Prologue Part FourBattle rages throughout Sir William Melville’s Oxford Street Quarters. The Germans seem to have annexed the hallway; the English forces in the study are terribly outnumbered. But it seems that the gentlemen have turned the tide, and the drawing room is, albeit ablaze, coming under their control. But at what cost?
Get off my bottom, grab the gun, and shoot the German trying to take John Link's soul. If I can see him, that is. I think he might be in another room, so in that case, just try to grab the gun again and shoot the nearest German.
Hold on, I've only my left hand to do it what if I roll a 1?
Winston Smith sees the German threatening Link's very soul. He tries [1] to get up to assist his new found comrade in gentlemanship. He absent-mindedly attempts to support himself with his
gashed arm! He falls back down! His head is bruised!
It affects his vision! Grab monocle, shoot the german, and run walk gentlemanly like hell.
Henry McGeenyton [6+1] swiftly grabs his monocle and expertly puts it into place, temporarily aiding his sight as he [3+1] shoots the German! The German suffers a flesh wound to his arm! He drops his weapon! He offers his surrender!
In the study, Mr Wellington is locked in mortal combat with the German former chess player.
Fold my top hat into a rigid disk and attempt to take out the capable German with a quick blow to the temple. Then help the downed German up before smothering this one with my top hat as well.
He just manages to fold his top hat into a lethal weapon before [6] splitting his skull with the resulting top hat-ogami! The German is taken out! The body drops instantly with a loud thud.
Experience Acquired! You have gained further experience in the esoteric arts of the top hat.
Item Acquired! Your top hat is now a crumpled top hat.
Take off jacket, it is time to get serious (and we don't want to wrinkle it, of course - that would hardly be proper). Rush to the aid of my fellow gentleman Wellington, and land a furious hail of umbrella and hot iron on his assailant!
Realising that Wellington went alone into the study with three Germans, von Fersen deduces that he could be in mortal peril. If he were, obviously he wouldn't be so ungentlemanly as to call out, so the Swede removes his jacket, carefully hands it to a passing butler, and rushes into the study.
He is just in time to see Mr Wellington help the last German in the study to his feet, but the German is a cad! He attempts to strike at Mr Wellington, but with such limited success that the Englishman dodges the blow easily.
Mildly enraged, Von Fersen instinctively strikes a blow on the German with the [2] clearly poorly weighted hot iron! He misses, but [5] he is able to follow this up with a murderous attack with his umbrella which his foe is unable to dodge. This flatfootedness proves to be his undoing. The umbrella pierces his chest! He is run through! Even a Guardsman could see that he has passed away!
“I say,” declares von Fersen in the vernacular of the English gentry whilst shaking the German off the end of his umbrella, “they don’t like it through ‘em, these Germans, do they! I must congratulate you on your level-headed gentlemanliness on helping that poor fellow to his feet. I’m not entirely sure I would have had the presence of mind to do the same.”
Mr Wellington:
Gentlemanliness Increased! Decorum before personal safety!
Shove the barrel aside and punch the german in the chest. A throatpunch or groinkick would certainly be more effective, but extremely tasteless.
Back outside in the hallway, the prostrate Link [5] thrusts aside the menacing barrel, and leaps to his feet in a single swift movement. In a flash, his hands form a manly fist, and he lands a punch on the German’s chest. He is lightly dazed!
Gentlemanliness Increased! Showing Honour And Restraint In The Face Of Caddish Danger!
Kill the German attacking my fellow gentleman Link
Noticing the failure of Smith to come to the rescue of the prostrate John Link, Wallace, with no thought of his honour or safety and unaware that Link has in fact managed to resist with considerable gallantry, violently assaults the shotgun-wielding German from behind with his mighty claymore [5]. Lightly dazed and unable to dodge, he is split from head to toe. He is struck down! There is a blood spatter upon the carpet!
Gentlemanliness Decreased! The man violently attacked another from behind!
Gentlemanliness Increased! The fellow saved another gentleman!
There is a single German left in the drawing room, and he is unarmed. He looks around uncertainly. Behind him he sees his leader, cleft into two parts. He sees the Englishman and the Swede exiting the adjacent study, dusting off their clothing. He sees a butler sweeping up the broken glass behind Melville’s imposing desk, and he sees a second butler extinguishing the fire that was burning from floor to ceiling. As he finishes his survey of the room he realizes Sir William Melville is aiming his revolver directly at him, his cigar in the corner of his mouth.
“I think you might do well to offer your surrender sir”
Sir William, with his left hand, tinkles his little bell, and shortly another butler arrives to take care of the two prisoners. The fight is over.