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Malus99
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Post by Malus99 »

The remainder of the trip to the North was reasonably uneventful, with each of the hunters lost in their own thoughts upon what had passed and what was still to come. Sirulleathe and Malthang left each night as before to hunt, though this time Lenya did not accompany them, she seemed to be distancing herself from the group somewhat, T’Keela also was keeping to himself. The shade and the Khainite did not seem to mind their companions playing the recluse, every evening they would scatter an array of the local flora and fauna – in various states of dissection – across the ground and animatedly discuss their various properties and effects upon the body, with words like ‘neurotoxin’and ‘anticoagulant’ floating around in a conversation which strangely contrasted the gruesome and macabre with the miraculous and wonderful.

The tension within the group steadily mounted as the last step on the journey to Ghrond wore on. Their target was here, trapped within these walls, and they all knew that it was likely there would be less of them leaving the city than entering it, though whether they would be brought low by blade of friend or foe was another matter entirely, all Druchii are reared upon a steady diet of murder and treachery after all.

Finally, on the eve of the third day after the encounter in the dead forest, they arrived. The sun was just setting upon the horizon, its last rays dancing and swirling with the faintest traces of the chaos winds in the North, whilst Mannslieb hung low in the sky, stained red with the blood of the evening. Ghrond itself was an intimidating sight, with two walls, a deep and wide outer wall and a steeper, narrower inner wall, each set in the shape of a hexagon with intimidating bastions jutting out from each of the corners. The streets and buildings were laid out in a regimented and precise order, the roads straight and wide to facilitate the moving of troops, with the main citadel looming over the entire city like a mighty dragon coiling into the crimson sky.

The group studied the formidable fortifications, guards patrolled the battlements in pairs, their routes and timing being constantly shuffled to prevent intruders from exploiting a hole in the pattern. The gates were open, but a detachment of guards stood at the entrance, checking each of the few visitors that passed through, likely for identification and to ask them their business in the garrison. The greater most of those passing through the gates were in military uniform, mainly patrols, several lone messengers and, once, a small group of shades - likely a scouting party.

The group hunkered down, and began to discuss how to enter the city.

Well then, you are at Ghrond, and you need to figure out how you want to get in, a few possible ideas might be:
Sending someone in your group over the wall in the dead of night, let them clear the sentries so that the others can make it up unnoticed.
Using T’Keela and his former status as a noble to bluff your way through the gate as a noble and his retainers.
Impersonate a scouting party of shades with T’Keela as their ‘handler’ (the warrior who commands them) or T’keela as a messenger taking the shades along to deliver intel (Sirulleathe looks enough like a shade with his cloak and hood drawn about him to pass as one).
Alternatively you could decide the group will wait another day and continue to observe the routines of the city in which case in the next mod post I will give a far more detailed description of the city and weaknesses in its defence against intruders giving you more information to work with on how to get in and out.
Remember that you don’t know exactly where this captain who is sheltering your mark is (unfortunately both NH and Dinil would know that as former guardsmen but they’re now gone) the captain could have squirreled Varranaithe away in his own quarters, or in a set of spare quarters or even in some abandoned warehouse or similar in the city. You also need to keep in mind that if it is suspected that intruders are in the city, they may organise a search for you, and security will be tightened making your job all the more difficult Varranaithe may also flee if he hears of a band of warriors infiltrating the city and asking awkward questions. So what is your next move? How (and when, the gates are likely to close after dark for instance) do you get in? And once you’re in how will you go about finding Varranaithe? Do you intend for it to be an ‘in and out’ job or do you think you will have to find a place to bed down in for a few days whilst you hunt for your mark? And if so, where will you hide in a city with no taverns or inns? Just Garrison quarters, guardposts and the various kitchens and stores to support them.
I’m rather hoping TBoW and T’Keela are going to reappear (which is why I waited before making this post), but either way there should be some new recruits joining you in the city at some point and I will control Lenya and T'Keela whilst their players are away until then so fear not Malthang, you are not alone!
Deadline is Sunday after next for a mod post on Monday the 2nd of May


Malthang and Sirulleathe have combined their knowledge to learn healing and poisoning so now both characters have those skills, I don’t really see the point in stringing out the amount of time it would take to learn these skills in this situation as you were travelling in the wilds for some time together and now you’re going into the city and will be concentrating on the mission so it seems abit pointless to say you will have to wait so many mod posts before you learn it since, from my point of view, you have been learning since you left Vikarh.
Veni, Vidi, Voro!!!

All things perish, this is the law of existence, accept your suffering and your mortality, only by using this truth, can you transcend it.
Varaken
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Post by Varaken »

Malthang had almost enjoyed the remainder of the journey to Ghrond, learning what he considered to be an art from the Khainite while dispensing knowledge of his own in turn. He had felt bonds of fellowship developing with the fanatic, something he had not dared to nurture since his exile from his tribe. While he would not hesitate to kill Sirulleathe should he need to he would at least feel something approaching regret at his passing. Such was the way of the Druchii and the shade held no preconceptions that the Khainite's feelings were far removed from his own. Still, perhaps this connection could be useful.

Malthang was not blind to the groups growing distrust of each other. Lenya and T'Keela withdrawing into non-communicative shells of their formal selves, though for the latter it could just be that he was too tired to give his usual high horse lectures after trekking through the wilderness in his armour. Malthang smirked at the thought. Lenya's introversion surprised him somewhat but decided not to let it bother him. As long as they could do their part when the time came he cared little for what happened in between.

Upon their arrival at Ghrond the shade had to admit to a sense of begrudging admiration for the level of fortification his city born cousins had achieved with the city. His hunter's eye easily perceiving the clear site lines the streets left as well as the advantage the elevated patrols had of threats both internal and external. This is certainly going to be a challenge. The shade thought, his eyes flicking from bastion to patrol and back again.

A number of ideas entered the shades mind, most disregarded as soon as they arose. The idea of scaling the walls was, at best, a slim hope. The sheer surfaces of perfectly masoned stone made sure of that, not to mention the crossbow wielding patrols and the almost certain presence of Reaper Bolt Throwers in the towers, if not something even more deadly considering the stationary nature of the fortifications. Using the 'noble' was another option, one which put him in the primary area of danger which, darkness willing, could allow the stealthier members of the group to dissipate should they run into trouble at the entrance. Despite that Malthang's instincts and his hunter's patience were urging him to wait for now at least. Much like the beasts of the forest the most deadly strike was almost always that which is waited out and struck at an obvious vulnerability rather than that which smashes itself to exhaustion against an impenetrable defence.

I would suggest that we make camp in a discreet location and observe for now. The mark is not going to leave his sanctum if he believes it safe and it is better to have the maximum preparation possible than to blunder in half blind. I will concoct some poisons to assist us in the coming fight, I expect you each have your own preparations to make.

With that Malthang stalked back into the forest, quickly disappearing amongst shadows and creaking branches.
Only by the blade can weakness be purged.
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T'keela
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Post by T'keela »

Each breath misted before his eyes & his demeanour became as cold & empty as the cold void of the mountains through which him & his companions had been trekking through, the wilds had slowly begun to chip away at even the noble’s desire to flaunt his birth amongst his lesser companions. Malthang & Sirulleathe seemed to have taken a shine to each other, playing commoner games with the various forms of flora they managed to pick up off the ground. Not even their conversations about the varied uses of poisons & toxins, would stir the darker pleasures of T’Keela’s druchii noble bearing.

Even when it seemed as if the tension amongst the group would finally be broken, it only seemed to grow as they made the final steps to the magical city of Ghrond. T’Keela glanced at his companions, wondering who he would have to sacrifice first in order to achieve his ultimate goals. He hoped it would be Sirulleathe, he might have as much trust for the Shade’s as he did the Khaine but at least they were more stable than a blood crazed psychopath.

Three days after having left the bodies of the murdered shades were they had fallen, T’Keela finally got his first glance of Ghrond. The mighty citadel at its centre stood like an intimidating figure, watching the lands about it with lidless eyes. Mannslieb had begun to creep up in the wake of the sun and the night was beginning to as cold, if not colder than it had been in the forests.

T’Keela sighed as he looked out upon the battlements and couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease, the pairs of battle hardened guards no doubt stood ready to actively and happily respond to any perceived threats, killing and asking questions only once their victims lay dead. He clenched and unclenched his right fist. Slowly a plan began to form in his head, he considered his heritage and thought about his betrayal.
“Brothers,” whispered T’Keela, “perhaps we could consider I path of guile. I was and still am I noble, perhaps it is time I acted like it…” A malicious grin split his face as he gazed out upon the city, awaiting his comrade’s replies.



T’Keela will suggest that they try and enter the city by bluffing and saying that he is a noble seeking to beseech the sorceress for information and power to bring down an enemy that has been dogging them for many nights upon the road. We’ll see what happens….
T'Keela Darkspine
Group 30
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Malus99
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Post by Malus99 »

The hunters watched, and waited. Observing the comings and goings of the city and the precise nature of the fortifications and their patrols. At dusk the next day, they gathered once again to share their findings, Sirulleathe was the first to speak:
“The guard patrols have not shown any discernible pattern over the day, if they rotate them on a fixed schedule, the rotations are likely to recur weekly or even monthly, too long for us to spend mapping their movements, as they intended I assume. If we try to go over the wall, dodging the patrols will be a matter of luck alone. The guards patrol in pairs during the day and in groups of four at night, this likely means that the frequency of patrols decreases in the dark hours, but if we do run into a patrol at night, it will be much more difficult to dispatch them and near-impossible to do it silently. Any infiltration attempt over the walls by day would be suicide, we would be in plain sight of the guard towers projecting from the corners of the wall, they house Reaper Bolt throwers which would dispatch us with ease.” The Khainite paused a moment to collect his thoughts, then ploughed on:
“However, under cover of darkness an attempt is more viable, the walls of the guard tower on the North-East corner are pitted with holes, I assume from the great Chaos invasion some years ago now, repairs have been concentrated since then on re-building the demolished sections of the walls, guardhouses and gate towers, they haven’t got round to these superficial little pockmarks yet, but they are large enough to be used as handholds by a skilled climber to ascend along the side of the tower. At the top there is a room with doors leading onto the parapets on either side of the tower, two Reapers are stationed there, pointing out of the viewport that stretches around the front and sides of the tower, we can get in through the viewport and from there all we must do is find the door which leads out of the tower and into the city.”
“A sound plan, with only one tiny little problem,” sneered T’Keela sarcastically.
“Which is?”
“There will be guards manning the Reapers, how do you intend to get past them without having to kill them? At which point our time in the city is reduced from days to hours or even minutes.” Sirulleathe smiled, reaching into a small pouch dangling from his belt, he withdrew a small wad of black cloth about half the size of a fist.
“Thanks to Malthang’s excellent tutelage, I have been able to prepare half a dozen of these.”
“And what exactly are ‘these’?” asked Lenya.
“Inside the cloth is a fragile glass ball filled with sleeping gas distilled from the local flora, it is tasteless and odourless, all I have to do is, when just below the window, throw it in and when it hits the wall or ground the glass inside will shatter, the sound is muffled by the cloth to a point where even Malthang’s ears would have trouble detecting it, at which point the gas seeps out through the cloth and knocks everyone in the room out cold.”
“And they won’t notice you lobbing a gas grenade through the window?”
“It will be pitch black and the cloth is the colour of midnight, aside from which, the Reapers are angled to face along the wall, so they will be facing away from the middle of the viewport where I’ll be throwing it in.”
“What if one of them reports mysteriously falling asleep in the middle of guard duty to their superiors?”
“Well I was assuming that the guards wouldn’t be both honest and complete morons, two things most Druchii aren’t, T’Keela as a former noble what would you do if one of your guards told you they’d fallen asleep on guard duty, ‘oh excuse me captain but I fell asleep during the middle of my shift and I blame it on sleeping gas and stealthy intruders of which I have absolutely no evidence of whatsoever.’ You’d have them skinned alive and then impaled upon a spike atop the gate-towers. At the very least.”
“True,” nodded T’Keela.
“But what about us?” asked Malthang, “If the room is filled with sleeping gas how are we supposed to go through without being knocked out ourselves?”
“By the time you lot all get there it will have dissipated, and it won’t affect me.”
“Why doesn’t it affect you?”
“The miracle of stimulants.”
“Well then,” said Lenya, “I suppose that leaves only one question.”
“Which is?”
“How the hell do you keep a distillery and all those apothecary supplies of poison vials and the like in just a cloak, you don’t even have a bag to put them in.”
Sirulleathe winked knowingly, “I can hide a lot in ‘just a cloak’.”

“Well then, it seems you’ve thought this through quite a bit, what are the risks?” asked Malthang.
“I can ascend the tower and deal with the guards silently in about ten minutes and I assume both you and Lenya will have little trouble in doing the same, but our warrior compatriot here may have more trouble.”
T’keela snorted, “I’m capable of climbing up a wall.”
“Not in your armour you won’t, we’ll either have to put it in a travelling pack, wrap it in cloth to prevent it making a noise and have one of us carry it up, or we can leave it all behind.” The warrior grunted but made no other comment.
“All in all I expect it will take about half an hour for all of us to reach the top, thankfully whilst the guard patrols map every part of the wall every few minutes or so, they only travel through the guard towers when the shifts change, which from what I saw last night could be anything from three times in an hour to once every three hours, the rotations keep it too unpredictable to narrow down any further. So going with the worst case scenario there is about a one in three chance of us getting the timing wrong and a guard patrol moving through the tower whilst I’m at the top and some of you are still making your way up. If that happens, the whole plan goes to the abyss and we’re in serious trouble, or at least those of us stuck at the top.”
“So the plan has risk, but it is not without merit.”
The Khainite nodded.

“So what else has been learned?” asked Sirulleathe.
“The gates shut at dusk as we expected,” stated Lenya, “we will not be able to force our way past the guards even during the day when the gates are open, if we go through the gate, we will have to persuade the guards we have a legitimate reason for being inside the city. The regular visitors are patrols of guards returning from the frontier and messengers who are occasionally accompanied by scouts, from what I’ve seen the messengers gain entry to the city by displaying to the guards a seal upon their messages, without knowing what the seal is we wouldn’t be able to forge one, we would need to acquire the real deal to impersonate messengers.

“Another possibility then. Getting our friend T’Keela to impersonate a noble also still appears to be an option,” said Malthang, “I watched a highborn and his retinue enter the city this morning and he needed no special seals or messages, all he needed was a bribe. From what I know of the raiding seasons the highborns indulge in, those not setting sail to reap their fortune in Brettonia and the like set out on expeditions, often into the Northern wastes, and most of them stop in at Ghrond to hire a few helping hands. So the Garrison loans out some warriors, the highborn seek their fortunes, the warriors get some in-the-field training and Ghrond makes a tidy profit, a good deal all round, especially for us since it gives us another way in. The man at the gate just needs a name and some ‘proof’ that the noble in question really is a noble and not just an impersonator like us, of course this proof takes the form of a little coin to show the guards you have the money to pay for the Tower’s services, and to cover the cost of one of the guards accompanying you as a ‘guide’ into the city. So all we do is get Mr Peacock all high and mighty over there dressed up,” Malthang directed a malicious smile T’Keela’s way, “and all he has to do is walk up to the gate, act like a real highborn, pay the guards and he’s in, with loyal” *Cough* “Retainers in tow.”
“Damn funny retainers for a noble,” muttered T’Keela.
“Well, Lenya in her getup could pass for a former corsair, plenty of them have gone into the bodyguard-lackey business, and I’m just your typical rogue.”
“And the Khainite?”
“Wouldn’t be the first time an assassin went AWOL, I’ve seen my fair share of you highborns and those low down the ladder attract all sorts, beggars can’t be choosers eh?”
Malthang grinned mockingly and the former noble growled under his breath, but managed to keep his anger in check.

“Well then, it seems we do have some options,” whispered Sirulleathe, attempting to defuse the growing tension between the highborn and the shade. “But what will we do when we enter the city? We do not know where Varranaithe is, where this captain is or even the elf’s name.”
“Officer’s quarters are inside the inner wall,” stated T’Keela, “the Drachau, Vaulkhar, their retainers and other senior officers have rooms within the main tower, the lesser towers surrounding the main keep are for the other officers, we’ll most likely find our captain there.”
“Someone’s been doing their homework,” chuckled Malthang.
“Inside the outer wall, there is a ring of stables, training rooms and garrison houses, which are separated from the kitchens, armourers and warehouses which run right up to the inner wall by a series of marshalling squares. Inside the inner wall the main tower in the centre of the city is surrounded by four lesser towers, which in turn are surrounded by the kitchens and armourers dedicated to the officers, after all, the top brass can’t be eating the same muck and wielding the same rubbish as the cannon fodder now can they?”
“Hardly,” sneered Ravensbane.

“It sounds like we have all the information we can gather from the outside then, so we need to decide on which plan to use, and then try and break into the most heavily fortified and manned fortress in all of Naggaroth, no problem,” whispered Sirulleathe with a smile.

So then, decide on your plan and then tell me your actions to get the ball rolling. If there’s any more specific information you need or think you could use for your plans then either message me or post the question here in the RP and I will answer it ASAP. T’Keela I saw your post just before I finished writing this and, since it was a 50/50 between what you wanted to do and what Varaken wanted to do and, more to the point, I’d already written all of this, I went ahead with Malthang’s choice of watching and waiting for a day, I hope you don’t mind. I still have no word from TBoW (or NH for that matter) and Kinslayer is clearing out the character creation pool so once he has finished that I will start recruiting to get our numbers back up, as such, Deadline is Sunday after next for a mod post on May the 16th
Veni, Vidi, Voro!!!

All things perish, this is the law of existence, accept your suffering and your mortality, only by using this truth, can you transcend it.
Varaken
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Post by Varaken »

Malthang grinned maliciously. Baiting the so-called "Highborn" was all too easy but he enjoyed it none the less. That being said, using him to impersonate a true noble Druchii was perhaps the least risky of the options. There was no way he would be able to keep up with Lenya, Sirulleathe or himself climbing a wall and once false move while climbing would set the elf's armour rattling like a set of Dwarf-tooth dice. Even the Khainite's sleeping draughts would not be enough to hold off the inevitable tide of armoured death that would sweep towards them and, while it may be pleasant to see the warrior riddled with crossbow bolts and spear tips he would no doubt be of use once within a city filled with armed and armoured warriors.

"Very well. Despite my doubts as to T'Keela's general competency," the shade sneered at the noble, "The safest way for all of us to get inside in one go would be to have him at least attempt to pass as a highborn. For a change. Malthang muttered under his breath. Between us we could pass as a minor highborn and his retainers and aides. And, if the worst comes to pass, the only one who cannot run away quickly is our...beloved master. Ravensbane finished with an over-elaborate bow in the highborn's direction. Sirulleathe, hang onto those glass vials of yours though, I have no doubt that they will be of use once we get inside. Once we get through the gates we should head away from the gates as a single unit so as not to draw too much suspicion. T'Keela in the middle of the group with us flanking him in order to "protect" him. Malthang put a sinister amount of emphasis on the word. Then once we are deep enough into the city we can either split off, pair up or stay together as the situation requires. Ambushes are going to be a slim possibility here, at least on the main streets. They are too wide and well guarded but the side streets could still be a risk so keep alert."

There was a slight pause as the shade glanced around at the group. "Does anyone have any other suggestions?"
Only by the blade can weakness be purged.
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Malus99
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Post by Malus99 »

Thelesk watched curiously as a small, ragtag band of Druchii made their way up the spear road. They travelled on foot, the one in the centre had the look of a highborn, albeit one down on his luck, and with him was possibly the most bizarre assortment of retainers Thelesk had ever seen. The guard passed a critical eye over the band as they approached, the noble was well armed and armoured, though his equipment looked a little the worse for wear and to his left stood a tall, lean man, the tattoos upon his face marking him out as a shade, though not from any of the northern clans Thelesk knew. To the other side of the highborn was a lady of similar age, attractive in a way that would have provoked leers from less experienced guards, but Thelesk knew that if her master didn’t take offence then she likely would repay such an insult with the kiss of steel, she certainly looked like she knew how to handle the sword she wore at her hip. At first Thelesk did not notice the fourth and final member of the party, lurking behind the noble. Dressed all in black and moving with the grace of a snow panther, he looked like a shade or back-alley thief, but there was something about him that suggested an elf far darker and more dangerous than you average brigand, as if his skin were just a fragile mask hiding the beast that hid beneath the surface. All of this passed through the captain of the watch’s mind in the last few seconds before the strange band came to a halt slightly over two sword’s-lengths from him. Thelesk was flanked by half a dozen guards in heavy plate armour, each with a sword upon their hips and holding a wickedly barbed spear, as the travellers came to a halt the two sides stared at each other for a moment, measuring each other up.

The watch captain stepped forwards, his arms crossed in front of his chest and holding no weapons, but his air of confidence and the expensive finish on the two slim duelling swords buckled to his sides suggested the elf knew his trade well, and had every confidence in his own ability should the exchange come to blows. Finally the silence was broken by Thelesk;
“State your name and business in Ghrond,” he said flatly.
T’keela bristled at the captain’s tone, “Mind your tongue when speaking to your betters churl,” he barked arrogantly, “I’ve half a mind to gut you where you stand for such insolence. I suggest you remember your place in the world before you open your mouth again, or you never will open it again.”
Thelesk smiled inwardly, definitely a noble, but his steely expression betrayed nothing of his thoughts, he merely inclined his head slightly in a nod of assent.
“Your pardon Terrible One. To whom do I have the honour of addressing and what may your business be in Ghrond, My Lord?”
T’Keela took a moment to stare down his nose at the Watch Captain before replying,
“I am Lord Velack Bloodmane of Hag Graef, I am here to Gather men for a raiding party heading into the wastes.”
The watch captain cocked his head, as if searching his memory to try and place the name, but evidently it didn’t ring any bells for which T’Keela was glad, of course there was no Velak Bloodmane, mainly because T’Keela’s house had slaughtered the Bloodmane family some years ago, before his fall, but if the guard remembered the family name then hopefully he would assume T’Keela to be an estranged son or similar that escaped his family’s purge. The watch captain’s face remained impassive, but now a calculating gleam had entered his eyes.
“And if I may ask, why is your Lordship walking up the Spear road instead of riding, it is a very long way. Looking for a little exercise?” T’Keela’s hand snapped out in a lighting fast backhand which struck Thelesk’s face with a sharp crack. Blood trickled down the watch captain’s face from the four ragged cuts the barbs on the noble’s gauntlet had left.
“That is none of your concern,” growled T’Keela, his cheeks flushing slightly with embarrassment and his voice laced with an undercurrent of rage.
Thelesk straightened, wiping the blood from his cheek.
“Very well then, if I could just have some proof of your, ah… means to acquire the necessary men and mounts then you may enter the city.”
T’keela gave a sour smile and tossed a pouch of coins towards the watch captain who deftly snatched them out of the air, weighing them in his hand. With a satisfied grin he stepped aside, motioning to the yawning mouth of the outer gateway.
“I hope you have a profitable stay in Ghrond.”
T’Keela glared at the captain, “Profitable for you maybe,” he murmured under his breath, just loud enough for Thelesk to hear.
“I will also assign one of my guards as a guide for you in the city, free of charge. I insist.”
“How very gracious,” sneered T’Keela sarcastically, the watch captain gave a mocking bow, then nodded towards one of the other guards, a young elf of little more than 60 years of age, “Harath will accompany you.” The young guard stepped forwards and bowed to T’Keela, more sincerely than his captain, and gestured towards the gateway, “This way my Lord.”
“Into the belly of the beast,” muttered Malthang as he passed under the gate arch, and into darkness.

You’re in! A duplicitous and sneaky entry into the city, how very skaven of you :D now you need to decide on your next move, are you going to make a base of operations? Perhaps your guide can show you to a guest room whilst you are ‘recruiting’, you can’t gather an army in a day after all (especially when you’re broke! But don’t let them know that ;) ) Then you need to come up with a plan to find Varranaithe, perhaps your first stop should be in finding this mysterious captain? Your bribe cost you each 2 gold coins

Deadline is Sunday for Monday Morning mod post.


OOC: I have A2 level exams coming up next month from the 16th to the 23rd of June and as such I will not be able to make mod posts until after that time, so we will have two more weeks of RPGing (with mod posts on the 23rd and 30th of May) and then take a break for four weeks, and I shall resume mod posting on the 27th of June, I am recruiting this week and new arrivals will be joining you at some point in Ghrond, I hope those of you still playing will carry on after the break.
Veni, Vidi, Voro!!!

All things perish, this is the law of existence, accept your suffering and your mortality, only by using this truth, can you transcend it.
Varaken
Executioner
Posts: 156
Joined: Wed Dec 23, 2009 10:48 pm

Post by Varaken »

Malthang drew his hood tighter around his face as they passed into the city. City-dwellers the thought running through his head barbed with spite and disdain for the elves who surrounded him in the streets. Still, they had got in alive and unharmed. I might not know much about the "noble's" fighting ability but he can certainly act. The thought gave the shade a brief reverie of amusement before the trappings of so called civilisation began to push in on his thoughts once more. He had placed himself near the front of the group, his keen eyes and ears alert to dangers that may or may not be forthcoming. Adapting to this environment would take a couple of hours after spending so much time in his beloved wilderness. Beside and slightly ahead of him marched the guard, occasionally offering some comment or poor witticism about his surroundings, no doubt trying to earn a small "reward" when we arrived at whatever destination we give him. Is this fool an entertainer or a soldier? he thought with a scowl. Still, we should probably give him a location we would like to travel to.
Guard. the shade said, his low tone cutting through the background noise of the city. He steeled himself for the next sentence which T'Keela would no doubt hang over his head for many hours to come. My master is tired, show us a guest house or place of lodging and quickly. He couldn't care less if the guard hated him, they're all the same. Thrice-damned city dwellers.
Only by the blade can weakness be purged.
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T'keela
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Location: Bris-VEGAS, Australia

Post by T'keela »

T'Keela's heart hammered against what could only have been his ribcage, every moment seemed to take an age and a trickle of cold sweat ran down the back of his neck. If this runt of a hound doesn't believe me...[/b]
Very well then... The words jolted T'Keela from his thoughts and brought him crashing back to reality, though handing over the last of his coins left the dispossessed noble clenching and unclenching his fists in anger. When the captain placed a pair of eyes upon in the form of a young guard, T'Keela felt a small nugget of anxiety begin to creep its way back in to his heart, [i]He looks naive enough...Perhaps we can kill him without too much of a fuss.
Lead the way then, boy. Commanded the noble to the young elf named Harath, who seemed to think himself somewhat of court joker, as they passed through the streets of Ghrond. Oh and Harath was it? Would you be inclined to disclose the whereabouts of some potential recruiting grounds for soldiers, even the city barracks where I assume your captain and brethren rest often hide the ambitious individual. T'Keela looked pointedly at Sirulleathe when he placed the undue emphasis on the word captain.
T'Keela couldn't help but grin when Malthang referred to him as "Master" and the elf couldn't help but flash the grin at the shade as they walked along. [b]Yes as my retainer has said, take us to the inn.
T'Keela Darkspine
Group 30
Stats: WS4 S3 T4 D4 I4
Equip: Sword, Light Armour, blackpowder pistol, 4 bullets, 2GP.
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Malus99
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Post by Malus99 »

“Right this way Dreadlord,” said the guide with an elaborate flourish of his hand.
Oh fantastic, we’ve been landed with a snot-faced child who fancies himself as a Tilean Duellist thought Malthang, How do I end up with these people?
The ‘Noble’ and his ‘Retainers’ followed the guide along the broad, straight streets, passing through marshalling squares and past barracks with their guide happily chattering away about everything and nothing in a cheerful voice that made T’Keela want to rip the elf’s tongue out and throttle him with it.

As they were passing through another open square, a rhythmic hacking cough drew the group’s attention towards a pair of stakes in the centre of the square and mercifully drowned out the idle chatter of the guard for a few precious seconds. Tied, or rather nailed to the stakes were two male elves, muscular of build in the way of warriors, but with the weathered skin of those who have travelled far beyond the walls of the North Tower unlike so many of the fresh new recruits the band had seen drilling in the squares. A pool of dark, congealed blood stained the paving stones beneath them and the occasional drop splashed into the slowly spreading puddle of gore from the ragged gashes in the warrior’s hands and feet where the nails had been driven through to hold them to their stakes, as well as from numerous other open wounds with the distinctive shredded slash marks of a barbed scourge. The two looked as if they had been hanging there for quite some time, two days at the least, but their eyes still glinted with stubborn resolve and the twisted malice of a Druchii soul far from broken by their ordeal.

“Who are they?” Asked T’Keela, nodding his head towards the pair.
The Guard’s cheery grin turned into a distasteful sneer as he turned to regard the object of the noble’s interest. “Two imposters who foolishly thought they could infiltrate the mighty city of Ghrond unnoticed, they are wanted for the murder of a Noble who resided here some year’s previously.”
“It was hardly worth the effort,” snarled the elf on the left, the escort guard growled and, with a flick of his wrist, hurled a dagger from his belt towards the criminal. The blade crunched into the Druchii’s right collarbone, eliciting a gasp of pain from the elf, before he broke into another fit of hoarse coughing, it took a moment for T’Keela to realise the elf was actually laughing.

The prisoner’s companion had remained stoically silent throughout the event, but upon seeing T’Keela’s face beneath his helm he too gave a chuckle, a calculating gleam replacing the stubborn resolve his eyes had held a moment before.
“You.”
T’Keela carefully studied the elf, trying to think where he might know him from.
“Don’t waste your time with this trash Dreadlord, let us move on,” urged the escort, but T’Keela silenced the young guard with a glare. Striding up to the crucified elf, the noble stood before him with his arms crossed, his usual arrogance tempered with a modicum of caution.
“Yes?”
The crucified Druchii motioned for the noble to step closer still, T’Keela hesitantly obliged. They stood eye to eye, barely an inch apart as each watched the other for any hint of weakness, the criminal’s lips moved, and T’Keela stiffened, a look of shock passing across his face.
Without a word the noble turned and strode stiffly away, continuing along the path the group had been following before their little detour, the others dashing to catch up, leaving the two criminals to contemplate their agony in solitude once more.

The escort lead the noble and his followers through another square before turning off into a side street, a row of blacksmiths soon gave way to lines of warehouses, the guide wove through a series of smaller and smaller sub-roads until finally the group emerged into a circular road junction, in the centre of the open space stood a towering shrine to Khaine forged from black meteoric iron with a huge bubbling brass cauldron of blood hanging from chains as the centerpiece of the monument. The numerous roads radiating from the edges of the hub lead back into the city in all directions, and in between each of the paths out of the area stood an imposing guest house, built along the same lines as the typical Druchii mansion of any other city, but it was obvious that this building was used to house mid-ranking guests to the city, such as visiting nobles here to raise a warband. Placing quarters in such a juncture was a practical way of giving visiting nobles most efficient access to all the areas they might need to raise a small army whilst keeping them out of the hair of the resident ruling elite of the city in Ghrond’s main citadel, where they might cause trouble with the petty fights and assassinations common in what passed for everyday political life in Naggaroth. Housing visiting nobles among the common warriors could be interpreted as a snub by Ghrond’s rulers to any Highborn guests, but Ghrond was more a permanent training and marshalling camp than a city, where efficiency took precedent over prestige building, and anyone who had a problem with that could take it up with the elf who controlled the largest standing garrison in all of Naggaroth.

The hunters settled into their temporary quarters on the third floor of the building, their escort sticking around long enough to make sure they were amply provided for by the staff before moving to his own temporary room on the ground floor, after the guard had left, the hunters convened to discuss the day’s events.
“What did the warrior say to you?” asked Malthang without preamble. T’Keela sighed.
“He said we were ‘slow off the mark’.”
“Slow off the mark?” questioned a confused Lenya, “Meaning they’re bounty hunters too?”
“Most likely,” whispered Sirulleathe, “they arrived here earlier, after the same bounty, but were caught.”
Malthang frowned concernedly, “Do you think our cover is blown?”
T’Keela looked down at the sword laid across his lap, “Yes and no, by the guard I don’t thinks so, but those two on the stakes know we are bounty hunters, even worse, the one I spoke to he…”
“He what?”
T’Keela glanced up, his eyes filled with memories, pain and rage. And just the slightest touch of fear.
“He named me.”

Well then, you’re in, have lodgings and somebody to show you around, but trouble is on the horizon, two bounty hunters have already made it here before you but were caught, they know you are imposters, and needless to say just a word to the guards would spark an investigation which would quickly see through your cover, so what will you do? You could try to silence them, but can you do so without suspicion falling on you, the escort guard would have seen T’Keela’s reaction to what the warrior said, even if he didn’t know precisely what was said, is it worth the risk of someone taking an interest in why you decided to kill those two, nobody would much care that you did, but should you draw attention to yourself like that? Alternatively perhaps you could try to free them, get them on your side, after all they won’t turn you in if it means they would also be recaptured, and they were in the city before you, perhaps they have knowledge you could utilize? Either way something needs to be done about the two, and it probably would be best if the city guard didn’t know you had a hand in it for as long as possible.

Deadline is Sunday Night for Mod post on Monday Morning
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Veni, Vidi, Voro!!!

All things perish, this is the law of existence, accept your suffering and your mortality, only by using this truth, can you transcend it.
The shadow king
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Post by The shadow king »

Helkor Makolus


Helkor tilted his head up to see a leaden sky and sighed, bad enough he had to have been crucified, couldn't they at least have some decent weather or maybe some rain to relieve his parched throat?

He let his head start to droop in time to see a group of travellers and a Noble.

“Who are they?” The Noble nodded his head towards Helkor and Selkoreth.

The Guard’s cheery grin turned into a distasteful sneer as he turned to regard the object of the Noble’s interest. “Two imposters who foolishly thought they could infiltrate the mighty city of Ghrond unnoticed, they are wanted for the murder of a Noble who resided here some year’s previously.”


“It was hardly worth the effort.” Makolus snarled and spat, the escort guard growled and, with a flick of his wrist, hurled a dagger from his belt. The blade crunched into Helkor's right collarbone, eliciting a gasp of pain before he broke into a fit of ragged laughter.


Helkor watched from the corner of his eye as Selkoreth caught the Noble's attention and whispered something to him, whatever it was, it certainly stirred the Noble's hash and the man rejoined his group and they walked away.

He forced himself past the pain of the cold blade in his right collarbone, took another rasping breath and coughed violently.


"Son of a Kurek." He muttered, more in exasparation than anything else.

He slowly turned his aching neck to Selkoreth, perhaps the only Druchii outside of his family he'd let himself trust, if only barely, Helkor was still a Druch after all.

"The flaying won't be the worst part," his tone was casual, as if he was discussing the weather, "that'll bloody hurt, but the worst will be the castration.

"What I really hate is the indignity, being nailed up like this doesn't exactly mean you can just open your trousers and sit down."

He indicated the filth on their legs and on the ground around their feet with a wry smile, not all of it was from the gore and neither was the stench.
Role-Playing Group 30
Helkor Makolus, Warrior.
WS 4, S4, T4, D3, I3. Gear: Cloak, Longsword, Light Armour, Shield, 4GC, Bastard Sword
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T'keela
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Post by T'keela »

Sitting down at their lodgings, T'Keela had time to ponder the surprise and anxiety that had been aroused by the two criminals and former bounty hunters. How do they know who I am... He looked at his other companions and then his thoughts drifted to the added problem of that damned guard. Killing him themselves would undoubtedly draw unwanted attention from the city and T'Keela highly doubted his companions ability to win a war of attrition against an entirety of Ghrond's armed forces. We need to deal with this fresh faced companions of ours first. Sirulleathe could kill him quickly and silently the only issue being unless it looks like it was an accident or that it was due to his own actions, blame will fall on us. He looked around the room and saw tat there were a range of individuals ranging in wealth from lesser nobles to roving bands of mercenaries who seemed to enjoy slightly less seedier surroundings than the majority of their brethren. T'Keela grinned as a plan brewed in his head.

Sirulleathe, he whispered, got anything in those wonderful pockets of yours that could turn our friend into a raging drunk mess and get himself killed in a fight?

Then we can get to sorting out the problem of killing the two prisoners. Sitting down at their lodgings, T'Keela had time to ponder the surprise and anxiety that had been aroused by the two criminals and former bounty hunters. How do they know who I am... He looked at his other companions and then his thoughts drifted to the added problem of that damned guard. Killing him themselves would undoubtedly draw unwanted attention from the city and T'Keela highly doubted his companions ability to win a war of attrition against an entirety of Ghrond's armed forces. We need to deal with this fresh faced companions of ours first. Sirulleathe could kill him quickly and silently the only issue being unless it looks like it was an accident or that it was due to his own actions, blame will fall on us. He looked around the room and saw tat there were a range of individuals ranging in wealth from lesser nobles to roving bands of mercenaries who seemed to enjoy slightly less seedier surroundings than the majority of their brethren. T'Keela grinned as a plan brewed in his head.

Sirulleathe, he whispered, got anything in those wonderful pockets of yours that could turn our friend into a raging drunk mess and get himself killed in a fight?

Then we can get to sorting out the problem of killing the two reeking prisoners. After all the trouble of our last fight, I would look forward to killing something that can’t put up much of fight, chuckled the “noble” to his group.

OOC: Hey Malus did we loot anything from our awesomely spectacular fight where Loathren’s face got melted??
T'Keela Darkspine
Group 30
Stats: WS4 S3 T4 D4 I4
Equip: Sword, Light Armour, blackpowder pistol, 4 bullets, 2GP.
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Malus99
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Post by Malus99 »

OOC: since you asked, yes!

T'Keela since you had a particular interest in Dach'val's pistol I assume your character would have taken it from the corpse afterwards, it is now yours (there aren't any current rules in the RP for pistols since they aren't the usual Druchii weapon, it is short range variant of the standard pistol but packs a hell of a punch so its stats are Strength 5, Speed 3, Range 2, it also makes alot of noise when you fire it and currently you have enough powder and bullets for 4 shots, you would need a specialist to create more bullets and powder for you) you also found 6 gold pieces on Dach'val's corpse so that is divided between the group (2 for lenya, 2 for T'Keela and 2 for Malthang).

Unfortunately the shades were skint so there was nothing useful for you to pinch off them.
Veni, Vidi, Voro!!!

All things perish, this is the law of existence, accept your suffering and your mortality, only by using this truth, can you transcend it.
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Post by Varaken »

Malthang allowed himself to relax. Well, in as much as he ever relaxed. Life both in the wilderness and fighting for survival in the city had honed him into a lethal killer, of that there could be no doubt, but it had also infused him with a constant, heightened wariness of his surroundings. He eyed his companions with mixture of appraisal and suspicion. T'Keela seemed distracted, though by what the shade could only guess. He had seemed spooked by the two convicts trapped in the square but perhaps one of them had just said something that made the "noble" blush. Lenya seemed equally distant and had for some time. Perhaps she was plotting her way to the top of this little collection of bounty killers. The shade resolved to keep a close eye on his contemporary. He only became aware of Sirulleathe when he was addressed by T'Keela. The Khainite almost seemed to disappear if you weren't looking directly at him, fading out of conscious recognition.

The shade listened into to the highborn's plan, it had merit he conceded. It was certainly a way for them to be rid of the guard and his near endless supply of poor conversation. Very well, he would go along with it, it seemed as good a method as any. For now Malthang held his tongue, waiting to see how the Khainite would respond and contemplated his part in the days to come.
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Post by Dresden »

Selkoreth Warpbane was not having a good day. Just looking from his face, you wouldn't know it. The many small scars, and his missing right eye, were obviously from a long time ago. This would not be unusual, as he faced everything with a stoic grimness. Every pain, every hurt, every wrong tucked away to fuel his ever burning furnace of inner hate, until such a time as he allowed it release in bloody violence. I soldier and fighter, not just in former profession but in blood and bone and soul, This is how he viewed the Druchii ideal, and this is how he lived his life. He could no more change than a fish could fly. Well, south of the northern wastes, he would have added had these thoughts been pasing through his head. He knew better than most what the chaos winds could do up in the wastes, having earned the name Warpbane in a past life.

Nevertheless, looking beyond his face his bad day was quite evident. he had come to Ghrond as a bounty hunter, seeking to start gaining wealth and power, and had got caught. Now, he was being crucified as a traitor. A passing guard was leading on some group when his companion goaded them on and got a knife in the shoulder for the trouble. Ah his companion. A bit overly glib for Selkoreth's taste, and less militeristic toward the outside world, but he was hell on wheels in a fight and shared a similar distaste for much of Druchii nobility and former military career. So in all, one of the better possible choices.

Helkor's actions did cause Selkoreth to look at the passing group, and the leathery bastard almost laughed at what he saw. He knew one of them, and he knew why they were here. He caught the eye of what seemed to be their leader and beckoned him over. He didn't seem to recognize him, but that was of little consequence. When the druchii, who had a noble bearing, approached. Slekoreth raised his head, such as he could, and said Slow of the mark, now aren't you. Better hurry up, the sooner you leave the less chance that damnable tongue of yours gets you into trouble. Isn't that right T'Keela, your ponce, smug bastard. The color drained out of T'keela's face when he heard this, and he quickly returned his group.

Helkor began speaking t him about the relative upleasantness of torture, flaying, castration, and the lack of a bathroom. Selkoreth sighed and said Aren't you in a chatty mood. Degredation I can handle, so long as I can still get a sword in the gut of the worm who inflicted it. And cheer up, for that time may be closer than you think. We may not be here much longer. He did not say more less they werre over heard, and went back to contemplating his own dark thoughts.
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Post by Malus99 »

“Sirulleathe,” whispered T’Keela, “got anything in those wonderful pockets of yours that could turn our friend into a raging drunk mess and get himself killed in a fight?”
Sirulleathe smiled, “a cunning plan my lord, I have just the thing.” The Khainite withdrew a brown, sponge-like plant shaped like a lumpy golf ball from a small pocket in his top.
“Happy mushrooms.”
“Happy mushrooms?”
“Powerful hallucinogenic, can be ground into a fine powder which dissolves into liquids, in small doses it induces hallucinations, dizziness, nausea and paranoia. Combined with alcohol it is particularly effective.”
“Great, so I invite him for a drink, slip some in his wine, stand back and watch the fireworks.”
“Pretty much,” nodded Sirulleathe.
“How soon can you prepare a suitable dose?”
“A minute or so, in the meantime perhaps you should persuade the guard to go downstairs with you for a drink, and I advise you take Malthang and Lenya with you too, once this takes effect things will get pretty ugly.”
T’Keela gave a nod of thanks and then, smirking as he did so, gestured imperiously to the other members of the group to follow him, prompting scowls and glares from Malthang and Lenya.
“Great, this little bit of playacting is going to his head, pretending doesn’t make you a true noble T’Keela, nor does it make you my master,” Spat Malthang with unusual venom.
“But did you not call me so yourself just a few short minutes ago,” sneered T’Keela. “And I’m more of a noble than you will ever be, shade.”
“Thank the dark mother for that small mercy,” muttered Malthang under his breath.

The other hunters left Sirulleathe to his labour and walked down the winding flights of stairs to the ground floor, knocking on the guard’s door, T’keela gestured for his ‘retainers’ to stand back a few paces with a shooing gesture which provoked another icy glare from Malthang, which he hurriedly hid from the guard as the door opened.
“Let us discuss a suitable commanding officer to keep the rank and file in line,” stated T’Keela without preamble, “over a glass of wine I think, I need something to wash the dust of the road from my throat.”
“v…very well Dreadlord, I shall have a bottle brought to your quarters,” stuttered the young guard, slightly taken aback by T’Keela’s sudden appearance.
“No, I would rather talk in the front room, I reserve meetings in my chambers for people of importance, which you are not.”
The guard gave a slightly stiff bow, and then started walking towards the front of the manse. Before following, T’Keela saw Sirulleathe hurrying down the stairs to hand Malthang a small pouch. With a smile, T’Keela turned and set off with long strides to catch up to their guide. Passing through a wrought-iron door the group emerged into the guest house’s impressive atrium, continuing past the imposing double doors that lead to the outside world, the group made their way through a smaller side door into a comfortably furnished and surprisingly well lit lounge. After the cavernous, shady atrium the relatively comfy front room, basking in the warm green glow of a number of witchlamps mounted along the walls, provided a pleasant change.
Waving over a servant, a young human female who’s otherwise flawless skin was marred by a profusion of asymmetrical scars and a few cuts so fresh that they were still bleeding, T’Keela randomly picked a vintage off the list placed on their table and then turned to speak to the guard, who had settled himself in the chair opposite the noble, Lenya also chose to take a seat, whilst Malthang elected to remain standing, slightly behind and to the left of their escort.
A moment later the serving girl returned with a crystalline blue bottle and several glasses, placing the bottle on the table, she pried the cork out and then held out the bottle to T’Keela, but her arm was arrested by Lenya’s steely grip. Returning the bottle to the table, Lenya slowly drew a razor-sharp dagger from her belt. Taking a firmer grip on the girl, Lenya carefully drew the blade across her forearm, noting with some respect that she didn’t so much as flinch, and then held it over the bottle allowing several ruby droplets to splash into the wine. After a few moments Lenya dismissed the girl with a flick of her eyes and then poured a glass each for the guard and T’Keela, and, with some hesitancy, one for herself as well. T’Keela took an appreciative gulp of the vintage before setting his cup down, half drained already, whilst Lenya took a far more measured sip. Struggling to hide a grimace, she leaned over and hissed into T’Keela’s ear
“Did you always have such terrible taste in drink when you were a real noble or have you just forgotten the difference between wine and vinegar since your exile?”
T’Keela favoured her with a sarcastic smile before turning back to their escort.
“So, which of the garrison captains should I be speaking to?”
“Well…” began their escort.

An hour passed with the guard explaining the various merits and detriments, styles and methods, ability and compatibility of the numerous most prominent Commanding officers of the city’s garrison, and the men under their command. At first T’Keela looked as though he would be draining the bottle of wine far before the troublesome guard even made it to his second cup, but it soon became apparent that the wily bounty hunter was merely encouraging their escort to drink more, and as the guard obliged T’Keela gradually drank less and less until he stopped completely. Nevertheless, the young guard was still being careful, apparently wise to the evils of too much wine at one time. When the bottle was nearing half empty, Lenya picked it up from the table and made a show of examining it, “The blood will have dissipated by now, I will dispose of this.”
T’Keela nodded, “Go procure us another,” he said to Malthang, who gave a strained bow before prowling off to hunt out the serving girl. He returned a minute later with another bottle, pouring out a glass each for the guard and T’Keela before retreating to his customary position. T’Keela placed his own glass to his lips, and watched with narrowed eyes as the guard took a sip.
They continued their conversation for another few minutes, the guard drank some more and still showed no ill signs, T’Keela was starting to become concerned, was the drug not working? Had the Khainite, or that blasted shade, screwed up the dosage?

But after the next few sips, T’keela could finally see the drug beginning to take effect, the escort was starting to slur his words, and his eyes were losing focus, his eyelids drooping. When the guard began groaning, with his head in his hands, Malthang grabbed him by the collar and hoisted him to his feet,
“I think you’ve had a little too much of my master’s hospitality,” he snarled, easily loud enough for the Druchii nobles sitting at the nearest tables to hear, “Go stick your head in a water butt and come back when your sober enough to guide us without us having to carry you.”
The guard growled back at the shade and turned, slapping Malthang’s hand away from his tunic as he drew his dagger with his other hand, but he lost control of his turn and continued spinning, drunkenly staggering away whilst waving his dagger menacingly in front of him at no one in particular. The few standing patrons in the lounge cautiously sidestepped out of his way, watching with a mixture of contempt and disdain (yes I know they mean virtually the same thing, I’m trying to emphasise the pitiless nature of the Druchii, its not just because I’m tired and I’ve run out of words. Honest!* ;) ). Veering off to the right, the guard continued stumbling forwards until finally he met a solid wall of steel armour and (almost as steely) muscle, a retainer had interposed himself between the guard and a noble who had been calmly sitting at his table, watching the drunken antics of the guard with some amusement. The escort blinked and stared dumbly at the chest piece of the retainer, who was a good foot taller than him, as if expecting it to explain why it was in his way. After around 20 seconds of stony silence, during which the collective nobles adjusted themselves into a more comfortable position to watch the entertainment and their retainers somewhat nervously grasped sword handles or drew knives, the guard finally moved. Apparently having got impatient with the chest armour for not answering his unspoken question, and rather annoyed that a piece of metal would so dare as to ignore him (hallucinogenic mushrooms, not for use in a room full of very jumpy armed men) the guard brought his dagger up in a surprisingly fast under-armed slash at the retainer’s midsection, the dagger went cart wheeling away -with hand and most of an arm still attached- as the retainer brought his own sword across to cleanly slice through the guard’s elbow. The sneer on the retainer’s face rapidly transformed into a look of stark disbelief and he let out a howl of pain as he felt another dagger, this one from the guard’s left hand, pierce his side and punch through a kidney. The retainer’s response was instantaneous, smashing the pommel of his sword with all of his considerable strength into the guard’s face, which sent the escort hurtling off his feet, knocking several other retainers over in the process before landing on, and overturning, a table one of the nobles was sitting at, burying the unfortunate highborn underneath a tangle of bodies and bringing him face to face with the guard (or whatever the guard had left of a face after the pommel was through with him). Chaos broke out (not the pink horrors and nurglings type, just the normal type) as the retainers sent flying by the escort crashed into other tables and within moments the lounge became an out and out brawl as all the offended parties, plus a few others who just fancied a scrap (Druchii are a quarrelsome bunch) drew steel and hurled themselves into the melee.
The bounty hunters watched impassively as arcs of blood splattered across the walls and severed limbs went flying over head, and they heard the voice of their escort, still rambling on with his idle chatter even in the midst of a fight, though with slightly hysterical overtones, silenced with the meaty crunching sound of hammer meeting head.
“I thought we’d never shut him up,” sighed T’Keela with evident relief.
“Do you think we went too far?” asked Lenya as she surveyed the chaos.
“Are you kidding me? This is fantastic,” replied T’Keela with a mirthful grin, “don’t you agree Malthang?” The warrior turned to the shade, but he was gone. “Where in Naggaroth has he disappeared to?”
A druchii came stumbling out of the brawl towards Lenya, his hand clutched to a ragged hole in his side. Lenya smoothly drew her knife and flicked the blade across the elf’s throat, opening a gaping cut from ear to ear she allowed the corpse to fall dead at her feet.
“Perhaps we should be moving on,” she said.
“Indeed.”
As the pair climbed the flight of stairs, T’Keela suddenly lurched to his left, crashing into Lenya. The warrior straightened himself, lightly goaded by the female elf’s dagger placed against his ribs.
“Those damn mushrooms are more potent than I thought,” murmured T’Keela.
“You’re not going to go all giggly on me are you?”
“If I do, you have my permission to shoot me.”
“Really?”
“No.”
Lenya looked somewhat crestfallen.
“You can shoot Sirulleathe instead, or better yet shoot Malthang.”
“What’s he got to do with it?”
“Nothing really, does he need to?”
Lenya raised her eyebrows.
The two hunters arrived at their room, upon entering they found Sirulleathe sitting in a cross legged position, his back to them and with his hands clasped as if in prayer, given the copious amounts of blood around the Khainite, he probably was praying.
“I heard what you said, it’s not my fault you came into contact with the mushroom, I told you they were powerful,” he said without even turning around.
“How could you have possibly heard that? There was a door, a floor and a flight of stairs between us when I said it?” asked T’Keela with exasperation as he sat down on a chair facing Sirulleathe. The Khainite opened his eyes and gave one of his enigmatic smiles.
“Oh and have you been at the servants again?” asked the warrior as he gestured to the pool of blood, “at this rate there won’t be any left and we’ll have to fetch our own food.”
“No,” replied Sirulleathe, “the blood is my own, Khaine cares not for who’s blood fills his goblet and which skulls adorn his throne, as long as he’s kept in plentiful supply of both. The true path calls for just as much self-sacrifice as sacrifice.”
“Indeed, but all things in due time eh?”
“Precisely. Anyway, judging from the ruckus below I assume all went according to plan.”
“Very much so, we seem to be getting quite good at this planning malarkey.”
“But I note that Malthang has not returned with you.”
“No, he snuck off just after the fighting got started, maybe he’ll get himself lost or skewered on a pike somewhere.”
“I find that unlikely.”
“Yeah, true. But I can always hope.

Three hours later Malthang returned, accompanied by two elfs, and an overbearingly powerful stench. Lenya opened the door and instantly took a step back with a hand moving to cover her nose, recognising the two Druchii to be the same ones they had seen crucified in the marshalling square earlier that day, she immediately stepped aside and pointed towards the back-rooms of their quarters.
“Showers are through there. Now.”
“Thanks,” said one with a gruff voice, the other merely nodded.
As the two new arrivals made their way through to clean up, all eyes turned to Malthang.
“Any particular reason you brought them here Ravensbane or was it just so you could have someone to roll in the mud with?” asked T’Keela with a falsely-confident sneer that couldn’t quite mask the glimmer of concern in his eyes.
“They’re bounty hunters, they got here before us, I thought they might have found something we could make use of so I went to ask them, and as a matter of fact they have.”
“So why not just force it out of them and leave them to rot?” asked Lenya.
“Because they know we’re bounty hunters, a word from them and we’ll be put on stakes too, better to have them on our side.”
“And what piece of information do they hold is valuable enough to spare them their lives?” Queried Sirulleathe, his face impassive.
Malthang smiled, “They know where to find our captain.”

Well then, we have two new members (Welcome Dresden and Shadow King!) You have got rid of the annoying escort guard and have new information with which to plan your continued hunt for Varranaithe as Dresden and Shadow King’s characters know where to find the captain who has been hiding Varranaithe. The Hunter Group now consists of six people, Malthang, T’Keela, Selkoreth, Helkor, Lenya (Who I’m controlling atm as TBoW is inactive) and Sirulleathe (NPC).

As previously stated I’m now going to have to take a break from writing mod posts as my exams are coming up, but I will be free from the 24th of June onwards, sorry to our new members that you’ve only just joined and I’ll be absent but I couldn’t really work it any other way. I will still be checking D.Net so if you have anything you want to ask me by all means drop me a message and I will get back to you as soon as I can but I may take longer than usual, I would continue mod posts over the exams period but I just cannot take out the 2-3 hours in a day it takes to write this all out, however if I get a spare Saturday when I need a break I may be able to hammer something out so keep your eyes open. Feel free to talk among yourselves, come up with plans, talk about skill training opportunities, slag off your annoying modder whilst his back is turned ;) etc in the RPG whilst I’m away, or just chill and take a break from it if you wish. I hope that when I get back you’ll all be here and ready to roll once more, so I will set the deadline as MONDAY 27TH JUNE but if I can get on any earlier to write a mod post then I will try.

You’re closing in on Varranaithe, good hunting!




*And anyone who thinks to the contrary, just remember who the moderator is, I can have you crucified (infact, I already have done that to two of you, but not really because they did anything wrong, just because I can :twisted: ) eaten by nurglings or turned into a rabbit, and don’t you forget it. Oh dear I’m rambling again, must resume writing…

**I suppose I could have written “a mixture of amusement and disdain”
See, I didn’t run out of words :P
Oh dear I’m rambling again, I will finish this mod post before falling asleep, I will finish this mod post before falling asleep…
Veni, Vidi, Voro!!!

All things perish, this is the law of existence, accept your suffering and your mortality, only by using this truth, can you transcend it.
The shadow king
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Posts: 152
Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2009 10:00 pm
Location: Naggarond, Dancing with Morathi.

Post by The shadow king »

OOC @Q Malus: My response to your PM is coming, but D.Net ate the last one.

OOC: Ok, thanks very much - Malus.
Role-Playing Group 30
Helkor Makolus, Warrior.
WS 4, S4, T4, D3, I3. Gear: Cloak, Longsword, Light Armour, Shield, 4GC, Bastard Sword
The shadow king
Executioner
Posts: 152
Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2009 10:00 pm
Location: Naggarond, Dancing with Morathi.

Post by The shadow king »

OOC: Pm sent. And thanks for your welcome Malus! :) I hope to have fun and it make it fun for you guys as well.

IC:

Helkor nodded as the female directed them to the showers and turned it on full blast and let out a grunt of pleasure as the hot water slammed into his battered body, easing the pain and spraying the filth off of him. One the northern front you learned to appreciate things like hot water real quick.

He took his time letting the other Druchii get impatient and regretfully turned it off before donning the plain dark clothing they'd provided for him.

He smiled like a child as he pulled on the old but comfortable boots and realized they fit him properly, that was something else you learned to appreciate quickly on the northern front.

He paused at the table in the center of the room and greedily wolfed down the hot food, making sure to leave half of it for Selkoreth and gulped several pitchers of water and a glass of wine before going back into the bathroom to clean his teeth. By this time he was sure the other Druchii were fidgeting and more than a little annoyed, which suited him just fine.

At last he flopped down on the couch near the Druchii Selkoreth had frightened back in the street and put a companionable arm around the Druchii's shoulders.

"Well met." He smiled but his eyes were as cold and dead as a the sharks that swam the coasts of Naggaroth.

He nodded to Malthang and smirked. "My thanks and shouldn't we be moving out? By now they'll have noticed my companion and I are gone."
Role-Playing Group 30
Helkor Makolus, Warrior.
WS 4, S4, T4, D3, I3. Gear: Cloak, Longsword, Light Armour, Shield, 4GC, Bastard Sword
Varaken
Executioner
Posts: 156
Joined: Wed Dec 23, 2009 10:48 pm

Post by Varaken »

"Agreed, we need to move but not in the manner you intend I think. There are still preparations left to be made, contingencies, research, planning. They may have noticed you have gone but I doubt the first place they would think to look would be a..." Malthang passed a critical eye over his surroundings. "Reasonably civilised guest house in the company of a noble and his most loyal retainers. The shade grinned mockingly at this last, making sure his eyes came to rest on T'Keela as he did so. It would not do to strike out blindly as a wounded Manticore, tearing up all hell in the process. I for one could do with visiting a market, there are some ingredients I would like to acquire for healing balms and the like in case something were to go wrong. Sirruleathe could accompany me, between us I'm sure we would be able to find all that we need? The shade looked up to where he thought the Khainite was standing and then took nearly a full second to actually locate the elf. How the hell does he do that? the shade thought irritably.

It will be dawn soon, if I may suggest a couple of hours of rest and then head out to conclude the preparations before the final push? After their ordeal I can imagine our new friends here could do with some bed rest and more wine? Besides, my master-" Malthang made a quick glance around to ensure there were no prying ears that might make something of this conversation. "should be heading out to inspect the troops available in the city. If we could find some way of concealing your appearances two large soldiers either side of him would not look out of place. You could be seen to offer criticism on the men, advising as to which to take with a much more practised ease than either myself or Lenya could. Perhaps we could find some visored helms or masks and some gloves to cover the wounds in your hands?
Only by the blade can weakness be purged.
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Malus99
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Location: A torture dungeon in Suffolk

Post by Malus99 »

Conversation in the room fled like rats before an angry cat as all eyes turned to the door creaking open. Framed in the doorway by what little light crept in from the stairs was the shadow of a figure, its breath wheezed out in rattling gasps, and a single hand, white as death, reached out from its cloak and clutched at the air as if trying to hold onto something slipping from its grasp. Then the figure pitched forwards, crumpling to the ground like a puppet whose strings had suddenly been cut. As the apparition hit the floor, the voluminous hood it had been wearing to hide its features slipped to the side, revealing a face each in the room knew all too well.
It was Malthang.
A second figure stood behind the shade’s body, the sword in it’s hand gleamed in the light of the witch lamps, and the soft patter of blood dripping from the weapon’s edge onto the stone steps below could just be heard over the shade’s ragged breaths. Everyone in the room was frozen with horror, as they watched the figure slowly bring the sword to his lips, an abnormally long tongue flickered out from between razor-sharp fangs to taste the essence of life that coated the blade, and the figure gave a predatory smile.
Then, it spoke:

- 8 hours earlier -

“Enjoy your sightseeing T’Keela!” cried Malthang with a falsely sincere smile as the Fake-Noble was walking out the door. “I’ll make sure to bring you back something nice from the market, like a poisonous snake or some firecrackers to hide in your bedding.”
“Enjoy yourself while you can, shade” spat T’Keela as he glared back over his shoulder at the hunter, “one day you’ll get on the wrong side of the wrong ‘city dweller’ as you so affectionately refer to us and I’ll be the one laughing.”
“Well, I’d better enjoy myself as much as I can then until that day arrives, won’t I?”
“Come on Lenya, We’re going,” snarled T’keela as he turned his back on the Malthang’s mocking grin.
“Why do I need to accompany you to a bunch of interviews, it’s not like I can contribute anything valuable to that sort of discussion,” complained the female shade, who was leaning against the wall on the far side of the room. “I’d rather be out shooting things, or shopping for torture instruments or crossbow accessories at the market.”
“I have to be accompanied by at least one retainer,” replied the former noble, “It’s too risky to use Selkoreth or Helkor in case they are recognised and Sirulleathe said something about setting things up for the hunt.”
“Why not take Malthang?”
“Because I trust you more than him.”
“That’s not saying much.”
“True, I’d also rather not spend an entire day babysitting that imbecile, everything else about this little trip is tedious enough already. That leaves you, now let’s get going.”
Lenya reluctantly crossed the room and followed T’Keela out the door, giving Malthang a dark look as she passed.

“I don’t know what they’re complaining about,” said Helkor as he emerged from the kitchen holding a pitcher of wine, “After two days pinned to a cross I’d love to stretch me legs, as it is I’ve got to hide in here like a little mouse, goes against my grain.”
“I suppose anything beyond brutal bloody violence goes against a warrior’s grain eh?” asked Malthang, Helkor’s reply was an affirmative grunt as he took a lengthy swig of wine.
“And really, drinking this early in the morning? If you’re drunk when we need to be moving I’ll just slit you’re throat and be done with you, I’ve no patience nor time to waste with fools.”
“You’re concern is touching but you need not worry, I can hold me wine just fine.”
“Good to know, well, I suppose I should be heading out myself, must be quick if I want to find a surprise for good old T’Keela and hide it here before he gets back,” grinned Malthang as he too headed out the door.
“Ach, those two fight like a couple of old hens, I’m not sure whether they’re soul mates or truly hate each other’s guts sometimes,” chuckled Helkor as he drained the pitcher and headed back into the kitchen.

Malthang was in a good mood as he strolled along the streets of Ghrond, humming a morbid dirge under his breath, currently he was passing through a row of armourers, having just left a line of vendors selling various herbs, leaves and roots which could be combined into a number of potent health poultices, or powerful poisons, if one had the relevant know-how, which Malthang certainly did. Sadly the selection of goods on offer was rather limited as far as a shade’s tastes might go, which was not really surprising considering the market was geared towards catering for the warriors of the city that made up the majority of the market’s customers. As Malthang turned a corner, he spotted a familiar face conversing with one of the merchants, jogging over, he joined Sirulleathe just as the silver-haired khainite left the stall, stowing a roll of what looked like tools inside one of the many folds in his black-cloth garments.
“Been enjoying the sights of the city have we?” asked the shade.
“Indeed, there was one site which was of particular interest, I got a good, long look at it.”
“Is that so?” asked the shade with a devilish smile, “I’m glad you saw something to your liking.”
“Would you like me to show you?”
“Please do.”

Elsewhere in the city, T’Keela stifled a groan as he departed from another barracks, Lenya was hot on his heels and less restrained in expressing her feelings of their assignment.
“How many more pig sties do we have to dive into to maintain our appearance,” she hissed into his ear, her nails digging into his arm as she grasped it with an iron hand.
“At least half a dozen more,” sighed T’keela wearily as he started towards their next destination, “I like it no better than you but we must play the part, and as a noble in the city looking for recruits for a raiding expedition, I would look rather out of place if I didn’t actually go around looking for people to hire.”
“I should be shopping for torture instruments or the latest fashion in the ‘deadly woman here to cut your genitals off’ look, not babysitting you.”
T’Keela winced as Lenya’s grip on his arm continued to tighten.
“You’re too close,” he whispered through gritted teeth as a droplet of blood rolled down his arm, this woman has one serious set of nails T’Keela thought to himself.
“Invading your personal space am I? My Lord,” snarled Lenya, the last two words laced heavily with contempt. T’Keela discarded the thought of any mocking, leering or innuendo on her referring to him in such a way, less through any gentlemanly notions and more because he thought she would probably try and tear his arm off if he said anything of the sort. Instead he opted for logic in the hopes of still retaining all of his limbs in functional order by the conversation’s end if he did so,
“Proper Hithuan for retainers is one sword length,” the former-noble managed to stammer, spots dancing in front of his eyes as the female shade continued to dig her nails in.
“Oh, a promotion? Two sword lengths is for standard retainers, one is for lieutenants. If you seek to curry favour by flattery, I’m afraid that such things are little honour coming from you.”
T’Keela muffled a gasp as for a moment Lenya’s grip continued to tighten, until finally the pressure disappeared and the female shade retreated a few paces, the former-noble flexed his arm a few times, and tried to fold the cloth of his robe to cover the small holes where his ‘retainer’s’ nails had dug through the fabric. Several streams of blood ran down the length of his arm, fortunately nobles elbow-deep in gore was a fairly common sight in Naggaroth, so a little blood attracted no attention.
She must really have wanted to go shopping.

“I can see why you wanted to visit,” whispered Malthang as he crouched in the shadows, eyeing a woman so scantily clad that even if she had clothed herself in nothing but the souls of the dead she couldn’t have shown off much more skin, he could tell because a woman with precisely such an attire was standing right beside the current object of his observations. Sirulleathe gave the shade a swat around the head to draw his focus back to their current task.
“Pay attention, I didn’t bring you here to drool over the sorceresses and their bared behinds.”
“No, you brought me here to break into this little cell of old junk whilst you ogled their backsides,” sneered the shade.
“Idiot, I don’t care about them, I want to get into the convent itself.”
“Yes, why settle for a few stragglers when you can play with the entire sisterhood inside,” chuckled Malthang as he turned to give the Khainite a mocking smile.
“The only thing they will get from me is wrack and ruin, and the kiss of my steel,” snarled the Khainite, the grin died on Malthang’s lips as he saw the Khainite’s face. Gone was the perpetually calm, passive mask with the cheerful smile Sirulleathe always wore, replaced by an expression of deadly seriousness, and for a moment Malthang was engulfed by the feral hatred that burned so fiercely in the Khainite’s eyes, it cut through him like a laser, it felt like his soul was being burned, consumed by the fires of the Khainite’s furious anger.
But the moment passed, and Malthang released a breath he didn’t realise he had been holding, Sirulleathe’s face was still cold and serious, still absent of the disconcerting smile he always seemed to wear, but the shade no longer felt like the Khainite would burst into a fit of bloody violence and eviscerate him at any second.
“Shall we,” said Sirulleathe, gesturing down the hall.
Malthang nodded wordlessly. Damn but that elf could look bloody scary sometimes, Malthang thought, as he followed the Khainite into the darkness, his footsteps even lighter than usual.

“Everyone’s disappeared,” said Selkoreth Warpbane, looking mildly perturbed as he stumbled into the living area of the hunter’s temporary quarters, still half asleep.
“They left hours ago whilst you’ve been snoring in your cot, It beggars belief that you can sleep so much after having spent two days nailed to a cross being able to do sod all else,” replied Helkor Makolus, who was sitting in a chair in one of the shadowy corners of the room, a frown upon his face.
“You may have slept like a baby on that cursed contraption, I honestly don’t know how you do it, I was awake throughout almost the entire two days, layin my head down on a pillow and sleepin on a soft feather bead gave me the chance to catch up. What really beggars belief is how you can sleep through most of what is supposed to be a long, torturous execution. That is a truly astounding talent, and very handy for a member of a race that glorifies torture and torment as much as our own.”
“The rewards of experience, I’ve spent over half a century more of my life on the warpath than you have, after a time you learn to sleep just about anywhere and in just about any situation, those that don’t tend to get weeded out pretty quickly, you can’t swing a sword if your asleep on your feet.”
“Well that’s true enough, when do you reckon they’ll be getting back?”
“Who knows? And knowing will change little anyway, they’ll get here when they get here and as long as we’re bound to hiding in the shadows there is nought we can do about that fact.”
Selkoreth conceded the point with a nod of his head, before turning round and heading towards the kitchen. “I hope they don’t cause too much trouble,” the warrior said as he opened the door, “I’d rather not end up being crucified again if at all possible,” he added as he disappeared into the room beyond, shutting the door behind him.
A few moments passed…
“That’s the wardrobe mate,” called Helkor from his chair.
Another few moments passed… Followed by a curse and the door opening.
“Damn nobles do everything back to front,” muttered Selkoreth.

“Remind me again why I’m carrying this stuff?” asked Malthang as he struggled up another set of steps with the heavy bundle.
“Because you’re the one who wanted to come here and do this job, I only tagged along because our destinations happened to be so close together.”
Malthang decided to hold his tongue over any more clever comments about making plans to get a hold of the sorceresses’ assets or similar, he’d had quite enough death glares for one day.
“Well, at least the plan went smoothly again, we’re starting to make a habit of this, I would have expected at least a couple of guards to deal with or something,” commented the shade.
Somewhere up above them, a door creaked on rusty hinges, and voices echoed off the cold stone stairwell. Sirulleathe turned to Malthang with a frown.
“You just had to say it, didn’t you?”

T’Keela gave a sigh of relief as they exited another barracks, Lenya took a grateful breath of the cold Northern air as she emerged a step behind him.
“That’s the last for today, let’s head back and see what the others are up to,” declared T’keela.
“Thank the dark mother, I wonder if Malthang picked up anything interesting for us?”
“If he did then it will only be interesting in an ‘amusing and exquisitely painful death’ sort of way,” remarked the former noble drily.
Lenya shrugged, “Better than nothing.”
“How?”
“Would be more fun than nothing at all.”
“You worry me sometimes.”
“Really? Only sometimes? You worry me all the time, I became what I am to escape the tedium of being a noble, you seem to have settled right back in at the first chance you got.”
“Well, you got a choice. Mine was just, well… Naggaroth.”
“Is that supposed to mean something?”
“Let’s just get back to the apartment.”
“I’ll take that as a no.”

Malthang staggered down a vaguely familiar street, his breathing was erratic and shallow, his right hand was pressed against a wound bleeding freely on his left side. He emerged into a circular crossroads, the area was lined with grand buildings, and was bathed in the last week rays of the sun. Recognising his target, the shade lurched towards the guest house, at every step his vision blurred and he felt a little more of his life leak out from the hole in his midriff. Suddenly he met a solid wall, no, not a wall, an enormous door, the door into the guest house for visiting nobles. Despite it all Malthang realised that some faint trace of luck still blessed him tonight, he had likely arrived mere minutes before nightfall, any later and he would have been locked out as the guest house was closed at night to prevent the visiting nobles making any excursions in the dark hours that may cause trouble in this orderly, military city. Had he been locked out, Malthang would have bled out in the gateway, and his frozen corpse wouldn’t have been discovered until morning when dawn’s rays declared the guest house open it’s doors again to let the nobles run amock once more. Finding his dead body like that would have brought a smile to T’Keela’s face, and a desperate, spiteful desire to defy such an ignominious end drove the shade on. Pushing open the door, he limped inside, behind him he felt the presence of his pursuer, who had been dogging his steps the whole way. Malthang had never heard his pursuer make the slightest sound, but he had felt the elf’s eyes on him, watching, waiting.

Malthang growled as he saw the receptionist/guard get up from his seat behind the atrium’s desk and advance menacingly upon the wounded shade, apparently ready to slit this vagabond’s throat and throw him out into the cold once more. But the guard stopped, his eyes fixed on something over Malthang’s shoulder. The wounded bounty hunter turned, seeing his pursuer stepping quietly through the doorway into the atrium. One glance at the sword still dripping fresh blood in the figure’s hand and one at the face beneath the figure’s hood convinced the guard that this was none of his business, and he swiftly returned to his desk, not paying any further attention to the two Druchii. Malthang walked on, finding a flight of steps, he began the torturous ascent. Just a little further, a few more steps, and he would be at their quarters, safe. Just a little further. Just a few more steps. Suddenly he was at the door, almost collapsing against it, he pushed it open, and staggered into the light, the conversation in the room died like a candle exposed to a stiff wind as the collective occupants of the room, his fellow bounty hunters, studied this intruder. Malthang reached out a hand, and his vision darkened, then he was falling.

Behind the shade, the pursuer brought his sword to his lips, and tasted the blood on the blade’s edge. Grinning wickedly, the figure slowly sheathed his sword, and then drew back his hood.

“I brought Presents!” cried Sirulleathe as he stepped over Malthang’s inert body, tossing a weighty package at the two newest members of the hunter group.
“MALTHANG!” Roared Lenya as she sprang up from her chair and crossed the room in three long strides.
“You scared the crap out of me,” she yelled as she gave the shade a thunderous kick to the midriff, flipping him over onto his back. Malthang yelped with pain and weakly drew his hood across his face as if to try and hide from the frightening visage above him.
“I thought you were just going shopping?” Asked T’Keela conversationally to the Khainite as Lenya continued to abuse Malthang in the background.
“Well we couldn’t find everything we needed at an affordable price, inflation is just way out of hand these days, so we took a trip to the evidence lock-up to look for some bargains,” stated Sirulleathe cheerily as he flopped down onto one of the couches.
“They have some really nice stuff in there.”
“And how much did it cost you?” Asked T’Keela.
“Oh a couple of scratches, Malthang was good enough to pay.”
“I see.”

“Ahhh my effects, how very kind of you,” exclaimed Selkoreth as he unwrapped the parcel, revealing two sets of worn but well-kept armour and an array of weapons, along with a small pile of coins, a silver-steel torc and numerous other odds and ends.
“What’s all the fuss about?” asked Helkor as he stuck his head around the corner, “Oh, you’re feeding the harpy again are you?” he commented as he observed the two shades going at it, or to be more precise, the female shade going at it like there was no tomorrow and the male one huddling in a protective ball like there probably wouldn’t be a tomorrow if he didn’t.
“Worthless… Good-For-Nothing… Piece… Of… Trash…” Growled Lenya, emphasising each word with another vicious kick, Malthang gave a whimper of pain and attempted to scramble away from his tormentor on all fours.
“WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU’RE GOING?” screeched Lenya as she grabbed a fistful of Malthang’s hair and hauled him to his feet.
“ahh, aha, ow, ow, ow, Lenya you’re going to pull my hair out, let go, ahh, I’m sorry,” yelped Malthang as he pawed ineffectually at the female shade’s iron grip.
“Sorry? You will be when I’m through with you,” she snarled as she let go of his hair, the look of relief on Malthang’s face was almost comical, for a moment, before Lenya’s fist crashed into his cheekbone, lifting him off his feet and sending him hurtling into the furniture on the opposite side of the room.
“Now, Now Lenya, don’t be too harsh on him, he’s just been shot,” chided Sirulleathe as Lenya stalked across the room for round two. She cast a withering glare at the Khainite who met it unflinchingly, still smiling, before reluctantly dropping into a chair with a ‘humph’ of discontent.
“Shot twice actually,” groaned Malthang as he slithered onto one of the other sofas, keeping a wary eye on Lenya as he spoke, “Fortunately they didn’t hit anything important.”
“Any part of you they’d hit wouldn’t be important,” chuckled T’Keela maliciously, Malthang threw the mock-noble a half-hearted glare, before closing his eyes, apparently having passed out.
“Oh dear. Sirulleathe, I suppose you should probably tend to him before he really does die, he still has his uses,” sighed T’Keela with regret.
“Would serve him right,” spat Lenya venomously.
“My, My, someone is in a foul mood, is it just because you missed the shopping trip?”

“I hate to interrupt this mutually-abusive party you all seem to be enjoying so much,” said Selkoreth, “but I think it’s about time we discussed where to go from here, we’re all now fully equipped and after two criminals going missing and a break-in at the evidence lock-up the guards will be searching for us, so there is little time to waste.”
“I quite agree, but first, we’re not fully equipped, I picked up a few odds and ends on my travels for the rest of the group too,” said Sirulleathe as he knelt beside the sofa Malthang was slumped on, busily cleaning the wound and preparing to dress it.
“For T’Keela I found a flare grenade.” The Khainite tossed across a small, round, dimpled pellet with what appeared to be a steel pin stuck through the middle to the warrior, who nimbly caught it.
“Just remove the pin and in five seconds it explodes with a bright flash of light which will temporarily blind anyone who looks at it, makes a good distraction for when you’re in a tight spot, or so the dealer who sold it to me says.”
Then from the folds of his cloak Sirulleathe removed a small roll of cloth, the type used to store tools or similar, and tossed it across to Lenya.
“Precision flensing knives, set of six. For all your torturing needs.”
Lenya practically squealed with delight and immediately pulled one out to examine it.
“Wonderful!” she exclaimed.
“No fair,” gasped Malthang, “you bribed your way out of a beating.”
“Well then you should have thought of that.”
“Never really got the chance, did I?”
“Can I test them out on Malthang?” asked Lenya innocently.
“No,” replied the Khainite.
“Oh, that’s a shame.”
“Not yet at least,” he added, “Not until I’m done with him.”

“So what happened?” asked Selkoreth after Sirulleathe had finished patching Malthang up.
“We got caught on the way out of the lock up, two guards, I cut down one of them as I passed, the other pursued. I ducked into a side street ready to spring out and ambush him, heard the guard shoot the crossbow, cut his head off as he passed. When I came out I saw Malthang had been hit and had dropped the stuff we went to get, so I picked the bundle up and guarded his back whilst we made our way here. Got in just before nightfall and the guard on duty in the atrium here recognized me as a member of T’Keela’s retinue so let us past, then we just climbed the stairs and were home free.”
“Will Malthang be alright? Will he slow us down?”
“He should be well enough by morning, the wound was through and through but it only grazed him, hit nothing vital, he lost a bit of blood but really he’s just exhausted, we ran all the way back here so that’s understandable. I’ve stitched up and put a salve on the wound, which will release clotting agents and a powerful local anaesthetic, He may be a bit uncomfortable, but beyond that it won’t cause much of a problem.”
“What will cause a problem however is this little skirmish with the guards,” stated Helkor bluntly, “murdered guards will spark a full on investigation, and the missing items from evidence will clearly point to who did it.”
“Clearly point to who did it, but they don’t know where the perpetrators are,” replied T’Keela with a thoughtful look on his face. “They know you two must have accomplices as you couldn’t have got off the stakes by yourselves, stealing your equipment is also obvious, but beyond that they know nothing, they are no closer than they were before, there are still two criminals hiding somewhere with the aid of an unknown number of friends, except now you’re better armed, which in a city of thousands of warriors makes little difference.”
“We were hooded and cloaked in the shadows the whole time, no one can put our faces at the scene,” added Sirulleathe.
“But what of the atrium guard who saw you, surely they will put two and two together,” argued Selkoreth, looking concerned.
“Probably, but it will take a little time, we still have a little leeway,” replied T’Keela.
“Nevertheless, we should get moving as soon as we can,” said Helkor.
“Agreed.”
“Well,” began Selkoreth, “our friend Malthang told us you were looking for a certain guard captain, messed around with his superior’s mistress and somehow managed to worm his way out of it, that description fits Captain Halketh pretty well, he was a relatively green officer back then but he’s more experienced now.”
“We didn’t know of his connection to Varranaithe,” continued Helkor, “but if your information is correct then Halketh’s definitely the one we want, he can lead us straight to Varranaithe, given the proper encouragement.”
“Then I think we need to go pay a visit to our friend Captain Halketh tomorrow,” smirked T’Keela.
“Yup,” replied Selkoreth, “He has his own set of personal quarters adjacent to the 15th division’s primary barracks, it is conveniently separate from the 15th’s barracks and other buildings, private enough for him to have secret meetings with women he shouldn’t be seeing, and private enough for us to have a little talk with him.”
“Perfect.”

Right then, half my exams are finished and I thought I’d get things rolling along again, Selkoreth and Helkor you both have all of your arms and armour again, T’Keela you’ve gained one flash grenade which works as described by Sirulleathe, You need to discuss this week how you are going to get to Captain Halketh to interrogate him and when, keeping in mind that barracks will be closed up at nightfall and opened at dawn. Malthang, your wound is fairly minor and helped by Sirulleathe’s healing but it could tear and become a big problem if you overexert yourself, keep that in mind. This should also serve as a warning to you all that if you try and break into guarded areas such as secure lock-ups (or create comparably risky situations), there will be consequences, you got off lightly this time, next time you may not be so lucky, you aren’t invincible.
Deadline is as stated before Monday 27th of June, at which point I will have finished my exams (woohey!) so you can consider things to be back to normal.

The Shadow King and Dresden, I have been rather tardy in moving your characters from character creation into the groups sticky thread thanks to my exams, I will be rectifying this at the end of next week, so just to remind you that it is a good idea to keep a copy of your character on your own computer and that when I do finally get around to moving your characters from character creation, they can then be found in the groups sticky or alternatively you can message me to send you a copy if you need one.


Good hunting everyone!
Veni, Vidi, Voro!!!

All things perish, this is the law of existence, accept your suffering and your mortality, only by using this truth, can you transcend it.
The shadow king
Executioner
Posts: 152
Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2009 10:00 pm
Location: Naggarond, Dancing with Morathi.

Post by The shadow king »

OOC @ Malus: Sorry for not posting sooner. :oops: Great update by the way.

Helkor shrugged at Malthang's words, stood from the couch and went into the Larder to grab a bottle of wine.

These fake-nobles certainly knew how to live.

And so he spent the next two days, arguing with Selkoreth, baiting Malthang, sleeping, drinking and helping himself to various foodstuffs.

He was carving a barracks limerick in the expensive table when T'Keela and Lenya arrived. They exchanged glares and Helkor winked suggestively at Lenya and grinned when her glower deepened.

Bloody Shades, couldn't trust 'em.

It was then that Malthang burst in and collapsed, Helkor saw the armed figure standing over him and grabbed a chair at which point the other Shade, Sirulleathe threw back his hood and reversed the blade.

Helkor quickly sat down and clapped slowly and then began encouraging Lenya as she tried to beat Malthang.

Sirullleathe presented him with his gear and Helkor grinned and made a courtly bow and chugged another glass, this wine was weak stuff, not a proper soldier's drink.

Ah well, Helkor pulled on his gloves and quilted gambeson and over that his thick hauberk and began tying his gear in place before he took up his shield, donned his helm and pulled his cloak around him and lifted the hood.

He shrugged to settle his gear. "There's the matter of my Pension, if the documents the Guard have filed in the Tower reach the Courts I will lose it. So I need to sneak in and destroy them."

Truth be told a Druchii soldier's pension wasn't much . . . for himself, but for his family back home, it could be the difference between whether or not they survived the winter, but he didn't dare tell the others that, his family was everything and he would do whatever it took to ensure their safety.
Role-Playing Group 30
Helkor Makolus, Warrior.
WS 4, S4, T4, D3, I3. Gear: Cloak, Longsword, Light Armour, Shield, 4GC, Bastard Sword
Varaken
Executioner
Posts: 156
Joined: Wed Dec 23, 2009 10:48 pm

Post by Varaken »

As per usual when the shade attempted to do something vaguely selfless in the hopes of furthering the cause he ended up wrapped in bandages and regretting the decision. If this happened every time he tried to help someone then no wonder the Druchii were so self centred as a race! Never find such attitudes in a shade tribe, you wouldn't last a day in the wilderness if you couldn't have some degree of trust with your fellow Autarii. With some notable exceptions. Malthang thought bitterly as Cesq, Dross and the bastard who had cut him and gotten him exiled came to mind.

Alas, no point dwelling on it. The wounds were minor and would heal quickly, though perhaps a reduced level of acrobatic ability for a couple days, just in case. Feeling slightly more humble than when he left, not that he would tell T'Keela that, he lay his head back against the sofa and rested a moment. He was looking forward to the interrogation tomorrow. Partly because it required little in the way of vigorous motion but mainly because it gave Lenya a chance to use her new toys on someone other than him. The dull ache in his ribs a testament to her current frame of mind and he couldn't help but chuckle inwardly at the effect spending a day with T'Keela seemed to have on anyone in his profession. Either that, or has been remarked, she must have really wanted to go shopping! I'll pick her up a bottle of Black Lotus to play with, that should put me back in her good graces. thought the shade.

Tentatively pushing himself to his feet once he was sure that Sirruleathe was done fixing him up he made his way to the cupboards and withdrew a bottle of wine at random along with some dried foodstuffs and sat down to try and regain some semblance of strength. The alcohol began to numb the aches and pains for which he was greteful. Once finished he made his way to his room, lay down on the bed and let blissful rest take him for a few hours.
Only by the blade can weakness be purged.
Dresden
Trainee Warrior
Posts: 33
Joined: Mon Jan 03, 2011 1:38 am

Post by Dresden »

OOC: Just letting you know that I am still here and will be posting a little later tonight. I apologize for the last minute nature, won't happen again.
Name: Selkoreth Warpbane, warrior
Group 30
Stats: WS5 S5 T4 D2 I2
Equip: Longsword, Shield, Light Armor
Skills:
User avatar
T'keela
Noble
Posts: 400
Joined: Sat Apr 07, 2007 4:37 am
Location: Bris-VEGAS, Australia

Post by T'keela »

OOC: ... Last 3 Posts I've made have been eaten. Stupid harpies.

IC: T'Keela looked murderously at the prone, bloody form of Malthang, an opportunity had presented itself to get rid of them fool shade and now the question was, whether he take advantage of the delectable offer before him. It seemed however that Lenya had beaten the noble to table and began brutally laying into the shade, even after he offered no resistance. Perhaps we'll go shopping more often... if this is how you react afterwards. He sniggered at the rampaging woman.

With their next course of action decided for them T'Keela grabbed two bottles of wine and plonked down on the couch, unstoppered the first and prepared himself for the morning...
T'Keela Darkspine
Group 30
Stats: WS4 S3 T4 D4 I4
Equip: Sword, Light Armour, blackpowder pistol, 4 bullets, 2GP.
Skills:
User avatar
Malus99
Scourge
Scourge
Posts: 656
Joined: Mon Nov 01, 2010 9:05 am
Location: A torture dungeon in Suffolk

Post by Malus99 »

OC: just so you know guys, I need to know what you are planning on doing and where you are planning on going for my next mod post, are you going to see captain Halketh? When? How?
Veni, Vidi, Voro!!!

All things perish, this is the law of existence, accept your suffering and your mortality, only by using this truth, can you transcend it.
The shadow king
Executioner
Posts: 152
Joined: Mon Aug 24, 2009 10:00 pm
Location: Naggarond, Dancing with Morathi.

Post by The shadow king »

OOC: I plan sneaking into the guard tower, destroying the records that mention me and Selkoreth and then I will go along with the others to find this Captain Haleth.
Role-Playing Group 30
Helkor Makolus, Warrior.
WS 4, S4, T4, D3, I3. Gear: Cloak, Longsword, Light Armour, Shield, 4GC, Bastard Sword
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