As Ril feigned sleep, clutching his sword and axe in both hands, the door of the chamber opened almost without a sound. A masked man in dark leather armour slid into the chamber and drew a sword of unfamiliar make. He raised the blade for a clean stroke to the heart, then stabbed down hard - (3 vs 1, Surprise!) just as Ril rolled aside, drawing his weapons and aiming one clean stroke with the axe to his groin. The assassin pulled away at the last moment, the axe-blade biting hard into his thigh.
Ril dropped to a crouch, bringing one leg around in a smooth roundhouse sweep, but the assassin leapt out of the way in a display of grace and agility despite his wound. The assassin's sword sliced down in a smooth arc and cut away a piece of flesh on Ril's arm - which immediately began to burn with pain.
Ril and the assassin both decided to stop being fancy and just murder each other. The assassin began a classic swordsman's manoeuver to trap his opponent, but Ril pulled off Scarlatti's Deception and turned a parry into attack, slashing the assassin deep in the back with his sword.
[4+1 vs 2, Escape!] The assassin turned tail and ran as Ril tried to drive home his advantage with another swordstroke. He yanked open the door to the chamber and fled into a concealed servants' passage. Ril hurled the handaxe after him, which lodged in the wall. Ril decided to pursue, taking up the axe again and yelling after him.
"Hey! Where do you think you're going?"
"Away!"
"You know I'm just going to make you hurt more if you keep running!"
Ril chased the assassin all the way to the roof before he lost him, the assassin's blood trail leading off the roof and toward the palace stables. Ril prepared to follow, but felt his vision blur. The pain in his arm had spread up and into his chest, which now burned. He started to vomit blood. Ril stumbled back into the palace, calmly requested help and then immediately fell into seizures.
Ril Emanhilde has been poisoned in an assassination attempt and is like to die! Players in the palace or city may attempt Healing checks to save him.
(Ha, thought he meant we were to fight him at the same time 
)
"Sigurd, mind me going first?"
Go first if Sigurd doesn't mind. If I do go first, then defensive stance and strike when he tires.
Your drakescale armour, besides being pretty damn impressive, is far better than even Erik's mail. On the flip side, Erik is a skilled duellist with his axe, whereas your own skill is merely passable. It will be an even fight. He starts circling you, swinging his axe in the air. You hold back, conserving your energy and guarding yourself at the expense of attack. [4] He has the body of a boxer, so you'll need to hold for a while before he tires.
[2+1 vs 6] Erik starts with a full-on charge, which catches even your defensive stance off-guard. His axe bites hard into your shoulder and you scream as he pulls it out. [1+1 vs 5] He smashes you clean in the face with the shield, [5+1 vs 5] though you stumble out of the way as he follows up with the axe. [1+1 vs 2] Erik pushes you to the edge of the circle of carls with a series of vicious strokes, which you narrowly block with your own shield. [3+1 vs 1] You force him back with a charge of your own, but don't bring your axe into it and pull away the moment you have space. The two of you circle again and you see Erik's energy start to fall. You press the advantage with an all-out attack, [5 vs 1-1, crit!] driving the edge of your shield into his gut and your axe head into his pelvic bone. [2 vs 2-1] You wrench the axe out of his hip and force him to his knees with the shield, then bring the axe down with a firm
clop! on his head, breaking both crowns. The jarl falls, striking the hard earth of his longhall and spilling brain out upon the ground.
You reach down with a quivering hand and pick up the split circlet. Leaning heavily on your axe, you stumble up to the high seat and collapse upon it, placing the broken crown upon your temple. You feel a smile touch your lips as Sigurd and the housecarls, uneasily at first but then with gathering speed, bend knee to you in service.
Then you pass out.
[4+1] The local holy man, another mute, dresses your wounds and sets your shoulder. He seems confident it will heal by midwinter. When you awaken and have conference with your second, Sigurd, he explains the details of the clan situation to you. Although the clan at home does possess a number of berserker warriors for your campaign, the bulk of the war force is in the allied clans in the countryside. They will come to your banner if you will offer them the loot and carnage they desire.
The question is how much loot you will offer your men when they invade your lands. Two-thirds is customary, half is considered onerous, a fifth generous. The remaining portion will go to your own coffers. The greater a share you offer, the more clans will rally. The lesser a share, the more loot you will receive.
You have heard nothing from Windheath since your journey, which is not surprising. For all you know, Richard has already taken Stormstead. On the other hand... you are a Jarl now. Perhaps you should act like one.
Comte Osir Rechebig has become Jarl Osir of the Mjolndir Clan, which has three regiments of Berserkers. Sigurd Mjolnsenn is his second. Many more warriors can be raised if sufficient loot is offered. Osir's Jarlship is dependent upon his offer to raid Windheath.
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Topic: You are King III: Spring 938 AAL (Read 131270 times)