As the group hurries to see to father they soon realise what has happened. A grey faced Hans Bauman and a brace of other Untergard are staring down at a depression, maybe four feet deep. At the bottom of it lies the thin form of Father Dietrich in a rapidly spreading pool of blood.

The Untergarders, it turns out, picked a spot near a large fallen log to lay out the corpses. It was from here that the Goblins launched their attack. A quick glance reveals many small holes in the ground behind the log, made by the arrows the Goblin archers stuck there in preparation for the ambush. The Goblins also dug a pit in front of their position and covered it with brush. As Father Dietrich knelt down next to a corpse, he fell into the pit and was impaled on the sharpened stakes below. All of you have become familiar with death by now and it is clear you are seeing it again. Wooden spikes jut horribly through Father Dietrich's cassock and though he breathes still his face is a rictus of fear, his breath gasping and gurgling by turns in pain.

The Priest is mortally wounded.

Father Dietrich opens his mouth, trying to say something, but already his voice is weakening. "The villagers... get the villagers to safety..."

Edgar ran over to the gathered group and looking down saw the sad sight of the priest.

Quickly as he could he grabbed a rope off the wagon and made his way back while wrapping one end round his waist and tying it tight.

"here some of you men grab the end and lower me down. It will do the priest much good but he deserves someone at his side as he passes over then once at rest we can get him out and give him a proper burial..... After all he has helped these poor souls around us depart it's the least we can do"

With that the little halfling readied himself to be lowered into the pit

Stabbing his blade into the mud for a moment, Pieter wound the other end of the rope around his off-hand a few times before flicking out a few loops near his feet - ready to lower the halfling. His features remained stern, though pity showed in his eyes until he tore them away to call up to Fyodor, "Any signs of the greenskins?"

He looked to the others for a moment, then back at the halfling to judge his girth and see if another might be needed. If they were, and when he was ready, he began to lower

Fyodor wasnt sure what was going on with the priest but shook his head. "Njet." he replied, not sure he was right.

Grabbing his weapon he moved towards the forest edge to take a peek and make a round to be sure.

Jocelin wrung her hands at the edge of the pit, softly whispering, "Poor Father..."

"We should chase the gobbos." Klinka said, peering into the pit and walking around to check whatever remained of the ambush site. "If we let them be, they're going to attack someone else. More people will die."

"We better stay away from the edge of the forest. Grungni knows what other traps may be laying around."

OOC: Are there any goblin corpses around?

Feeling a little sheepish  when it became evident that they actually weren't under attack Lukas quickly composed himself and hurried over to the pit where Edgar was bravely lowering himself.  Lukas grabbed the end of the rope, nodding to Pieter as he added his own body weight to counterbalance the lowered halfling.

"You never know...." he said quietly to Pieter, "they may be small, but have you seen how much he eats?  Best have two of us on that rope to get him down safely."  The joke was perhaps unnecessary, but it did at least serve as a momentary distraction from the wails of the dying priest.

"How's he going to get the good Father off them spikes and out of the pit without impaling himself?" Lukas asked, worried that if Edgar wasn't careful there would be two of them punctured and bleeding to death....

It was then that Lukas saw the Northman surveying the edge of the forest and the Dwarf seemingly excited to go off chasing after goblins."If you're going to go tearing off, grab a pole or a stick or something and test the ground as you walk.  It took a lot of effort to dig this and only a spiteful bastard would do it.  That makes me think there are more around here."

It did raise another question in Lukas' mind.  If the road was trapped, their progress would be slower until they were sure they were a long way from this scene of carnage.

With two now on the rope Edgar allowed himself to be lowered into the pit and took care when he touched bottom to not step on any of the spikes.

Being smaller than his friends he slowly moved towards the priest. When he got level he gently put his fingers to the man's neck to see if anything could be done or if the man of god had already go to seek his maker.

Pieter nodded his thanks to the charcoal-burner as Lukas took up the slack and they lowered the halfling down to the priest. He smiled sadly at the man's question, "Father Dietrich isn't coming off those spikes, Lukas. Edgar is there to witness his passing, ease it perhaps."

He sighed, straining with the effort, thinking of the knives the priestesses carried, "Perhaps he even has his own ... mercy"

Father Dietrich somehow manages a smile of gratitude at Edgar as the halfling is at his side. His fading gaze also falls on some others he has known - Lukas the Untergard native, Jocelin the talkative but well meaning wizardess.

He has something clenched tightly in his fist.

With obvious effort and pain the priest speaks: “I die with a relic of Blessed Sigmar clenched in my hand. For that at least, I can be thankful. But do not leave this holy icon in this wretched place. Take it from here and deliver it to the Temple of Sigmar in Middenheim. Swear to me that you will do this!”

Jocelin took small quick steps in her robes and kneeled down beside the priest and made the sign of Sigmar. "And He will receive you in green fields until we are all called again." She looked mournfully appreciative at the halfling.

"I swear, uh, we swear it will be done," she said, but kept her hands in her lap, wringing them in nervous energy.

Lukas had heard that Sigmar was about as welcome as an overflowing piss-pot in Middenheim, and he doubted that they would be particularly welcome carrying Sigmarite relics either.  He was grateful when Jocelin knelt and agreed to take the relic, and was only slightly perturbed when he realised she had spoken for them all.  Lukas softened and stood close by the priest.  Father Dietrich was a good man and had served Untergard well - this small request was one they could undertake for him.

"We'll see it gets there Father," agreed Lukas nodding with the wizard.  "You rest easy now and know you have lived a good life."  Lukas brought his waterskin to the lips of the priest, it was the least they could do for him right now.

Pieter said nothing, hands still tight upon the rope they had used to lower Edgar into the pit; if the other's wished to burden themselves with promises to the dead, so be it, but he was encumbered enough with the deaths of his friends and the blade strapped to his back, its cold weight somehow heavier as the priest fought for his last breaths

Nonetheless, he offered a simple prayer for the dead, half-recalled from before he had been made an outcast, "Harken for his name, for it will echo whilst we speak it"

In reply to Father Dietrich (msg # 382):

Edgar knelt next to the dying priest and held his hand gently.

" My friend I will do as you ask but keep it for a little longer, it will give you peace knowing you held it when you go to meet your god."

A tear ran down the halfling's cheek. " I will will sit here with you my friend so you are not alone. We do not need to speak now close your eyes and be at peace and think of the moment you are in your god's presence and he welcomes you with open arms for all the good and righteous things you have done in your amazing live."

With that he sat silently as the priest took his last breath. Gently he removed the object from the mans hand and placed it on one of his pouches before pulling the priest's cloak over the dead man's body.

With a sigh he wiped away his grieve and carefully made his way back to the side of the pit.

" he has gone" he managed to say before the rope went taught and he started to climb back out to the others

Braced, Pieter let the halfling begin his ascent before he began to pull as well - slowly but steadily so that his efforts worked with the fellow rather than unseating his footing. At the dour words, he said nothing but nodded once

"Praise be the Heldenhammer," Father Dietrich manages to say, smiling at you one last time before his breathing stops and his spirit departs this world.

As Edgar climbs out of the pit he is able to see that Father Dietrich’s relic is a small icon, about four inches square, encased in gold and iron. It is obviously ancient but its true value is not immediately apparent.


The Untergarders present are weeping now and Granny Moescher - red eyed herself - steps in to take command of the civilians. "We'll have to bury him here. Don't worry I know the right prayers and ways. Ive seen enough in my long years."

"We don't have time to bury all of them Granny, but we should treat Father Dietrich with the respect he deserves."

They weren't blessed with a lot of time, with the beastherd at their back but the thought of the good Father's corpse being eaten by mutated filth filled him with despair.

"We need to be quick Granny.  Can you say the prayers for him now, so his soul can rest.  I'll find a spade or two and we can get digging quickly."

“Collapse the pit walls”, offered Pieter to the local man, “Enough to give the good Father a decent grave, but not enough that it is filled; it might take a few of the beast herd yet”

"That's a good idea.  It's probably not the most dignified place to leave him but it's the prayers that are important."

Lukas wasn't overly happy with the suggestion, but time was of the essence.

Pieter nodded, fetching a spade

Jocelin knelt down besdie the pit muttering something under her breath. She stayed kneeling as Granny gave the benediction and the men worked on the grave.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:07, Wed 12 Jan 2022.

Fyodor continued to keep watch further up the road. He wasnt sure what was going on behind him but he would ask later when the caravan started moving again.

"We should be chasing after the gobbos. They could be back any moment. Or they can attack some other group along the trail. They'll grow more bold. More people will die." Klinka said part to himself, part to Fyodor as he stood on the side of the road and watched the road and the forest. "Even worse, they could ally themselves with those damned elves!" he spat.

The labourers began the unpleasant task of burying the dead while Granny Moescher stood watch and muttered a few prayers to Ulric, Sigmar and Morr. The old woman seemed lost in her own thoughts to Jocelin, but then she had known the priest well enough.

None of you can find any evidence of goblins that isn't hours old. Evidently the green complexioned bandits have fled the area, likely bringing any dead they had with them.

When informed of the grim events at the crossroad Captain Schiller frowns and strokes his mustache. "A bad business and I'll miss the man for all I favour Ulric. Still we should press on along the road - if we dwell here it will only demoralise the people further."

Once the townsfolk had stepped into the cover the priest, Pieter was quick enough to hand over the spade. He had thrown his spadeful of dirt, enough for semblence sake. He sidled closer to where Fyodor, Lukas and Harkrin stood, "We should forge ahead, avoid this kind of trouble on the road, eh?"