Pieter’s smile soured once Granny’s letter was read aloud: he knew what would follow and could feel the silversmiths coin trickling from his fingers, “She’ll cause trouble with this, even if she succeeds. Best we deter her.”

He moved swiftly to gather his things, few thoughts they were, “Let’s see if her memory trounces our trail lore”

Without too much of a backward glance, he sought out some rations and a lantern, leaning on Captain Achillers name if he needed to
This message was last edited by the player at 17:26, Mon 04 Apr 2022.

Fyodor listened to the captain read the note and then over to Pieter and quiely asked "Who Graf?"

"She's a foolish old woman to do this, so close to Middenheim," said Lukas.  He was clearly angry with Granny Moescher but knew which way his path would go.  "That village is long gone, what she's doing is playing with ghosts.  We've already seen what happens when the dead are raised."

It was a brutal statement, but he remembered Luciana fondly for saving him.

"I'll go to Fahndorf with you," he said to Edgar, "There's enough evil at our backs without Granny causing more,"

Whatever it was she was planning....

Gathering his supplies, Pieter grunted an explanation to the Kislevite, “Lord of the village. But a bad one, this time”

Beneath his breath he muttered, “Every time”

The matter decided you begin retracing your steps back towards the crossroads where you found the ambush. Before you go Captain Schiller assures you that you'll probably have time to catch up before the caravan reaches Middenheim. At the minimum they won't be moving until after breakfast and with the carts and children they'll certainly move slower than you.

It is a lonely walk in the dark with walls of the treeline on either side but the sky is full of stars and both moons are out tonight. After two, perhaps three hours you reach the crossroads and carry on, drawn by a distant orange glow in the direction of Fahndorf.

The ruins of Fahndorf are a quarter of a mile from the crossroads, though only a few skeletal timbers of the village are still visible. They are luridly lit by the fire glow in a neighbouring field.

In the empty field you can see a huge bonfire, circled by dark animal shapes. Chanting drifts across the air as the flames dance. A more human looking shadowy shape is tossing things into the fire, causing it to change colour from red to blue to green. Magic is in the air.

---

OOC: Perception tests everyone.

"Approach carefully..." advised Lukas as they approached the field in the vicinity of the nearby village.  "Granny is a good person, but this is not natural.  I don't know why she is trying to right a wrong from so long ago..."

Lukas tried to get a closer look at the field but not at the risk of exposing himself to whatever evil lurked there.


(OOC:  23:36, Today: Lukas Kohl rolled 40 -- a simple success using the Warhammer Test system with a target number of 44.  Perception test (Int 44).)

Jocelin halted her approach to the bonfire when she could make out Granny’s speech. Though she could not tell what spell was in the weaving, her hands squeezed and wrung in anticipation.

---

OOC:

19:01, Today: Jocelin Herzog rolled 9 using 1d100.  Perception target < 42. 3 degrees of success

Distracted by the figures in the field and the clear need to untie the bandit queen's sword, Pieter notices little. His hands shake a little, but his mien is fierce

10:37, Today: Pieter Marik rolled 57 -- 2 degrees of failure using the Warhammer Test system with a target number of 36 ((57)).

Closer now and both Lukas and Jocelin can make out the dark shapes loping around Granny - wolves!

To the city bred Jocelin they look savage indeed, but to Middenland native Lukas they seem normal enough in appearance for Drakland wolves - powerful grey furred beasts the size of small ponies but with no obvious signs of mutations or madness.

They look to be guarding Granny as the woman... does whatever she is doing around the lurid bonfire.

What Lukas did next was truly foolhardy, but most of all he wanted to avoid bloodshed.  Granny was undertaking a ritual of sorts but he'd always known her as a good person, albeit a little reserved and strange.  People whispered she was a witch but it wasn't said with malice and everyone knew she could heal with herbs and tinctures. Everything inside him screamed, 'leave her be,' but she had behaved strangely ever since they reached the crossroads.  Whatever upset her happened long ago and magic couldn't solve what happened in the past.

He took a step closer to the bonfire, unarmed and held his hands up in a sign of peace.  The wolves worried him but he hoped they would only attack if Granny commanded it.

"Granny," he called loud enough to be heard but with as much softness in his voice as he could muster, "The children are missing you and you are needed by your friends."  He hoped his plea to her duty would be enough but somehow he doubted it.

"What is this you are doing now?" he asked daring to take a step further, with his eyes firmly on the wolves.  He was scared and wanted to judge the distance to see if he could run away to his friends before he was almost certainly mauled to death.  But wasn't Ulric with him?  Perhaps the wolves were protecting Granny, but anyone whose heart was in these lands?

"Can we sit with you and you can tell us what all this is about?  You know me, I mean you no ill."  He couldn't speak for the others and he felt a little disingenuous saying what he did but he at least hoped this could end peacefully... (whatever 'this' was...)

Pieter held back, the curve of the steel in his hand held loosely down out of the torchlight as he watched Lukas step forward and the great furry shapes danced in the shadows. He heard the burner's words, say Granny at the centre of whatever ritual this was, and shivered

As they exited the remains of the forest and saw the bon fire the big Kislevite removed his arquebus from his shoulder and checked it was loaded. His ability to see at night gave him a clear advantage and he took in the scene before him.

He had hunted wolves back home and was familiar them but not the size of these. He gripped his weapon harder and tried to count them.

Edgar followed Lukas but kept his distance so as to not hamper him if he needed to defend himself . He kept an eye on Jocelin ready to go help defend her if needed.

Although he disagreed with the decision to chase after the old lady, Harkrin nevertheless followed his companions, complaining along the way that it was a human folly and the custom of his race was to leave people be, even if their decisions may appear silly. But it this case there was nothing silly in someone seeking a revenge.

He had his axe ready for the expected confrontation with the wolves, but he still hoped things would not come to fight. Not out of fear, but because he worried about his companions. The Kislevite would be fine, but the others... It was one of those cases when the soft-spoken girl and the reckless charcoal burner should succeed.

The long low shapes of the wolves get up off their haunches and growl as you come near. There must be half a dozen of them, their fur strangely lit by the multicoloured fire.

Granny continues her chanting.

---

OOC: Okay Lukas can I get a Fellowship roll please?
This message was last edited by the GM at 09:35, Mon 02 May 2022.

"Please Granny," Lukas pleaded, "please step back from this, whatever this is you are doing!" the charcoal burner implored.  And whilst he was at it, he took a step back from whatever this was.  Wolves were bad, but clearly magical wolves with multicoloured fur where another matter entirely.

He wanted to believe Granny was doing good but he struggled to reconcile that with what he saw.

(OOC: oh Fel, how I hate thee, failed twice and spent a Fortune Point

09:54, Today: Lukas Kohl rolled 68 -- 4 degrees of failure using the Warhammer Test system with a target number of 24.  Fellowship 24.

09:55, Today: Lukas Kohl rolled 36 -- 1 degree of failure using the Warhammer Test system with a target number of 24.  Fellowship 24 (reroll spend Fortune Point).

As an aside it's a mechanic that works in the setting, because it is unlikely that anyone gets anyone to listen to reason or offer help or provide information.  It bakes mistrust of strangers and disdain of the common folk into the setting!)

Granny either ignores Lukas's plea or perhaps simply cannot hear them over the crackle of the flames. It does however attract the wolves who as one leap forward towards you.

Lukas does at least have the the flicker of relief as he realises these are merely normal wolves rather than chaos beasts, the weird light on their fur simply the reflections of the fire.

Of course real wolves do still have teeth...

---

OOC: Oof, unlucky rolls there. Also sorry I made a typo that should have been "lit by the multicoloured fire".

Okay everyone roll Initiative.

10:56, Today: Game Master, for the NPC Wolves, rolled 47 using 1d10+40.  Initiative.

The six wolves all use a group Initiative score and anyone who beats 47 can describe their actions straight away.

Lukas knows that his plea has fallen on deaf ears, and further more has realised that he is to close to the wolves to even think about running away before they are upon him...

(OOC:  19:40, Today: Lukas Kohl rolled 43 using 1d10+35.  Initiative.)

The large warrior felt the adrenaline start to pump and prepared himself for a fight.


OOC: 12:31, Today: Fyodor Fyodoreski rolled 38 using 1d100+31.  Initiative.

"Be patient, lads. No heroism this time. Stay cool, stay together and let them come - and die." Harkrin muttered quietly to Lukas and Fyodor.

12:48, Today: Harkrin 'Klinka' rolled 26 using 1d10+24.  Initiative.

With a howl that chills everyone's blood the wolves burst forward with one of the shaggy beasts each racing to bite Pieter, Lukas, Harkrin and Fyodor. The remaining two snap and snarl as they search for an opening to attack the more fragile looking Jocelin and Edgar.

Even as they lope forward one of the wolves staggers as a well aimed sling bullet from Edgar clips the side of it's head. The creature manages to regain momentum and launch itself at Pieter, lightly wounding the outlaw as it's jaws dash against his leather jerkin.

Beside him Lukas is as unlucky as ever. His wolf - a foaming grey furred canine with glaring brainless yellow eyes and sharp teeth savages his stomach, tearing away cloth and flesh alike. The attack very nearly finishes Lukas off altogether and he feels his life's blood seeping through his ruined shirt, the wolf's fetid breath on his face...

In contrast the wolves facing Harkrin and Fyodor fail to land any bites on the hardened dwarf and Kislevite.

---

OOC:

Round One

Initiative Order:

Edgar
Wolves
Lukas & Pieter (tie)
Fyodor
Jocelin
Harkrin

Map update:



Summary of Round One so far:

- Wolf #1 was wounded by Edgar's sling, losing 4 Wounds.
- Pieter was wounded by Wolf #1, losing 1 Wound.
- Lukas was wounded by Wolf #2, losing 9 Wounds.
- Wolf #3 attacked Harkrin but missed.
- Wolf #4 attacked Fyodor but missed.
- Wolf # 5 and Wolf #6 have moved.


Lukas, Pieter, Jocelin, Harkrin and Fyodor you are up!

Klinka waited for his moment to strike, raising axe and bringing it down to the furred head of the wolf. Alas! Either darkness, stress of the recent events or tiredness made him miss by inches. Taking a step back, he prepared for another swing.

08:09, Today: Harkrin 'Klinka' rolled 54 using 1d100.  Attack (vs50).

OOC: This is the GM posting on behalf of Pieter:

Pieter's eyes widen at the attack but the outlaw has his weapon at the  ready, slicing deep into the wolf's hide with sword. The already wounded beast howls in pan, it's grey fur turning an eerie scarlet in the moonlight as he blood flows.

The wolf lives still but it is visibly weaker, trying to turn it's injured flank away while staying in the fight.

---

OOC:

11:53, Today: Game Master, on behalf of Pieter Marik, rolled 6 using 1d10+3.  Damage.

11:52, Today: Game Master, on behalf of Pieter Marik, rolled 61 using 1d100.  Swift Attack Two vs 31.

11:51, Today: Game Master, on behalf of Pieter Marik, rolled 4 using 1d100.  Swift Attack One vs 31.

Wolf #1 takes 3 Wounds.

Fyodor aimed at the wolf in front of him and pulled the trigger. His arquebus roared in a big flash of light and smoke. By some incredible luck the round passed through the fur of the wolf and just missing its head.

The warrior swore, dropped his fire arm and drew his pole arm.

OOC: Well that was unlucky.

07:50, Today: Fyodor Fyodoreski rolled 52 using 1d100.  BS vs 30 - Fortune point.

07:45, Today: Fyodor Fyodoreski rolled 31 using 1d100.  BS vs 30.

A breeze swirled around Jocelin as she gathered the Aether around her to do her bidding, holding in the palm of her hand a small dart she'd taken from her belt pouch. It levitated from her hand before shooting forwards through a hole punched in the reality of the world...

... reappearing and ripping through the chest of the wolf slavering over Lukas' ghastly wound.

---

OOC:
12:42, Today: Jocelin Herzog rolled 6 using 1d100.  Channeling - Success target 43.
Use ingredient.
12:39, Today: Jocelin Herzog rolled 6 using 1d10+2.  Magic Dart Wolf on Lukas DC 6.

12:45, Today: Jocelin Herzog rolled 12 using 1d10+3.  Magic Dart Damage.