, hungry or sitting on a pointy rock, it will be worse).

You'll need to decide which way you'll choose to go.

@JNAProductions: you gain 1 Conscience point. Narset is mostly packed up, you can spend some time gathering additional herbs or helping the guys loot.

Looting time: I have provided some basic information on what you can find. If you want to strip down the men, rummage through the sacks and saddlebags on the horses, or anything else (e.g. loot the refuge), let me know. I'll let you know how long it will take. In general, it's a roll of PER/Search (you'll find anything that's not hidden if you spend enough time, but for hidden and lost items it's different).

[bramblefoot]

johann will check the gistafs blade, testing how it feels in his hand. He will stoop, wipe detlef's sword's bloody pommel on detlefs face just for maximum disrespect and do the same. "narset, can you get the two horses together?" he says, pulling the satchel off detlef. "archer that gambeson is good too, just needs a belt. care to help me get it off him?"

johann seems to have more pep in his step after disposing of people. It's quite obvious that he enjoys the savage beauty of combat, the intricate dance of steel and flesh, and especially the screams of the dying. He will begin to wiggle gistafs arms out of the gambeson, and pull it over gistafs body. "might need some laundering, but a little bloodstain hurts no one"

[ProgressPaladin]

Archer turns to Johann and says “Can you not just let the dead rest in peace? Besides we have very little time. Get a Horse and go.” He also turns to Narset, with a gratified expression on his face. “Thank you for helping us. It would have been much easier just to run, yet you stuck with us. For that, I am in your debt, and you have my loyalty.” He then starts packing his saddlebags.

(Sorry if I haven’t been posting as often as I should have. I’ll try to post more.)

[bramblefoot]

johann will shrug, and finish pulling the gambeson off gistaf. "Looting the dead is a time-honored tradition. After all, to the victor goes the spoils, Johann began, his voice laced with a hint of cynicism as he regarded Archer's plea. "But understand, lad, it's not about desecration or disrespect. It's survival in its rawest form. In this unforgiving world, we scavenge what we can to ensure our own endurance."

He paused, the weight of his words settling heavily upon the air. "The dead may yearn for peace, but we are bound by the relentless march of time and the imperatives of our own survival. Every blade, every coin, is a testament to the sacrifices made in the crucible of conflict. To ignore them is to squander the legacy of those who came before us.""

he will fish a dagger out of gistaf's boot, and tuck it into his own. "any of you know how to tie a lead rope? these horses could be relief mounts, or good coin to some ostler or horse merchant"

[JNAProductions]

"If you won't give them proper rest, you will leave them alone," Narset says. To Archer, she adds "I won't stand idly by while people are hunted. But... I hope the future is less bloody."

Spoiler: OOC

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What sort of check is it to calm the mounts and get ready to go?

[bramblefoot]

Johann will finish his looting, and go gather the horses from the stable. "im finished, now lets ride like lightning" he says

[ProgressPaladin]

“I agree. Let’s leave.” And they do.

[JNAProductions]

Narset takes a moment to bid her little home goodbye. It might not be her main domicile, but it's served her well.

"Let's ride."

[Lacco]

They saddled the horses, gathered the supplies and after a brief struggle with the gate, they left the refuge.

Narset lead them directly through the forest. At first, they followed a forest path, but Narset soon took them off the path and directly through the forest. At first it seemed like she got lost - they had to move through shrubs, and even had to lead the horses instead of riding them, but soon it became obvious that she knew the forest well: an hour after they left the refuge, they hit another path: this time it was a narrow, a bit overgrown path across the forest and through a gully - it was well hidden, but wide enough for them to ride through it horseback.

Two hours later, they were already out of the forest, at the river fork. Their horses could enjoy few moments of rest and a refreshing fresh grass and water, but soon they would be moving again. Archer's stomach grumbled. It was way past midday and they had no moment to rest.

Good news were that they managed to get past the forest onto the riverside fast - faster than a group of riders could manage to go around. The bad news were, they saw some riders south - it was not obvious if they were following them or not at the moment - they were too far away, but Narset's keen eyes saw them. She noticed them as soon as the group left the forest, but it was still not possible to determine if they were getting close or not. And she was starting to feel a bit tired - she was on point since they left the refuge.

They had a chance to outrun them on relatively fresh horses. But they would have to ride until sunset, and it would be hard to find a camp if they do not reach the village - and horses would get tired pretty soon. Even now, only Archer's shire horse looked fresh. Johann already felt a cramp in his left thigh.

Or they could get back into the forest. Set up camp before it gets dark.

The other possibilities included losing few hours of time to ambush them - but they could not be sure if this was just some sort of a caravan, trying to find some hiding spot in the mountains, going through the southern side of Three Lake Gorge, or hiding somewhere in the hills...

They had a lot of choices, as their horses took few moments of rest.

[bramblefoot]

Johann will scan the horizon, letting out an almost animalistic chuff as he scents the air. "a dark road, and a stormy one" he remarks offhandedly. "blood will be spilled, and the raven will have his due, one way or the other"

[ProgressPaladin]

“Let us go onward. They do not look like they mean any harm. If they do, we attack. It’s gone well before.”

[bramblefoot]

Johann sighs "that will get you killed. Honorable combat leaves room for more dastardly opponents to sling a handful of gravel in your face and then a quick face stab which puts you in the cold cold ground"