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

[commandant]

"This world is beautiful indeed," Mortus admits.   "But I have promises given which must be kept.   Only when all my promises are kept can I consider other worlds.   I need to go back."

[Fandir Nightshade]

"Well Ragni...since Bogenhafen I have stopped to believe in too strange coincidences there might be more to this. Heinrich? Julian did you guys have dreams too? Was the man with the skull as a face in them too?"

[Finlay]

"Aye" Julian swigs on his ale.

"I saw him. But only after I'd fucked up building a bridge and had to become a slayer."
Julian pauses for just long enough that a sense of disquiet passes through the group.

Suddenly, Julian breaks the silence "Shaved my beard so I looked like Max!" Julian laughs and swigs his beer.

"Went slaying. And one day I saw the human. And I cut that skull faced bastard down when he taunted me" As he was speaking julian's hand slips to the pommel of the dwarvish rune sword without thinking.
A dark look passes over Julian's face before the sword glows warm in his palm.
He smiles and slaps Ragni on the back

"still, just a dream eh? I'd never make a mistake building a fucking bridge!"
Julian laughs as he drinks more beer.

[rufus sparkfire]

Ragni stops eating when Julian pauses after saying he became a slayer in his dream. He sits there with his mouth open, horrified by the thought of Julian committing the dwarf equivalent of suicide.

But he laughs along with Julian's joke a moment later.

"That's right Boss, you'd never mess up building anything! Stupid dreams. Just like Chief Gorim wouldn't have thrown me out of the clan like he did in my dream. And you killed the bastard dream-man just like I did! Let's hope he doesn't come back."

Ragni acts cheerfully enough, but he's clearly a bit upset by what Julian said.

[Cannonofdoom]

Heinrich speaks up.

"I also had a dream with the skull faced man. Do you think it is related to the King in some way?"

[rufus sparkfire]

[Mortus]

"Go back, go back... you are beginning to bore me, Mortus," the King says. "Perhaps you need to experience this world more closely. Find me at the Stone Column when you have something interesting to say."

The glass beneath Mortus's feet shatters and she plunges into the dark water. She sinks rapidly, passing bewildered fish and glowing, hideous cephalopods. Only when she realises that she is not drowning does the scene change.

Mortus is standing in a forest. The trees look normal if you look directly at them, but at the corners of her vision they resemble impaled animals. She is on a path that leads towards a distant spire of stone one way, and toward a city in the other.

[Finlay]

Julian snaps "Of course it’s the bloody king. Same bastard Klaus saw at that ball. Same bastard who you scared off during the storm. Same bastard who’ll be chasing us down till we’re dead or he is. "

[Cannonofdoom]

Julian snaps "Of course it’s the bloody king. Same bastard Klaus saw at that ball. Same bastard who you scared off during the storm. Same bastard who’ll be chasing us down till we’re dead or he is. "

"He will be. Won't be the first daemon we've slain, and with our luck won't be the last."

[rufus sparkfire]

"I'm ready to axe him in real life," Ragni declares, "just like I did in my dream. I reckon he's scared of us, so he's messing about trying to upset us with dreams and creepy stuff instead of just trying to kick our heads in. The Boss has got his dwarf runesword, and that axe of yours isn't bad work either, Heinrich, even though it was only made by humans. And we've got our faith in Grungni and... um... your human gods. He's got no chance!"

[commandant]

Mortus will walk towards the city.

[Finlay]

“I think you’re right Ragni. He’s trying to scare us. I don’t know if he is scared himself, but he must be cautious. And he is wise to be so. We’ve already killed demons. I feel better after my dream anyway. I know this sword can kill him now”

After breakfast, if no one else wants to do anything here, Julian packs the cart with his stuff, and rides on to middenheim.

[rufus sparkfire]

[Mortus]

The road turns into a mud track after a short while. Mortus sees a group of pilgrims ahead of her, also traveling toward the city. They wear robes that are half black, half white, and their hoods are raised.

[Cannonofdoom]

“I think you’re right Ragni. He’s trying to scare us. I don’t know if he is scared himself, but he must be cautious. And he is wise to be so. We’ve already killed demons. I feel better after my dream anyway. I know this sword can kill him now”

After breakfast, if no one else wants to do anything here, Julian packs the cart with his stuff, and rides on to middenheim.

Heinrich continually rides ahead of the group to scout the road, returning often to relay any difficulties or dangers to the cart or horses for the rest of the group to avoid.

[rufus sparkfire]

[Heinrich, Klaus, Julian, Ragni]

Klaus collects his outfit from the tailor, then the group leave Hergig on the Old Forest Road. The weather is fine, and the road is in reasonable condition, so they make good progress. As nightfall approaches, Heinrich spots a coaching inn (with a wooden stockade around it) on the road ahead and rides back to tell the others.

The inn-sign shows a hooded man. There are lights visible at the windows, but the gates (which allow access, through the stockade, to the inn from the road) have been securely locked. There may be another entrance around the side or back.

[rufus sparkfire]

[Arnst and Max]

The tour of the sanitarium takes in the chapel, the infirmary, a dormitory, and the central courtyard. Sister Clementine introduces Max and Arnst to Sister Marie, the physician; Sister Ann-lise, the pharmacist; and Sister Ulrike, a hypnotist. She explains that the hospice uses a variety of treatment methods, depending on the needs of the individual patient.

While Sister Clementine is explaining some of the treatments to Max, Arnst notices a man dressed in protective overalls pushing a trolley along the corridor. He fits the rough description of Helmut, the orderly accused of selling corpses.

[Cannonofdoom]

Heinrich will yell at the main gate, banging on it with the flat of his axe to get the attention of the innkeeper.

"Hello, the inn! Travellers in need of rooms!"

[rufus sparkfire]

Despite the racket Heinrich makes, there is absolutely no answer. It would be possible, though a little awkward, to climb over the top. Or there may be another entrance. Or Julian could even open the lock.

[Cannonofdoom]

Despite the racket Heinrich makes, there is absolutely no answer. It would be possible, though a little awkward, to climb over the top. Or there may be another entrance. Or Julian could even open the lock.

"I'm going to see if there is another entrance. You lot wait here."

Heinrich will leave Sparkfire hitched to the cart, and scout around for another entrance.

[rufus sparkfire]

Sparkfire's nostrils flare and he scrapes the ground with his hoof. He's clearly nervous.

Going around the side of the compound, Heinrich finds a smaller gate that has been left half open.

[Finlay]

"This don't look too good Heinrich, be careful. If you can't find anything, I'll open the lock."

[Cannonofdoom]

Sparkfire's nostrils flare and he scrapes the ground with his hoof. He's clearly nervous.

Going around the side of the compound, Heinrich finds a smaller gate that has been left half open.

Heinrich will creep in, doing his best to stay silent and unseen. He will make towards the main gate, hoping to open it from the inside. Whether Sparkfire's uneasiness is contagious, or if there is just something in the air that makes him uneasy, Heinrich is suddenly cautious. Julian is right. Something about this inn seems wrong. Maybe the innkeeper and all the stable hands and any servers or barkeeps or horse boys are all asleep at the same time and simply could not hear him. Maybe something more sinister. Heinrich is not inclined to take the chance.

[rufus sparkfire]

The side gate creaks a bit when Heinrich opens it. He freezes, listening out for any reaction: there is none. He goes through into the courtyard.

On his right is the coach house, with the stables beside it. Both have their doors shut. Heinrich can hear horses in the stables - they are making quite a lot of noise, as though upset by something.

In front of him is the main inn building. The shutters are closed over the windows, but light can be seen through them. As Heinrich creeps towards the main gates, he can hear sounds of merriment inside the inn. Considering how close the main gate is, anyone inside the inn should surely have heard him knocking.

He reaches the gate and unbars it. It's locked as well, but Julian is able to deal with that from the other side. The gate is soon open.

[Cannonofdoom]

The side gate creaks a bit when Heinrich opens it. He freezes, listening out for any reaction: there is none. He goes through into the courtyard.

On his right is the coach house, with the stables beside it. Both have their doors shut. Heinrich can hear horses in the stables - they are making quite a lot of noise, as though upset by something.

In front of him is the main inn building. The shutters are closed over the windows, but light can be seen through them. As Heinrich creeps towards the main gates, he can hear sounds of merriment inside the inn. Considering how close the main gate is, anyone inside the inn should surely have heard him knocking.

He reaches the gate and unbars it. It's locked as well, but Julian is able to deal with that from the other side. The gate is soon open.

"Something is wrong here." Heinrich whispers. "This does not feel right."

[Finlay]

“This reminds me of that cursed church at the Wittgenstein’s. Heinrich, do you think you could go to the inn and look in the windows? We’d be better off camping, maybe… Now I bought that stuff I can make a decent shelter with the cart”
Julian readies his handgun and crossbow.

[Cannonofdoom]

“This reminds me of that cursed church at the Wittgenstein’s. Heinrich, do you think you could go to the inn and look in the windows? We’d be better off camping, maybe… Now I bought that stuff I can make a decent shelter with the cart”
Julian readies his handgun and crossbow.

"I can do that. Let me take a look. Be ready if something tries to tear my face off."

Heinrich will creep and try to peek inside a window to see what kind of party is going on.