Swanson
[6] you indeed find one of the few remaining cats in town, a haggard beast with only one eye but at least something to eat. But as you come closer it sees you and runs off. But you Don't give up so easily, a viscious hunt unfolds as you chase the cat from the Middle Quarters to the Poor Part of the Town and finally to a sewer entrance. Undaunted by mere muck you follow it into the darkness. [2] Unfortunately the sewer jacks haven't forgotten any torches in there, and you struggle a while before your eyes grow accustomed to the darkness. Apparently the cat likes being hunted as it mockingly waits for you to catch up. As the hunt takes up pace you follow the small furry beast deeper and deeper into the bowels of the town. Finally you end up in a place you haven't ever seen before down here. Your trade makes it necessary to sometimes vanish into the sewers and thus you are aquainted to them more or less. However this place was different. Even the Architecture seemed strange. As the beast vanishes behind an Corner you go around to find yourself at an large opening into something which certainly doesn't look one bit like it belongs to the sewer. Massive pillars hold together a room which seems like an cathedral. As you daringly enter [6] you percieve strange runes on the ground as well as on the first two pillars. It is certainly a foreign script, but bears a strange familiarity to you. Maybe...dwarven? Nah...dwarfs this far up would be ridiculous. As you look around you realize that the cat is gone and you are alone...
Jamal
You dare it and try to reach the farm. [4] One of your men finally realizes after a while where you actually are...you are even farther away from the enxt meeting hall than you have thought, three weeks or even a month away. Uncaring you make for the farm your last vestage of hope. [3] although your hunters try their best they can't find much edible: a hare, some mice, a bird and some berries. After three days, your people awake to find that 3 of the old would never wake again and that 2 of the Children had starved. You here grumblign among some of your men. You are now 4 days away from the farm and 2 from the ruined city.
Jones
"Aye a friend of mine is a collector of knowledge and would like to see what you have to sell."
The man brings you into the Border Regions of the Reserve, to a small lonely hut. Inside awaits you an Orc.
"Kobal, this is the man..."
Jack
You, Karl and Heinz (better known as Karl-Heinz twins) enter the cavern. You light some torches and go further in. After a few meters you find a trail of blood. [2] as Karl moves closer to examine the blood a small slit opens at the side of the wall and an enormous blade takes his head cleanly off before vanishing back behind the thin slit which closes after the blade. For a full moment you and Heinz stand there dumbstruck at the sight of the corpse. You and Heinz were used to bar brawls and similiar, nothing too hard. You have never seen a man die, not to speak so aprubtly and unceremoniously. As you stare a small puddle of blood begins to form around Karls neck. Suddenly Heinz begins to scream, ripping you from your mad trance. screaming he runs towards his dead twin, dropping on his knees next to him and moving the corpse out of the traps range. You stand there silently. Karl had been aa friend since your childhood, you had known him well and from oen moment to the next he was dead. Your thoughts are ripped from you as another piercing scream rips through the old halls. Old Ben! You begin to follow the trail of blood...
under shock: -1 on any rolls till you have left this grave again
Jarod and Nicolai
After accepting the job, the Recruiter tells you to wait tomorrow morning at the Imperial Barracks for a briefing.
The Next Morning
You arrive at the barracks and are immediately led to a small atrium. Inside are a bunch of mercs, something which looks suspiciously like an Orc and a rather haggard Rabien scholar all waiiting for one of the Kings representatives. As you take in your future comrades, [5] you realize that you are not the only famous of them. Among them is Ared Eyegorger a babarian native from the new Kingdoms across the Jagged Sea, Friedrich von Hirrl's Hold former prince of one of the Elder Kingdoms and now exiled mercenary, Francois le Chirurgien a famous Doctor who had proven that the Theory of Humorism is wrong and therefore had to go into hiding to escape the Clutches of the Church of Light. The list went on like this, reading like the meeting of the high society of your trade and driving you to think again how dangerous exactly the job is.
However your musings get interrupted by the opening of the main doors as a men in the clothes of a lord and a broken down hunter enter.
"Good Morning Gentlemen, i am Lord Rhys Acreguard and this is..." Ezechiel, Witch Hunter in service of the One.
the Lord raises an eyebrow apparently not used to being interrupted. "As you all already know you are here to hunt down a group of escaped Orcs. They somehow managed to get past the Throat, the only route south to Rabien. You may ask yourself why we don't let them run? These Orcs ,Gentlemen, are dangerous. Not only did they escape from the Reserve, cross half the Kingdom and kill Elector Count Petar Vijellitschew, they also managed to slaughter the whole garrison of the Throat."
You immediately hear up, the Elector Count had been known as a viscious fighter and his exploits during the Rabien Crusade, when Sultan Muhammad's army of 100.000 men had been stopped at the Throat by the Counts two thousand, had him brought the title of Elector Count by the King. Not to mention the slaughter of the whole garrison. In Times of Peace the Garrison of the Fortress still contained at least 700 men under arms.
Friedrich let's out a low whistle, from behind you you hear a low "mon dieu".
Finally the Eyegorger speaks up: So what are we talkin here? A thousand, two thousand well organized orcs? That's a job for companies...not for individuals
"That is utterly impossible, an army of this size would have been seen the moment they left the Reserve. No our investigations lead us to think that magic has been used..."
Fell, Heretic Magic at that. They have a shaman with them a mighty one. And he must have found some item of power. The Shamans of the Orcs were usually frauds but this one, this particular subject needs to be cleansed. The only one who should be allowed such power is the One and not one of these beasts! especially none of these beasts.
"Ah..erh...yes thank you Ezechiel. You will begin your search at the Throat and when you find them, you will destroy this item of power and bring back the orc shaman to be brought to justice. That's all from my side..."
We will leave tomorrow morning get your stuff together, take a good night's rest, we meet tomorrow at the main gate.
Author
Topic: Undeath - so many graves... (Read 5120 times)