Lax targets one of the orks and the poison starts to slow it.
The human forces are a little leery of your intervention but focus on killing orks, putting down the one missing his kneecap.
Illorn doesn't parry the incoming blow, instead letting it embed itself in his armor before smashing it to the side with his shield, knocking the creature off balance before sending his hammer tearing towards its torso the Ork deflects the hammers arc so it thuds into the hull.
Gizzard keeps the shuttle steady despite the winds.
Lax
Humans
Illorn
Gizzard
Orks
Orks: Blue Crit 1, Yellow -3
Humans: Orange -7 Wounds, Wine Dotted -2, Blue Dotted -5, Blue -7
Lax will tut softly and shoot the Blue Ork again.
BS=44+10(standard attack)+10(range)+20(aim)-20(melee)=64
Increasing damage from 3 to 4 so it's total is 23
Illorn will growl in irritation as he parrys the Orks wild swing to the side
Using the moment where his shield blocks the Orks view of his weapon hand, Illorn stores his thunder hammer in a lightning quick moment, draws his flail and strikes in the same movement
Lax will tut softly and shoot the Ork again. The blow slices into the side of the ork’s head causing his eyes to pop out and his brain to ooze down his cheek like spilled jelly. He is dead before he hits the ground.
Illorn will growl in irritation as he parrys the Orks wild swing to the side. Using the moment where his shield blocks the Orks view of his weapon hand, Illorn stores his thunder hammer in a lightning quick moment, draws his flail and strikes in the same movement. The flail digs into the orks chest.
The Orks and the humans continue to battle but your aid is definitely tipping things in the favour of the humans.
The Ork fighting Illorn breaks free from the flail's grip but chunks of it's flesh are torn free, it snarls at Illorn and spits some blood onto the deck.
Lax
Humans
Illorn
Gizzard
Orks
Orks: Blue Crit 1, Yellow -3, Red Crit 2
Humans: Orange -7 Wounds, Wine Dotted -2, Blue Dotted -5, Blue -7
Lax will start humming softly to himself and shoot the yellow Ork
Illorn will laugh as he swings the flail back into the Ork "It seemeth the old ways betimes are the best, eh Orko?"
Lax will start humming softly to himself and shoot the yellow Ork
Illorn will laugh as he swings the flail back into the Ork "It seemeth the old ways betimes are the best, eh Orko?" Illorn's blow tears the Ork's leg clean off.
A ghust of wind means Gizzard can't keep the shuttle as steady.
The humans continue to take advantage of the unexpected advantage, the orks begin to withdraw. The humans look ready to harass them with ranged weapons but do not pursue, unsure of your groups true intention but are definitely not attacking.
Lax
Humans
Illorn
Gizzard
Orks
Orks: Blue Crit 1, Yellow -3, Red Crit 2
Humans: Orange -7 Wounds, Wine Dotted -2, Blue Dotted -5, Blue -7
"Getting sloppy Lax." Lax mutters.
Shooting the Yellow Ork
BS=44+10(range)+10(standard attack)+20(aim)-10(shuttle)=74
Toxic 5 Felling 2
Garm maintains a keen ear on the goings on, listening in through the joint vox channel.
"Getting sloppy Lax." Lax mutters.
The group of humans with crossbows pincushion a badly injured ork with weight of numbers. Those geared for melee move back.
Gizzard manage to keep the shuttle completely unmoving for a few seconds.
Illorn charges with his flail but can't land the blow on the ork.
The injured ork turns and swings it's choppa at Illorn hitting with a heavy thud against Illorns chest. The Ork gives Illorn a suspicious look.
The rest of the orks start running.
Lax hits one of the orks in the shoulder badly injuring it but it stays just about standing.
The human crossbowmen finish off the badly injured Ork Lax just hit and put him down.
Illorn manages to hit with his fail ensnaring the ork as well as taking it's foot off.
The Ork fighting Illorn dies from blood loss from the stump of it's leg.
Lax begins reloading his rifle
The human reload their weapons.
Illorn leaps through the air with his jump pack onto a fleeing Ork.
Lax continues to reload his rifle... as do the humans with their crossbows.
Illorn drops his flail before finishing the ork with his thunder hammer.
The remaining ork continues running...
...Lax brings his rifle up aiming at the running ork.
The shot whizzes past it's head.
The human crossbows shoot mildly injuring the ork.
Illorn gathers his weapons before going after the remaining ork.
Gizzard finds it tough to keep the shuttle level.
Lax fires at the ork again.
The crossbowmen start reloading
Illorn savagely rakes the orks arm making it drop it's oversized weapon.
The ork picks up it's choppa.
Lax hits the ork but doesn't seem to injure it too badly.
The Ork desperately dodges Illorn.
As the Ork brings it's choppa back in hand a small hole appears in the side of it's head and gore spills out. It collapses dead.
The humans watch warily to see your next move.
"Gizzard can you bring us closer to the ground? I think we should greet our new guests"
Once Lax is closer to the humans he'll say this:
"Hello there, my name is Lax Stoneborn. Allow me to be the first to thank you for helping us defend the Hymn of Battle. I would be honored to know your names and the cause that brought your to our fine ship."
Gizzard will do as asked.
The men respond in a tongue unknown to Lax. Seeing no recognition they try another language... that is still unknown to him. Then a third and finally a fourth though unknown to him it's clear the man using that one is not fluent.
Bugger, Lax thinks to himself. Have I heard those languages anywhere?
The last one spoken very badly seems to be some dialect of Eldar.
Right Eldar, Garm keeps mentioning them, maybe he know a little of their tongue.
Lax will vox Garm.
"Hi Garm, I hate to bother you but our human guests appear to be speaking some kind of Eldar. Do you know what this means?" Lax will attempt to repeat what he just heard.
Garm listens. He thinks he recognises some words, but meaning slips from his grasp.
"Lax, I understand not. Maybe I could in person. I shall ready myself to meet with our guests."
He then begins groggily to sit up and put on his leathers.
Illorn will retrieve his flail from the Ork it is embedded in in a manner similar to a spinning top. There is a miniature rain of gibbets.
He will then walk over to the currently ongoing conversation and stand in front of the newcomers. Illorn will then very pointedly stamp on the hull, point at it and then at himself and the other crewmembers, attempting to clearly convey ownership of the vessel to the cloaked individuals.
The group of humans seem to get the general claim to ownership from Illorn's actions.
It's not too long before Garm comes out to meet these strangers.
Garm puts on his leather clothing, strapping two bolt pistols into holsters, one being the newer, gilded one. Both are loaded with standard ammunition.
On his left hip is the groxwhip and on the right is the agoniser lash.
In the pockets and straps of the inside of his coat are various pieces of equipment, such as his auspex and multikey.
His large frame appears and he walks steadily towards the group.
One of the men points at the agoniser and says something, the others take note. The one who speaks some form of Eldar asks something along the lines of 'Druchii. Fight. Where?'
Garm thinks a moment. He then looks the man in the eye and replies in a language that resembles the one the man spoke, but is far harsher-sounding. His own tone is level, as if describing something. The word "Druchii" crops up at least thrice.
"I was slave in Druchii fighting pits. I killed Druchii, learned their tongue. A human captain bought me and the lash. I killed him and took the lash. All far from here, worlds away. I am now a leader on this vessel. Are there Druchii here? They are always a threat."
Lax looks up and spots Garm, noticing that he's only wearing his leather armour.
Oh dear, if this comes to blows Garms' going to get wrecked. Again.
Lax will draw his inferno pistol and his last stun grenade.
He will try to place himself between Garm and the crowbow men, trying to be as nonchalant as possible.
The human tries to translate for the others. Garm gets the impression he's missing some of the finer points.
"Druchii ships come. Attack- family place." Then Garm hears the man's broken become a lot more confident and practiced even if in a different dialect as he produces utterly foul insults about Druchii... perhaps he only learned some of the language to hurl insults at them
As Lax draws his inferno pistol and stun grenade and moves forward between Garm and the crossbowmen the crossbows are raised and leveled at Lax. The men with melee weapons raise their weapons and take a step back. Tension suddenly fills the air.
"Stones b~%@!~~s!" Illorn swears as he steps forward, grabs Lax by the back of the collar like an errant kitten and dumps him back beside Garm. "Thou dost not draw weapons at parley, thou cox-combed nonce! Now put them away boy!" Illorn growls at Lax "And stop making thine Acting Captain look a fool!"
Garm says to the man:
"One moment. I must speak with this man."
He turns to Lax and, in a level but very firm tone, says:
"Put those away. *Now.* Their home was attacked by Druchii."
He nods to Illorn.
Lax will slowly raise both of his hands hands above his shoulders, in a submissive gesture and then equally slowly lower them and holster his inferno pistol.
"Sir I recommend that we have this conversation somewhere we can guarantee your safety. There are a lot of them and your not wearing any armour"
"Perhaps. But I want to get this sorted and go back to rest. Do not provoke them again, unless they are obviously about to attack. Now I will find out a few things from them. Find me a map, it may be useful."
He turns back to the speaker. At various points, he gestures towards Lax, and then the wider group from the ship. "Druchii" crops up several times, and it is a somewhat longer speech than previously.
"I am wounded from another battle. This man try protect, no threat to you. If Druchii at 'family place' now, I can send these men to kill Druchii. If you are waiting for Druchii to return, I heal, then with these men go to kill Druchii. Where is your 'family place'? Where are these Druchii found?"
They lower their weapons but there is still some tension.
The man points towards the east.
"Centuries. We remember. Family home that way."
He then points to the north west before pointing at Garm.
"Druchii base. They come like us to big island to north. Who fight for?"
Gizzard stands at the top of the shuttle ramp with his boltpistol holstered at his hip.
Garm briefly replies to the man.
"I must speak with my men."
He then turns to the ship crew.
Pointing east: "Their 'family home' is that way. I think the Druchii have attacked them for centuries."
Pointing north-west: "The Druchii base is that way. 'They come like us to big island to north'. They want to know who we fight for. Unless I hear a very good reason why not, we will fight with them against the Druchii, and claim the xenos spoils for ourselves. What say ye?"
"Your the captain. Where you lead we follow. Just please wear armour"
llorn will jostle Lax with his elbow "Acting Captain, boy. 'tis a vote needs to be held afore Garm is Captain. And I can speak for mineself." Illorns armored helm will swivel to look at Garm "As I sayeth afore, thou wouldst have mine vote. But, I would propseth another change as well. I wouldst put mineself forth as First Mate. Thou shalt need a right hand to enforce thine will in yon absence and" Illorn will let out a low chuckle and roll his shoulders, drawing attention to the jump pack on his back and continuing "to pull thine arse out of the fire whence needed. What say thee?"
Garm nods as his companions speak.
"Acting captain, aye. But I would confirm that with ayes or nays in short order, and take more care with not leaving carapace behind so often. And I can think of none better for first mate, should I vacate the position.", Garm adds with a rough smile.
"Well, if I take thine meaning correctly then we hath some of these Druchii visiting, so we shalt sort this now." Illorn will turn his head slightly to the side and vox P0D and Garm "'tis time we picked a new Captain. I vote in favor of Garm, giving himself two of yon three votes. I also put mineself forward as First Mate in his absence. How doth the other members of the council vote, yea or nay?"
"I say 'yea' to both."
After P0D is informed and replies, Garm nods and turns to the others.
"I salute you as the new Captain of the Hymn of Battle. And I present Illorn as the new First Mate of the Hymn of Battle. My first order is to prepare the armsmen and whatever shuttles we can get operational. The Druchii are fast, well-armed bastards who love trickery, poison, and the sound of their own voices. So we'll just have to keep killing them until they're all dead or the survivors flee. Do not even think about surrendering. It is a worse punishment to let them take you than shoot you. And do we have any spare weapons for our guests, if they stay to fight with us? I will need my carapace - swiftly."
He turns to the men and quickly states:
"I have ordered the men to kill Druchii. We will fight. Will you fight with us?"
"How long 'till they arriveth?" Illorn queries "If they art as fell a foe as thou hast said in the past it would be best if I coulds't use this powered armor" he says, thumping a fist against his chestplate "And it neededth to suckle 'pon yon engines tit all too regular"
After a few moments speaking the man points east.
"Again asked. Who do you fight for? Not against for?"
"Sir our men are better trained to use our weapons and likely better fighters in general. If we went it alone we wouldn't have to split any loot, though I'd recommend waiting until we have properly scouted the enemy and your fully healed"
"Understood, Lax. One moment."
"Ah, the Druchii are not moving now? Then no fight today."
"He asks why we would provoke the Druchii. I gather that they are not heading here today. There are greenskins, scaled ones, and undead in other kingdoms here."
Garm is relieved then falls silent a moment, then replies to the man.
"We fight for our lord, who dwells on another world. He is not here. I, Garm Dariyal, lead in his name as Captain. Who are you? What do you take in pay for service? Why are you here today?"
You hear the words 'Garm Dariyal' as Garm taps on his own chest, albeit accented in the language he is using. And it sounds like he is asking more questions of the man.
The man looks confused at Garm.
"Another world , use new words? Name the Lord. We serve Antonius, our general. From Remas mostly. Coin, silver, gold and gems. The colony to the north sent us to investigate here."
He points at the hull beneath his feet.
"Others come before us. The north sky demon, is dead and made of metal. Many swords could be made from hide."
While speaking to the man, you hear the name in low gothic:
"...Dupont..."
"We serve the Lord Trader Dupont. This is a voidship, the Hymn of Battle, which sails between worlds. We crashed here. I know not if the voidship can rise again but it is not ours to give away, and we will hold it. I will ask my men what wealth we have to offer for your services, should you wish to serve with us."
He turns to Lax and Illorn.
"They are mercenaries under general Antonius and they mostly come from 'Remas'. They were sent here from the colony to the north to investigate. They are very interested in where we came from and the metal from our north sky demon. I told them we serve the Lord Trader Dupont, explained a voidship and that it is not ours to give. And I would know what coin, silver, gold, gems, or other wealth we have that might entice them to our service."
The man looks confused and discusses. It's clear they're pressing him for more information but he's having a hard time grasping some of the concepts through the language barrier.
He turns to Garm and points at the ground asking him something questioningly.
"Big airship? Not dead demon. What countries near Lord Trader Dupont? No- no take banner and coin. Already coin has been given by colony but know others if enough coin, for many would take seasons, send word home?"
He then points at some of the weapons of the group.
"Strange weapons and armour. Weapon shoot many times but only single barrel. How often explode?"
"We have a small reserve of gems and precious metals on-board, but judging by these lot, tech would probably fetch a good price. That said" Lax leans in and drops his voice to a whisper.
"Garm I don't think we should trust these men. They don't even speak Gothic and where did they learn that Eldar tongue? Maybe we should visit this colony of theirs' before inviting them in? "
Garm nods as Lax speaks.
At various points, he gestures to the ship plating, the weapons, and the shuttle.
"Yes, a ship. Dupont is near Footfall. Our weapons rarely explode. A shuttle can travel through the air swiftly. We would visit your home before we hire anyone. And where did you learn this tongue?"
The man consults with the others and points at the shuttle
"The shuttle is fast but far south and east. Much time needed but many warriors come, for coin. General Octavius, kin to Antonius can help for coin. Soldiers, cannons, wizards and monsters can all be had for coin." It would be obvious to Garm they haven't seen the shuttle going at proper speed most likely so the times are skewed but it sounds like a solid distance.
Illorn's attention immediately wanes when combat is no longer nigh. He will listen to the man's cadence as he and Garm drone on, studying these apparent humans more closely now that he is closer. He will also start organizing a patrol of the hull to prevent landings such as this happening unbeknown in the future.
Garm turns to the crew.
"South-east. A general Octavius, kinfolk of Antonius, would aid for coin. He says that we can hire soldiers, cannons, monsters, or *wizards* for enough coin."
He says the last part to make sure Illorn hears it.
"It sounds like we should pay him a visit. If we like what we see we can hire his men and if we don't we know what to look out for"
At the mention of mercenaries and hiring, Illorn returns his attention back to Garm "Hath thou considered the prospect of having them hire us to harry yon Druchii? If they beareth them such ill will, and thou wisheth to claim yon Druchii lucre, why not hath us profit twice?" Illorn will wave an arm at the assembled mercenaries "'tis obvious they hath not the focused strike capability that we posses'eth, nor our swiftness of travel. Mayhaps they would pay handsomely for our abilities?"