Let's start with xp for the characters. As I said in my original New Endeavour post - I have no interest in low-level grind, so most of my xp awards will be unashamedly on the high side. In this case, not much happened so it's 50xp for the 'main' characters - Cintoria, Hatto, Kanna and Thargrad - and 25xp for the Henchmen, Bax, Haali and Raark - none of which has yet been spent. I don't allow XP to be spent 'in-session'.
The coach sped along the Altdorf road and as there was no room for Haali on the roof of the coach, he trotted along behind it, easily keeping pace. 'Sped' was a relative term though, as the coachmen were too hung over to tolerate the noise that speed would produce - trotted would probably be a better word. Before long a light snow began to fall and Bax began to bounce around catching snowflakes with a happy yapping as Thargrad looked on indulgently, occasionally ruffling her ears and knocking her away from the flakes, tolerating the nips that she gave him in return. Raark watched her antics, its mechanical mind trying to comprehend the joy the dog was displaying.
Coming to the junction where The Five Brothers Lodge inn stood, the coach continued past without stopping - the inn owned by the Four Seasons Company coaching line and the coach being a Ratchett Lines company coach.
The snow stopped a couple of hours later as the coach rounded a bend in the road. Ahead was a figure crouching over something in the middle of the road. Unable to pass without running down the figure, Gunnar hauled back on the reins, stopping the coach. Hearing the noise of the coach, the figure stood as it turned to face the coach, revealing a human hand held in its teeth. Although obviously Human, flesh hung in tatters from its face and hands and green ichor seeped from its eyes. Spitting out the hand, it rushed towards the coach brandishing a bloody dagger - Raark took to the air, cawing loudly.
Initiative (I); each of my characters has their initiative listed in the combat summary part of the WFRP Party page. The book Enemy in Shadows has the mutant's I listed as 29 so it is last in the I order.
I=45 - Bax - delays waiting to see what Thargrad (I=30) does
I=35 - Haali - advances to be in front of the coach and begins to bay at the mutant
I=30 - Cintoria - jumps down from the coach and readies her sword and shield
I=30 - Hatto - begins to Channel (Chamon): rolls 23 against 55, 3 SLs
I=30 - Kanna - readies her Handgun and fires at the mutant; rolls 59 against 50 and misses
I=30 - Thargrad - jumps down, readies his warhammer and shield and stands beside Cintoria
I=45 - Bax (delaying) - jumps down and stands behind Thargrad
I=29 - Mutant - charges Haali; Haali has Reaction Strike allowing him to attack when charged if a +0 Initiative test is passed. He rolls 32 against 35 which is a 0 SL pass, so he can attack. Haali rolls 43 against 65, 2 SLs, the Mutant rolls 45 against 32, 1 Fail, so the result is 3 SLs to Haali. His damage is 3 SLs + 5 (SB (Strength Bonus)) + 4 (bite) + 1 (SMB (Strike Mighty Blow)) = 13, minus 2 for the Mutant's toughness (T), final result is 11. The Mutant has 8 wounds (W) so Haali inflicts a +30 critical hit (+10 for each wound over its total) on the Mutant's right arm (his roll of 43, reversed to 34 for location). Rolling a 65+30=95, Dislocated Shoulder
As a minor NPC, I rule that it is dead
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| Haali |
The Mutant rushed up - Haali leapt forward and his jaws closed like a steel trap on its arm and he shook the Mutant taking it off its feet. There was a loud pop as the shoulder dislocated and Haali threw the body to the ground, where it bled messily.
A puzzled look on his face, Thargrad walked forward to where the body lay and flipped it over with his boot so it was face up.
"I thought so," he said. "I know this Mutant - his name was Rolf Hurtsis, I met him last year when he sought my aid as a phyisican when this mutation first began."
A bestial howl rent the air from out of sight further along the road and Haali began to growl a challenge in response.
"More of them," announced Cintoria. "Follow me - Haali, heel!" and the dog moved to obey his mistress, the mutant's blood dripping from his fangs. Hatto and Kanna, got off the coach and the group advanced along the road toward the howl. Turning back to the coach, she called to the coachmen, "You two stay with the coach!"
Kanna finished reloading her Handgun and held it ready; Cintoria held her shield with its raven and portal symbols of Morr at the ready, her pistol up and Haali to her right; Hatto, behind Cintoria, held his staff at the ready, while Thargrad, to Cintoria's left, brandished his warhammer and shield with Bax at his heels.
Rounding the corner the party beheld a ghastly scene about twenty yards in front of them: an overturned coach lay across the road, with bodies littering the ground around it. Two of its horses were desperately trying to struggle free of their harnesses as a creature with a large body and an incredibly small head hacked maniacally at them with an axe. Another mutant - this one had a dog's head instead of a man's - lay screaming next to the coach, blood pumping from its wounded leg as another Mutant with a pointed head tried to bandage it. A fourth Mutant, with cloven feet, feasted on one of the bodies and searching through the various corpses was the last mutant - a man with scaly skin holding a loaded crossbow.
Using Battle language, Cintoria signed to Kanna that they should both shoot the Mutant with the crossbow ...
I - four of the Mutants have I 30, Agility (Agi) 40 which puts them after Haali and before Cintoria; their leader (Knud, the one with the crossbow) has I 35 Agi 33, so between Bax and Haali"Get 'em Haali!" barked Cintoria as she raised her pistol and shot the Mutant with the crossbow in its arm. Haali leapt forward, charging the Mutant attacking the horses, biting deep into its side as Hatto launched a magical dart at the Mutant with the pointed head knocking it backwards. Kanna shot the same scaly-skinned Mutant that Cintoria had, blowing it off its feet and it lay still when it hit the ground. Thargrad moved up towards the Mutants with Bax at his heels.
Round One
I=45 - Bax - delays waiting to see what Thargrad (I=30) does
I=35 - Knud - Surprised (therefore has no action this turn)
I=35 - Haali - delays waiting for Cintoria's instructions
I=30 - Mutants - Surprised
I=30 - Cintoria - orders Haali to attack and then shoots the Mutant with the crossbow (Knud, the leader); she rolls 34 against 45, 1SL (gaining one advantage), in the 43 - right arm. Using the weapon's dangerous quality, she uses the units value of 4 rather than the 1 SL, so damage is 4+8=12. Knud's Toughness Bonus (TB) is 3 and his Horny Scales mutation gives him 1 AP in all locations, so he takes 12-3-1=8 wounds damage from his total of 12. Being attacked by a weapon with the blackpowder quality requires he passes an Average (+20) Cool test or gain the Broken condition, so he rolls 53 versus a target of 55 and passes
I=35 - Haali - charges the closest Mutant which is the one attacking the horses. Attacking a Surprised opponent gives him +20 to his skill; he also gains 1 advantage for charging, so that gives him another +10 and rolls 47 against 95 (65+20+10), 5SLs - Pin Head doesn't roll as it's Surprised. The damage is 5 SLs +10 (Haali's total bite damage) for 15 in the body (47 reversed to 74). It wears a Leather Jerkin (1AP for the body) and has 3TB, so it takes 15-1-3=11 wounds, leaving it 4. Haali gains another advantage for attacking a Surprised foe, total 2 Adv
I=30 - Hatto - casts Dart (one of his Petty Magic spells) at the Pointed-head Mutant. For his Language (Magic) test, he rolls 16 against skill of 60 for 5SLs, hitting his target in the 61 - body - for 5 + 4 (WP bonus) = 9 damage. It too is wearing a leather jerkin and has 3TB, so it takes 5 damage, giving Hatto +1Adv
I=30 - Kanna - shoots Knud. She rolls 29 against 50, hitting (+1 Adv) with 3 SLs in the 92 - right leg - for 9 (weapon has the dangerous quality, so it can use the units value of 9 rather than the 3SLs) + 9 (base damage) = 18. Knud has 1 AP on his leg, but that is ignored as her Dwarf Handgun has the Penetrating quality. His 3TB comes off the damage, so he takes 15 damage against his 4 remaining wounds; the 11 extra is +110 on the leg critical roll of 43 so 153 - Shattered Pelvis (death), Kanna gains +1Adv
I=30 - Thargrad - runs toward the enemy, but can't reach them
I=45 - Bax (delaying) - follows Thargrad
End of Round One
Round Two
I=45 - Bax - delays to see what Thargrad does
I=35 - Knud- dead
I=35 - Haali, 2Adv - attacks the Mutant again; rolls 37 against 85 (60+20) = 5SLs, the Mutant rolls 29 against skill of 45, 2SLs. 5SLs - 2SLs, Haali hits by 3SLs; damage is 3 SLs +10 = 13 in the body. 13 - 1AP - 3TB = 9, it currently has 4 wounds, so 5 over its remaining is a critical +50. That roll totals 113 - Internal Bleeding, which I'm calling as dead
I=30 - Mutants - the dog-headed Mutant was already bleeding out and continues to do so; Cloven-foot charges Thargrad and Pointed-head - whom Hatto had hit with a Dart - also charges Thargrad as he is the closest
Cloven-foot attacks Thargrad, his charge gives him +1Adv; he rolls 58 against 55 (45+10), 1 Fail, while Thargrad rolls 38 against 48, 1SL, 2SLs to Thargrad in all. The attack fails, Thargrad wins gaining 1Adv, Cloven-foot loses his Adv
Pointed-head attacks Thargrad, rolling 79 vs 55 = 2F, Thargrad rolls 56 vs 48 = 1F, Thargrad wins again, so gains +1Adv
I=30 - Cintoria, 1Adv - charges Cloven-foot, rolling 17 vs 55 = 3SLs, Cloven-foot rolls 05 vs 45 = 4SLs; Cloven-foot wins getting +1Adv, Cintoria loses her Adv
I=30 - Hatto, 1Adv - flings another Dart at Pointed-head, rolling 47 vs 75 (55+20 for Raark) giving 3SLs + 1SL for Raark, doing 4 (SLs) + 4 WPB -1AP - 3TB = 4 damage, gaining +1Adv
I=30 - Kanna, 1Adv - drops her Handgun, draws her pistol and shoots Pointed-head, rolling 37 vs 60 (50+10 for Adv) = 3SLs in 73, the body; the Damaging quality gives damage of 7+8= 15 damage. It was on 7 wounds so takes a +80 critical - the roll totals 144 = Torn Apart (death). Kanna advances toward Cloven-foot
I=30 - Thargrad, 2Adv - attacks Cloven-foot, 64 vs 68 (48+20 Adv) 0SL (but a success), Cloven-foot rolls 54 vs 45 = 1F, so Thargrad hits with 1SL, doing 1+7 damage to 46 body. It has 1AP and 3TB, so takes 4 wounds and Thargrad is now on 3Adv
I=45 - Bax - attacks Cloven-foot rolling 22 (a critical!) against 55, 3SLs, Cloven-foot rolls 83 vs 45, 4F, so Bax gets 7SLs in all, doing 7+5=12 damage. Bax rolls 80 for location, left leg; -3TB to damage total 9 wounds, a +10 critical; result 'Hacked Leg' gains Prone and 2 Bleeding Conditions; I'll rule this another dead Mutant
End of Round Two and the combat - all the Mutants are dead
Haali bit his foe again, picking it up and throwing it down where it expired noisily. The cloven-footed Mutant attacked Thargrad who took the attack on his shield, as he did again with the pointed-head Mutant's attack. Cintoria charged the cloven-foot Mutant, but it parried her sword with its axe as Hatto flung another Dart at Pointed-head, wounding it again. Kanna's pistol barked and Hatto's target fell dead to the ground as the last remaining Mutant - Cloven-foot - fell beneath the attacks of Thargrad and Bax.
Their foes defeated the party slipped into a well-practiced routine; Kanna retrieved her Handgun, slinging it upon her back and then, with Thargrad, began to lay out the bodies in a line beside the overturned coach. Cintoria gave the coup-de-grace to the screaming, mutilated horses and Hatto began a thorough, methodical search of the bodies also ensuring that they had all begun their journey to Morr's portal as Raark flew in a small circle above them keeping watch.
"Body in the coach," called out Raark as he flew over it. The other corpses had already been laid out in a line - the five mutants, two coachmen, a labourer, a pair of artisans and an initiate of Sigmar. Thargrad and Kanna climbed the coach to get the last body out.
"I believe that scaly there had looted the others already," Hatto told Cintoria hefting a pouch that clinked with the sound of coin.
"Good, it will help our work for Morr," she replied, "I'll see them on their last journey." She went to the end of the corpse-line and began to deliver the Last Rites of Morr to each of them in turn.
"You'd better both have a look at this one," called Kanna as she and Thargrad laid the last body beside the coach.
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| The Letter |
Cintoria and Hatto came to join the Dwarfs and looking down were both shocked to the core. Lying there on the ground in the clothing of a minor noble, was Hatto. The man didn't just 'look like' Hatto - as far as they could tell, it was Hatto.
There was a letter protruding from a pocket of the man's coat, which Cintoria retrieved and passed to Hatto. She had to call his name before he would take it though, shocked as he was. Cintoria continued searching the body - a signet ring, she tossed to Kanna, the small purse she pocketed and found another piece of paper in an internal pocket.
Kanna had a close look at the ring and used her knowledge of Heraldry to try and identify its engraving.
Kanna makes an Average (+20) Lore (Heraldry) roll; 37 vs 68 (48 skill +20) = 3SLs. She identifies the device engraved on it
"It's the emblem of a minor Ubersriek house - the Lieberungs," she announced.
"This letter," began Hatto, "says that the Lieberung estate is to be inherited by the addressee - one Kastor Lieberung - if he presents himself to a lawyer in Bogenhafen with an affadavit of his identity."
"And this is the affadavit," said Cintoria looking at the paper from the internal pocket.
They could all see the light that illuminated Hatto's eyes as he realised the opportunity fate had given him.
Hatto makes a Challenging (+0) Lore (Reikland) roll; 55 vs 50 = Fumble. Oh dear ... he fails to recall that the Lieberung estate had indeed been intestate, but the courts had just resolved that and passed it to an inheritor. He believes it to be still intestate AND likely to remain so
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| The Affadavit |
"Yes ... well ..." said Cintoria, her reluctance for the proposed fraud evident. "Let's finish here and then talk about it." She handed the affadavit to Hatto and Kanna handed the ring to him too.
The Dwarfs added the body to the corpse-line and Cintoria resumed giving Morr's Last Rites to them. Kanna picked up the Blunderbuss that had belonged to one of the dead coachmen, along with its shot & powder, and put it in her backpack - all blackpowder weapons fascinated her.
Cintoria had reached the Mutants when Raark flew low over the party, crying "Roadwardens coming from the north." Cintoria simply continued as the others turned northwards, Hatto deep in thought, planning his tower, while the Dwarfs both had a nip from Thargrad's silver flask.
Before long, they could all hear the jingling tack and harness of the approaching riders and then five riders rounded the bend that limited their sight to the north. Taking in what was before him, the dark-skinned man at the front sped up his horse and called out to the group.
"What's going on here?"
"This coach was attacked by Mutants," responded Cintoria, "We came upon them and killed the Mutants in turn. Our coach is round the bend to the south."
"Baldwin, see if that's true and if it is, bring the coach here. I'm Sergeant Pflaster of the Altdorf Roadwardens," the Sergeant looked around considering both the scene and Cintoria. "I believe I should thank you Sister for your intervention - you've certainly made our job easier. We need to get that coach moved - we can count on you and your friends to help?" He may have phrased it as a question, but it really wasn't ...
End of this post.
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