Topic: Shadows over Bogenhafen: game thread [players only please!]

[rufus sparkfire]

[Mortus]

Mortus draws her dagger and launches herself at Brandt. The boat rocks wildly.

[Mortus: 34, miss!]

Her dagger slits open his left sleeve, almost catching the skin. He snarls and swings the oar again.

[Brandt: 80, miss]

She ducks, and it whistles over her head. She tries to stab him again.

[Mortus: 63, miss]

[Brandt: 87, miss]

[Mortus: 28, hits right leg. S4+d6 roll of 1 -2 (dagger) -T5 = no damage]

She almost succeeds in stabbing him in the leg, but he knocks her arm aside at the last moment.

[Brandt: 90, miss]

The boat now very unstable. Both of them struggle to retain their footing....

[Mortus I test: 77, fail!]

[Brandt I test: 81, fail!]

...but it proves impossible. The boat capsizes! Mortus and Brandt are thrown into the dark waters of the Black Pool. Mortus plunges below the surface, her ears and nose filling with water. She fights her way back to the surface and struggles to remain there!

[continued later when I've revised the appropriate section of the rules!]

[rufus sparkfire]

[Julian and Ragni]

Ragni nods, muttering "the beastie!" to himself. He sprints off. Julian knows he will have to delay the cultists for quite a while if he is to give Ragni time to fetch Hubert. He takes up a position in the half-blocked entrance, facing the first cultist.

The man charges him, swinging a hammer!

[Cultist A 1 (charge bonus): 85, miss]
[CA2: 67, miss]

Julian calms strikes back at the charging cultist.

[Julian 1: 30, hits head. S3+1+d6 roll of 2-T3 = 3 wounds]
[J2: 13, hits right arm. S3+1+d6 roll of 3-T3 = 4 wounds]

He deals two powerful blows to the man, stopping him in his tracks!

[continues later, got to go!]

[Fandir Nightshade]

"Maybe I should be the one stalking after them I have some skills in that regard you others can follow up a couple of yards behind me...it will be harder for them to find out that they are being followed."

[rufus sparkfire]

[Julian and Ragni]

Though bleeding from his head and one arm, the cultist presses his attack on Julian.

[cultist a1: 29, hits left leg. S4+1+d6 roll of 3-T7-a3 = no wounds]
[C a2: 23, hits right arm. S4+1+d6 roll of 1-T7-a3 = no wounds]

[Julian 1: 69, miss]
[J2: 02, hits right arm. S3+1+d6 roll of 6! (add damage = yes)+3-T3= max critical = dead]

His sword smashes into the man's shoulder, causing appalling damage. He dies almost immediately.

The other three men back away, discouraged. They glare at Julian from a short distance away, none of them eager to be the one to attack.

[Finlay]

"did your mothers know she gave birth to a bunch of girls?" Julian shouts, banging his sword on his shield, the blood thumping loud inside his helmet.

[rufus sparkfire]

[Mortus]

The water is horribly cold. Mortus can feel her strength draining away, but she fights valiantly to stay on the surface, She treads water for what seems like hours. Just as she is about to surrender, an arm grabs her and pulls her halfway onto a boat. Her legs trail in the water.

She spends a few moments coughing and spluttering onto the deck. Then she looks up... into the face of Gotthard Brandt. His clothes are soaked through, and his eyes are filled with hatred. He grabs her hand and roughly removes the ring from her finger.

Then he pushes her back into the lake.


[continues]

[rufus sparkfire]

[Julian]

Julian's taunt has the desired effect. One of the cultists - a stocky man armed with a pair of heavy clubs - charges at him, shouting, "I'll smash your bloody face in, stunty!"

[Cultist B1 (charging): 45, hits left arm. S4+1+d6 roll of 4-T7-A3 = no wounds]
[Cb2: 46, hits body. S4+1+d6 roll of 2-T7-A4 = no wounds]
[Cb 3 (off hand): 30, hits head. S4+1+d6 roll of 6! (add damage = yes!)+4-T7-a4 = 4 wounds. Dodge blow = 90, fail. 4 wounds taken!]

He deals Julian a powerful blow to the head, which makes his helmet ring. Julian shrugs off the impact and ripostes.

[Julian 1: 10, hits head. S3+1+d6 roll of 4-t4 = 4 wounds]
[J2: 68, miss]

His sword leaves a superficial but painful cut on the cultist's forehead.

[CultistB1: 13, hits right arm. S4+1+d6 roll of 1... never mind]
[Cb2: 05, hits left arm. S4+1+d6 roll of 1]
[Cb3: 50, hits head. S4+1+d6 roll of 4-T7-A4 = no wounds]

[Julian1: 64, miss]
[J2: 100! miss]

Julian overreaches himself - his attack goes wide, and he loses his balance slightly. The man takes advantage of the opening:

[Cultistb 1 (+20 to hit this round only): 52, hits right arm. S4+1+d6 roll of 3, nothing]
[CB2: 76, miss
[Cb 3: 22, hits right arm. S4+1+d6 roll of 6! (add damage = yes!)+6!+5-T7-A3 = 12 wounds caused! Dodge blow = 90, fail. Parry = 12, pass. -D6 wounds = 4 parried. 8 wounds taken! -2 critical to arm = 05, drop weapon, hand incapacitated for one round]

[Julian is on 0 wounds!]

His club lands with crushing force, temporarily deadening Julian's right arm. He drops his sword, which clatters to the ground. He's armed now only with his shield.

The cultists roars in triumph. "Surrender, stunty!" he shouts.

[Karl Voss of Averland]

Admund eyes Klaus carefully, wondering if he is thinking clearly. He sizes Klaus up for a moment before giving a curt nod. "Right, you and Heinrich should shadow the elfs. Max and I will tail you two. That should keep us far back enough sight. If you run into trouble or they split up, you can just signal us we can come up and help."

Admund rises. "Be careful lads. At least maybe they're heading back to their Inn and we'll  know where they're staying."

Admund is ready to depart after Klaus and Heinrich start tailing the robbed elfs.

[Cannonofdoom]

"The more people follow them, the better chance they have of noticing us. Klaus is right, he should follow them more closely, then I shall follow behind him, and you two stick close behind me." Heinrich will get up to follow after Klaus shortly after he gets up to follow the elves.

[Karl Voss of Averland]

Admund nods, and will follow with Max after Heinrich departs.

"Oh, and thanks for lunch Max. Fanciest place i've eaten at in ages."

[Fandir Nightshade]

Klaus certainly looks shaken but looking in his eyes Admund can see his wits working frantically...he is scared but somehow also looks thrilled. Muttering some prayers to Ranald and secretly making the sign of the x Klaus will try to shadow the Elves trying to find distinguishing differences of appearance on the one Elf he believes is Cassilda.

[Finlay]

Julian grunts, his head now ringing from the blows from the club and his vision slightly blurred. He crouches low and charges into the man with his shield, trying to push him back, getting underneath his centre of balance so he can maybe push him over, before trying to retrieve his sword, and retreating to his defensible gap.

[rufus sparkfire]

[Julian]

The cultist is obviously overconfident after his success. He thinks Julian has given up, so reacts too slowly when the dwarf charges him with shield raised!

[Julian (shield charge): 43, hits right arm. S3+1+d6 roll of 5-2 (shield bash)-T4 = 3 wounds! reduced to zero]

He barrels into the man, knocking him back down the tunnel.

[Cultist I test = 66, fail]

The cultist loses his footing, collapsing in a heap on the floor. Julian feels his arm returning to life - he picks up his runesword, and resumes his defensive stance in the tunnel entrance.

The fallen cultist scrabbles away along the passage. One of the others steps over him and advances grimly towards Julian. "Try to take him alive!" the third cultist says.

[continues]

[rufus sparkfire]

[Julian]

At the same time, Julian hears a commotion coming from the tunnel entrance he blocked off earlier. A group of people have arrived and are trying to get through! Julian ignores it - he knows there's nothing he can do except focus on fighting his current opponents.

The latest cultist moves to attack, axe in hand.

[Cultist C1: 69, miss]
[C2: 43, hits right arm. S4 + d6 roll of 4-T7-A3 = no wounds]

[Julian 1: 61, miss]
[J2: 51, hits head. S3+1+d6 roll of 1-T3 = 2 wounds]

Julian blocks the cultist's attack, responding with a superficial cut to the man's face.

[C C1: 25, hits left arm. S4+d6 roll of 3-T7-A3 = no wounds]
[C c2: 89, miss]

[J1: 50, hits head: S3+1+d6 roll of 3-T3 = 4 wounds]
[J2: 65, miss]

Julian hits his head again, this time causing a more serious wound.

[C c1: 16, hits body. S4+ d6 roll of 6! (add damage = no)-T7-A4 = no damage!]
[C c2: 18, hits right leg. S4+d6 roll of 2... no]

The cultist lands an extremely powerful strike squarely on Julian's chest. But the dwarf is unfazed by the attack!

[Julian 1: 42, hits right arm. S3+1+d6 roll of 6! (add damage = no)-T3 = 7 wounds. Critical to arm = dead!]

Julian severs the man's arm at the shoulder. He collapses, blood spraying everywhere.

The remaining uninjured cultist glares at Julian, unsure if he wants to fight him. His fellow - the one Julian knocked over with his shield - looks equally unenthusiastic. Meanwhile, the barricade over the other entrance is being steadily removed!

[rufus sparkfire]

[Heinrich, Klaus, Admund, Max]

Max nods obediently. After Klaus and then Heinrich have left, he follows with Admund. "I'm glad you enjoyed the lunch, Admund!" he says, "it's meant to be one of the best restaurants in the city, and it was certainly very good! My father doesn't really approve of extravagance, but when I went to live in Nuln I sometimes went to places like that for meals."

Klaus stays closest to the elves, though he does his best to look as though he is simply strolling down the street. Heinrich follows at a distance, and Admund and Max follow him.

Klaus studies the elves - the three of them have very similar builds and clothing (and all have their hoods raised), but he thinks he knows which is the one they saw enter the restaurant.

The avenue soon joins Fursten Allee. At this point, the elves stop for a moment and quietly exchange words. They don't look back up the street. They then separate, each going a different way.

(x) One goes west along Fursten Allee, towards the city wall (and not far from one of Middenheim's two chair-lifts, the alternate method of getting into and out of the city).

(y) One goes east along the same street, in the general direction of the Square of Martials [location 3].

(z) One goes south onto Konigs Bahn, which leads (eventually) to the Plague Memorial [location 9].

Klaus concentrates hard in order to be sure which elf is the one they are interested in!

[Klaus observe test = secret result!]

He's not sure, but he thinks the elf they want is the one heading toward the walls [the one marked  (x) above].

[Finlay]

(is the knocked over cultist still on the floor?)

[rufus sparkfire]

[No, he stood up. He's on zero wounds though]

[Fandir Nightshade]

Klaus will signal to heinrich trying to tell him that the elves have split by showing his fist and opening it spreading his fingers he will then follow the elf he thinks is cassilda.

[Finlay]

Julian charges down the corridor, going for the man he wounded earlier first.

[rufus sparkfire]

[Mortus]

As her head goes under water a second time, Mortus is sure she's going to die. But somehow she makes it back to the surface, and by constant effort, stays there. But she knows her strength won't last forever.

She can see Brandt's boat rowing away, back towards the Showboat's pier. She tries to call out, in the hope that another boat comes to her rescue - but it's difficult to keep her mouth above the water, and she has little breath to spare. She's not sure if any help is coming or not.

She feels a fish swim by her legs, probably drawn by the vibration in the water. For a moment, she wonders if there would be any dangerous fish in a lake like this - then she realises how ridiculous the thought is. The chill water will kill her more surely than any fish.

[continues!]

[rufus sparkfire]

[Julian]

Julian charges the nearest cultist!

[Julian 1: 19, hits left leg. S3+1+d6 roll of 2-T4 = 2 wounds. Already on zero, so -2 critical to leg = 70, dead!]

His sword hacks the man's leg off. He dies almost immediately, drenching his nearby colleague in blood!

The last cultist makes a desperate assault on Julian, swinging a studded club.

[Cd1: 17, hits body. S4+1+d6 roll of 4-T7-A4 = no wounds]
[Cd2: 22, hits right arm. S4+1+d6 roll of 3-T7-A3 = no wounds]

[Julian1: 85, miss]
[J2: 46, hits body. S3+1+d6 roll of 6! (add damage = no)-T4 = 6 wounds]

Julian's sword leaves a long, shallow - but painful - cut from the man's shoulder right down to his hip.

[Cd1: 23, hits right arm. S4+1+d6 roll of 2... no good]
[Cd2: 95, miss]

[Julian 1: 21, hits head. S3+1+d6 roll of 1-T4 = 1 wound. Reduced to zero]
[J2: 21 (yes, again!), hits head. S3+1+d6 roll of 4-T4 = 4 wounds. -4 critical to head = dead!]

Julian cuts the cultist's head off!

All of the cultists are now dead, apart from the seriously injured man from earlier [broken arm]. But, judging by the noise, another group will soon break through the barricade on the other tunnel!

[rufus sparkfire]

[Mortus]

Mortus is unable to keep herself afloat any longer. Her strength is gone. She slides beneath the surface...


  [Fate point used!] 


...arms reach into the water and haul her onto a boat. She hears voices.

"Is she still alive?"

"I think so - I never thought we'd reach her in time!"

"It's a miracle she stayed afloat that long. She clearly couldn't swim."

"Um, turn her on her side."

Mortus coughs, then vomits up a load of water. Her lungs are burning, and she's shivering uncontrollably, but she's alive! She's too tired to do anything but lie in the boat. Her vision is too blurred to see her rescuers properly, but they look like a courting couple who were dining on the lake.

"Let's get her back to the shore. She needs a physician."

"Right."


Mortus lies where she is as the boat returns to the pier. She feels herself carried onto dry land and laid on the ground.

"That's her!" a voice she recognizes as Brant's says, "she attacked me! I want her arrested and charged with attempted murder!"

Mortus blinks a few times, clearing her vision. She raises her head. She sees Brandt, with a patrol of watchmen beside him.

Brandt continues. "The woman approached me while I was at the stadium, and suggested taking lunch upon the lake. Once we were out there, she drew a knife and tried to stab me!" He shows his torn sleeve. "See - the cloth is cut. I knocked her back with the oar, but she upset the boat and we fell overboard. I managed to get back on, and pulled her aboard. But even then she continued to attack me! I broke her grip and rowed away. I was in fear of my life! The woman has the strength of an ox! I want her arrested at once!"

"Very well, Mr Brandt," the watch sergeant says, "we'll take her in. If you'll come with us, you can give a proper statement."

"Ah, very well. I want her punished harshly!"

[commandant]

Mortus will go with the guards.   She still seems somewhat dazed and is coughing up water from time to time.   

Once she is safely locked in a cell [for that I assume is their plan] she will check the contents of her pouches to ensure that everything is there.

[Karl Voss of Averland]

Admund walks out into the sun-lit street with Max, shielding his eyes from the bright noon sun with his hand. He keeps Heinrich, who is trailing Klaus, in view and strolls slowly up the street non-nonchalantly, chatting with Max.  He can't see the elfs, but he keeps an eye on Heinrich through the crowds.

"You're father probably wouldn't approve of a lot of what we're doing, I'd wager." Admund says solemnly, walking and talking with Max. He flips a coin to a passing fruit vender and snatches and apple. He takes a bite and continues with his mouth half full. "I know mine wouldn't. Haven't spoken to 'em in years, honestly. You talk to your parents much, lad? They know you're off, out in the world, far from Nuln and all?"

He notices Heinrich stopping to look at Klaus, and Admund waits for Heinrich to make a move.

[Cannonofdoom]

Seeing, Klaus' signal, Heinrich decides quickly to follow the elf going the opposite direction as the one Klaus is following. Glancing over his shoulder he catches Admund's eye, and points at him, then points at the third elf before moving away to follow his chosen target.