Warhammer: Shadows of Empire - Lord of Winter

[Adrian Moss]

Late that night, as Wolfgang readied for bed, a message returned.

1) This matter is the result of increasing disorder in the city, not this one case. What also concerns us is the lack of witchunters in the city at a time when we fear a rise in cults of chaotic influence. We would be proactive in this matter.

2)We wish to make it clear who thee men and women will report to. They will report to the government and the parliment. That is the agreement I have been working on. This is the settlement agreed upon by the Temple of Verena.

3)I understand that you may see these indirect taxes on church related activities to be uncomfortable, but right now Churches operate under complete exemptions. You have no tax burden. Verena will pay for this. This tax will pay for the creation of a library, scribes, interrogators, and the officers themselves. The few hundred Karls raised will barely cover this expense. We need this kind of Detective Force, as much as we need the Knights of the White Wolf to fight against the Foe.

I hope you understand.

[Rorx]

Wolfgang reads the note with interest. Hmmm, yes I had wondered why the Witch hunters had gone to the war rather than practising their art here in the city or the villages.

With that he goes to bed for the night, and awakens to the usual round of sermons and paperwork before preparing for the parliament meeting.

"Mannfred, is there a particular reason why the Witch hunters were taken to the front by the High Priest?"

[Adrian Moss]

Mannfred looks up with a worried, sad eyes, knowing he is giving out unwelcome news.

"The previous Lord Fang decided they would be of better use purging the Sigmarite "heretics" in Hochland. Seems he meant to demonstrate to the populace of Ulric's superior ability to root out the cultists hiding amongst their Sigmar whorshipping population."

It is clear that Mannfred did not agree with that assignment of resources.

"Which Initiate will you be taking with you today - to take notes. Lady Leoni wants to accompany you today as well as Sir Lukas. If I may, I recommend Shard Hans. His writing is the most legible."

[Rorx]

Wolfgang rolls his eyes ceilingward at yet more evidence of the unique brand of intelligence possessed by the High Priest, "Thank you Mannfred, that fits well with other things I have heard of your predeccesor as Lord Fang. Shard Hans will do fine, please inform him, Lady Leoni and Sir Lukas when we will be leaving for the parliament."

[Adrian Moss]

{After the OF&N return from the Parliment}

The next moring, the procession - no, the small army - left the Temple of Ulric and rode out of the city. The Lord Fang with his Hammer of State led the way. His wolf skin drapped over his shoulder. Lady Leoni rode at his side, her own massive warhammer on her lap, looking gorgeous, golden haired, and frigid all at once. Behind them road Shard Wilhelm Adler and three more Knights of the White Wolf. Then came the twelve Selectmen of the Order of the White Wolf, Knights in training.

Wagons and travelers got out of the way. Being overrun by knights was no fun, and everyone knew it. The filling out the forms for exiting the city was 'interesting', but none dared stop them. Once they stepped out of the Taalbaston and into the open air of the Wizard's Way Wolfgang could hear the palatable sigh of relief. The Knights were outside the 'safety' of the city and on the edge of adventure.

Wolfgang and his entrouge rode into Taalagad with an eye on scouting out the situation and checking the environs. There were plenty of refugees and the unemployment numbers were critical. There were constant struggles between the local laborers and the newcomers. The watch was stretched to the breaking point. Today he vowed to check their numbers and make his plans.

After taking the measure of the city, the Lord Fang led his people to the South and west. He came across Mikhail and one of his subordinates working on the farms in the region. They called upon their own arcane arts to cause the land to bring forth its harvest early. This was bringing jobs and food.

The passed politely. Wolfgang was heading off to check out he possibilities of resettling people in the region and by default, what outlaws were inhabiting the area. That night he were camping out under the stars when a horse came up the road with blood on it. Reacting quickly, Wolf mounted up half his force and road out in the direction the horse must have come from. They found some outlaws standing around a coach, passangers made prisoners, and with several men dead around it - a wealthy family was in danger.

Though it was near dark, the Ulricans charged in and dispensed some rapid justice. A few outlaws got shots off before turningto run and two of the squires were injured. The fight was over as quickly as it had begun. Of the ten outlaws only one had escaped. The prisoners were taken back to Ulrican camp, a Merchant, his daughter, and young son. They had lost their coachman and three bodyguards in the initial fight. Wounds were treated and the merchant's profuse thanks were offered. Lady Leoni's opinion of a man who let other fight for him was barely concealed.

The next morning a selectman, horse in tow, was sent driving the carriage on to Taalagad. The man was to rejoin them when he could. Wolfgang went on, stopped to bury the bodies of the slain and then rode the land. Nothing came out to challenge them, but not great areas for refugees was discovered either. It was late in the day when they returned to their last nights campsite and they found their missing selectman waiting their for them.

The next day they followed the River Road north around the edge of the Crater. Once more they crossed paths with Mikhail. This time they exchanged worries over locating any sign of the plague. Mikhail promised to, but for the day his duty lay on the north bank of the river. Wolfgang road the river road up norht (on the south bank of the Talabec) and while he found some signs of banditry, he found no bandits.

The next day he pushed on to the village of Brietblatt. There the militia commander reported to the Lord Fang that there was extensive goblin and orc activity farther up the road. What the town needed was more poeple and a stronger militia. The village had lost over a hundred souls in the war and could easily take that many if not more. Could Wolfgang do anything to make this happen?

The return trip was a forced march through the night so that they could be in Taalagad. What he found make him wish for the bellow of Beastmen, and the flashing of a Chaos Champion's Axe in battle. He ran into the wall of bureaucracy. They had the audacity to laugh at him (Leoni nearly gutted him there - and gutting with a hammer is hard). They stated the 'fact' that only the Countess could repatriate lost Talabeclanders, or allow misplaced Hochlanders into the Grand County of Talabecland ... blah, blah, blah ... blah blah. They suggested he could climb back up the Wizard's Way and plead his case, because otherwise he was a Law-Breaker.

What was next for Wolfgang? Back up the Wizard's Way, or look for Mikhail? Or both?

[Rorx]

Seething at teh stupidity and corruption of those who would willing act so blatantly against the best interests of themselves and their city Wolfgang set out to find Mikhail and discuss it with him before 'discussing' the situation with the Countess. It was after all one of the things she asked him to look at.

[Adrian Moss]

Mikhail's trail led over the river to the north part of Taalagad. Here again were the tell-tale signs of the Jade Wizard. Carts drug back the harvests of apples, wheat, potatoes, and turnips. There were so many carts that many of them had to be carted by men - men in high spirits.

Upon request, some of the men pointed northwards as to the Wizard's direction, while others pointed the wizard having gone back before nightfall the day before. While pondering this, a dispatch rider came charging up the road. He was dressed as an Imperial Pistolier. Lady Leoni stopped him and inquired as to his mission.

"An unspecified number of Slaanesh worshippers were coming this way from the north-east. The local military commander was requesting all availiable help. All eyes turned to Wolfgang. The number of enemy was unknown, as was their number of allies. Wolf's company was small and well-trained, but untested.

On the other side, he had his duty to be in Parliment on the next day, his concerns for the refugees from his homeland, and were in the Old World was Mikhail? Which way would he chose?

[Adrian Moss]

Late then next morning Wolfgang walked amongst the wounded and the dying. For the dying, all he could do is say a few prayers to Ulric to bless these brave warriors passage into the here-after. He called upon his religious power to heal what he could for the wounded. It had been a bloody day, a glorious day, a day of battle.

*****************************

It had started late the previous night when he met in a coucil of war in the abandoned villiage or Verchasen. The Tilean captain wanted to fall back to the town. After all, they didn't know the size of the enemy force. The Hockland company wanted to defend their homeland with their rifles and axes. The Kislev Kossars were here for a fight, while the Imperial Pistoliers wanted to wait for scouts to come back in the morning. Though he had few men, Wolfgang was able to get them to wait for the sunrise. In a way, he knew it would make it too late to escape and they must fight.

Morning brought the return of the scouts and breakfast with the Hochland Company. The Chaos force numbered barely five hundred. It would be a fair fight. The Tileans formed up in the center. If the flanks could hold, the pikes would be a nearly unstoppable forc. Hochland Rifles would form one flank and the Kossars would form on the other. The Imperial Pistoliers would screen the force and the Ulricans were the reserve.

Wolfgang and Leoni rode in front of the force before the fight. Wolfgang called upon Ulric to watch his brave warriors this day and called on all men to realize they stood one another as brothers.

"Keep to your Brothers and Fear no Darkness!" he called out as the first pistol shots rolled out across the field.

The Imperials circled in front of the boiling mass of the Army of Slaanesh. They would fire into it with both pistols then ride away, reloading. Occassionally an arrow would empty one saddle, or fell a horse. He horde would surge forward to slay the unfortune unhorsed Pistolier. The others kept circling and firing until they were half way across the fields then they turned and road off to the flank held by the Kossars.

The Hochland rifles opened up first, but the Kossars followed with their bows. The horde stopped for a moment, dressing their lines and preparing for their charge. From his vantage point, Wolfgang could see the enemy commander strengthing his right flank facing the Hochlanders. Leoni had Wolf pull one of his selectmen aside and gave him a message.

"When the enemy charge, tell the pistoliers to ride for the left flank."

Hopefully this would be enough.

The horde screamed out a strangley erotic scream and came springing forward. The began picking up speed as they closed within half the distance. On the Army's side the last shots rang out. The Tileans gave up their own chant and rolled foward, pikes presented forward. Kislev Axemen trotted forward beside them bearing their wicked Two-Handed Axes. On the other side, the Hochlanders pulled out their shields and axes, rifles slung over their shoulders. They ran to keep up thier position.

This was the moment for the messenger to ride to the Imperials. Wolfgang could see their commander look at the message, over to the Ulricans and then toward the enemy army. Her had his trumpeteer blow his horn and the tired Imperial Light Horse rode around the rear of the army to the endangered flank.

The clash of arms was like a boiling sea of steel striking steel and flesh. In this battle, most of both combatants were human ...or humanish - chaos mutants and things that once appeared human. As the enemy heavy flank attempted to overwhelm the Hochlanders, the Pistoliers fell upon them, bending them back with a combination of pistol fire and saber charges.

Frustrated in his lack of an easy success, the Head of the Slaanesh Horde, a Warlock, lashed out with golden rays of chaotic energy. A Tilean fell into a mass of gibbering flesh. A Kossar turned and fell upon his comrades while his fellow collapses under an acidic vomitous spit from the Warlock.

The Kossars were breaking even as the far flank was teetering. Only in the center were the Tileans winning, so much so they threatened to cut the enemy army in half. Wolfgang knew what he had to do. He held up his hammer, waved it over his head and then toward the enemy Warlock and his bodyguard. In one voice the Ulrican force shouted out their God's name and road forward.

This was no charge. The knights put their lances aside. They pushed through the thinning Kossar ranks and pushed into the pushing Slaanesh ranks. For a moment their progress was checked then the battle skill of Wolfgang, Leoni and the three knights began to be felt. Their warhorses lashed out, their mighty hammers rose and fell, and their foes, fatigued by several minutess of continuous fighting died, or fell back.

The Warlock saw them coming and surged his forces forward. He lashed out with a powerful incantaion - at Leoni- and for a moment she was shaken. She almost missed a warrior coming at her. Wolfgang slamed the warrior and Leoni popped out of her stupor, looking ashamed. She angrily ended her attacker's life.

Vaguely, Wolfgang was aware of something having changed though it took him a moment to realize what it was - the Tileans had changed direction, pulling off a nearly impossible battlefield task of turn ninety degrees and attacking in a new direction. Thier impact there was the salvation of the left flank, and with it, the battle.

The Kossars were hacking down fleeing enemies on their end. The chaos bodyguard were dying - fighting, but dying. The Warlock thought better of the fight. His cloak turned into giant bat wings and he made to take flight. As one, Leoni and Wolfgang screamed out. Their massive arms swung around their hammers and through them after the fleeing coward. Wolfgang passed beneath him, but Leoni's hit him squarely on the head. The Warlock tumbled down to the dirt.

The two Chosen of Ulric broke through the last human barriers and raced toward fallen Warlock even as he tried to rise. Wolfgang hurled himself off his horse and impacted the enemy. They grappled on the ground, a malefic energy boiling around his hand. Wolfgang was momentarily stunned, but recovered before the fiend could stick a knife in him. The guy even sneered down at Wolfgang even as he saw Leoni standing over him, hammer in hand once more.

Her eyes beckoned him to call her into the fray, but honor held her hand. The glory of the destuction of the champions of the Enemy fell to the leader. Wolf knew that this fight was his own. Wrestling the enemy snarled his curses. He could see the feet of his foes gathering around him. He was doomed but he tried to tak another with him for his Lord. A timely knife in his armpit ended that hope.

Wolfgang tossed the dying foe off him and stood up. One of his knights had retrieved his hammer and offered it to him. The last of the defeated Horde was fleeing back into the woods, pursued by the Imperial Pistolier and Hochland rifles. A few scattered cheers rose up, but most of the activity was the tending to the dead and wounded.

****************************

The battle was over and night was descending. Word had gone back to Taalagad and the reply had returned to them from the day before. The town wanted them to retire from the field. How would they deal with this sudden victory?

Many warriors, the faithful and the thankful, came to be blessed and make small donations to Ulric, Lord of Battles. Even a few Tileans, wandering from their Myrmadian Goddess, came by for Wolfgang's blessing. Only as Mannslieb broke the horizon did Wolf realize he had missed parliment. He hoped he hadn't missed anything too important.

The next day, he would return to Taalagad and political life. Back to the refugees and plague and other such responsibities. At least he knew it would be some time before the Hochlanders could return home. There weren't enough troops in the region yet for repatriations.

{Continued in Parliment of Talabheim}