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

[rufus sparkfire]

[Julian and Ragni]

"Don't want you to think I'm scared, Boss," Ragni says sheepishly, "but I don't much fancy taking that beasty on with just the two of us. Not if we don't have to. But you know best, Boss."

Julian thinks for a moment. The creature is large and presumably very strong, but since it's wearing a collar it has probably been trained. It might submit if trapped. He's carrying his tools with him, as well as a long length of wire and some iron spikes. He could probably make some sort of leash trap. He also remembers the clockwork bird he bought back in Nuln - maybe it would distract the beast, or help to lure it into the trap?

[rufus sparkfire]

[Mortus]

Mortus, Doktor Glarean and Hugo go at once to the printer's shop, using Mortus's carriage. Once inside, they speak to the proprietor, Mr. Dritzehn.

"Good afternoon," the Doktor says, "I wonder if you could help me. I am looking for a young man who I believe works for you as an apprentice? He has an attachment to a young lady by the name of Janna."

"Of course, Doktor, that's my apprentice Fritz. Today is his half-day off, actually. He's with his girl now, or so he said. I don't know where they've gone, but you can ask the other apprentices if you like."

[commandant]

Mortus will go over to the other apprentices.

"Excuse me," she says politely.   "I have been informed that you might know where I would be able to find Fritz.   I am Mortus of the House of Basanduine.   I have come from Aldorf with a letter for him.   Could you please help me?"   As she speaks she will play with a gold crown, dancing it across her fingers.

[Finlay]

“The engineers or priests would never let humans down here Ragni. I’m surprised they let us, but we are desperate and in their hour of need, well I suppose we’re their only hope.

Way I see it, we got to deal with this on our own, so may as well do it now. I’ll make a trap, and if that doesn’t work, we’ll have to kill it”


Julian thinks if the caved in entrance to the quartz room makes the best place for a trap?
If not he makes it in the most suitable location.
He wants to be able to check the collar once it is caught, if that is possible.

[Cannonofdoom]

[Heinrich]

Heinrich soon finds the Dwarf Engineers' Guild and goes inside. The dwarf at the front desk looks up from a large stack of papers and says, "Hello, sir. You here on business?"

Heinrich asks about Julian. The dwarf clerk offers to check the guild records.

"Yes, we have a member called Julian Stonebridge. No record of him ever visiting Middenheim. I expect he'll be along soon though, if he's in town. Want to leave him a message?"

"Just tell him that I am looking for him and it is important." Heinrich will leave his name with the clerk and head to the racist building.

[rufus sparkfire]

[Max, Klaus, Admund!]

Max doesn't return to the room for a couple of hours. When he does, he's partly-supporting a tall man in a mail shirt, with a makeshift bandage around his head. Max is shirtless (used to make the bandage), and he has bloody welts on his back. He's somehow managed to get himself whipped yet again.

He helps the man to lie down on the bed, then finds his medical bag, unwraps the temporary bandage, and starts to clean the wound. "This is Admund, Klaus," Max says, "he saved me from the kidnappers, but got shot in the head. The bullet grazed his skull, but I'm not completely sure it didn't crack it too. I'm trying to see now. I'll explain everything in a moment."

[Admund regains 1 wound (so has 1 wound in total), and is now considered 'lightly wounded.']

"There you go, Admund. It was worse than it looked after all - your skull is fine. I've put a clean bandage on it. You should rest for a bit." Max turns to Klaus. He has a manic look in his eye, and is talking rapidly. "It was Bardin Dwinbarsson! Um, you remember, that dwarf who hates Mr Julian! We saw him in Altdorf... in fact, I was the one who let him know Mr Julian was in town. It was an accident of course... but still my responsibility. He's followed us to Middenheim, and he wants to humiliate Mr Julian somehow. I was kidnapped and held in a warehouse by some mercenaries. Bardin told me I had to write a letter to Mr Julian, telling him I was a prisoner and he should follow Bardin's demands. I refused, of course! I would never betray Mr Julian like that... um... so he got his men to whip me, to make me change my mind. Um... it did hurt a bit... quite a lot... but I still wouldn't write the letter. They were going to whip me again, but that's when Admund rescued me. He got the mercenaries to leave, then he attacked Bardin. But Bardin had a pistol - a repeating pistol, the kind the imperial engineers use - and he shot him. He ran away because the gunfire was heard.

"Anyway, I wanted to bring Admund back here so I could get my medical bag and sort his wound out properly. We ran into a watch patrol as soon as we left the warehouse. I think they believed what I told them. They promised to look for Bardin. We still need to warn Mr Julian though. Um... I think the excitement is wearing off now... my back is starting to hurt. I don't think they did much damage, but maybe you can help me put some bandages on, Klaus? It's a bit awkward to do it myself."

Klaus thinks there are some definite gaps in Max's story, as though he's intentionally avoided mentioning some important facts. How was he caught by the dwarf, and how did Admund come to rescue him so conveniently? For that matter, how did Admund convince the other mercenaries to leave? Admund looks like a mercenary himself.

Admund has recovered enough to be able to talk.

[rufus sparkfire]

[Heinrich]

Heinrich sets off for the Komission for Non-humans, which is on the other side of the city. His route takes him past the Templar's Arms. As the inn comes into sight, he sees a small, ginger man helping a semi-conscious man in a mail shirt through the door of the inn. He only saw them for a moment, from a distance. But the ginger one was surely Max... and the other one looked like Johann, the mercenary who led him into an ambush!

[Cannonofdoom]

[Heinrich]

Heinrich sets off for the Komission for Non-humans, which is on the other side of the city. His route takes him past the Templar's Arms. As the inn comes into sight, he sees a small, ginger man helping a semi-conscious man in a mail shirt through the door of the inn. He only saw them for a moment, from a distance. But the ginger one was surely Max... and the other one looked like Johann, the mercenary who led him into an ambush!

Heinrich will investigate, sneaking as quietly as he can to follow them. He's worried this is some ruse by Johann to try and lure his friends into a trap.

[rufus sparkfire]

[Heinrich]

[They were going into the inn. Not sure if that was clear!]

Heinrich hurries to the Templar's Arms and goes inside. He creeps up the stairs and checks the rooms. He can hear Max's voice - the door to the room he's in has been left half open. Max is talking to Klaus, while Johann is lying on a bed with his head bandaged. He looks genuinely injured, so if this is another scheme it's an odd one.

[rufus sparkfire]

[Klaus, Admund, Max]

"How are you feeling now, Admund?" Max asks, peering into Admund's eyes, "can you see how many fingers I'm holding up? You're lucky to be alive, really. Are you from Middenheim? Do you have any friends or family we should send a message to?"

[Cannonofdoom]

[Heinrich]

[They were going into the inn. Not sure if that was clear!]

[Yes, it was clear. I'm trying not to let my ooc knowledge affect my character's actions.]

Heinrich hurries to the Templar's Arms and goes inside. He creeps up the stairs and checks the rooms. He can hear Max's voice - the door to the room he's in has been left half open. Max is talking to Klaus, while Johann is lying on a bed with his head bandaged. He looks genuinely injured, so if this is another scheme it's an odd one.

Heinrich will walk in, casually. He will not give away that he recognizes "Johann".

"Hello, Max. Klaus. Looks like you've been getting into trouble again. Who's this fellow?" Heinrich will gesture toward Johann, then casually lean against the doorframe - surreptitiously blocking any escape - and cross his arms over his chest. Super casual.

[rufus sparkfire]

"Hello, Heinrich!" Max says, "I'm glad you're safe. That dwarf who hates Mr Julian - Bardin Dwinbarsson - kidnapped me and tried to make me write a ransom letter. I wouldn't do it though," he says proudly, "even though they whipped me. This is Admund. He rescued me, but got shot in the process. I brought him back here to treat his injury. Oh, I've told the watch about Bardin, so they should be looking for him and his henchmen now."

[Cannonofdoom]

"Hello, Heinrich!" Max says, "I'm glad you're safe. That dwarf who hates Mr Julian - Bardin Dwinbarsson - kidnapped me and tried to make me write a ransom letter. I wouldn't do it though," he says proudly, "even though they whipped me. This is Admund. He rescued me, but got shot in the process. I brought him back here to treat his injury. Oh, I've told the watch about Bardin, so they should be looking for him and his henchmen now."

"Saved you, did he? How did he know you needed saving? Did he just wander past the scene of the crime?" Heinrich will raise a quizzical eyebrow. Super casual.

"We should find Julian. I went looking for him and he wasn't at the temple of Grungni, they said he had visited but then left. He was not at the Engineers' Guild. I was on my way to inquire at the Komission for Non-humans to see if he had gone there to find out more about these taxes. I will be worried if we do not find him there. I expected he would head to the Engineers' Guild after the temple. Since you just escaped from that dwarf Dwinbarsson it is unlikely he has captured Julian and Ragni, but I would be worried they might succeed before we find him. Or worse, he has run afoul of one of our myriad other enemies and is in need of rescuing already. If you two wish to stay here with your new friend, I will continue my search."

[rufus sparkfire]

[Julian and Ragni]

"All right Boss, I trust you!" Ragni says, "just tell me what to do."

Ragni's bravado makes it easy to forget that he does get scared sometimes... he's barely an adult, after all. Julian is uncomfortably aware of how guilty he'd feel if anything bad happened to Ragni. But he puts the feeling aside and concentrates on the problem.

He doesn't want to set the trap in sight of the creature. The caved-in entrance to the quartz room would have been a good location, but leading the creature all the way back there would be difficult. He decides to set it in the passage they entered by, just around the bend. He gets Ragni to help, more to take the young dwarf's mind off the lizard-beast than because he needs it. Setting the trap is easy: Julian has everything he needs, and is in an ideal environment. The trap should catch the creature's neck in a wire noose, triggered by a trip-wire across the passage. All he has to do is get it to leave the cavern and come up here.

"Want me to lead it here, Boss?" Ragni says.

[Finlay]

Julian is pleased with the trap, although he knows leading the beast here will be the hardest part of his plan.

“Do you have any food on you Ragni?”
[If it doesn’t conflict with the plans, Julian will go back and get some food from the priests if him and ragni don’t have any- fish if possible!]

[rufus sparkfire]

"Let me see, Boss," Ragni says, unshouldering his pack and digging through it. "I've got some sausages I saved from breakfast...was gonna have them for lunch, but you can use them for the trap!"

He hands Julian four sausages wrapped in a grubby napkin. It's not a lot of food for such a large beast, but the sausages do smell quite strongly - maybe enough to attract its attention. Julian has some ham and some bread. The bread probably won't appeal to the lizard, but the ham might.


[fish is probably quite hard to get in Middenheim!]

[rufus sparkfire]

[Mortus]

There are two other apprentices. Both are teenaged boys with ink-stained hands. They stare at the gold crown, obviously spending it in their minds.

"Fritz's half-day, miss," one of them says, "off taking Janna out for lunch at the Staggered Stag. So he said anyhow."

"Reckon he's got other plans though, miss" the other one says, "took his bag with all his gear with him. And that money he kept under the creaky floorboard. Reckon he's gonna leave town."

"What was that?" Mr. Dritzehn says, "leaving town? The little bastard - oh, pardon my language, miss. But he can't leave just like that! He's a bound apprentice. Why didn't you say anything, Hans?" He cuffs the apprentice around the head, "just you wait 'till these people have left! You'll get what's coming to you. Tell me where he's going and I might go easy on you!"

"Ow, sorry master!" Hans says, "but I don't know, really! I just saw him getting his things together, but he don't tell me nothing! Then I saw Janna outside, and she had all her bags with her too. Didn't say nothing coz it ain't my business, master."

[Finlay]

"Sorry Ragni, I'll buy you lunch when we go back above surface! You stay here with your crossbow, behind the trap"

Julian will go down to the water's edge, leaving a trail of ham and sausages.

He will attract the attention of the beast, and then set off his clockwork hummingbird, before running back up to the trap.

[Karl Voss of Averland]

Admund gingerly touches the bandage around his head and hisses in pain. He props himself up on his elbow to answer the litany of eyes around his bedside. The room spins and shifts focus as he moves his head, but slows as he steadies himself. His mouth is dry and tastes of iron.

He gazes expressionless and begins hoarsely, "My name's Admund. I came to Middenheim from Marienburg with a mercenary company led by a dwarf named Von Braatenburg. We were protecting a merchant caravan for the carnival. When we got to the city, he got hit pretty hard by the new "dwarf tax" or something, and it cleaned out most of our coffers.  So we all went to a pub to iron out our differences, and the little git refused to pay us. So one thing lead to another, a brawl breaks out, and I ended up beating Braatenburg's face in and took my salary. The watch came and dragged us all to the watch station and tossed us in a holding cell for the night till everyone sobered up."

"I got released early this morning, and Braatenburg had already left town. I went out looking for some breakfast and some new work, when that foppish prick with the monocle and the feathered hat, Bardin, approached me. He didn't tell me his name, and was acting all secretive and the like. He told me that you lot were a bunch of liars, and troublemakers trying to bring down his name and the Engineer's guild. He's got this grudge against this Stonebridge fellow, and wanted to pay me handsomely for the work. I didn't even have enough money to get a room at an inn tonight, so I agree, and he sends me out to pick-up each one of you so he can use you to get to Stonebridge. As far as I knew, you were just some lying ruffians from out of town."

"Bardin gave me descriptions and told me you were staying at the Templar's Arms. When you all went on your way this morning, Heinrich (gesturing to the bounty hunter in the doorway) went wandering out on his own to the watch station. So I followed him, and got him to hire me. He told me about that Purple cult you all were hunting. That's when I got suspicious. This dwarf was being all secretive, and things didn't add up. Heinrich didn't fit what the dwarf was saying. I led Heinrich to the warehouse like the dwarf said, but we got into a scuffle and he ran off. I confronted the dwarf about what I found out, but he gave me no good answers, and sent me out to get someone else."

"That's when I ran into you, Max. You were wandering in the park all by your lonesome half aware of the world. Sweet Verena, have you fools never been to a city during carnival season before? Wandering all off by yourselves. Anyway, I got Max to come with me, but before taking him to see the dwarf, and asked him about everything: Who you are, What's the cult, Why are you in Middenheim, and figured out who my boss really was. I took Max to a different warehouse than the first, and the lil' fop dwarf was all excited to finally have a way to get at Stonebridge. He started whipping Max to get him to write a ransom letter to Stonebridge. Lad, can take his licks. Max, i've seen grown men break and cry at 12 lashes, you did well. During this time the dwarf let me send the two dolts that work for him to the old warehouse to set up a trap. When I finally was alone with Bardin, he asked me to give Max 12 more lashes. I took the whip from him and drew on him. He produced this massive four barreled pistol and shot me and scampered off. Don't remember much after that. Don't believe me? Ask Max."

Admund will give the address of the two warehouses.

"Whoever this Stonebridge fellow is, he isn't safe. Get the git off the streets and stay with him. Bardin knows that you're staying here, he's pissed something heavy at Stonebridge, and he's got enough coin to make things happen. I don't know where Bardin is. The two goons that work for Bardin may still be at the first warehouse where I sent them. Careful though, I told them to set a net trap above the main door."

Rubbing his hand across his face, "Wherever this Bardin fellow is, I'm going to find him, cut the runt's arms off, and crack him open."

Admund's mouth is like cotton, and he croaks hoarsely as he kicks his feet over the side of the bed and sits upright, "Can I have some water? Max, do you have anything for the pain in your medical kit?" [Healing]

[commandant]

[Mortus]

There are two other apprentices. Both are teenaged boys with ink-stained hands. They stare at the gold crown, obviously spending it in their minds.

"Fritz's half-day, miss," one of them says, "off taking Janna out for lunch at the Staggered Stag. So he said anyhow."

"Reckon he's got other plans though, miss" the other one says, "took his bag with all his gear with him. And that money he kept under the creaky floorboard. Reckon he's gonna leave town."

"What was that?" Mr. Dritzehn says, "leaving town? The little bastard - oh, pardon my language, miss. But he can't leave just like that! He's a bound apprentice. Why didn't you say anything, Hans?" He cuffs the apprentice around the head, "just you wait 'till these people have left! You'll get what's coming to you. Tell me where he's going and I might go easy on you!"

"Ow, sorry master!" Hans says, "but I don't know, really! I just saw him getting his things together, but he don't tell me nothing! Then I saw Janna outside, and she had all her bags with her too. Didn't say nothing coz it ain't my business, master."

"How long ago is this?" Mortus demands.   

[rufus sparkfire]

[Mortus]

"Today, miss! Just today. Only a few hours ago, miss."

[rufus sparkfire]

[Heinrich, Klaus, Admund, Max]

Max offers Admund some water, and also gives him some pain medicine. "This should help with the headache, Admund."

[Admund regains d3 wounds = 1 wound! Max can heal him again tomorrow]

"That's all I can do for now. I think you'll be fine though - just tell me if you start to see double, or anything like that. Sometimes you can get pressure on the brain after taking a hit to the head. We'd have to find a surgeon then.

"Admund is telling the truth," he says, to Klaus and Heinrich "well, about the things that involved me, anyway. I'm sorry I didn't explain everything right away. I was worried that you'd think I was stupid for going off with a stranger... I know I was... but I had a feeling that I could trust Admund. He did take me to Bardin, but before we went in, he said I'd be all right if I trusted him. And I was... well, he didn't stop me getting whipped, but he knew I was tough enough to take it! I've had a lot of practice! And he couldn't take on the dwarf and two henchmen at once. So he waited until he could get the henchmen out of the way before attacking Bardin. I think we should trust him. Um... but it's up to you."

Max also tells Heinrich about the information he and Klaus gained from Othmayer's papers about the Purple Hand owning the Windhund Haulage Company. He also hints that he found out something about the King, without openly mentioning the demon in front of Admund.

[rufus sparkfire]

[Julian and Ragni]

"I'm bloody hungry now, Boss, to tell the truth! Can we find a halfling pie shop or something when we get out of here? Then some beers." He readies his crossbow and takes up position where Julian tells him to.

Julian returns to the pool, laying a trail as he goes. The lizard's head is just above the surface as he approaches. When he reaches the edge of the water, it moves towards him, hissing again. He produces the clockwork bird he bought in Nuln, winds it up, and sets it going. Its tiny wings vibrate rapidly, lifting it into the air. The lizard follows the bird's erratic motions with its head, before trying to snap at it.

Then Julian runs back up the tunnel. The lizard follows, pausing to snap up each piece of bait along the way. The tunnel is quite slippery underfoot...

[Julian I test = 74. slips! No damage]

...Julian loses his footing and crashes to the floor. He manages to roll with the impact, so is unhurt. But the lizard is now very close behind! He struggles to get up...

[Julian I test: 25, pass]

...and he manages to. After scrambling up, he sprints the rest of the way, then dives over the trip wire , landing near Ragni.

The lizard, with the clockwork bird still buzzing around its head, reaches the trip wire...

[Lizard-beast I test (-10 due to running, -20 due to set traps skill) = failed. Trapped!]

...it blunders through the tripwire after sticking its head into the noose. The loop tightens around its throat, pulling it up sharply. It gives a strangled hiss, fighting against the trap. But the noose only gets tighter. After a few minutes, it gives up, lying down on the tunnel floor.

"Looks like it has been trained, Boss," Ragni says, "it's pretty calm now."

The clockwork bird lands on the beast's head. It doesn't move. Julian is able to retrieve it without the creature trying to bite him. He inspects the collar, which looks relatively new. The metal tag on it has a strange symbol inscribed on it, which looks like some sort of arcane writing. On the back of the tag, it says 'Hubert.'

"Bloody big guard dog!" Ragni says, "wonder what it's guarding? Maybe some treasure!"

[commandant]

"We must follow," Mortus hisses to the Doktor.   "There can only be a few ways out of the town."   Mortus turns back to Hans

"Have you any direction which way they went?"

[rufus sparkfire]

[Mortus]

"I'd remember better if you gave me that coin, miss," Hans says.

Mr Dritzehn cuffs him again, "I'll shake your memory loose for you, boy! Answer the question!"

"Sorry, master! Reckon they was going north, Bogenhafen way."