Warhammer: Shadows of Empire - The Way to Talabheim

[Adrian Moss]

It was raining again as they left the ruins of Untergard. This wasn’t that unusual in the springtime. The rain slackened after noon and they had a damp camp that night. They were also attacked that night – well sort of. Eight outlaws attempted to sneak up on the camp, but Nayobee’s eyes picked them out. Hastily assembled, they managed to dispatch all eight and Diarmuir took their heads to add to his collection. He stuck these other heads on the dwarf’s pack pony, keeping Bloodhorn’s head to himself.

The next day on the road, they were attacked by four Beastmen. Diarmuir took their heads as well saying,

“Two shillings is two shillings.”

The Dwarf’s pony had to carry them too.

Before dark they reached the town of Ahlenhof. Surrounding the town was a hodgepodge of tents, quickly put up buildings and plain misery for those without shelter. They passed through this mass of refugees and through the gate (letters of passage and a bounty of Beastmen heads will do that). Inside, things were hardly better, with people crowding the streets and every alleyway turned into an impromptu shelter. The Captain of the Watch referred them to the Burgomeister. Pleased to see such a hated enemy of the land dead, he quick forked over the 100 gc for Bloodhorn and the much smaller bounty for the outlaws and the lesser Beastmen (20 ss for them all). He also gave them a letter of passage on the next ship heading upriver.

The next morning, they got aboard their ride, two barges being towed by a river boat. A Free Company of Kislev Axe men and a Squadron of Imperial Pistoliers were heading to Hochland, but they would be making a stop on Taalagad, Talabheim’s port. The trip was uneventful, with the troops giving wide birth to Diarmuir and the Elf, but Wolfgang, Mikhail, and Grombar were welcome. Some money was wagered, some won, and some lost, but the spirits were high.

That night, they tied up on the south bank of the river – the north bank was considered too wild and dangerous. Taalagad come up on the morning of the second day on the river. It was a piss hole of a town, but it was what you would expect for a combination slum, sailor’s hang out, and dumping ground for all humanity. They crossed from the Docks (north bank) across a massive bridge to the Depot district (south bank). Mikhail noticed a good many of his kinsmen here, mostly as dockhands or the unemployed. Diarmuir noticed a good many wanted posters up and about the main Crier’s Court. Nayobee and Grombar noticed the stink, while Wolfgang noted the high number of city guards about.

In the distance to the south, they could see the massive natural walls of the Taalbaston. Before them a massive road cut back and forth up the lower slopes of the black granite wall toward a serious looking gate cut into the rock. From there, it looked like the road, called the Wizard’s Way, passed into the crater’s ring through to the city of Talabheim.

Someone bumped into Mikhail and Diarmuir, hurrying past. Mikhail tracked the man’s movements while Diarmuir checked his purse. Wolfgang and Nayobee noticed something else – an Elven woman, dressed much like Nayobee, came stalking through the crowd. Just a few feet from them, her face a mask of concentration, she notched an arrow. She was aiming at the fleeing man. What happens next?

[Rorx]

Wolfgang throws back his cloak to reveal his White Wolf tabard and symbol of Ulric while glanceing at the scene then addresses the aiming Elf, "I hope you have the proper authority to shoot a man in the back in a public place, otherwise I'll be taking you into the Watch myself." Then, given the cramped space of the crowd, he draws his sword in case it is required.

[Talos]

Seeing the other man checking his possession Mikhail reaches down to his belt and feels for his coin purse.

[V'Neef Meles]

The bounty hunter stepped out of the flow of people (and out of the line of fire), keeping an eye on Wolfgang and the surrounding crowd as he patted himself down carefully. Finding nothing amiss, Diarmuir leaned against the ramshackle building next to him, palming a throwing knife smoothly as he folded his arms and watched the drama with a bored expression.

[Nayobee]

Nayobee stepped next to Wolfgang and put her hand on his sword. "If she takes aim she has a reason. I wouldn't interfere if I was you."

Her eyes followed the fleeing man who had obviously trespassed in some way or the other. Unlike the others Nayobee was perfectly relaxed and saw no reason to draw a weapon. A Ghost Strider would never waste an arrow.

[Rorx]

Wolfgang doesn't take his eyes off the Elf, "I don't doubt she has a reason to shoot him Nayobee, my only question is whether it is legal for her to do so."

[Adrian Moss]

She drew super-quick and got off a shot. It had barely enough time to strike before she had notched and fired a second. The first arrow took the man low in the back, probably in the kidney. The man staggered and fell to his knees.The second one took him in the spine. The man collapsed and started twitching.

The Ghost Strider strode up to the man, uncaring for the various reactions of the humans around her. She retrieved her arrows, twisting them out of the still living body. Next she began searching the man, picking up his belt pouch and smelling it. She tore her head away from the bag and looked ... tearful?

Just then, two guardsmen appeared through the crowd. They took one look at the fallen man then to the Elf. She stood over her victim aloof to the machinations of lesser beings.

"Don't do nuttin stupid Elf-girl," said the lead guardsman. He lowered his Halberd. The other guardsman followed suit. The stand off remained for nearly a minute, the humans clearly intimidated. The impasse was broken by the arrival of eight more guardsman. Their Sergeant ordered his men to seize her and somewhat surprisingly, she did not resist. As they struggled to bind her hands behind her and apply manacles, she dropped the pouch.

The woman called out something in elvish to Nayobee as the guards made to lead her away.

Click to reveal..

<Look in the pouch! The pouch!>

[Talos]

Mikhail shakes his head at the senseless violence. He meets up with Wolfgang and Nayobee and peers into the pouch over their shoulders. "Foul. Man got what he deserved."

[Rorx]

Wolfgang turns to face Diarmuir as he makes his way over to the guards and mouths to him, "Get the pouch". On arriving at the guards, his tabard and symbol in plain sight he goes straight to the Sergeant, "Which Watch house well you be taking her to Sergeant? I think I'll be taking an interest in this case."

[Talos]

Mikhail's shoulders slump and he groans a bit. "Not our concern. Justice done. Justice will be done. This not out duty." He hoped that Wolfgang would reconsider, there was little point in involving themselves in a petty dispute such as this. Perhaps a little arrogantly Mikhail considered it a situation that was beneath his notice.

[Adrian Moss]

"Who you be ... oh, Priest. This girl-elf shot this hear human to death,"

The sergeant stares down at the twitching body,

"Or near enough killed him. That's murder in Taalagad. Whatchya interest? This woodsy one with you?"

[Rorx]

Wolfgang doubts it will do any good, but he casts a Blessing of Heal on the twitching man.

Click to reveal..

Cast Blessing of Heal, magic 2

(20:17:01) ChatBot: (Wolfgang) rolls 2d10 and gets 1,8.

"There is little more I can do for him immediately, have him put on a stretcher and I'll se what else I may do later. As for the Elf, no I don't know her. But her dress and weapons mark her as a highly skilled warrior, as skilled and as highly regarded as a Templar among her people. People like that don't attack people in the street without good reason. Perhaps he had a bounty on his head from her people for instance. Regardless, do your job in keeping her secure, but treat her well. I'll be along later to speak to her and to see what I can do for her victim if he should survive that long."

[Adrian Moss]

"Crazy freaking Elf," mutters one of the guards.

The Sergeant looks at Wolfgang appraisingly.

"Papers sir. I'll be seeing papers for all of you. No disrespect, but I need to know you are who you say you are."

[Nayobee]

Without giving it much thought Nayobee moved as fast as she could and picked up the pouch looking inside just like here fellow Ghost Strider told her.

I hope this is worth the effort

THe sight of the content made her almost blanch but then her eyes narrowed and she looked angrily at the shot human.

"You bastard!", she drew her longsword and placed the tip of it right on his chest. "You'll pay for this outrage human.", Nayobee looked determined and only a tiny twist of her wrist would end the mans life once and for all. In her other hand she held the pouch clinging to it like it was the most important thing in the world. Her eyes were close to tears and no one has ever seen her so emotional before. Whatever was in that pouch it must've been very important to the Elves.

[Rorx]

Wolfgang turns at Nayobee's words and sees the sword held barely at bay and the fallen pouch now in Nayobee's hand. He quickly unslings his great hammer, discarding his drawn sword t the floor as it is both his main weapon and a symbol of his god. "Now everyone remain calm, unless you want to answer to me and my god!"

Click to reveal..

I suppose I have to try an Intimidate again? God I wish it was Charm instead!

(20:52:46) ChatBot: (Wolfgang) rolls 1d100 and gets 17.

base Intimidate is FEL/2 = 27

Without taking his eyes off the guardsmen, he calls to Nayobee, "Nayobee, pass me that pouch, and tell all these good people exactly what manner of scum this man is."

[Nayobee]

Nayobee reluctantly passes the pouch to Wolfgang but her eyes remains transfixed on the human at her mercy. A single tear was running down her cheek and she slowly put more pressure on the sword piercing the mans skin slightly.

She didn't care what the authority thought of her or her fellow Ghost Strider. They couldn't understand what was happening and no justice could be done. There was only retribution. Nayobee's underlip quivered as she forced herself not to end this miserable man's life. Bastard

[Adrian Moss]

The guardsmen fall back, dragging the elf with them. The sergeant stops holding his hand back and looks somewhat confused between Nayobee and Wolfgang.

"Hey," the man stammers, "I just asked for ya paypas."

Mikhail reluctantly steps forward as Diarmuir proceeds to make himself invisible in the crowd while seeking the 'proper' location. The wizard offers up his papers,

"Here you go. My transit papers to Talabheim. I'm the new MASTER Wizard of the Jade Order assigned to the city. This elf," he motions to Nayobee, "is my comp- ... bodyguard and is traveling under my papers.

The Sergeant's day was obviously going from bad to worse. A Priest of Ulric had taken interest in case, which was bad, but Wizard - a Jade Wizard (there was a school in town after all) had made things worse. Sane men had little truck with Wizards if they wished to remain sane, or so the stories went.

The elf spoke directly to Nayobee, again in elvish.

Click to reveal..

<I have to get into the city. This is the only way to exact vengeance. They take prisoners straight to the jail, past their paper-wasters (being no word for bureaucrat in elvish), who act as spies.>

[V'Neef Meles]

Diarmuir slipped into the crowd and put some distance between him and the bothersome sergeant. He didn't have papers, and a bounty hunter was regarded by city guardsmen as a necessary evil at best, and scum one step above the criminals they hunted at worst.

That didn't bother the killer so much as his name being shouted from the rooftops alerting every dung-eating whoreson with a price on them in the region that he was around. He kept an eye on his travelling companions as he stepped from the muddy street up onto a rough boardwalk, turning and leaning against the building it fronted as he watched the confrontation from a dozen or so yards away, his hat low over his eyes.

[Rorx]

Wolfgang takes the pouch and looks inside, a cold, white anger taking hold of him as he sees the evidence inside. With a voice pitched to carry to the whole watching crowd and showing as little warmth as a midwinter blizzard he addresses the Sargeant, showing him the inside of the pouch as he does so, "Sargeant, this man has murdered at least one Elven family, including the children as you can see from the trophies the sick bastard has kept. You will escort the Lady Elf and this scum to the Temple of Ulric where he will be questioned. I will be asking the Master Wizard here to bear witness to the proceedings and will likely contact the Temple of Verena as well."

Click to reveal..

Charm test = 64 (+10 if Streetwise applies?)

(22:31:21) ChatBot: (Wolfgang) rolls 1d100 and gets 8.

made it by 40+ !

effects upto 540 people!

[Adrian Moss]

The crowd went from either indifference, to the possibility of blood, to wanted the human-murdering (almost) Elf-bitch dead to a vast majority of them wanting to to lynch the nearly-dead Hunter by his private parts before a proper drawn-and-quartering.

Wisely the guardsmen surrounded the poor murderer before the mob could get to him. Two lifted the paralyzed man up by his arms, dragging him, while four others stood guard around him.

The sergeant had either more cool, or kept it together better. He looked back to the men holding the elven prisoner by the arm and shook his head. The released her, gratefully. She had become, if temporarily, popular. A guard remained on either side of her, but they didn't dare touch her.

"Come with us to the Captain," requested the Sergeant. He seriously didn't like the mood of the crowd-come-mob. He was also smart enough to know you 'invited' this brand of problem along instead of ordering it.

"This way," he directed, indicating that he and Wolfgang would walk side by side. A majority of the crowd, those without pressing business, followed along.

"Gods' Justice," called out one lone voice. Soon it was joined by a few others then by half the crowd were chanting it.

"The Captain's not gonna be likening da mob, Sir," cautioned the Sergeant. "Can you disperse 'em peaceful-like?"

Meanwhile, Mikhail walked along, finding himself and Grombar leading all the horses. Diarmuir found himself easily moving along unseen amongst the mob and taking note of the few pick pockets working the crowd. If independent, they could be worth a small bounty to a certain guild and money was money.

Nayobee had gotten close to her fellow Ghost Strider. In their melodic native tongue she learned a few things.

Click to reveal..

-Her name was Ioriona Tesmethal.

-She was one of two remaining Ghost Striders of the Farlic hill region. The other half-dozen had gone north into the Forest of Shadows to aid the Elven communities there in fighting off the Chaos and Ork incursions ... and had not yet returned.

-She could understand and speak Reikspeil, but would only bother to speak it to humans who could be trusted.

-The Elven family that had been coming back from dealing with a local human village when they were ambushed.

-The other four members of this human band were dead. This man, a hunter from Leiske, had been hired by a human Baron living in Talabheim. She was here to kill him. More than a dozen elven deaths could be attributed to the bounty he had placed on elven ears - 1 gc per set (a high bounty).

-Her plan was to get arrested, be taken into their prison, escape, kill the Baron, and then use the smuggler routes to leave the city. (she doesn't lack confidence)

-She won't tell the Baron's name. This is her duty and no others.

-Leaving the human alive was fine because now he would be a living example of what hunting elves could bring. She could kill him later in his old age.

-She found it incredibly luck that now all she had to do was escape this priest to exact her vengeance!

[Rorx]

"I agree Sergeant, we don't want any hasty incidents."

He raises his voice to address the crowd once again, "People, I thank you for your support, but your continued presence will jeopardise what we need to do here, please go about your business."

Click to reveal..

Charm roll to disperse the crowd.

(00:00:16) ChatBot: (Wolfgang) rolls 1d100 and gets 6.

Made by 58!

[Adrian Moss]

A few people muttered, but the crowd began to disperse. A few looked round, somewhat confused by how far they had strayed from the locations they had meant to go. Soon it was just the seven guardsmen, the sergeant, the elf, the wounded man, and the party minus Diarmuir. The party's shadow was assumed to be about, but no one could find him in this urban setting.

Once inside, the Sergeant asked an guardsman at the desk for the Captain. He came back with a man in his middle years with some of those recent years spent off the battelfield. Still, his eyes were alert. He scanned the gathering.

"Sergeant, Report," the Captain commanded.

"Captain Hehren, this har Elf," he indicated the correct one with his thumb, "shot this har murdering butcher."

"Evidence."

The Sergeant moved to Wolfgang and retrieved the pouch. He opened it up and showed the grisly trophy to his commanding officer. The Captain looked away then looked back. He stuck his hand in and pulled out the small ears.

"Hrrrrrmmmm ... and you found this on him?"

"No Sir. Private Schiffer did, or rather found her standing over him holding the bag."

Wolfgang stepped forward.

"I saw her take it off him," he proclaimed.

"You have no relation to this woman," the Captain says indicating the prisoner.

"No Captain," Wolf responded.

"Hrrmmm ... Okay, I'm sending this to the magistrate. He should be her in about an hour. Here in Taalagad, Justice is swift. Now, what is the business with the rest of you."

Mikhail stepped forward, presenting his papers to the Captain.

"I am the new Master Jade Wizard."

The Captain took the scroll, unrolled it, and read what was contained within. He took a close look at the seal and then scrutinized Mikhail.

"Kislev eh? That should be ... interesting."

He took a pen off the guardsman's desk and signed something upon it.

"Oh," Mikhail interjected before it was returned. "This elf, Nayobee Ghost Strider of the Drakwald, is with me."

The Captain nodded. A Jade Wizard with an elf made sense. He scrawled something else on the scroll then handed it over.

"Take this to the Municipal Entry Office. Your 'retainer' will have to get an Itenarent Pass, which should run you 10 shillings."

Looking to Wolfgang, the Captain looked expectantly. Grombar coughed and made a jerking motion with his head, indicating something outside with little subtlety.

[Rorx]

Wolfgang takes the hint, "Yes, Grombar, please bring our other companion in so we can get moving along."

Assuming that Diarmuir returns with him Wolfgang will explain them both as combat veterans returning with him to the temple here were he is taking up duties.

[Adrian Moss]

Grombar hustles outside of the garrison and raises his hand up to his mouth as if to shout out something ... then he thinks better of it.

Instead, he runs - actually runs - to the corner of each building, looks around and then runs to the next building until he makes a full circuit of the area around the front of the garrison.

Grugni's Beard, were is that sneaky human? the Dwarf thinks, pulling on his beard and not paying enough attention to his shadow.

Where could Diarmuir be?

[V'Neef Meles]

As Grombar came back round to the front of the garrison building, the Dwarf's patience, limited as it is, has reached the end of it's tether. He was about to yell out the infamous name and damn the consequences when a cloaked, hatted figure stepped round from behind him, nearly making him pull out a handful of the beard he was tugging on.

"Looking for me?" Diarmuir asks in a mild tone. The Dwarf jumped and scowled up at those odd eyes. Was the copper eye laughing at him? This Human was a difficult one to read.

"Don't ye go around sneakin' on me!" The Dwarf bellowed as he put his fists on his hips in a gesture of frustration. "The Priest wants ye-" A swirl of a cloak and the bounty hunter was already inside the garrison, the Dwarf glaring at his back. "...Inside." he finished with a mutter before hurrying to catch up.

"You sent for me, Revered Son of Ulric?" Diarmuir's appearance inside was slightly unnerving. He'd made not a sound, and so smoothly had he slipped into the room that the Captain and guardsmen had taken a few valuable seconds to realise he was there. By the time they'd recovered, the shrouded figure had reached the priest's side and was bowing to him with the air of a trusted retainer.

[Nayobee]

Nayobee quietly stood by her fellow Ghost Strider her eyes watching the men and guards warily.

Click to reveal..

<I shall help you Ioriona but first we need to get you out of this. My companions have a good standing amongs their kin but if they put you in jail I shall find a way for you to escape. So there is a political reason for the murder on our brethren?>

Whatever the two female Elves were talking about Nayobee was very eager to stay close to the other Ghost Strider, almost guarding her from the humans. Neither Mikhail nor Wolfgang have ever seen her like this.

[Adrian Moss]

Ioriona nods then continues in Elvish quietly,

Click to reveal..

"It is greed, I think. Pure greed. Our community has flourished and expanded its borders ... with the Elector-Count's pemission."

She looks thoughtful then continues,

Click to reveal..

"The current one's grandfather accepted our claims to some unused lands in return for keeping them clear of cultists and outlaws. This angered some of the short-sighted Ones. One has gone too far and something must be done."

[Rorx]

Wolfgang looks unfazed by the sudden appearance of Diamuir, "Yes DM, it is time for us to enter the city."

He turns back to the slightly flusttered Captain and Guardsmen, "Captain, here are my papers, I am Brother Wolfgang, Priest of Ulric and the Order of the White Wolf come to Talabheim on the orders of the Church to take up duties here. These two are my arms companions. The Dwarf Grombar also acts as our weapon and armour smith, while DM here will require a bounty hunters license for the work the Church may have for him here. Does he need to do that now or should we consult with the Church's lawyers first?"

[Talos]

Mikhail took back his papers with a sigh. He nodded thanks to the Captain and withdrew slightly. "Ten schillings. Highway robbery," he grumbled as he stuffed the papers back under the wolf pelts and deer hides.

[Adrian Moss]

The Captain looked from the Priest, to his man, back again to the Priest and then did a double take, like he was seeing him for the first time. Really, he could be only one thing then - Witchunter! Was he hunting someone in the city?

"Hrrmmm ... the Dwarf and your ... man will be ten shillings each, but that's good for a year. You will ... um ... need to go to the Grand Courthouse of Edicts for any ... um ... special dispensations."

To Mikhail's grumblings, the Captain could only shrug and add,

"I only enforce the laws. The bureaucrats across the way make them ... and take your money too."

His business appearing to be concluded, the Captain turns to the Sergeant,

"Put these two in the holding cell."

"Wart if dis Elf done kilt this udder one?"

"Then she is a murderess and the law will punish her accordingly."

The Sergeant either was happy with that logic, or had tired of pestering his Captain and led the woman, and drug the half-dead murder, back down the hallway. Diarmuir, for one, knew it they could be handled much, much worse. Apparently having friends in high places had its advantages.

The party exited and took charge of their horses (and ponies) once more. They joined a longish line of people standing outside of an imposing stone building. At the front door to this building sat a bored looking scribe who repeated the same phrase over and over again.

"Name ... Reason for being here ... Next"

Everytime he was answered, he scribbled something down on his scroll. From time to time, he rolled up the scroll at one end and unrolled it from the other.

A fish Vendor offered batter-fried fish on a stick to those who were hungry. Another offered water, and a third offered boiled crayfish.

For over an hour they waited. They saw on man in rich attire stride up to the front of the line and slip the scribe some coin. He answered the man's questions and entered. People murmured, but did nothing. Before the long the Rich Man came out with another scribe and went walking off toward the docks.

When they passed within the doors, they could see the room was lit by dozens of candles. Behind three high desks, three scribes of various ages were looking down on their individual 'problems'. They would ask a few questions, such as were were you from, what was your business here, and how long did you want to stay.

They took Mikhail's and Wolfgang's papers and read them. They asked about their retainers, clarifying that they would have to pay for the Itenerant Pass (10ss) until such time as the Court of Edicts elected to supply them with citizenship. They would have to get a court date and see a judge on the matter ... and pay the usual fees (usually 10gc). The two scribes attending them, gave Mikhail and Wolfgang writs of citizenship, telling them that they need not keep them on their persons, but in their dwellings if the situation warranted. They had to pay nothing by ancient Edict.

{Boring stuff almost over}

Once outside, they were allowed through the gats and could now take the winding Wizard's Way to the High Gate. The defenses are impressive and the tunnel runs 200 feet through the crater wall. Once they step outside though ... it is magnificent. The entire city of Talabheim is layed out below, down the winding path. The walls of the crater stretch out and around, but the Crater is so large, they can not see were the two sides meet. The place seems to have it's own weatehr.

As the wind their way down the interior, they can tell that much of the lands around the city are given over to farming, enough to feed even a city this large (and it's not too much smaller than Altdorf!). To the Norhteast, a dense forest can be seen in the distance. Surely this is the safest city in the Empire.

[Rorx]

Wolfgang looks out over the scene of city and landscape before them, "Very nice compared with most cities, but it still feels too enclosed, almost like a trap waiting to happen. After all the frictions and power hunger induced in a bureaucracy are a prime ground for people to turn to the seductions of Chaos."

As they walk down the road toward the city proper he addresses Nayobee, "So what was your colleague able to tell you about this villain? I cannot believe he was working alone, so are any more of them left to be dealt with, and does she have any idea why they were doing something so monumentally stupid?"

[V'Neef Meles]

"There's some sort of sickness here." Diarmuir announced quietly but clearly enough to his companions, apparently not caring about the current topic of conversation. "And corruption. There were shifty looking buggers moving in and out of the main gate back there. Smugglers, or I'm a swinin' priestess of Shallya. Someone's getting them papers."

"What's this about sickness, Human?" Grombar asked him, looking around as though he expected to see a plague outbreak. His tone was hopeful as he asked "Perhaps a few people with those 'colds' you tall folk get?"

His answer was a withering glance. "You think I'd bring up someone sneezing and blowin' their fucking nose? Myrmidia's tits, Dwarf, show some sense." The bounty hunter shook his head under the floppy hat before continuing. "There's people with greyed faces, a few of them. They cough a lot, too. Maybe blacklung, but they didn't look like miners to me."