Sticking the torch in her belt, Mareike holds the lit candle in her teeth, angling her head a bit to keep the flame lit. Hissing a bit as some wax falls upon her chest, she steps out of the window and begins to climb.
"You three get these gates secured. I'll handle the little ones.", says Fernis as he lowers the face guard of helm into place. Turning on his heel, the dwarf bolts the battlements and breaching ladder. "The fun part is really starting now!" He hollers over his shoulder.
Franz reloads and puts his pistol away and heads to the carriage, "We need to get this moved to the gate." Could the carriage be moved by hand or do we need to hitch horses?
Zadlu and Mareike were already able to pull the smaller carriage in front of the gate, if you want to pull the larger one also to the gate, you either need horses or at least six people pulling it.
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Mareike begins her climb and at first her fingers and feet find secure grip, but the higher she gets, the harder the climb becomes. It will take a bit longer until she reaches the roof of the house...
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Fernis storms to the ladder and the moment he reaches it, the first Ungor appears tries to climb on the wall - you may now either attack or push the ladder (perform a stunt).
Stopping herself from looking down, Mareike focuses on the top of the wall, steadies herself and continues.
Sigmar give me strength! It must burn! It must !
Arriving just in time to see the first beastial head crest the rampart, Fernis lays into the beast as hard he can.
Franz says, "Good point but it won't matter if they smash through this gate. Our numbers here are few, I think too few to move this larger carriage to the gate, milord do we have enough time to hitch the horses and move it? I doubt the small one will hold long."
Blucher looks at Zadlu with furrowed brows, then his eyes suddenly widen
Oh damn! Karla brought each of the guards a plate with venison!
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Lord Rikkard nods
Yes Franz, we must try and trust the dwarf that he will hold them for a moment.
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Mareike is still climbing but her fingers now touch the edge of the roof...
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The ungor's ugly goat-face explodes into a reddish mass of brain and bones and without a sound the monster falls off the ladder and smashes into his fellow beastmen at the foot of the wall.
Fernis now has a moment of time to observe the scene before him.
A large group of ungors - about 30 - have assembled next to the gate and they are trying to get three additional ladders into position.
Behind them a group of three gors are driving them onward snarling loudly and pointing at Fernis.
Straining upward, occasionally stopping as a piece of mortar or brick slips under her fingers, Mareike edges her way up the wall. Reaching up with her right hand , she is astonished that it encounters only air. Bending her wrist, she searches around until she feels the edge of the roof. With a sob of relief, she slowly ensures that she has good footing before starting the last leg of her climb.
For now, Rangnir heads up to help Fernis on the wall.
Wiping the gore from his visor with his forearm, he says,"If only we had a few more dawi." Raiding his voice to Gors he shouts, "Come up here and I'll make ya a wethers you poxy little bastards." Shouting back over his shoulder to the group below, "They've got Gors directing things out here looking to make an entry through and over the wall at the same time. Where are the rest blasted bastards who own this damned keep'!"
Given the chance to have some breathing room, Fernis calms himself readying for a protracted defense.
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Franz works with anyone who helps to get the horses and harness them up to the large carriage. While starting this up he hears Fernis's outburst. "Now, Now Good Master Fernis, no need to insult your host, Lord Rikkard who is right here. And he is the one who felt something was wrong here and asked for aid, your aid. It's unfortunate that the prior lord corrupted this staff so completely, but that happened before Lord Rikkard took control. They have poisoned most of the men so we are very few. Zadluzeny could you go to his aid? You can pray over him I'm sure that your blessings with be greatly helpfull."
Lord Rikkard beams at Franz and says
Ah well, no need to worry, all dwarves I know tend to curse during battle. So just don't take their words too seriously, heh.
Blucher and Gand also help with the carriage and even though the horses are in a state of near-panic, you somehow manage to harness them up.
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Meanwhile Fernis realises that he won't be able to defend the battlements against four points of entry...he can hold the wall for some moments longer (3 rounds) but then he will have to draw back unless he wants to get surrounded.
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Mareike has finally reached the roof - a bit exhausted by the climb she nearly slips on the moss-covered tiles, but is able to grab the chimney and support herself.
The painting still hovers in mid-air about 1.5m in front of her, just outside of her reach.
-how dramatic!
Panting , Mareike leans on the chimney , glaring at the painting as it mockingly floats just out of reach. Her eyes flicker to the wall momentarily, seeing the masses of chaos beasts and the very few defenders running about. Taking a deep breath she calms herself.
Carefully, she uses the candle to light the torch. She melts a bit of wax on top of the chimney for the candle to stand in; in case she need it.
She then holds onto the chimney with one hand, then leans out towards the painting with the lighted torch extended in the other. Hopefully , the torch is long enough to bridge the gap!
The torch flame is about to lick at the painting as suddenly a yellowish lightning comes down from the purple clouds and impacts in the chimney next to you. Brick stone shards hit you and you nearly lose your balance as you have to let your hold go. Somehow you manage to fall flat on your belly and stay on the roof.
Seeing that his defense of the wall will soon be for naught, Fernis begins to make a tactical withdraw. "We must find a defensible location!", he bellows over his shoulder."We will soon be overrun and surrrounded." Glancing from side to side, Fernis searches for place to funnel the attackers in a potential meat grinder of dwarven steel.
Clutching desperately at the roof and the torch, Mareike's small frame heaves with fear, her breath gasping from her in great gulps. Slowly gathering her wits, she slowly changes her position so that she is sitting on the edge of the roof, appraising the devilish painting, occasionally her eyes flicking fearfully at the glowering clouds above the manor.
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The painting, which is facing you, shows a sky similar to that above you - purple clouds and yellowish lightnings - and all is in motion! However in the centre of the painting is a large lidless eye...but as you take a closer look it begins to vanish in the distance.
The painting is absolutely stationary, it seems like the heavy wind has no effect on it.
The sudden disappearance of the eye startles Mareike and she fearfully looks up at the real world clouds to see if the eye appears above her.
With a deep expulsion of air, she resolves to what she must.
"Sigmar protect your servant!" she says, then sticks the still burning torch into her belt.
She then steadies herself, gathers her will and belief in Sigmar's glory and leaps from the roof to the floating painting, trying to land her feet on the bottom of the frame and grasp the top of the frame with her hands.
Once there she will grab the torch and begin applying its flame to the bottom corners of the frame. Once it iss truly lit, she will try to jump back to the roof.
We'll never hold that house. Too many holes and it will burn., Fernis thinks as he searches for a place to make a stand. "Quickly! Join me here. We will hold them here. Franz, you must fell the Gors!" Franz will move forward to the next ladder.
Franz shakes his head realizing the situation falling apart but not having the men needed to deal with it.
"Unharness the horse, if they panic they might haul the carriage away. Zad, if you find any powder and any pistol shot, I could use it, I'm running low, or the musket and musket shot, I'm nearly as good with that as a pistol. Then I think Marieke may need the assistance of the gods to deal with that unholy ... event up there." Franz starts heading to support Fernis, calling out, "Officer Joining The Line! Uh - sorry. I'll heip Fernis! Don't mind me, just years of drill."
Zadlu has nearly searched the whole tower until he finally finds the rifle behind a large barrel of tar.
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Mareike decides to do what only a zealot would do...even though the distance isn't very large, the jump is still difficult with the winds tearing at her lithe frame.
Somehow she manages to get across the gap (1 success - wow) between painting and roof and grabs the frame...for a second the painting is driven downwards by her weight, but then the unnatural power that keeps it at its place regains control and slowly the painting hovers into its original position again.
Mareike can now see that the eye has completely vanished (and it didn't turn up in the real world) but that a winged something is coming closer from the background of the painting!
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Blucher nods and draws his sword Good idea! Everyone! Follow me - for Sigmar, for the Reich!
Gand laughs loudly and runs over to the kenells to get the dogs and Lord Rikkard sprints back to the mansion to get his weapon...
For a moment, as Mareike was half-way between the roof and the painting, she was certain she wouldn't make it. When it had dropped when she landed on it, she was certain she and it would shatter upon the ground far below.
When the picture unnaturally floated back to it original position, she experienced a tremble of fear. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she began to extricate the torch from her belt, trying not to burn herself too much in the process. As she was doing so she noticed the figure flying "through" the clouds in the painting. Eyes widening in fear she wrenches the torch free and holds it to the bottom of the painting.
"Burn! Burn! Burn for Sigmar!"
Fernis moves quickly to the ladder slamming his axe against its rails in an effort to impede the goatmen.
The flames lick at the painting but so far, it hasn't caught fire and seems unnaturally resistant...
The thing flying through the clouds comes closer and closer. With powerful flaps it advances steadily...you can already make out its crimson skin and the large ivory and black horns protruding from its forehead and wingtips...
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Fernis "beheads" the ladder and also cuts the foremost beastman's half hand off. With a shriek of pain the mutant lets the ladder go and falls into the dry moat at the bottom of the wall.
To the dwarf's left one of the beastmen manages to get on top of the wall but is welcomed by Blucher.
Rangnir tries to de-beastmen the wall as good as he can.
If the outer wall is crenellated, then Franz ducks to the merlon, and looks out the crenel. If he sees a major target who's fall could weaken the foe's morale, he'll fire on that, otherwise he'll pick a target that is climbing a latter. He tries to stay out of melee if possible.
If not the outer wall is not crenellated, about the same actions but he is more exposed.
Take an available shot as outlined above.
St:3, To:3, Ag:4, In:3, Wi:3, Fe:4 -- Def:0, Soak:0, Wound Threshold 12 - Wounds:0, Corruption Threshold 8 - Coruption:0, Fatigue:2, Stress:1 --
Stance:Reckless 3(Reckless - default) -- Current Action: Ranged or Extreme shot as needed ; Recharging Cards: none
Other available action : Extreme Shot -- Action Recharge: 0 (This action is my only non-basic action card.)
3 red, 1 blue, 1 yellow, 1 white and any other dice for the dice pool.
If, because of break to move the carriage my stance is changed, use whatever dice you deem appropriate.
"Hoohoo! If I'd known what a fine master of the hunt you were, Franz,I would have comped my fee. Pfft, hahahahahahah." Fernis moves on to the next beast as soon as possible.
Mareike stares in consternation at the torch flame licking at the painting, doing nothing. "Burn, you stupid picture, Burn!!!"
A movement out of the corner of her eye, brings to her attention the growing proximity of the flying creature. "Uh" she croaks, almost dropping the torch in startlement. Alarm growing, she cries "Dearest Sigmar, grant me the strength to destroy this accursed picture!!".
She gives up trying to catch the painting on fire, instead raising the torch high and bringing it down with all of her might upon the picture itself.
Franz takes good aim and fires at one of the Gors who try to drive the ungors up the wall.
The bullet bites deeply into a wolf-headed monster's shoulder (2 successes), but the gor suppresses a yelp of pain and barks angrily pointing at Franz who already ducks behind the crenellation.
Zadlu is still on his way to the wall and Fernis and Rangnir are trying to fend the beastman off - two however have made it onto the wall - Initiative!
RD 1:
You
ungors
you
ungors
you
you
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Bringing the torch down with full force works! The wooden frame splinters and the canvas receives some damage - still, the painting is much more resistant than you would have expected...
The sound of splintering wood was almost as shocking as the paintings resistance to fire. Emboldened by her partial success , Marieke yells "For Sigmar!! and once again brings the torch down upon the painting, unleashing all of her righteous fury.
"Stay close, beardling, hahaha.", Fernis hoots as he wades into the fray. Fighting with measured grace, the dwarf attacks the lead ungor.
Franz sees the situation failing further and desperately looks behind him for support, catching sight of Mareike's heroic and insane efforts. Franz gasps at the sight and then sees Zad bringing up the musket. Knowing that unarmored he cannot hold any point, Farnz tries to move to Zad to take the more powerful weapon.
"Goodly priest, Zad, let me have that musket. Look above at Mariek's insane efforts to defeat the dark gods. She needs your help now the most, for all our souls, not just our lives. Pray for us Father, pray."
Franz reaches out for the musket praying that he will have enough time for at least one shot with it.
Fernis is the first to act and stomps over to the ugly ungor who looks like a human youth with deformed goat legs. The ungor tries to get his spiked club up trying to fend the dwarf's weapon off, but Fernis just cuts through the club and heaves the ungor in two. (1 success, 1 delay).
New initiative order:
ungors (resolved)
You (resolved Fernis)
you
ungors
you
you
Rangnir's turkey-headed opponent gobbles ferociously (-_-) and sticks his rusty short sword into the dwarf's belly (6 wounds).
-Is Franz now next or Rangnir?
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Mareike keeps on striking at the painting and soon the frame is totally destroyed - now she needs something sharp to cut the canvas!
Fernis' mirth is short lived as his charge is skewered by a particularly vile beastman. "BLARRRR! Rangnir!"
With savage glee, Mareike slams away at the picture frame, leaving only the piece she stands upon. Pausing for a moment, she is stunned by her success...but the picture and its horned denizen still moves ! Reluctantly, Mareike tosses the torch into the air and draws one of her daggers. Setting to with a frenzy, she hacks at the canvas, trying to cut it into ribbons.
Rangnir misses the beastman with a wide swing and nearly slips - behind him another beastman makes it onto the wall
ungors (resolved)
You (resolved Fernis)
you (resolved Rangnir)
ungors (resolved)
you
you
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Mareike plunges the dagger in to the canvas and even though it's extremely resistant, she manages to pierce through it by putting all her weight on that spot.
Having made a hole in the canvas, Mareike crows in success, then with a surge of energy, pulls the dagger back and plunges it again and again into the vile picture, screaming "Sigmar ! Sigmar ! Sigmar! "
"Focus, boys!"