On the agri-world of Oremor, at the very fringes of the Malfian sub-sector, acolytes of the Inquisition and their allies must confront a sinister conspiracy that threatens to shake the very foundations of the Calixis sector.
Actually Sav, I had intended to answer prior to the third round of combat, but got a little distracted by the drama below. Note, this exchange takes place slightly before the third round begins.
Savalos Thul wrote:
"Have a feeling we will be covering each others back's before the night is through. If things go well tonight. I would love to introduce to another card player. Best card sharp I have ever seen."
Blitz dips his chin in a ghost of a nod, so that Savalos knows he is still listening, but answers quietly, while looking away from the acolyte, and into the pit.
"I wish my gut felt differently about the outcome of things, but I have to say we're in agreement. As far as meeting this other player you speak of, normally I'd be more than happy to introduce myself to a master of the placards, but I might decline in this case."
Blitz looks directly at Savalos.
"If he is orchestrating the long game that is playing out here, I'd be a fool if I didn't admit that I'm more than a little frightened of the prospect."
He looks away, back into the pit.
"You should be too."
Savalos Thul wrote:
"On a personal note. Thank the mamzel for vouching for me. You have more freedom of movement than I do in this house. And I don't want to mark anyone..."
An idea just flashed, and I break into a smile as I continue my conversation.
"I plan on stirring the Churraptus nest. I would appreciate it if you would escort the mamzel to safety. I doubt I would have the honor of doing so myself."
Jeremiah Blitz shakes his head in amazement at Savalos' sudden change in tack.
"You apparently made quite the impression on her. Do not worry, our impressions of the young lady in question are mutual. We will see her safely away."
As Jeremiah Blitz begins to step away from Savalos, he winces, watching as Private Kotts is nearly bisected by a vicious slice of the Harvester's chain-scythe below, only spared by a last minute dive to one side.
"Good luck, Dawnstar."
"I've a feeling before the night is through, we're all going to need whatever reserves of it we have left."
With that, Blitz moves back into the protective circle of his armsmen, his hand reaching out for a flute of amasec as he passes the beverage cart containing some of the acolyte's heavier weaponry.
As I watch Jeremiah return to the safety of his retinue.
Jeremiah's words have me think about the Old Man. I don't fear him. He didn't build our relationship that way. Though he certainly could have. He built it through trust and respect. Both of which he has got.
I would be a fool to think for a minute that anyone of us here including the Daemon are all just playing cards for a bigger game. What scares me is who or what sits around that table.
I wait a minute longer in my spot around the pit before I decide to move. I have no desire to watch those below get butchered. I will see enough blood and meat soon enough. Time for me to circle the crowd. Complement a Lady on her choice of earrings. As a Spire Noble if they would be willing to tell me a story about the house crest they are wearing. Nod and smile as I pass complete strangers. I know I am putting them at risk, and the fact hurts. As each casual glance is marking them to Trizo and Leprade's dogs. But each person I do so too weakens them as they have to divert more resources to find out who is a real contact and who is fake. I hope to find more true allies in the crowd. If the crowd is so blood thirsty to ignore my advances and enjoy the carnage in the pit below. Then Oremor was lost long ago.
If no one stops to engage me in conversation. I will slowly work my way to where my furs and weapons are and quietly don them. Then head back to the card table. My guts tells me the most important players are still sitting there. All the while I try to keep focused. A knife in the crowd is the most dangerous.
All squares adjacent to the overturned water truck are considered difficult terrain, swampy mud caused by the spill from the rupture in the vehicle. All movement rates in these squares are halved, attempts at Running or Charging movement in these squares are considered Treacherous Terrain: Mud, requiring a successful Challenging [+0] Agility test or the character falls Prone.
The massive Plague Zombie Horde [80] in the irrigation canal pursues relentlessly. Each round following the first round, the press of undead bodies on the walls of the culvert allows a portion of the horde to climb up on to the pasturage field. This is represented by the appearance of a Plague Zombie Horde [5] appearing in a square adjacent to the end of the irrigation canal. This occurs on the Plague Zombie [80]'s Initiative count each round after the first round, and is cumulative, with two Plague Zombie Horde [5] opponents appearing on the second round, and so on throughout the encounter, with each group leaving the culvert further diminishing the larger horde until all of the zombies are free of the canal.
The smaller Plague Zombie horde [20], is cumulatively represented by the five Plague Zombie horde [20] counters on the battlemap. This in effect represents the spread-out nature of the zombies impeding the companions advance to the Tertiary Fallow Field beyond. Each can be considered a still smaller Horde of Magnitude 4, but all five must be destroyed to completely eliminate the possibility of being attacked by solitary, wandering zombies independent of the Horde (see below).
Each round, there is a cumulative 5% chance that one of the characters, randomly selected, is attacked by a solitary wandering zombie independent of the horde, this represents corpses rising from the ground, or faster zombies outgaining the smaller horde groups. For each of the five groups of Zombie Horde [20] counters that is eliminated by the characters, a 'safe zone' of adjacent squares is created around where this smaller Horde of Magnitude 4 was destroyed, any character occupying one of these square is safe from being targeted by solitary zombies generated by this random die roll until another smaller horde moves into one of these squares.
Both the overturned water truck and the disabled harvester can be climbed upon with a successful Routine [+20] Climb test. While atop either of the two vehicles, characters are safe from zombie attack until such time as the zombies can clamber up. Similarly to the irrigation canal, zombie hordes adjacent to the vehicles for one full round will begin breaking up in their attempts to reach the characters, with one zombie from the horde climbing up each round, until the entire horde has climbed on to the vehicle.
All is not as grim as it appears, whenever Vincent enters a new square, he has the option of attempting either a Challenging [+0] Awareness, Logic, Forbidden Lore (Daemonology), or Search skill test. Each skill test can only be attempted once during the course of the encounter. A successful skill test will yield an advantage to the companions with an efficacy dictated by how many degrees of success were gained on the test.
Vincent, consider the characters with you as forces at your disposal. The Guardsman have Walking Movement Rates of '4'. I will have them take actions according to your direction and command within reason, requiring Command skill tests for actions that might run counter to their normal inclinations or those that imperil their survival. Ryuk is the sole exception to this, as he considers Vincent his deliverer from the Oubliette, he will do whatever the clerk asks of him, up to, and perhaps including sacrificing his own life.
The guardsman sergeant looks from Vincent, to the seething tide of living dead behind him in the canal, to the dozens of plodding creatures separating him and his men from the speculative shelter of the Tertiary Fallow Fields with a look of grim resignation. There is no more running. If they hope to survive, they must somehow overcome the hungry, Warp-spawned undead even now turning to stagger in their direction across the corpse-filled, crater-dotted pasturage. Something has changed in the unnamed sergeant in the course of their headlong run down the culvert, and he cedes his authority to the senior clerk and his oddly matched companions out of nothing more than blind faith and a well-honed survival instinct.
Squares fully bounding an area of blood and sawdust (E2, E6, G6, and now D7 due to Pvt. Kotts' blood loss) are considered slippery; any melee attack that misses by more than two degrees will require a Routine [+20] Balance test to remain standing and avoid falling Prone while a character occupies one of these squares. Ivaanov now occupies one of these squares.
Kaltos, attack is a hit. Even though Ivaanov is reduced to 0 Wounds, he is still standing and considered engaged in melee, having suffered no critical damage as of yet, so for this round at least you still receive the full +20 bonus to WS for Ganging-Up (3-1).
Kaltos moves forward, trying to intercede between his fellow tech-priest, whom it was his sacred duty under Magos Triskaedeste's directive to protect, and the Harvester. The brutish gladiator leaves himself open to the harrying strike after pivoting to intercept Kott's blow.
The Harvester elects not to Parry this attack. Damage inflicted after reduction for TB = 5, is 3 Wounds.
A long gash is sliced open along the right arm of the Vermillion Ring's champion by the secutor's monosword, and while not severe, it is clear the accumulation of wounds is now taxing the gladiator, forcing him into a more defensive posture he is clearly not as comfortable with. His head snaps around, back and forth, trying to divine where the next swing will come from.
He aggressively feints toward Kotts and when the guardsman reflexively backs away, the Harvester suddenly spins back around, slashing down with unbridled at Kaltos.
Kaltos, tilting his shoulder downward, deflects the blow enough that the grinding teeth of the scythe gouge deeply into the floor between he and Ivaanov.
The severely injured tech-priest shies away from the blow, slapping out with his iron-shod staff to keep the gladiator at bay.
Ivaanov takes the Defense Stance Action (opponents -20 to WS to hit until next turn, gains one additional Reaction until next turn).
Kotts's face has become a gruesome mask of blood, and a flap of his ravaged cheek folds down as he lunges in to stab at the Harvester again.
Parry attempt for the Harvester, WS = 45, 1d100 ⇒ 31, success.
Sensing the coming blow from the wolf at his heels, the Harvester dodges out of the way, his backswing knocking the chainsword upward and almost out of Kott's blood-slicked hands.
Squares fully bounding an area of blood and sawdust (E2, E6, G6, and now D7 due to Pvt. Kotts' blood loss) are considered slippery; any melee attack that misses by more than two degrees will require a Routine [+20] Balance test to remain standing and avoid falling Prone while a character occupies one of these squares. Ivaanov now occupies one of these squares.
attack 37+20 for 3 on 1+10 aim= 67 1d100 ⇒ 67 damage 1d10 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6 pen 2 going out on a limb here and using a fate point to re roll the damage. 1d10 + 3 ⇒ (7) + 3 = 10 much better.
Sizing up the reaper hoping that he gets what he sows.
Unduz II, Oremor 7th Legion Penal Claustrum, Designate Ylesium, Plantation 7, Husbandry Barn Cluster 177, Edge of the Tertiary Fallow Fields.
Just making sure you want to move toward square K11 Vincent, once you hit square L12, you enter the muddy terrain around the overturned water truck, requiring a Challenging Agility test to avoid falling Prone when Running. As your movement is reduced by half upon entering this square, you will be just short of enough movement rate to end your current move adjacent to the water truck, so you will stop midway through in K11. If my calculations are wrong, let me know. Run MV = 24: N13 = 4m, M13 = 4m, M12 = 4m, L12 = 8m, K11 = 8m (you have 4m, enough to be moving into the square, but not close enough to the truck).
The guardsman with the heavy stubber looks uncertainly toward his sergeant after Vincent's suggestion, watching as the senior clerk and Launce rush headlong across the gently sloping field. After a moment, the grizzled NCO nods, and the pair hurriedly follow after Vincent and the tech-priest.
Ryuk and the masked guardsman with the lasgun linger behind for a few seconds, looking anxiously toward the surge of corrupted flesh pressing into the end-wall of the irrigation canal behind them.
As the undead in the field begin staggering their way toward the living, it is clear they will be fighting for their lives.
All of the plague zombies move one square closer to the characters.
Finally, the psyker draws his strange blade and lopes off after his liberators, leaving the final guardsman by himself. He needs no further encouragement than this, and takes off at a sprint after the others.
As discussed in OOC, I'm placing all characters in the same square as Vincent to begin the encounter (consider their positions on the map just for visibility's sake for this round). All characters follow Vincent's lead, moving toward K11. Ryuk has a lower movement rate, however, and must end his movement most of the way through L12.
Agility tests for characters entering the mud-filled squares:
Launce, Agi = 37, 1d100 ⇒ 43, failed
Guardsman with Heavy Stubber, Agi = 35, 1d100 ⇒ 32, success.
Guardsman Sergeant, Agi = 37, 1d100 ⇒ 25, success
Ryuk, Agi = 36, 1d100 ⇒ 1, success.
Guardsman with Heavy Stubber, Agi = 35, 1d100 ⇒ 4, success.
Launce, moving as quickly as Vincent has ever observed a tech-priest in his life, hits the muddy morass around the water truck at a dead run. But, whether it is the mass of his servo-harness or other mechanicum components, his footing is lost when one leg squelches into the slop all the way up to the knee. He staggers, unable to correct his balance, and falls forward with a splash of filthy water.
Launce is Prone in L12.
Rolling cumulative 5% chance that a plague zombie appears next to a character, 1d100 ⇒ 58, no zombie appears this round, chance increases to 10% next round.
I'm going to post the map for Round #2 and retcon as needed if anything changes.
All squares adjacent to the overturned water truck are considered difficult terrain, swampy mud caused by the spill from the rupture in the vehicle. All movement rates in these squares are halved, attempts at Running or Charging movement in these squares are considered Treacherous Terrain: Mud, requiring a successful Challenging [+0] Agility test or the character falls Prone.
The massive Plague Zombie Horde [80] in the irrigation canal pursues relentlessly. Each round following the first round, the press of undead bodies on the walls of the culvert allows a portion of the horde to climb up on to the pasturage field. This is represented by the appearance of a Plague Zombie Horde [5] appearing in a square adjacent to the end of the irrigation canal. This occurs on the Plague Zombie [80]'s Initiative count each round after the first round, and is cumulative, with two Plague Zombie Horde [5] opponents appearing on the second round, and so on throughout the encounter, with each group leaving the culvert further diminishing the larger horde until all of the zombies are free of the canal.
The smaller Plague Zombie horde [20], is cumulatively represented by the five Plague Zombie horde [20] counters on the battlemap. This in effect represents the spread-out nature of the zombies impeding the companions advance to the Tertiary Fallow Field beyond. Each can be considered a still smaller Horde of Magnitude 4, but all five must be destroyed to completely eliminate the possibility of being attacked by solitary, wandering zombies independent of the Horde (see below).
Each round, there is a cumulative 5% chance that one of the characters, randomly selected, is attacked by a solitary wandering zombie independent of the horde, this represents corpses rising from the ground, or faster zombies outgaining the smaller horde groups. For each of the five groups of Zombie Horde [20] counters that is eliminated by the characters, a 'safe zone' of adjacent squares is created around where this smaller Horde of Magnitude 4 was destroyed, any character occupying one of these square is safe from being targeted by solitary zombies generated by this random die roll until another smaller horde moves into one of these squares.
Both the overturned water truck and the disabled harvester can be climbed upon with a successful Routine [+20] Climb test. While atop either of the two vehicles, characters are safe from zombie attack until such time as the zombies can clamber up. Similarly to the irrigation canal, zombie hordes adjacent to the vehicles for one full round will begin breaking up in their attempts to reach the characters, with one zombie from the horde climbing up each round, until the entire horde has climbed on to the vehicle.
All is not as grim as it appears, whenever Vincent enters a new square, he has the option of attempting either a Challenging [+0] Awareness, Logic, Forbidden Lore (Daemonology), or Search skill test. Each skill test can only be attempted once during the course of the encounter. A successful skill test will yield an advantage to the companions with an efficacy dictated by how many degrees of success were gained on the test.
Initiative Order
13-Guardsman with Stubber, K11 with Vincent 12-Vincent, K11 12-Guardsman Sergeant, K11 with Vincent 12-Launce, Prone in L12 11-Plague Zombie Horde [75] and spawned Hordes 07-Plague Zombie Horde [20] 05-Ryuk, L12 with Launce 05-Guardsman Lasgunner
Heavy Stubber: 1d10+4/Impact/Pen=3/100m/*-*-8/Clip 75/Reload=2Full/Ammo 2 Clips remaining, loaded clip with 55 rounds
Chit-sickle: 1d5+3/Rending/Pen=2/Razor-Sharp
Armor: Guard Flak Armor (4 AP All Locations)
Vincent, awaiting Agility test for you for the mud. Please provide direction on the action for the Guardsman with Heavy Stubber, then take your turn. After this provide direction for the Sergeant and Launce and I will then take the zombie actions.
Kaltos hits, Fate Point deducted for damage re-roll, 2 Fate Points remaining.
Kaltos sidesteps, pirouettes in surprisingly nimble fashion for a tech-priest, and slashes low at the galdiator's right leg, aiming for the kneecap.
Parry test for the Harvester, WS = 45, 1d100 ⇒ 66, failed.
The monosword slices deeply into the vat-grown muscle above the skull-sized bone of the Harvester's knee and the giant grunts loudly in pain.
No Armor in this location, 5 Wounds inflicted after reduction for TB (5).
The champion of the Vermillion Ring channels his rage and brings the roaring chain-scythe up over his head, clasped in tightly in both hands, before bringing it down on the secutor.
The weapon screams by Kaltos' auditory receptors as he ducks to one side, watching as the teeth grind hungrily into the rainbow-hued stone of the arena floor with a sound like metal breaking bone.
Ivaanov steps away from the impact and forward, swinging with his metal staff at the gladiator.
WS = 34, +20 (Ganging-Up), +10 (Aiming) modified WS = 64, 1d100 ⇒ 8, hit. Rolling damage, 1d10 + 2 ⇒ (6) + 2 = 8, unarmored right leg again, 3 more Wounds inflicted TB (5).
He strikes ably, cracking the head of the iron staff into the middle of the Harvester's kneecap, just below the weeping wound Kaltos just inflicted. The giants staggers, trying to keep his balance as Kotts rushes in from behind.
Private Kotts attacks, WS = 35, +20 (Ganging Up, 3-1), +10 Aiming, modified WS = 65, 1d100 ⇒ 17, a hit. Rolling damage, 1d10 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6, unarmored right leg yet again, 1 more Wound inflicted TB (5).
The chainblade takes a chunk out of the meat of the Harvester's thigh, just above the back of the knee, and worse damage is only avoided when the brute slashes angrily out with his weapon, forcing Kotts to back off.
Wow, talk about working the injured limb! Kaltos is next.
Vincent's loses his footing as he runs through the thick mud and he lands in a heap a few meters from the overturned truck. He struggles to his feet and lopes the last few steps to the truck. Seeing the guardsmen coming to an uneasy stop around him he motions upward.
"Best position is on top of the truck."
He then turns to Ryuk and points to the downed Launce.
"Ryuk, look after Launce and make sure he catches up."
Vincent uses half-action to get up from prone and half-action to move. Suggested actions to guardsmen are full moves to climb on top of the water truck.
Squares fully bounding an area of blood and sawdust (E2, E6, and G6) are considered slippery; any melee attack that misses by more than two degrees will require a Routine [+20] Balance test to remain standing and avoid falling Prone while a character occupies one of these squares. Ivaanov now occupies one of these squares.
Unduz II, Oremor 7th Legion Penal Claustrum, Designate Ylesium, Plantation 7, Husbandry Barn Cluster 177, Edge of the Tertiary Fallow Fields.
Vincent, Agility test, failed, Logic test failed.
Hearing Launce fall behind him, Vincent instinctively turns his head to check on his welfare while still running full-tilt, and promptly trips, falling headlong into the soupy mire a few meters shy of the deeper muck that forms a makeshift moat around the overturned 7th Legion truck.
The sergeant and the heavy gunner slow down, both looping arms under the senior clerk's arms, dragging him forward and upright as he yells to Ryuk.
The trio carefully pick their way through the driest parts of the field, until they reach the side of the water truck.
Climb test, please, Vincent.
Climb test for Guard Sergeant, Climb = 37, 1d100 ⇒ 62, failed. Climb test for Guard Heavy Gunner, Climb = 40, 1d100 ⇒ 5, success.
The guardsman with the heavy stubber adjusts its placement on his back, and reaches forward to grasp the curving, mud and gore-spattered tanker of the truck. Finding a grip on a ribbed weld in the body of the vehicle, he pulls himself up, hand over hand. The Oremor 7th sergeant leaps for the same weld after his subordinate reaches the top, but doesn't make it, falling back on to his haunches in the mud.
The plague zombies continue to advance from all sides, their bellowing moans and the dry, rasping sounds as they shuffle through the coarse stubs of the cut fungoid stalks lending urgency to everything the companions do.
The plague zombies all advance again.
It takes Ryuk almost a minute, but he manages to help extract the tech-priest from where he was sunk knee-deep into the mire, and the pair manage to catch up to Vincent and the others, the final guardsman coming in behind them.
Rolling cumulative 5% chance that a plague zombie appears next to a character, 10% this round, 1d100 ⇒ 68, no zombie appears this round, chance increases to 15% next round.
As Savalos reaches the beverage cooler-cart, he finds his pristine, ivory-white furs laid out atop a neighboring delicacy table of highly polished Unduz shellwood, next to a bowl of candied ploins. Aebena's handiwork has cleaned them such that they are no longer sullied by the blood and filth that once adorned them.
Wardja, trying not to betray his emotions, looks on the action in the pit below as his allies begin to turn the tables on the hulking gladiator. He hears a now familiar chime in his ear as the microbead engages.
<'Your savant's done it, Swinthosa, another thirty seconds and we should be able to cycle one of the doors leading to the arena's armory and a service corridor leading into the casino's upper mechanical conduits, from there they should be able to access the Pearl through an inertial damper vault just beneath us!'>
Above, Tikeen and Uriah watch their Savalos and her master confer, the rogue trader risking a quick glance to the mezzanine level where they stand, watching with the enraptured crowd around them.
"It seems my master and your ally have come to an understanding, Mulsipher Mol. I am to aid you and yours in whatever is to come."
"For now keep alert, there are more factions involved then you think. If what is to come is as bad as I believe it will be, your help will be appreciated."
Unlike me it looks like Emperor's luck is smiling on the acolytes in the pit. Better that they have it. Just a matter of time, however, before Dohor starts his harvest.
Ahmazzi wrote:
The Gran Pallazzar Casino, The Pinnacle of Pearl
<'Your savant's done it, Swinthosa, another thirty seconds and we should be able to cycle one of the doors leading to the arena's armory and a service corridor leading into the casino's upper mechanical conduits, from there they should be able to access the Pearl through an inertial damper vault just beneath us!'>
.
Good ol' Gereos. That wily old cog-head. Between swigs of my drink and tokes of my lho:
<<Acknowledged. Move into position but wait for my signal.>>
I see the tech-priest again spear the pit-fighter in the leg. Go, you lucky b@stards! They just might pull this off.
Climb = 27 / 2 = 13 or Strength = 27 Roll : 1d100=85
Vincent's hands slip on the wet surface of the truck.
Depending on how tall the truck is it may be more appropriate to use the rules for jumping rather than climbing. Jumping is an Agility test which allows you to jump 3 x SB + 10 x SB x DoS cm. This would let the characters jump and catch the ledge in order to pull themselves up. Otherwise, next turn I would probably have the characters help boost each other up in order to avoid the difficult test.
I smile as I put on my furs. Feeling the warmth and care that went into each stitch. How long it must have taken to get furs white. Rinse and after rinse; Aebena must have rubbed her hands raw to get them so clean.
I also feel the weight of the weapons and equipment stashed within them.
I slowly start making my way back toward the playing table. Stopping occasionally having idle chat. Or speaking with whoever dain's to make my acquaintance. Each time forcing Trizo and Leprades men to make a judgement call if I am talking with a real threat, or not.
No matter what happens I want to make sure I get back to the table well before those two, and make it a point that I brush my hand across Leprade's chair before taking my seat.
All squares adjacent to the overturned water truck are considered difficult terrain, swampy mud caused by the spill from the rupture in the vehicle. All movement rates in these squares are halved, attempts at Running or Charging movement in these squares are considered Treacherous Terrain: Mud, requiring a successful Challenging [+0] Agility test or the character falls Prone.
The massive Plague Zombie Horde [80] in the irrigation canal pursues relentlessly. Each round following the first round, the press of undead bodies on the walls of the culvert allows a portion of the horde to climb up on to the pasturage field. This is represented by the appearance of a Plague Zombie Horde [5] appearing in a square adjacent to the end of the irrigation canal. This occurs on the Plague Zombie [80]'s Initiative count each round after the first round, and is cumulative, with two Plague Zombie Horde [5] opponents appearing on the second round, and so on throughout the encounter, with each group leaving the culvert further diminishing the larger horde until all of the zombies are free of the canal.
The smaller Plague Zombie horde [20], is cumulatively represented by the five Plague Zombie horde [20] counters on the battlemap. This in effect represents the spread-out nature of the zombies impeding the companions advance to the Tertiary Fallow Field beyond. Each can be considered a still smaller Horde of Magnitude 4, but all five must be destroyed to completely eliminate the possibility of being attacked by solitary, wandering zombies independent of the Horde (see below).
Each round, there is a cumulative 5% chance that one of the characters, randomly selected, is attacked by a solitary wandering zombie independent of the horde, this represents corpses rising from the ground, or faster zombies outgaining the smaller horde groups. For each of the five groups of Zombie Horde [20] counters that is eliminated by the characters, a 'safe zone' of adjacent squares is created around where this smaller Horde of Magnitude 4 was destroyed, any character occupying one of these square is safe from being targeted by solitary zombies generated by this random die roll until another smaller horde moves into one of these squares.
Both the overturned water truck and the disabled harvester can be climbed upon with a successful Routine [+20] Climb test. While atop either of the two vehicles, characters are safe from zombie attack until such time as the zombies can clamber up. Similarly to the irrigation canal, zombie hordes adjacent to the vehicles for one full round will begin breaking up in their attempts to reach the characters, with one zombie from the horde climbing up each round, until the entire horde has climbed on to the vehicle.
All is not as grim as it appears, whenever Vincent enters a new square, he has the option of attempting either a Challenging [+0] Awareness, Logic, Forbidden Lore (Daemonology), or Search skill test. Each skill test can only be attempted once during the course of the encounter. A successful skill test will yield an advantage to the companions with an efficacy dictated by how many degrees of success were gained on the test.
Initiative Order
13-Guardsman with Stubber, J10, Atop Water Truck 12-Vincent, K11 12-Guardsman Sergeant, K11 with Vincent 12-Launce, K10 with Ryuk and Guardsman Lasgunner 11-Plague Zombie Horde [75] and spawned Hordes 07-Plague Zombie Horde [20] 05-Ryuk, K10 with Launce and Guardsman Lasgunner 05-Guardsman Lasgunner, K10 with Launce and Ryuk
Heavy Stubber: 1d10+4/Impact/Pen=3/100m/*-*-8/Clip 75/Reload=2Full/Ammo 2 Clips remaining, loaded clip with 55 rounds
Chit-sickle: 1d5+3/Rending/Pen=2/Razor-Sharp
Armor: Guard Flak Armor (4 AP All Locations)
Vincent, I'd rule that either a Climb skill test or a Standing Vertical Jump would be most appropriate for this type of activity. It is essentially clambering up the wet, muddy curve of the overturned truck's tanker portion or scaling the undercarriage of the vehicle to get to a handhold to pull oneself up. Since the Guardsman Heavy Gunner is already on top, he can mitigate the need for a Strength test for one character that is jumping pulling himself up, by assisting as his action (this is essentially a free up for anyone below). None of the guardsman have cord or rope. Each character at the base of the truck can also assist another character in getting up, obviating the need for a skill or characteristic test.
Just let me know who you want the Guardsman with the Heavy Stubber to assist up this round. Without direction, Ryuk will be assisting Launce up first, and the Guardsman Sergeant will assist up the Guardsman Lasgunner, that leaves either yourself or the Sergeant remaining below with Ryuk at the end of this round if assistance is utilized all the way around. This will be a full round action for all involved. Characters who climb up on their own will only expend a Half Action (less coordination needed).
If anything, the onlookers above in the Pinnacle or Pearl are even more excited and enthralled by the spectacle below now that it has turned from the slaughter that was anticipated to a bout that either side could win. Those urging on the trio of underdogs are loudest, shouting and exhorting them in hopes of a substantial return on their wagers.
Kaltos can sense the tide turning, and slashes again at the gladiator's bloody leg.
Kaltos hits, the Harvester attempts to Parry, WS = 45, 1d100 ⇒ 67, failed. After mitigation for TB (5), 5 more Wounds are inflicted, reducing Wounds to 0, and causing 1 Rending Critical Damage to the Harvester, resulting in 1 level of Fatigue.
The cut is a deep one, just below the knee and into the meat of the calf, and the hulking champion of the Vermillion Ring staggers, trying to keep his balance.
With a throaty roar of frustrated rage, he loses his composure entirely and whips the chain-scythe around with all his might.
The Harvester enters a Frenzy, WS, Strength, Toughness, Willpower all +10, -20 to BS, Intelligence, and Fellowship.
The secutor efficiently sidesteps the vicious blow, wordlessly praising the Omnissiah now that his internal cogitation engine's probability indexes are returning results in their favor.
Ivaanov slaps with his staff again at his opponent's back as the Harvester turns toward Kaltos to attack.
The blow hits the brute in the arm, but is shrugged off by the enraged gladiator.
Private Kotts, still bleeding profusely from the face, but sensing that the advantage may now be theirs, rushes forward and slashes at the Harvester with his chainsword.
His vision blurred, he misses the Harvester's exposed arm and his weapon instead grinds loudly across the metal cuirass, drawing sparks but not inflicting any harm.
Squares fully bounding an area of blood and sawdust (E2, E6, and G6) are considered slippery; any melee attack that misses by more than two degrees will require a Routine [+20] Balance test to remain standing and avoid falling Prone while a character occupies one of these squares. Ivaanov now occupies one of these squares.
I smile as I put on my furs. Feeling the warmth and care that went into each stitch. How long it must have taken to get furs white. Rinse and after rinse; Aebena must have rubbed her hands raw to get them so clean.
I also feel the weight of the weapons and equipment stashed within them.
I slowly start making my way back toward the playing table. Stopping occasionally having idle chat. Or speaking with whoever dain's to make my acquaintance. Each time forcing Trizo and Leprades men to make a judgement call if I am talking with a real threat, or not.
No matter what happens I want to make sure I get back to the table well before those two, and make it a point that I brush my hand across Leprade's chair before taking my seat.
I look at Tikeen, "That move will make things interesting. Do you think that will cause a reaction?"
attack 37+20 for 3 on 1+10 aim= 67 1d100 ⇒ 58 damage 1d10 + 3 ⇒ (3) + 3 = 6 pen 2 again using a fate point to reroll the damage 1d10 + 3 ⇒ (2) + 3 = 5 ah well soaked any way
My grin quickly fades away with the brutality of the attack.
Fate Point used, Kaltos, re-rolled damage is soaked by the Harvester's TB (now 6 with Frenzy).
Kaltos swings the monosword at the leg of the Harvester yet again, but the brute pivots, and only the flat of the blade connects, leaving an inconsequential welt.
The enraged gladiator continues to press his advance on Kaltos, but the secutor senses there is something that is not genuine about his move to attack, which becomes clear when he feints a sidelong strike and then quickly pivots into a overhead blow that utilizes all of his prodigious strength.
At Ivaanov.
Opposed WS for Feint, Harvester WS = 45, 1d100 ⇒ 80, , Ivaanov WS = 34, 1d100 ⇒ 41, Feint test failed, Ivaanov is allowed a Reaction.
Despite his grievous injury, the tech-priest is ready for the sudden attack, and steps aside at the last moment as the chain-scythe slams harmlessly again into the nacreous stone of the arena floor.
Cognizant of the fact that his attacks with the iron staff are largely ineffectual, Ivaanov takes a guarded stance, and swings again at the gladiator, keeping the pressure on while also protecting himself in the process.
Ivaanov assumes a Guarded Stance (-10% to WS, +10% to Reactions) until his next turn.
WS = 34, +20 (Ganging-Up, 3-1), -10 (Guarded-Stance), modified WS = 44, 1d100 ⇒ 39, a hit. Rolling damage, 1d10 + 2 ⇒ (4) + 2 = 6, soaked by the Harvester's Frenzied TB (6).
The blow hits again, but if it is felt, the Harvester shows no sign of it.
Private Kotts, still circling around the rear of the gladiator, trying to remain in his blind spot, lunges in again with the chainsword.
The guardsman, still picking on the same leg as his companions, undercuts the attempt at a block, leaving himself perilously close to the chain-scythe's backswing in the process, but the teeth of the chainsword dig in deeply to the Harvester's kneecap cracking and splitting through the bone. Blood begins to pour profusely from the wound, which looks horribly like an uncased sausage, vat-grown muscle bursting free.
Damage, 1d10 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7, or 1d10 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6, selecting first result for Tearing, TB (6) mitigates all but one damage, Rending Critical Effect, cumulative damage on table is now at '2', this result requires the Harvester to make an Agility test, or fall prone. Agility = 37, 1d100 ⇒ 99, failed, the Harvester falls Prone in his square, and is now suffering from Blood Loss. His square is now considered, 'blood-covered' for purposes of the rules in the encounter description as well.
Squares fully bounding an area of blood and sawdust (D6, E2, E6, and G6) are considered slippery; any melee attack that misses by more than two degrees will require a Routine [+20] Balance test to remain standing and avoid falling Prone while a character occupies one of these squares. Ivaanov now occupies one of these squares.
11-Kaltos 10-Dohor the Harvester: Critically Wounded, Blood Loss, Blue Circle = Prone. 10-Ivaanov: Heavily Wounded. 06-Private Kotts: Heavily Wounded.
Kaltos is up.
The crowd roars up above at the amazing reversal as prohibitive favorite crumples to one knee, surrounded by adversaries that look like nothing more than desperate duct-wolves circling for the kill. Looks of disbelieving consternation and resigned anger dominate the majority of the wealthier high-rollers, who never would have expected such an outcome. This contrasts wildly with the pure adulation and glee the far fewer bettors on the underdogs evince. The scene around the ring above is pure chaos, as everyone waits with bated breath for the final outcome.
Below, the imposing gladiator grunts in pain, spitting clotted blood from his mouth, as Kaltos circles him. Kotts, his face a gruesome mask of dripping blood stalks around from behind signaling for the staggered Ivaanov to hold his position, fearful that the wounded quarry is simply baiting them to come closer.
Unduz II, Oremor 7th Legion Penal Claustrum, Designate Ylesium, Plantation 7, Husbandry Barn Cluster 177, Edge of the Tertiary Fallow Fields.
The tall guardsman on the toppled tanker looks to his sergeant first, but the man shakes his head quickly in negation, already holding out both of his hands clasped tightly together, inviting his masked fellow's muddy boot.
Vincent doesn't hesitate. Grasping the outstretched hand of the guardsman on the truck, the burly 7th Legionaire yanks the senior clerk up with ease. Simultaneously, the masked trooper balances his arms on the NCO's shoulders before leaping up and managing to clasp the raised lip on the tanker's side, his feet kicking and slipping on the muddy curve of metal until he finally gains purchases and heaves himself above.
This action is mirrored closer to the undercarriage of the rusting cab, where Ryuk sheathes his blade before heaving and straining to lift the far heavier tech priest to a point where he can clamp his utility mechadendrite on the base of the crumpled driver's door.
Launce, now climbing with five limbs, easily scampers above, his substantially Mechanicum augmented weight further buckling the battered green door. Once atop the truck, he immediately falls prone, extending the cybernetic tentacle down to Ryuk to his ascent, even as the ravenous groans of the plague zombies grow closer.
OK, Vincent, you, Launce, the heavy stubber guardsman, and the lasgunner guardsman have all reached the top of the truck. Ryuk and the sergeant are still below.
Rolling cumulative 5% chance that a plague zombie appears next to a character, 15% this round, 1d100 ⇒ 30, no zombie appears this round, chance increases to 20% next round.
All squares adjacent to the overturned water truck are considered difficult terrain, swampy mud caused by the spill from the rupture in the vehicle. All movement rates in these squares are halved, attempts at Running or Charging movement in these squares are considered Treacherous Terrain: Mud, requiring a successful Challenging [+0] Agility test or the character falls Prone.
The massive Plague Zombie Horde [80] in the irrigation canal pursues relentlessly. Each round following the first round, the press of undead bodies on the walls of the culvert allows a portion of the horde to climb up on to the pasturage field. This is represented by the appearance of a Plague Zombie Horde [5] appearing in a square adjacent to the end of the irrigation canal. This occurs on the Plague Zombie [80]'s Initiative count each round after the first round, and is cumulative, with two Plague Zombie Horde [5] opponents appearing on the second round, and so on throughout the encounter, with each group leaving the culvert further diminishing the larger horde until all of the zombies are free of the canal.
The smaller Plague Zombie horde [20], is cumulatively represented by the five Plague Zombie horde [20] counters on the battlemap. This in effect represents the spread-out nature of the zombies impeding the companions advance to the Tertiary Fallow Field beyond. Each can be considered a still smaller Horde of Magnitude 4, but all five must be destroyed to completely eliminate the possibility of being attacked by solitary, wandering zombies independent of the Horde (see below).
Each round, there is a cumulative 5% chance that one of the characters, randomly selected, is attacked by a solitary wandering zombie independent of the horde, this represents corpses rising from the ground, or faster zombies outgaining the smaller horde groups. For each of the five groups of Zombie Horde [20] counters that is eliminated by the characters, a 'safe zone' of adjacent squares is created around where this smaller Horde of Magnitude 4 was destroyed, any character occupying one of these square is safe from being targeted by solitary zombies generated by this random die roll until another smaller horde moves into one of these squares.
Both the overturned water truck and the disabled harvester can be climbed upon with a successful Routine [+20] Climb test. While atop either of the two vehicles, characters are safe from zombie attack until such time as the zombies can clamber up. Similarly to the irrigation canal, zombie hordes adjacent to the vehicles for one full round will begin breaking up in their attempts to reach the characters, with one zombie from the horde climbing up each round, until the entire horde has climbed on to the vehicle.
All is not as grim as it appears, whenever Vincent enters a new square, he has the option of attempting either a Challenging [+0] Awareness, Logic (expended), Forbidden Lore (Daemonology), or Search skill test. Each skill test can only be attempted once during the course of the encounter. A successful skill test will yield an advantage to the companions with an efficacy dictated by how many degrees of success were gained on the test.
Initiative Order
13-Guardsman with Stubber, J11 with Vincent 12-Vincent, J11 12-Guardsman Sergeant, K11 12-Launce, Prone in J10 11-Plague Zombie Horde [65] and spawned Hordes 07-Plague Zombie Horde [20] 05-Ryuk, L12 05-Guardsman Lasgunner J11 with Vincent and the Guardsman with the Stubber
Guard with Heavy Stubber:WS=35, BS = 35, Dodge = 35
Weapons:
Heavy Stubber: 1d10+4/Impact/Pen=3/100m/*-*-8/Clip 75/Reload=2Full/Ammo 2 Clips remaining, loaded clip with 55 rounds
Chit-sickle: 1d5+3/Rending/Pen=2/Razor-Sharp
Armor: Guard Flak Armor (4 AP All Locations)
Vincent, I have already reflected the zombies movement on the Battlemap, and following what you said above, the Lasgunner guardsman will lift the sergeant up, and Launce will lift Ryuk up. As the Zombies do not have a full 4 meter movement rate, those adjacent to the truck are still just shy of reaching it until next round, so Ryuk and the sergeant are lifted up in the nick of time this round.
This leaves you and the Heavy Stubber Guardsman eligible to act this round.
Rolling cumulative 5% chance that a plague zombie appears next to a character, 20% this round, 1d100 ⇒ 23, no zombie appears this round, chance increases to 25% next round.
Unduz II, Oremor 7th Legion Penal Claustrum, Designate Ylesium, Plantation 7, Husbandry Barn Cluster 177, Edge of the Tertiary Fallow Fields.
Vincent reaches into his web gear and pulls out a fragmentation grenade. Pulling the safety pin, he throws it at the gaggle of undead approaching the trucks eastern side.
"Fire in the hole."
Ready action to draw/arm grenade then standard attack to throw it. Guardsmen are free to choose their own targets. Not entirely sure on some of the modifiers, so feel free to modify results as necessary. Range for Vincent throwing grenades is 6m (Short Range = Point Blank Range).
The Harvester is allowed a Parry attempt, even while Prone, but it is slim a chance, WS = 45, -20 (Prone), -10 (Fatigued), modified WS = 15, 1d100 ⇒ 52, failed.
Damage inflicted is 10 to the chest, Pen 2, reduced by AP (3 of 5 after Penetration), and TB (6 modified for Frenzy) yields one additional Critical Damage, combining with the previous two inflicted, results in Blood Loss and the Harvester being Stunned for 1 round.
Rolling for Blood Loss death, incrementing 10% to 20% for second Blood Loss result, 1d100 ⇒ 52, the Harvester survives.
Kaltos drives all of his considerable Mechanicum-augmented weight into a stabbing blow with his monosword, plunging the blade through the bloodied cuirass with loud crack, and deep into the fallen gladiator's flesh, before yanking it free with a sucking sound.
More blood spatters across the rainbow-flecked floor of the pit, washing down the Harvester's side as he wheezes loudly, spraying blood-flecked spittle across the grillwork of his helm. Seeing that he appears unable to rise, Ivaanov and Kotts both step forward and swing for the kill in tandem.
Ivaanov attacks, WS = 34, +20 (Ganging-Up, 3-1), +10 (Prone Target), +10 (Aiming), modified WS = 74, 1d100 ⇒ 59, a hit. Rolling damage, 1d10 + 2 ⇒ (2) + 2 = 4, soaked by the Harvester's Frenzied TB (6).
Damage to chest, 1d10 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8, or 1d10 + 5 ⇒ (9) + 5 = 14, selecting second result for Tearing, 14 damage inflicted, three reduced for AP (3 of 5 after Penetration), and TB (6), yields five more Critical Damage to chest, stacking with four Critical Damage already inflicted, for a result of 9, and death.
The tech-priest slams his staff down on the Harvester's thick thigh as he attempts to rise, and Private Kotts comes in from behind, screaming aloud as he swings the roaring chainsword down with all his might on the Harvester exposed back. The teeth of the weapon bite in hungrily near the waist, and the wounded guardsman, almost berserk with pain and adrenaline pushes down will all his might even as the gladiator struggles to shake free. Once past the plated armor of the cuirass, the chainsword does its work brutally, ripping into the Harvester and spilling forth a bounty of his innards in a sickening tangle. Cut from nearly gullet to groin, he heaves over on his chest and dies as the victors begin to numbly back away from the spreading pool of blood.
All is silent for a long moment, until the gathered throng above erupts in polite applause that seems jarringly inappropriate given the circumstances. Kotts, staring blankly ahead at the mutely listening tech-priests, raises his head, tears and blood slicking his face, and shouts to the patrons of the Pinnacle of Pearl above him, spilling his overwrought emotions as fully as the Harvester spilled forth his guts.
"Feck you all, you fecking bastards!!!
Kaltos glances up as the red rune above one of the doors begins to blink rapidly. It is not one of the two that the Harvester or the companions emerged through. As he watches, his photo-receptors watch it abruptly cycle from red to a solid green bar, before opening with a hiss of tired hydraulics to reveal a darkened, corridor of metal grillwork beyond.
Unduz II, Oremor 7th Legion Penal Claustrum, Designate Ylesium, Plantation 7, Husbandry Barn Cluster 177, Edge of the Tertiary Fallow Fields.
Vincent Sepheris wrote:
Vincent reaches into his web gear and pulls out a fragmentation grenade. Pulling the safety pin, he throws it at the gaggle of undead approaching the trucks eastern side.
"Fire in the hole."
Vincent, modifiers are accurate, +30 (Point Blank), +20 (Horde Size, general zombie slowness), result of initial roll and re-roll a miss.
Vincent sends the grenade over in a perfect parabolic arc, aiming into the midst of the handful of plague zombies nearly at the rear of the overturned truck, but luck is not with him. The frag grenade actually hits one of the undead directly off the top of its canted flak helmet and bounces beyond the shambling group exploding with an airburst of showering shrapnel that pelts the field behind them.
I was probably not completely clear above, either, you have only one opportunity to make each of the proposed skill tests upon entering a new square, so with Logic expended, that leaves you with the option of trying either Awareness, Forbidden Lore (Daemonology), or Search for the remainder of the encounter. I will assume you didn't make the roll in the post above, so that leaves you with three more attempts, each once with the skills listed above. Feel free to use another roll for one of the others this round if you wish.
The guardsman with the heavy stubber props his weapon in the crook of two flanges coming off the rear of the water truck, and begins to fire on the same undead abominations that Vincent's grenade just missed. The weapon's roar is deafening in such close proximity.
BS = 35, +30 (Point Blank), +20 (Horde Size), modified BS = 85, 1d100 ⇒ 21, a hit with six degrees of success, rolling damage, 1d10 + 4 ⇒ (3) + 4 = 7, replacing damage with degrees of success (6), for a total of 10, this bypasses the Fydae Zombies TB (6), yielding six hits, enough to wipe out the sub-horde of (5). 47 rounds remaining in the stubber's clip.
Vincent cannot argue the weapon or its gunner are not effective, the fusillade of hard rounds rip into the sloughing flesh of the staggering monsters with a vengeance, tearing apart those in the lead, and blasting the limbs off of those just behind them. He is satisfied to see its fire even penetrates the filthy armor of the undead guardsman, and one round actually blows the helmet and head off of the plague zombie that caused Vincent's grenade to ricochet.
OK, with Vincent and the heavy stubber guardsman's actions complete, this ends Round #4. I will post Round #5 tonight.
With a calm collected voice I say "We have not time for that." Pointing to the now open door "This is our egress from this bloody pit."
I bend down and pick up the chain scythe and pull the helm and breastplate from the corpse. "We best be going." I then hand the helm to the Private. " Well done."
Turning to Ivaanov, " Do you need assistance moving?"
Coming out of some kind of violent fugue state, Private Kotts grimaces in pain, wavering on his feet. His hand, already wet with blood, goes to his face and the grievous wound that even now gushes across the front of his armor.
As Kaltos systematically disarms the fallen Harvester, Kotts stares blankly at the secutor. When he tries to hand the guardsman the dead gladiator's helm he shakes his head, waving with one hand dismissively, but acknowledging the spoken praise with the barest of nods. When he sees the open door, it is as if he has for the first time conceived of the idea that he might escape from this ordeal with his life.
Ivaanov, his voice still an inarticulate buzz to the private, staggers forward and rips away some of the last remnants of his already ruined Mechanicum robes, and then presses them to the Kotts' ruined cheek.
Sparks flying, blood, and black lubricant still dripping from his severely wounded shoulder, the tech-priest gratefully accepts the assistance Kaltos offers, leaning into him as they make their way with haste toward the open door.
All squares adjacent to the overturned water truck are considered difficult terrain, swampy mud caused by the spill from the rupture in the vehicle. All movement rates in these squares are halved, attempts at Running or Charging movement in these squares are considered Treacherous Terrain: Mud, requiring a successful Challenging [+0] Agility test or the character falls Prone.
The massive Plague Zombie Horde [80] in the irrigation canal pursues relentlessly. Each round following the first round, the press of undead bodies on the walls of the culvert allows a portion of the horde to climb up on to the pasturage field. This is represented by the appearance of a Plague Zombie Horde [5] appearing in a square adjacent to the end of the irrigation canal. This occurs on the Plague Zombie [80]'s Initiative count each round after the first round, and is cumulative, with two Plague Zombie Horde [5] opponents appearing on the second round, and so on throughout the encounter, with each group leaving the culvert further diminishing the larger horde until all of the zombies are free of the canal.
The smaller Plague Zombie horde [20], is cumulatively represented by the five Plague Zombie horde [20] counters on the battlemap. This in effect represents the spread-out nature of the zombies impeding the companions advance to the Tertiary Fallow Field beyond. Each can be considered a still smaller Horde of Magnitude 4, but all five must be destroyed to completely eliminate the possibility of being attacked by solitary, wandering zombies independent of the Horde (see below).
Each round, there is a cumulative 5% chance that one of the characters, randomly selected, is attacked by a solitary wandering zombie independent of the horde, this represents corpses rising from the ground, or faster zombies outgaining the smaller horde groups. For each of the five groups of Zombie Horde [20] counters that is eliminated by the characters, a 'safe zone' of adjacent squares is created around where this smaller Horde of Magnitude 4 was destroyed, any character occupying one of these square is safe from being targeted by solitary zombies generated by this random die roll until another smaller horde moves into one of these squares.
Both the overturned water truck and the disabled harvester can be climbed upon with a successful Routine [+20] Climb test. While atop either of the two vehicles, characters are safe from zombie attack until such time as the zombies can clamber up. Similarly to the irrigation canal, zombie hordes adjacent to the vehicles for one full round will begin breaking up in their attempts to reach the characters, with one zombie from the horde climbing up each round, until the entire horde has climbed on to the vehicle.
All is not as grim as it appears, whenever Vincent enters a new square, he has the option of attempting either a Challenging [+0] Awareness, Logic (expended), Forbidden Lore (Daemonology), or Search skill test. Each skill test can only be attempted once during the course of the encounter. A successful skill test will yield an advantage to the companions with an efficacy dictated by how many degrees of success were gained on the test.
Guard with Heavy Stubber:WS=35, BS = 35, Dodge = 35
Weapons:
Heavy Stubber: 1d10+4/Impact/Pen=3/100m/*-*-8/Clip 75/Reload=2Full/Ammo 2 Clips remaining, loaded clip with 55 rounds
Chit-sickle: 1d5+3/Rending/Pen=2/Razor-Sharp
Armor: Guard Flak Armor (4 AP All Locations)
Rolling cumulative 5% chance that a plague zombie appears next to a character, 25% this round, 1d100 ⇒ 9, a lone plague zombie appears next adjacent to 1 = Ryuk/Launce/Guardsman Lasgunner or 2 = Vincent/Guardsman with Heavy Stubber/Guardsman Sergeant, 1d2 ⇒ 1, the undead appears in square J10, directly adjacent to 1 = Ryuk, 2= Launce, 3 = Guardsman Lasgunner, 1d3 ⇒ 3, Guardsman Lasgunner. Chance increases to 30% next round.
Rolling Initiative for solitary Plague Zombie in J10, 1d10 + 1 ⇒ (2) + 1 = 3.
The taller guardsman laughs, almost hysterically as he moves to adjust the smoking stubber to fire again. Even through his respirator Vincent can smell the stench of cordite momentarily cutting through the pall of decay that hangs over everything.
He opens fire again, shooting across the field at the closest cluster of undead.
Guardsman with the Heavy Stubber fires at the plague zombie horde in square I14, BS = 35, +10 (Short Range), +20 (Horde Size), modified BS = 65, 1d100 ⇒ 25, a hit with four degrees of success. Rolling damage, 1d10 + 3 ⇒ (4) + 3 = 7, 1d10 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11, 1d10 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11, 1d10 + 3 ⇒ (5) + 3 = 8, all sufficient to cause damage, the horde in I14 is wiped out. There are 39 rounds remaining in this stubber's belt.
The chattering weapon tears into another cluster of the rotting, walking corpses, shredding them into pieces that scatter across the pasturage.
The victory is short lived. With a loud crash of breaking glass the window on the door to the cab that Ryuk, Launce, and the masked guardsman stand upon is shattered, and the stinking, bloated corpse of the vehicle's former operator begins to claw its way out of the driver's compartment, a swarm of bloated flies preceding it like a black cloud.
Wardja almost cannot help himself as he walks back toward the table and a ghost of a grin creases his mouth. Almost immediately after the poor guardsman's shouted condemnation, and the audience's somewhat bemused reaction to it, the droning voice of the senior concierge came upon the laudhailer again, babbling about how the improbable outcome of the bout will forever be remembered in the annals of the Vermillion Ring. His denouement to the event is much more clipped than the introduction, however, and it is clear to Wardja that they know something has gone wrong below.
The security personnel present quickly usher the patrons away from the opening and back to the gallery with the arbitrator's last glimpse of the tech-priests and Private Kotts before the slivered crescent closes completely showing them stumbling toward the door opened by Gereos.
Dunkan's voice pipes softly into his ear again, <'They're clear. Gereos and I now have primary control over that level's doors, and we're shutting everything down along a path that will lead them to the inertial damper vaults in the mechanical level beneath the Pearl'.>
...
Uriah smiles as well at the fortuitous outcome, a small measure of relief filling him despite the impending danger that looms over them all.
'Uriah Trantor' wrote:
I look at Tikeen, "That move will make things interesting. Do you think that will cause a reaction?"
Tikeen nods in the direction of Savalos as he makes his way confidently across the floor of the Pinnacle of Pearl.
"Look, it seems it already has."
...
Savalos finishes his subterfuge, somewhat chagrined at the baffled expressions he managed to elicit with his blather from the Upsire nobles. He moves along a circuitous route to the tournament table, brushing one hand across Leprade's chair as he returns to his own seat. Trizo and Leprade eye him the entire way, the scowl on the former's face more than adequate recompense for the risk that wearing the furs once again entails.
He finds himself alone at the table, seated midway between where Tor endlessly shuffles his midnight blue cards and the Changeling sits, watching the old man intently, the unnerving smirk still on his lips, his cerulean eyes never leaving Tor.
He voice is cold and menacing when he finally speaks, devoid of any of the humanity his amused expression would suggest. He talks as if the hollow priest isn't there, or can't hear him. "Your master is not far away now. This pathetic lackey he has sent to oppose me is but a harbinger of his coming, I must admit my opinion of him has been greatly diminished if he believes he can intimidate one such as I."
The Daemon confirming what I already suspected. Jeremiah telling me of the ship docked above. Knowing the Old Man is close, or here. Though telling me the man shuffling cards works for him. Makes me feel a lot better. It means there are more friendly eyes watching. We can use all the help we can get.
"Guess when you play enough hand's it doesn't matter who sits at the table. Intimidation is an empty card to be played in a game of that level. We all know that..."
Unduz II, Oremor 7th Legion Penal Claustrum, Designate Ylesium, Plantation 7, Husbandry Barn Cluster 177, Edge of the Tertiary Fallow Fields.
Hit, 7 damage mitigated by the plague zombies TB (6), one point of damage inflicted.
Vincent's quick reaction burns a hole through the undead operator's nearly skeletal hand, charring and fusing the flesh to the edge of the door's window, giving the guardsman enough time to stand aside and avoid the hideous thing's other reaching claw.
It also allows the guardsman sergeant time to depress the activation stud on his gore-caked chainsword, he steps by Vincent and slams the buzzing blade down on the creature's neck.
WS = 40, +10 (Standard Attack), +10 (Aiming), +10 (Higher Ground), modified WS = 70, 1d100 ⇒ 17 a hit, right leg isn't a viable target given the zombie's positioning, hit is instead to body.
Rolling damage, 1d10 + 5 ⇒ (3) + 5 = 8, or 1d10 + 5 ⇒ (7) + 5 = 12, selecting second result for Tearing, after reduction for TB (6), 6 Wounds inflicted.
There is spray of rotting flesh, bone chips, and guard-issued clothing as the chainsword drives through the carrionate's clavicle and chest, but the moaning thing continues to scrabble upward out of the foul smelling compartment.
Launce follows suit, pulling forth his own chainsword, claimed within the Inquisitorial Solitarium, and quickly activating the weapon. He swings it down for the other arm, now reaching for the backpedaling guardsman.
WS = 37, +10 (Standard Attack), +10 (Ganging-Up, 2-1), +10 (Higher Ground), modified WS = 67, 1d100 ⇒ 12 a hit to the left arm.
Rolling damage, 1d10 + 5 ⇒ (8) + 5 = 13, or 1d10 + 5 ⇒ (10) + 5 = 15, selecting second result for Tearing, testing for Righteous Fury, WS = 67, 1d100 ⇒ 73, unsuccessful, after reduction for TB (6), 9 Wounds inflicted, zombie is destroyed.
The finely honed Inquisitorial weapon rends through horrid undead's arm with one clean swipe, and the tech-priest pivots and drives it down into the center of the thing's skull, eradicating the sun-softened, rot-damaged cranium in a shower of gore. Using his manipulator mechadendrite, the tech-priest then shoves the now inanimate horror back into the stinking cab.
Looking back toward the culvert, Vincent sees more and more of the shambling corpses emerging, the first of their number already making their way toward the water truck, which is still being approached by the milling ranks of plague zombies roaming the pasturage.
As he watches, the swarm of flies liberated by the sudden arrival of the creature within the truck does not disperse, but instead seems to draw upon those mingling nearby among the other undead, until a great, writhing thunderhead of buzzing insects begins to coalesce to the north of the overturned truck. Their droning whine grows louder and louder, until it rivals even the sounds of the thundering stubber. It seems to bring a renewed sense of unease, that rapidly begins to trend toward panic among his companions. His stomach turning, the senior clerk begins to feel the tell-tale trickle of blood coming from his right ear and a burning sensation begins to radiate from the strange mark he now carries on his skin.
Something is coming.
Vincent:
Vincent, your success helps you to identify the harbingers of some manner of Warp rift that is forming to the north of the truck. From your quick perusal of the tome from the Solitarium, Being A Discourse on the Enemy Beyond: A Pathology of Corruption As Pertains to the Fydae Strain authored by Inquisitor Herrod, you know that some recorded outbreaks of the Fydae Strain have culminated in the arrival of the foul beings known as the Vile Savants, corrupted manifestations of the contagion made flesh---terrifying beings whose arrival is presaged by the mind-wracking buzzing of flies and the loss of all hope.
Seeing that the threat from the truck has been eliminated, Ryuk sheathes his own dire-looking blade, and pulls one of the metallic spheroids he recently witnessed Vincent throwing toward the enemy. Mimicking the adept's actions, he pulls the pin, while staring at the frag grenade curiously, as if expecting some change. It is only when Launce, noticing, shouts in a panic for him to throw it, that the psyker winds his arm back and hurls it toward the dead staggering toward the truck from the west.
Perhaps because of how long Ryuk held the grenade it explodes in mid-air, well short of his target spraying the pasture and the leading zombies with razor-sharp shrapnel, but not stopping their inexorable advance.
Taking aim with his lasgun, the masked guardsman fires on them.
BS = 35, +10 (Short Range), +10 (Higher Ground), +10 (Aiming), +10 (Diminished Horde), modified BS = 75, 1d100 ⇒ 27, a hit, damage inflicted is 1d10 + 3 ⇒ (8) + 3 = 11, nine shots remaining. Damage inflicted after TB (6) is enough to harm, the horde takes one damage to Magnitude, reducing it to 3.
He manages to hit one dead center in the skull, burning much of it away. The creature stumbles on a few awkward steps before crumpling to the ground.
Somehow I manage to stifle a laugh at the guardsman's defiant words. What note-worthy men! Glad that the surveillance team has the situation downstairs under control, I tap my bead in acknowledgement and return to the table. I note the change in Thul's appearance and how like a true wolf he stops to leave his mark on the heretic-arbite's chair.
All squares adjacent to the overturned water truck are considered difficult terrain, swampy mud caused by the spill from the rupture in the vehicle. All movement rates in these squares are halved, attempts at Running or Charging movement in these squares are considered Treacherous Terrain: Mud, requiring a successful Challenging [+0] Agility test or the character falls Prone.
The massive Plague Zombie Horde [80] in the irrigation canal pursues relentlessly. Each round following the first round, the press of undead bodies on the walls of the culvert allows a portion of the horde to climb up on to the pasturage field. This is represented by the appearance of a Plague Zombie Horde [5] appearing in a square adjacent to the end of the irrigation canal. This occurs on the Plague Zombie [80]'s Initiative count each round after the first round, and is cumulative, with two Plague Zombie Horde [5] opponents appearing on the second round, and so on throughout the encounter, with each group leaving the culvert further diminishing the larger horde until all of the zombies are free of the canal.
The smaller Plague Zombie horde [20], is cumulatively represented by the five Plague Zombie horde [20] counters on the battlemap. This in effect represents the spread-out nature of the zombies impeding the companions advance to the Tertiary Fallow Field beyond. Each can be considered a still smaller Horde of Magnitude 4, but all five must be destroyed to completely eliminate the possibility of being attacked by solitary, wandering zombies independent of the Horde (see below).
Each round, there is a cumulative 5% chance that one of the characters, randomly selected, is attacked by a solitary wandering zombie independent of the horde, this represents corpses rising from the ground, or faster zombies outgaining the smaller horde groups. For each of the five groups of Zombie Horde [20] counters that is eliminated by the characters, a 'safe zone' of adjacent squares is created around where this smaller Horde of Magnitude 4 was destroyed, any character occupying one of these square is safe from being targeted by solitary zombies generated by this random die roll until another smaller horde moves into one of these squares.
Both the overturned water truck and the disabled harvester can be climbed upon with a successful Routine [+20] Climb test. While atop either of the two vehicles, characters are safe from zombie attack until such time as the zombies can clamber up. Similarly to the irrigation canal, zombie hordes adjacent to the vehicles for one full round will begin breaking up in their attempts to reach the characters, with one zombie from the horde climbing up each round, until the entire horde has climbed on to the vehicle.
All is not as grim as it appears, whenever Vincent enters a new square, he has the option of attempting either a Challenging [+0] Awareness, Logic (expended), Forbidden Lore (Daemonology) (expended, advantage to be revealed), or Search skill test. Each skill test can only be attempted once during the course of the encounter. A successful skill test will yield an advantage to the companions with an efficacy dictated by how many degrees of success were gained on the test.
Guard with Heavy Stubber:WS=35, BS = 35, Dodge = 35
Weapons:
Heavy Stubber: 1d10+4/Impact/Pen=3/100m/*-*-8/Clip 75/Reload=2Full/Ammo 2 Clips remaining, loaded clip with 31 rounds
Chit-sickle: 1d5+3/Rending/Pen=2/Razor-Sharp
Armor: Guard Flak Armor (4 AP All Locations)
Rolling cumulative 5% chance that a plague zombie appears next to a character, 30% this round, 1d100 ⇒ 40, no plague zombie appears this round. Chance increases to 35% next round.
The heavy stubber barks again, the sound now strangely diminished by the droning roar of the tens of thousands of flies swarming nearby.
Guardsman with the Heavy Stubber fires at the plague zombie horde in square I15, BS = 35, +10 (Short Range), +10 (Diminished Horde), +10 (Higher Ground) -10 (Full-Auto), modified BS = 55, 1d100 ⇒ 70, a miss. There are 31 rounds remaining in this stubber's belt.
The hard rounds rip into the front rank of the dead, but their putrid bodies absorb the fire. A few fall over from the force of the bullets, only to drag themselves upright again seconds later.
"Guess when you play enough hands it doesn't matter who sits at the table. Intimidation is an empty card to be played in a game of that level. We all know that..."
The Changeling smirks wider, letting Savalos know he has heard his words.
As Wardja returns to take his place at the table, the nearly iridescent blue eyes of the Changeling slowly move from where they were fixated on Keramiah Tor (who has now stopped his shuffling and pushes away from the table once again) to follow the arbitrator's approach. As he takes his chair, the daemonhost reaches into an inner pocket of Juan Rico's coat, and palms something within.
Leaning across the table, his hand still tightly closed around the object, he stares directly into Swinthosa Wardja's eyes, and despite every reserve of willpower the arbitrator possesses, he feels the madness-inducing weight of the countless, convoluted aeons this being has lived. His eyes begin to water involuntarily, a tremor coming into his hands.
When the Changeling removes his hand, Wardja sees a small figurine of bone, a tiny depiction of himself in miniature rendered in impossible, exacting detail. The tiny man is screaming.
The Changeling whispers, somehow only for Wardja to hear, though he is across the table from him and this should by all reason be impossible.
"A gift for you, Swinthosa. Did you think I had forgotten you?"
Smiling diabolically, "You must be thirsty, no?"
The daemonhost gestures for one of the hospitality girls, and although he says nothing to her, she produces a tall glass of finely-aged amasec and sets it down in front of him, before walking away with a blank expression on her face.
I don't believe we ever worked that out. Also, can you tell me the hieght of the water truck and the magnitudes of the nearby hordes? It looks like they are destroyed, but there is no way we have done 20 magnitude damage.
Vincent, the height of the water truck is approximately 2.5 meters (again, it is lying on its side).
The original plague zombie magnitude (20) horde in the pasturage was represented by 5 separate counters that were labeled (20), but each of these actually represented a portion of the single horde and would have been more accurately represented with this label: plague zombie horde (4). I explained my reasoning for this in point two of the encounter description. This was something of a deliberate fog of war effect to represent the spread out nature of the horde and the presence of stragglers in their midst, so that the path of least resistance wouldn't be obvious. Now that your party has mounted the water truck and gained a better vantage point, the disposition of things is much clearer, so I have moved to more accurate labels for where the undead are the thickest. As the two hordes shot by the guardsman with the heavy stubber were actually magnitude (4), they were effectively eliminated by his first two bursts of fire. I apologize if this was confusing.
"A gift for you, Swinthosa. Did you think I had forgotten you?"
Smiling diabolically, "You must be thirsty, no?"
My pulse-rate spikes. A miniature of myself screaming. The Changeling is playing with me. Knows my thoughts. Knows my personal daemons. Feeling trapped, I look down at the glass. It looks exquisite. Even without holding it to my nose I can smell the bouquet. Excellent. It would be so easy to pick up--I can already feel the pain going away--Just one drink. I close my eyes...
Then I see my kid brother Thaddeus, face down in a pool of his own blood. A drug deal gone bad. My fault. My throne-damned fault. Looking at the glass again. That way lies corruption and damnation.
Gulping for air, I wave over another hospitality girl. Setting the amasec on her tray I state, "Take this to Jashar dol Geim, the corpulent agri-magnate over there, with my compliments.
I look up at the daemonhost but only see my dead sibling staring back.
Interesting card being played as I watch the finger bone carving set on the table. I watch as the Daemon measures Wardja's worth as he declines the offered glass.
