Grigory shut his eyes against putrescence that poured from the gash, thankful for at least the small amount of protection the cloth over his mouth and nose provided. Seeing the thing bleed bolstered the flagging ratcatcher, and he struck again, his blade biting into the monster's neck once again with every ounce of hate Grigory had for the god that spread disease and made monsters of rats throughout the sewers of his home.

Grigory is reeling.

Immediate Danger of Collapes, consciousness roll. Success!

Maneuver: Attack. Mighty swing with the shortsword at the Greater Demon's neck. Critical Hit! Normal damage, no defense. 10(!) cutting damage (x2 for the neck).

14:51, Today: Grigory rolled 7 using 3d6. HT12: Consciousness.
14:52, Today: Grigory rolled 3 using 3d6. Mighty Shortsword Swing to Neck 17-5+2sm=14.
14:53, Today: Grigory rolled 9 using 3d6. Critical hit effect.
14:54, Today: Grigory rolled 10 using 1d6+4. Mighty cutting damage to neck.

Right hand: Shortsword.
Left hand: Large Knife.

Parry: 12
Block: 11
Dodge:  5 (Reeling)

HP:12/-4       FP:12/3

Rufus' nostrils fill with the awful stench of the Great Unclean One's pus and bile. It is a smell that means only death, and Rufus decides that if he is going to die it will be while his teeth tear the flesh from the demon's cancerous bones. He lunges for the hand holding the sword again.

Maneuver: Attack. Mighty bite to the hand holding the sword. Hits!
 If the Demon does not defend, it takes 3 cutting damage to the hand.

15:06, Today: Rufus rolled 14 using 3d6. Mighty Brawling 16-4hand+2sm=14. (3d6 this time).
15:07, Today: Rufus rolled 3 using 1d6+2. Cutting damage to hand.

Dodge: 11

HP:13/10       FP:14/9

Grigory, desperately holding onto consciousness and apparently falling into some sort of bloodrage swings again at the demon's neck unleashing an even greater shower of disgusting fluids. At the same time Konrad begins charging another fireball, Nikolaas dodges nimbly out of the way, Nigel blinds another eye, and Ogindur slams into the evil beast [Private to Ogindur Thundersteel: no, I don't think so, but I don't have my books handy today. I will double check when I can.]. The beast reels and stumbles, thrashing about wildly.

Stanauch appears again, dusting himself off as he rises from a pile of rubble. He takes a running start, and leaps into the air, climbing up the demon's slick, scaly, hide.

Ogindur and Rufus must defend or take 5d6 crushing damage.

The monster is seriously injured and staggering. If Bjorn's spell doesn't work, you may have a shot at killing the beast.
This message was last edited by the GM at 13:43, Thu 11 Sept 2014.

Nigel takes another step forward, pulls out another arrow, draws it back and fires it into the big demon's eyes.

09:24, Today: Nigel Plaskitt rolled 11,9,9,7 using 3d6,3d6,3d6,1d6+1. Fast Draw Arrow 16; Heroic Archer 22; Bow 18+1(acc)+2(sm)-4(ta eyes)-4(range)=13. Success by 11,7,&4. 7x4=28 impaling damage to an eye.

HP: 8/12     FP: 10/12

The Count kept up his taunting of the beast, mocking and jeering with the kind of penetrating barbs an impoverished noble learns from his social betters, until he see a chance for another strike. Keep the monster unbalanced, he thought to himself as he slashed his characteristic figure eight at the thing once again, control the pace and you might just see all your men home...

For the first time in a very long time, the Count dared to hope for the best.

10:47, Today: Nikolaas von Richtgraf rolled 7 using 3d6. Rapid Attack #1 (12).
10:51, Today: Nikolaas von Richtgraf rolled 8 using 1d6+5. Swing Cut Damage.
10:52, Today: Nikolaas von Richtgraf rolled 7 using 3d6. Rapid Attack #2 (12).
10:52, Today: Nikolaas von Richtgraf rolled 7 using 1d6+5. Swing Cut Damage.

[Private to GM: I think I must be doing something wrong, I keep coming up with different Damage amounts - either I was too high by 2 with my last successful attack, or I'm low by 2 with these attacks, or maybe something else entirely. I'm kind of lost, but I think the problem is that I sometimes remember to factor in Weapon Master and I sometimes don't. I'll try to get my shit together, but I want you to know I'm not trying to be shady.]

I wasn't even sure our attacks could kill it, I figured we were just pissing it off! Don't let up now, boys!

HP: 12/12
FP: 6/12

Ready Sword and Buckler
This message was last edited by the player at 19:32, Wed 10 Sept 2014.

Grigory maintains his vicious assault, but can't keep conscious for very much longer. The booming prayers of Bjorn keep his fighting spirit from fleeing - he only has to hold out for a few more seconds...

Grigory is reeling.

Immediate Danger of Collapes, consciousness roll. Success!

Maneuver: Attack. Mighty swing with the shortsword at the Greater Demon's neck. Hit! 8 cutting damage (x2 for the neck).

14:59, Today: Grigory rolled 9 using 3d6. HT12: Consciousness.
14:59, Today: Grigory rolled 12 using 3d6. Mighty Shortsword Swing to Neck 17-5+2sm=14.
14:59, Today: Grigory rolled 8 using 1d6+4. Mighty cutting damage to neck.

Right hand: Shortsword.
Left hand: Large Knife.

Parry: 12
Block: 11
Dodge:  5 (Reeling)

HP:12/-4       FP:12/2
This message was last edited by the player at 19:07, Wed 10 Sept 2014.

Rufus easily dodges the angered demons enraged blows, and continues his assault.

Defense: Retreating Feverish Dodge. Success!

Maneuver: Attack. Mighty bite to the hand holding the sword. Hits!
 If the Demon does not defend, it takes 5 cutting damage to the hand.

15:02, Today: Rufus rolled 11 using 3d6. Feverish Retreating dodge 11+3+2=16.
15:04, Today: Rufus rolled 9 using 3d6. Mighty Brawling 16-4hand+2sm=14.
15:04, Today: Rufus rolled 5 using 1d6+2. Mighty cutting damage to hand.


Dodge: 11

HP:13/10       FP:14/7

"Et persequentes apprehendent te, et virtus, et timor magnus undique Sigmar ex anima et corpore, et transferam vos in ea saxum a stagnis quae repit ad cosmos."

Concentrate: 4/5
Now 2 yards away.

A sidestep hear, a crouch there and Ogindur raised his shield to deflect a second attack. He felt the main brunt of the impact slide off metal and leaned down to take a swiping hook of his axe to the knee of the beast. He was going to cut its very legs from under it!

"Take this you puss filled son of a chaos demon!!" he blurted out, using a common insult to enemies.

The axe curved in a wicked arc.





21:47, Today: Ogindur Thundersteel rolled 11 using 3d6. shield block (17).
21:51, Today: Ogindur Thundersteel rolled 17 using 4d6+10. Damage Cutting!
21:50, Today: Ogindur Thundersteel rolled 13 using 3d6. swing(knee/leg -5/-2) (sm?) .

Your attacks build to a crescendo as blow after savage blow lands on the vile demon. Stanauch, having crawled up to perch on the demon's shoulder, swings Bjorn's hammer in a wide arch, slamming into the side of the creature's head. Both the demon's face, and Stanauch disappear in a flash of white hot light, but not before Nigel blinds one of the demon's few remaining eyes. Ogindur chops down on a leg, Nikolaas slashes rapidly at its torso Grigory stabs through the light at where the demon's neck should be, and Konrad sends yet another searing bolt into the monster.

With a sickening cry the demon collapses, and then starts to laugh. YOU FOOLS. THOUGH YOU HAVE SLAIN THIS BODY, I CANNOT TRULY BE KILLED. I WILL DEPART THIS WORLD SOON, AND TAKE ALL OF YOU WITH ME.

The demon's body begins to shudder. Weird boils begin to appear on its hide, rapidly filling with fluid and its skin writhes as though something is starting to escape through its flesh. Stanauch is nowhere to be seen, having apparently been blasted away in the most recent swing, but Bjorn's hammer sits on the ground nearby. The warrior priest is too busy concentrating to notice, but Konrad, through a haze of pain, sees the signs in the demon's body. Its about to explode! The blast and foulness released will be devastating, not only just for you all in the immediate area, but it will likely blight the land for years to come! Your only hope now appears to lay in whether or not Bjorn can banish the Unclean One's corporeal form back into the realm of chaos before it blows.

This is it. Bjorn either makes his roll or the thing explodes pure nastiness

"SIGMAR ILLUSTRANTE ET POTESTAS ET VADE HINC PUTRIDIS TIBI ANIMA!" said Bjorn.

A mass of blue-white energy surged forth from his hand as he took his last step toward the demon. After a brilliant flash of light, the priest lay motionless on the ground.

09:41, Today: Bjorn Jorgensen rolled 12 using 3d6. Banish 15.
     At bare minimum Bjorn is unconscious, probably also severely injured.

 Thru the pain of harming himself to smite the vile chaos demon he could see the creature being forced back into its plane. The shuddering brought up the old studies he had read thru and what the aftermath of such rare occasions when it happened.

 He starts to cry out and his voice begins to break,taking a breath he again trys to sound the warning, "Run away, the demon is going to explode like a gnome cannon."

 Letting a smile touch his face, he was mostly satisfied with his efforts against chaos, he had hurt them alot, now he could rest finally.

As Bjorn's banishment magic bursts forth, Grigory uses what little willpower he has left to run as quickly as he can away from the imminent explosion.

Grigory is reeling.

Immediate Danger of Collapes, consciousness roll. Success!

Maneuver: Move. Basic Speed is halved to 3.25, so 3 yards traveled.

14:16, Today: Grigory rolled 10 using 3d6. HT12: Consciousness

Right hand: Shortsword.
Left hand: Large Knife.

Parry: 12
Block: 11
Dodge:  5 (Reeling)

HP:12/-4       FP:12/2

Nigel drops to the ground next to Bjorn and takes up the fallen priest's shield doing his best to guard both of them from the impending blast.

Kneel and Ready shield

HP: 8/12     FP: 10/12

Ogindur felt the presence of the demon as it began to biol infront of him. he raised his shield, using it to hold back the anticipated blast as he pushed himself backwards.

He wanted to minimise the amount of miasmic disease that would gore all over him and d hoped.



all out defence (block) to block the explosion (do i need to dodge?)

With a great POP! the Great Unclean One burst just as Bjorn finished his ritual. Immediately, a huge dome of pure golden light surrounded the explosion of the demon, containing the blast before rapidly expanding outward and then bursting itself. With a Boom, and a bright flash of light, the holy energies of Sigmar surged outward, throwing you all back and off your feet.

All is silent for a moment, aside from the ringing in your ears. Slowly, you regain your feet. Grigory is horribly injured, and both Konrad and Bjorn are utterly exhausted. Almost immediately the smoke begins to dissipate, much of it apparently foul mists the demon had brought with him. In the growing light and your clearing vision you see Stanauch and Pip both hobbling back to your group. Pip is favoring an ankle, but otherwise seems unhurt, Stanauch seems to be bleeding all over, but is struggling back to you with a determined grin.

He nears the former location of the demon, now a crater, stoops, and picks up Bjorns Hammer. He regards it for a moment, turning it in his hands, and then looks up at you all. "You know. Before the Richtgraf Rangers, and before this" he gestures around him at the recent fight. "I didn't put too much stock in the higher powers."

Still regarding the hammer, he begins to walk, slowly, towards you all. "You want to know what I did? why I ended up as a fugitive and outlaw." He reaches Bjorn, returns his hammer, and then paces over to a piece of wagon wreckage to sit down. "I... loved somebody. There's a joke, among the other races, about never seeing a Dwarven female. I'm sure you all have heard it but the truth is, you all probably have seen at least one! they don't look all that different from us. Not pretty creatures. So when I first met Julienne, she took my breath away."

Pip, who had joined you by now gave a little squeek of surprise. Stanauch stared at him for a moment, expression unreadable, before continuing. "She was the daughter of an Akendorf merchant, here in Barak Varr on a trade caravan, not that much different than yours. We fell instantly in love and, as you may be able to imagine, my proud kin did not take too kindly to a union such as ours. We ran away together, a crime in and of itself worthy of a hammering, and lived on the road for a time, until Julienne got pregnant. She returned to Akendorf, to be with her family and they... tolerated me until the baby came."

Stanauch got up, and began pacing again. "Julienne didn't survive the birth of our son. I guess there's a reason our two peoples don' mix. Her parents didn't take it well and, gods, I didn't take it well either. They, and the city drove me out, though if I were honest with myself, I would've left on my own. I just couldn't take the loss, and I didn't know the first thing about children. I threw in with a band of outlaws. The drinking, the glamour, and the women helped dull my loss for a while, but it was never entirely gone for I never thought I'd see my boy again." Stanauch stopped pacing in front of Pip "until I was handed over to the Richtgraf rangers."

Behind you there were shouts, and a loud groaning noise as the gates of the great Dwarven Citadel began to open.

Maybe it was the pain and full inch of demonic bile still coating him, but Grigory was unmoved.

With blood running from between his teeth, Grigory spoke: "Real sad - you went off to party with the orcs and dark elves that were hounding us all morning while your beloved Julienne made a childish and stupid mistake and ended up dying for it. But that doesn't matter - your fate is in our leader Nik's hands, or our good priest's, as far as I'm concerned.

"What I want to know is how you learned to use a hammer like that."
This message was last edited by the player at 17:57, Wed 17 Sept 2014.

Bjorn walked over and picked up his weapon, its flames now extinguished, and returned it to its holster.

"A beautiful story, dwarf, but I'm not so easily convinced by mere words," said Bjorn. "You have shown yourself to be honorable. For that I commend you, but we cannot so easily dismiss your crimes, though their cause be injustice unto you and yours. Were it my jurisdiction, I would show mercy if you would repent of your sins and commit your soul to Sigmar, but we cannot jeopardize relations with your people by defying our orders to return you."

The priest furrowed his brow and looked to the heavens. After a moment of silent prayer, he turned to Nik.

"Master Richtgraf, I leave the ultimate decision to you, but I recommend attempting to advocate for mercy on behalf of Staunach, especially if he will convert. His story of repentance may stand as a testament to Sigmar's grace and aid greatly in maintaining relations between man and dwarf. If he be granted mercy, I shall take responsibility for him and see to his education myself."

"Oh thank Sigmar." Nigel says, dropping the shield and shaking Bjorn to alertness, "When this is over, I'm converting, hold me to it."

---

Nigel listens impassively to Stanauch's speech, taking it all in.

"You're saying Pip is your son?" Nigel asks skeptically, "I certainly don't agree with your people's view that this union should have been met with a hammering, but that doesn't excuse the life of crime you turned to when you abandoned the boy..."

"We are not agents of any government or people. We work for Count Nikolaas von Richtgraf. This caravan transports the cargo it is paid to carry, our reputation is all we have. We would risk everything to fail in this delivery..." Nigel states plainly, then turns to Nik, "Some criminals can be saved m'lord, but perhaps his people should be the judges of that. Though your word could make a difference if you think he's worth it.

In the aftermath of the blast and Stanauch's story, the Count seems more surprised than exhausted or injured; indeed, he feels as though he could face another siege, and when the Dwarven gates began groaning he expected as though he might have to.

"Rangers!" He called in a rallying voice, apparently oblivious to the dilemma around him, "Ready your weapons and prepare yourselves, our job is not yet over!" He glared at Stanauch for a moment, though his eyes weren't as hard as he would have wished - despite it all, the Count was a romantic at heart - and shifted his eyes to Pip. "Pip, take cover behind the wagon and load my musket - now, damn your eyes, go! Stanauch, take a knee there," he pointed with his gruesome sword at a clean spot nearby, "and if you give me any cause to I will deny your people the satisfaction of any trial, do you understand me?"

Sniffing hard and clenching his hands in an effort to steady himself, he then turned to his men and the slow-moving gate. "Rangers, you have done more in this service than anyone could have asked you to; you have been more than guards, or warriors, you have been heroes. I have known many, and none have had their songs sung - neither will you. We alone will know the true depth of our work, the cost of our sacrifice. Now I ask you for one more act of heroism - I know you will not disappoint."

He raised his bloody sword to the gate and continued, "I know not what comes for us now - Stanauch's friends, or perhaps his foes. Neither do I care! Whoever they are, they shall not take our prisoner; whatever else he has done, whatsoever crimes he has committed, he has proven himself worthy of our regard. He has stood among us, and he deserves the same return. If they come to take our charge with force, we will fight them; if they come in the name of the law, I - and Your Grace -" said in an aside to Bjorn, "will advocate for leniency, and will accept the ruling of the local authorities."

He chewed his lips for a moment as his words sank in, then began loading his pistol. "I will not order your obedience, my friends, I will only point out that we have all done things we regret. Regardless, be ready for action - I expect our visitors will be."

"Aye m'lord. We're with you." Nigel says, drawing back and arrow and waiting to for his employer's orders.

Stanauch seems taken aback by the party's reaction but relaxes slightly with Nikolaas' proclamation. Pip seems reluctant to follow the Count's orders, but does so at the Dwarf's nod.

You all wait for a phalanx of Dwarves to emerge from the city and march towards you at a measured pace. In the clearing smoke you finally see Wendt, his neck apparently broken in the wagon crash. His cat sits nearby trying to nuzzle its head under one of his cold, stiff, hands.

After what feels like an age of waiting (though in actuality was but a handful of minutes) the Dwarves arrive. All heavily armed and armored, stern, and bearded. They set up in a perimeter around your group, about thirty strong before a leader swaggers forward. He paces you all group slowly, his footfalls thumping into the earth. As he nears, he wrinkles his nose.

"I am Grimwald Ironhatch, captain in the Barak Varr city guard. State your business, why you are in the company of a known criminal, and why this patch of ground stinks of chaos." He eyes each one of you in turn, finally coming to Grigory "and what in the hells happened to him."

Ogindur followed the lead, concerned about his injured companions but following Nikolaas's orders anyway. When the group of Dwarven soldiers clinked out of their gate the blonde bearded dwarf felt a swelling inside him, recollecting some of the times when he'd once stood in a military like this.

Right now, however, they were potentially his enemy. Bracing the heavy shield against his body, Ogindur Thundersteel took up position next to the group and forced a stern visage, despite the softness he felt after Staunch's story.

He awaited the response.

The Count gave one last glare at Stanauch before stuffing his pistol in his belt, his sense of righteous indignation fanned by the sight of Wendt's lifeless body among the ruined wagons. He looked through the fog for a long second in a vain attempt to find Maurice and, unable to spot his valet in this most crucial junction, sighed and swore to himself as he approached the Dwarven leader; he had always hated social niceties, even more when he had to rely on himself to follow protocols, and hoped his surly manner would make him fewer enemies among the Stout Folk than it had among his own.

He approached silently - concentrating so hard on remembering his cues that he absent-mindedly scowled as usual - and made his most courtly bow before the bearded envoy; sullen, exhausted and bloody, he was perhaps the most ridiculous diplomat that ever there was.

"I am Count Nikolaas von Richtgraf, late of Averland, and these are my Rangers;" he swept an arm grandly across the battlefield, picturing every pompous nobleman he had ever seen do likewise in very different circumstances. "We are come from Brovska with a cargo of liquor," he stopped mid-sentence, darted his glance to the shattered wagons, and clenched his jaw tightly around the curse that tried to boil out of his throat "and a prisoner for transport. That stink you perceive is all that remains of the Chaos Demon we slew and banished."

Here the Count sniffed and squared his shoulders, realized he had been frowning the whole time, and continued on. "Now your questions are answered, and I will say your tone is impertinent; how can you call yourselves the City Guard when you stand there with clean weapons and undented armour, eh? What happened to him," he pointed at Grigory, still apparently unmoved by the damage suffered by his own men, "is what very nearly happened to all of us, and all of Barak Varr, and to your own men had they been a-present. But they had not - you had not - and we were. That man protected your city, and by all the Gods I demand he - and we all - be granted respite for that service."

Should I make a Diplomacy roll here?
This message was last edited by the player at 21:52, Mon 22 Sept 2014.

Grimwald took another step forward and glared silently up at Nikolaas for several moments. He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted immediately by Maurice, making a sudden appearance. "and speaking of liquor, I thought you all might be a bit thirsty." Without waiting for any sort of permission he popped the top off a bottle and handed it to the closest dwarf. With that, all discipline and cohesion among the Captain's soldiers was lost. He grumbled and swore some in Dwarven before giving up and trundling towards the rest of his men to get a pull himself.

The bottle was gone in what appeared to be seconds and Grimwald's demeanor had markedly improved. Returning to the count he sketched a quick bow. "Welcome to Barak Varr count Richtgraf. We will see to your wounded and collect what remains of your cargo. If you would please follow me."

The dwarves made good on their promise, collecting your goods, treating your wounds, and generally recieving you well. Nik and the other rangers had to tell their story repeatedly, but were quickly accepted soon after. Apparently, rumors of a band of fighters destroying an orc army single handedly, slaying a vampire, and rescuing Brovska had preceded them. There also appeared to be a current shortage on hard liquor in the city and the surviving bottles the Rangers had brought from Brovska sold at an incredibly high premium. Stanauch was arraigned after a few days and a Hammering sentence commuted on the condition that the Dwarf forsake his current life and join the ranks of the Slayers. He left the next day, and entrusted Pip to your care.

All told, between your loot, the bounty for Stanauch, and the profits from your remaining cargo it looks as though you are about 5,000 Crowns into the black (a profit of $100,000) from this last leg of the trip. The city of Barak Varr is a commercial hub for the Border Princes. Already merchants from Araby, and Tilea have approached the Rangers who they hear are the greatest caravan runnesr within a thousand miles, with very lucrative offers. Homes were also being made available in the city's foreign quarter, and the Sigmarites of Brovska have already sent word to Bjorn, reminding him that a position is open in the new shrine they're constructing on Agathe's grave. Being situated on the border of the Badlands too, there is plenty of orc bounty hunting to be had as well. Possibly the only negative you have encountered so far in the city is a prevalence of rats. Apparently Dwarves have some sort of deep seeded phobia of the creatures and the rodent population in Barak Varr is getting very out of hand.

At sunset, about a week later, you all gather to bury Wendt and catch up on old times. The old man's cat had taken a fancy to Konrad, and followed him everywhere he went lately.

Fighting your way through Skaven, Orcs, Vampires, the Undead, the spawn of Chaos, and a Great Unclean One, your journey was finally over.