War on the Skaven in Dungeon World (Inactive)

Game Master DM Mooshybooshy, "the Foolish"

You could have leveled up when you were at the Dwarves' residence in Tollerhelm 'last night,' and I don't recall you having earned any XP since then, so you can be leveled now.

Bathilda shudders as she restrains herself from kicking "Muppy." She instead goes back to where Archepex is waiting for Mule and asks him, "How much longer do you think your friend will be?"

To Rickard Archepex replies, Thank you. But lets not stand around too long. Get ready to move as soon as Mule is back.

That's when Bathilda returns and he answers, Not long. It doesn't take long to scout when you can fly.

When released from Bathilda's grip, Morley begins concealing the Rat Men bodies in the ditch, a respectful distance from the other bodies.

"Anyone have any thoughts on what these monsters want with some instruments?"

Is the piano still floating?

Yes. The piano was half-in, half-out of the cart when the Skaven got interrupted, and it floats unassumingly where it was left. Aside from two stickers on the side in the shape of wings, it looks like an average piano.

"Could be to salvage components for their infernal contraptions." Hjalmar remarked as he joined the others, having remained on overwatch for a few more moments, until it became rather redundant as the entire group had now left cover and were standing around in the open. "I dont think the bastards enjoy the classics too well. Probably tone deaf the lot of em."

Hefting his gun and looking around, he then added. "Best be gettin' inside, we aint exactly hidden standin' around like this."

Morley finishes concealing the bodies, and then inspects the piano further. He attempts to pull the stickers off the piano, careful to keep his feet out from beneath it.

If the stickers come off, Morley will show them to the group and then pocket them.

He will take a quick look at the other instruments to see if anything else is behaving oddly. With the inspection finished, Morley will walk over to Hjalmar.

"He's right. No sense sitting around here. Should I lead the way?"

When Morley pulls the first winged sticker off the piano, it settles to the ground. Pushing on the piano experimentally, you find that it has weight now, but far less than it should. Removing the other sticker causes the piano to resume its full weight and settle down fully. These stickers cause anything attached to them to be significantly lighter. If memory serves, Myk-Myk found four of these stickers earlier.

Mule flies down when Hjalmar climbs down from overwatch position, settling contentedly on Archepex's outstretched arm. The sun is climbing ever higher in the morning sky, shining down into the mineshaft. The instruments that the Skaven were unloading are scattered about in front of the entrance like a wild punk rock afterparty. What do you all do?

I think we're clear. Mule doesn't seem agitated do I don't think he saw anything worrying.

"Should we get this stuff inside or just leave it here?" Dhice asks.

"If you can use your magics and get the cart and these instruments out of sight, do it. Otherwise leave it. We are going in."

Morley has an edge to his voice that you haven't heard before. He is clearly strained.

He takes a moment to see if there is any dissent, and seeing that even Bathilda seems satisfied with sullen silence, Morley heads into the mine, weapons holstered, on careful lookout for traps.

"Stick with me Archepex, keep an eye out for traps like those we tripped before, as well as these rats."

Moosh, I had two failed Trap Expert rolls previously that we kind of hand waved away as the action went another direction. I think you'd be well within your rights to auto fail this next attempt. But just in case ...

Trap Expert: 2d6 + 2 ⇒ (6, 5) + 2 = 13

if you'll take that, I'd ask all three questions as the party enters. I'd like to keep a particular eye out for poison based traps, as I'd like to collect samples.

Dhice looks at the cart and pile of instruments. "That would require a REALLY big hole to cover up. I think we'd better just go in, and quickly."

He follows Morley into the mine. "C'mon Muppy, follow me." The shambling, knee high mud ball quivers a bit in anticipation then trundles after Dhice on legs that sort of sprout out from its body as needed.

Morley, there's a primitive-looking but well-hidden trap hidden on the floor of the entrance to the mine. The triggers on the floor lead to a small collection of clay jars, which conceal hard-packed explosives. They don't look like enough to have brought down the mine entrance, only to blow a small hole in the floor, and everyone walking over the trap. It's quite easy to disarm it so that your group can pass safely.

Once it's clear of traps, you check with Archepex to get a second opinion, and he confirms he has found nothing that would indicate danger in this entryway. You stop and take stock of where you are.

This was a mine in the Dwarven design, which meant it was a stunning combination of pragmatic practicality and elegance. Mines are a highly respected place for a Dwarf in traditional Dwarf culture to work, and mines were not the dirty holes in the ground that were used by the more impatient humans. Elven mines went too far in the other direction, by dwarf reckoning, not delving quickly enough in their pursuit of making each room a masterpiece of fluffy fru-fru crap.

The entryway to the mine has three tunnels that all branch out from the end of a long, well-shaped hallway. There aren't any crude wooden braces holding the weight of the hill up along the walls; they are sandstone, smoothed to the touch and strong.

You wave the others inside the mine and they follow you in. There's a faint echo to every sound each of you make. There are finely crafted sconces in the walls every 50 meters that give off faint light in the tunnels leading deeper into the earth. What do you do?

Do I think the explosive jars are likely to explode once disconnected from the triggers? Basically, are these jars of gasoline or jars of c4? If I think they are generally stable, I’d like to take as many triggers and jars as I can reasonably carry.

Morley whispers as the group forms before the three tunnels.

"Well then. Hjalmar, do you know much about dwarven construction? Which tunnel is likely to lead to the largest rooms?"

He turns to Mykmyk and Ricard. "Do your gods have any suggestions?"

To Grigor and Bathilda, "Perhaps we should send scouts down each tunnel with instructions not to engage? Mule could probably scout a tunnel quickly enough with little chance of setting off traps set for walkers."

To Archepex, "What do you make of these scuffs on the floor here? Which route has been most recently used?"

Seeing Archepex trying to track in the mine, Dhice decides to try to help. He moves around in a hunched position, carefully inspecting the floor. You can see a fine ripple of energy emanating from his right forearm that's lightly probing the ground. "I might be able find some foreign materials left behind, or detect some warmth or even just notice a more heavily compacted set of tracks where they were carrying supplies..."

I'm using my "trickle" ability to perform mundane tasks as flavour, but really I'm just trying to help.

Aid Archepex: 2d6 ⇒ (1, 3) = 4

Archepex kneels down and carefully examines the ground. Dhice's ripples soon get in the way and he quickly signals the channels to cut it out. He points to extreme subtleties and squeaks at Mule a few times, and the bird chirps back.

hunt and track+Mule: 2d6 + 2 + 2 ⇒ (6, 3) + 2 + 2 = 13
-I follow the trail until it ends, and learn something significant about my prey.

He moves slowly down the tunnels, using Mule to confirm his suspicions.

Bathilda continues behind Morley, Dhice and Archepex. She helps by not getting in the way of the others as they venture deeper into the mines.

Archepex moves down the left tunnel a few steps, investigating, then retreats and checks the central path. Finally, he checks the third, and finds a small memento on a chain, 90% buried in the dirt accumulated in the corners of the mineshaft. Lifting it up, it confirms his suspicions that the prisoners were likely dragged down the rightmost tunnel.

The ranger stands and turns to his friends, but as he opens his mouth to speak, Mule shushes him with a slap of a wing. The elf is confused at first, then understands - the bird's sharper hearing picked up on something before he could. Listening, Archepex cocks his head to one side. Faint singing, a woman's voice, with long, slow notes, coming from the depths.

Archepex immediately switches to hand signals and informs group. Sound. Contact. This way. Morley and I on point. Melee behind.
He advances slowly with Morley. It would not do to rush into a trap.

Moosh, Morley would be trying to keep an eye out for traps the entire time. Let me know when/if another Trap Expert roll is required.

"Well, if theres one thing wrong with Dwarven masonry, its that we arent good about puttin' up signs." Hjalmar replied to Morley, scratching his beard thoughtfully with one hand. "Everyone in the clan just knows where everythin' is, and we dont exactly expect outsiders to wander around by themselves." He smiled, though there was a grimness to his facial expression. "Doesnt make it easy for invaders either." He waved his arm in an arch, pointing at each tunnel in turn. "Which of these leads to the larger areas and any housing that may have been carved, will depend entirely on what was hauled out of the earth in each one." He shrugged. "Im afraid simply bein' a dwarf does not make me much more qualified than the lot of you in determinin' where to go."

As Archepex signaled, Hjalmar patted Agatha, before slinging the rifle on his back and drawing his cutlass "Dont worry lass, you will have your chance to sing."

It's rather interesting, in fact, that anyone that anyone with extraordinarily keen hearing may be able to hear something else. Every time the beautiful, mournful, operatic wailing emerges from the depths of the mine, another song starts up: An out of tune, extremely crude parody of a dwarfish drinking song. It ends each time with a 'SMACK' and a Skaven screaming at the prisoner to just, shut, up! But it never works.

"I think our rescuees are that way," Bathilda says as she points down the tunnel where the singing and the screaming is coming from.

Myk-Myk looks about the tunnel and takes in a deep breath.

Ahh, to be back underground.

"It's looking like home, but it's not smelling like home. We'll have to be taking care of that."

Myk Myk takes up his place somewhere in the middle as the scouts lead the way down Dwarven tunnels.

Morley leads the others down the tunnel that Archepex indicates, wary for traps, until the singing sounds as if it is only just around the next bend.

Element of surprise on our side. This is a job for the warriors.

He looks pointedly at Bathilda, Grigor, and Hjalmar and signals, Quiet. Charge. To the others, Coverfire. He then gestures to himself. Prisoners.

Archepex knocks an arrow and peers around the corner.

Rikard will head down the path with everyone

Discern Realities: 2d6 - 1 ⇒ (2, 1) - 1 = 2 Wow that fail

I was trying to figure out if i knew the song, and what sort of creature it was coming from.

Bathilda nods at the signal then stalks forward, taking the lead. From her position at the point, no one can see the predatory smile she now wears.

Around the bend, then a silent charge with her sword drawn. The tale of this fight should be worth a few beers at least, she thinks as she moves to skewer the first of the Skaven guards.

Hack and Slash: 1d8 + 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (6) + (1) + 2 = 9

Damage: 1d10 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (3) + 2 + 1 = 6
Receives one Complication. Personally, I'd say her sword gets stuck in the rat-man's ribcage. :)

Archepex intends to fire first at the farthest rat he can to draw attention away from the advancing fighters (Bethilda)
Called Shot, head: 2d6 + 2 ⇒ (6, 3) + 2 = 11
Damage: 1d8 ⇒ 2

I love how we aren't even waiting for Moosh to confirm there are any enemies around the corner. Play to see what happens Moosh!

As the heavies file around the corner, Morley turns with an arrow notched. He sees Bathilda's target and let's the arrow fly. Without stopping to see if his aim is true, Morley holsters his bow, draws his knife, and scans the room for prisoners.

Aid Bathilda: 2d6 + 1 ⇒ (2, 2) + 1 = 5

Welp ... idea here was that Morley's arrow, if it hit, would distract Bathilda's target enough to prevent it from counterattacking her. Really looking forward to Bathilda's new bond: Morley shot me in the back.

Scanning the room:

Discern Realities: 2d6 + 1 ⇒ (6, 3) + 1 = 10

Asking: What should I be on the lookout for? What here is useful or valuable to me? What here is not what it appears to be?

Dhice sends Muppy into the fray, intent on immobilizing the skaven closest to any prisoners (i.e. prevent harm to a prisoner). Elemental Attack: 2d6 + 2 ⇒ (5, 1) + 2 = 8. Muppy trundles across the room, weaving through the combatants or sometimes parting into disparate blobs to flow around legs. He quickly reaches the intended skaven and engulfs its feet, sticking him to the ground, however Dhice erodes some of his tenuous grip on the puppy in the process.

I now have 1 Control left

Morley leads the party down the mines, past work tunnels whose glittering gems and precious metals cast multicolored light reflected back out into the hallway. The beautiful refracted colors are in stark contrast to the blood on the walls and the floor.

This far in the mine, there are few traps; the Skaven appear confident in their victory. Around the corner, you can hear the brutal lashings of what sounds like an enormous whip cracking back and forth across bruised flesh.

"To embrace your higher form and stop all the pain, all you need do is accept my offer!" *whipCRACK, whipCRACK*

You hear a groaning of pain that emits from behind gritted teeth, before another verse of a terribly off-key drinking song starts up again.

"Consumption took me mother and me father got the pox,
me brother drank the whiskey 'till he wound up in a
box!

*pained groan* rrrrr-SING IT WITH ME! *deep breath* OHHHHHH,"

This latest verse seems to be the last straw for the Skaven interrogator. Stomping both feet in his apoplectic rage, the bullwhip whistles again across the prisoner's back, eliciting a fresh scream of pain that trails off into silence.

"Enough! If you will not accept the Chaos Stone willingly, I'll force it in! You'll make an inferior servant...consider that your final victory..."

Rikard tries to make sense of the strange song that can be heard faintly in the background, but in his distraction he accidentally kicks a loose bit of ore from the ground he walks over. "Eh?" the torturer's voice says, from around the bend. "Sounds like we have visitors...maybe it's someone else's turn to whip you!" You have lost the element of surprise...unfortunately, that turns your Called Shot into a regular Volley, Archepex, but you can keep the roll.

You round the corner into a repurposed forging area of some kind. Dwarven mining machinery is very complex when the job is large, but this set of mining equipment has been abandoned by its prior owners. Instead, you see a young woman, naked, held upside down by her ankles with heavy weights tied to her wrists. She's tied between two separate mining machines, and the Skaven was slowly adjusting them to torture her. Her body looks painfully stretched out, but nevertheless, she's definitely the second, off-key singer you heard.

The huge, fat Skaven that was whipping her was approaching her, clutching a whitish-orange stone in one paw and a mean-looking enchanted bullwhip in the other. When he notices the sound Rikard made, he turns and glares at you, his eyes widening. Clutching the stone in one hand until the color is sucked completely out of it and into his hand, he casts the stone aside, brandishing his whip weapon with glee.

"MORE PRISONERS!" he hollers at the top of his lungs. From deeper within the mines, you can hear other boisterous voices being raised in response. Their calls make the fat Skaven torturer grin at you all.

"Come on then, fools. I am Torturer Khad, and my boys will be with us in a moment. Let's see how much punishment you can take...before you break!" he snarls, raising his whip hand high. Bathilda, eager to get her blood up once more, charges in recklessly with a wide sword-swing. Her overhead chop is blocked, and she lurches forward with her teeth, savaging the Skaven's hand to still deal her damage. Pirouetting you like the lead dancer in a waltz, but much more violent, the Torturer spins Bathilda around and uses her momentum against her, sending her crashing into a pile of Dwarven weapons that had been looted by the Skaven and left in a pile there. You take no damage, but your weapon gets knocked away from you. You can choose to grab whatever weapon's closest or you can spend a moment looking for a specific one, or yours; what do you do?

Khad advances on Bathilda menacingly, but an arrow lodges itself in his shoulder and makes him scream in pain. Whipping his whip around in a wide arc, the Skaven skillfully knocks loose a molten cauldron of lead! The molten metal begins flooding over the floor, filling the room slowly in Archepex's direction. In but a few moments, there won't be any safe place to stand in the outer hallway!

After knocking over the cauldron, Khad retaliates by cracking his whip at the Elven ranger! whipCRACK, and the enchanted metal tip of the whip comes racing at your face! What do you do?

Underneath the attack, the mud-elemental sent by Dhice clambers across the stone floor. Engulfing the Skaven's feet, the mud elemental hardens, making it nigh-impossible for the Skaven to move his feet without breaking free first. "What? What is this? Stupid...ARRGH!" he screams. "Rat-Pack! Get in here!"

On the far end of the room is a staircase leading up and down. From above, there's a flickering torchlight of an approaching source, bringing Khad's reinforcements. They begin clambering down the stairs, looking around at all of you and immediately settling into attack position!

"Soddin' rotten luck." Hjalmar grumbled, looking up from the dislodged bit of rubble at Rikards feet. Rounding the corner with the others, he pulled Agatha from his back with practiced ease, sighting down its length and aiming it at the staircase. "Seems we get to appreciate your song sooner than expected lass!" He shouted with a tinge of manic glee in his voice. As the first reinforcement came into view Agatha released a boisterous roar.

Gunpowder!: 2d6 + 2 ⇒ (1, 3) + 2 = 6

Moosh, just reminding you about the Discern Realities questions.

Morley doesn't hesitate, sprinting along the wall before the molten metal can block his path, heading straight towards the prisoner. He nimbly uses his knife to cut the prisoner down. He catches her as she falls, softening the impact, and blushes at the contact. He ducks down to remove the weights from her hands, then offers her the knife.

"I'll need this back."

He stands and draws his bow, firing at the reinforcements as they enter.

Volley: 2d6 + 2 ⇒ (5, 2) + 2 = 9

Damage: 1d8 ⇒ 4

As Archepex taught him, Morley repeatedly draws and fires as fast as possible. Reducing ammo by one.

Archepex glances back and sends a scathing glare at Rickard.

Defy Danger, dex: 2d6 + 2 ⇒ (4, 5) + 2 = 11

Archepex easily leaps over the flowing metal and rolls into a kneeling position with arrow already knocked and sighted.

volley: 2d6 + 2 ⇒ (3, 2) + 2 = 7
damage: 1d8 + 2 ⇒ (7) + 2 = 9
-I need to move into danger to place my shot

Mule gets into the action and attacks the skaven's head with beak and talon before darting off out of reach.

"So Much for the pretty music, sorry guys

Patron hear my plea
Whispers: 2d6 + 2 ⇒ (4, 6) + 2 = 12

"Hasj krshan Igglockerrung" Im going to make the target drop thier weapon and babble incoherently. Do i need to translate for anyone that can speak alien?

Primary Target: If still alive: Khad
Secondary (Khad being dead): Ranged Ratmen

If Khad drops his weapon im going to shout "Khad is mine Hjalmar, he wont be a threat to anyone, not while my patrons influence is near."
If its a secondary target, I wont shout but ill let everyone know that the rat that is babbling in the corner while holding himself should not be a target.

Bathilda stands up, her hands already on the first weapon she had gotten her hands on.

Most of the others recognize the grin on her face. The fat rat was about to find out how many ways Bathilda knew to kill things.

Hack and Slash: 1d8 + 1d6 + 2 ⇒ (3) + (3) + 2 = 8

Damage: 1d10 + 2 ⇒ (1) + 2 = 3

One Complication for Bathilda.

"Too bad for you, I don't break," she says as she swings/stabs

Bathilda, your damage roll is prime for Grigor's racial ability reroll.

Dhice sees the molten lead spreading out and reacts immediately. His arms come up, hands in close to his body, and then he starts pushing them out, palms facing outwards as if he's trying to push back against a great weight. Earth Bender: 2d6 + 2 ⇒ (4, 1) + 2 = 7 His actions begin to affect the molten lead (I'm assuming lead counts as earth here), it slows and then stops its advance. After a moment Dhice clears his head and drops his arms. The lead is frozen in place and no longer spreading (it's still molten and massively hot though).

Mooshy, if Muppy or I take any damage at all it will be negated by my bond with him, but my Control will drop from 1 to 0, freeing Muppy to act as you please. He can run off, get angry, disappear, whatever. Also, he can use his "Environmental Effect" tag at will, however he likes.

As he completes his hold on the molten lead, Dhice finally absorbs the full scene in the room. His eyes go wide as saucers, and he freezes. A low mumbling reaches the ears of those around him, ""No... no I won't..." He starts to back up blindly, stark terror written on his face.

It's quite possible that I shuffle backwards right into Hjalmar's line of fire...

Bathilda, the weapon you grabbed was a Dwarven Urgrosh, a combination axe/spear that requires two hands to use. It can do stabbing or slashing damage and can be used at spear's length or in close combat, but it's awkward - meaning you need an 11 or more to get a complete success with it, not a 10 or more. Rolling a 10 still counts as a partial success with the Urgrosh.

Does Rolling a 7 still count as a partial success?

Yes.

"I'll get the canary!"

I start hacking my way towards the hanging prisoner.

Hack and Slash 2d6 + 2 ⇒ (2, 3) + 2 = 7; hitting the first Skaven I come to for1d10 + 1d4 ⇒ (9) + (3) = 12 damage (+2 piercing, messy, and forceful), while taking1d6 - 3 ⇒ (1) - 3 = -2 (None, cause I'm a damn balla').

How many more unfortunates between me and the prisoner, Moosh?

Grigor, can Bathilda reroll her damage on Khad?

Grigor, can Bathilda reroll her damage on Khad?

With respect, if someone wants to ask me for the reroll, that's cool, but let's let other people make their own combat decisions. Anyone is free to ask me as they see fit, but remember, I only get 1 per combat. I know I was a little "leader-guy" earlier, but that was to keep the plot moving.

Bathilda will follow orders, but if you start telling her how to fight, she's probably going to ignore you, so from an RP perspective, Grigor would be wasting his time. That said, I'm not adverse to asking for it if it's a dire situation, otherwise, I'll just live with the die roll.

I like where you guys are going: narrative trumps mechanics. Who cares what the "optimal" move is. Let things get messy if it makes for a fun story. When someone is desperate for a big hit because things are dire they can reach out to Grigor. It'll be more epic that way.

When the Rat-Pack reinforcements begin filing down the stairs, Hjalmar is the first to blast at them. The roar of Agatha's muzzle reverberates off of the hard stone walls immediately surrounding them. Your shot hits the thickly-studded shoulder armor of one of the rats, making him stumble backward into his fellows, but not take any damage. Furthermore, Hjalmar, you're deafened -1 Wis. Fortunately, you should (should) avoid deafening yourself further if you move a little further into the room...where there's molten iron ore on the ground...

Morley, you successfully release Emma from her bonds. She's naked and armed only with a knife, but at least she's free. Khad doesn't like that. "NOOOOO!" he screams as Morley cuts his prisoner free. "She was just about to surrender and accept the Chaos Stones!" he wails, before his despair turns to rage. "YOU WILL DIE!" he screams, gesturing wildly at Emma. Emma, from the Torturer's use of the Chaos Stones on you, you are tainted by them. Your body convulses as you're struck with Chaos Energy that bursts from your very skin! The energy wraps the once-paladin in a raging fire aura made of magic! Morley, Archepex, you both had to move closer in to the room where Emma was being held, you're within range! The aura around Emma tears at your flesh, take 1d4 damage that ignores armor. The aura threatens to spread to you every time it damages you...

The heavily armored Torturer is harried by Mule aiding Archepex's shots on him, and the elven ranger's aim is true, finding a chink in the rat-kin's armor. He screams in pain and staggers back as Rikard follows up on Archepex's keen shot, shouting for the Lord of Stars to strike him down. Khad's eyes grow black as Rikard's magic assails his mind, and he begins babbling in a language not even he knows. His enchanted whip clatters to the floor.

This is when Bathilda strikes. Clasping the awkward Dwarven Urgrosh firmly, the barbarian stomps across the forgeroom floor to bring the axe-head down between the massive rat's shoulder-blades. As he falls forward, babbling, into the molten lead on the ground, the Urgrosh pulls Bathilda forward with him! Bathilda, you're about to take a dunking in lead ore that burns! Fortunately, Dhice's roll will take care of your complication, because he uses his earth-channeling abilities to push the molten metal away from where you land.

Khad rises, still not dead unbelievably, and dips his paw into the molten metal willingly. Seeming to have been driven mad with pain and Rikard's visions, the huge Skaven hurls a blob of metal at you that is so hot it could melt your face off. The attack is blocked, Bathilda, and your face is unscarred - due to Muppy. Severed from its bond to Dhice, the mud elemental nevertheless chooses of its own free will to fling itself in the path of the molten metal! The metal slag cools in contact with the mud, driving the elemental's consciousness back into the earth forever...and Khad's lips let loose a death rattle as he sinks facefirst into the hot floor.

Seeing that the others have Khad well in hand and the prisoner free, Grigor chooses to follow Hjalmar's lead and focus on the Rat Pack reinforcements. They're fully down the stairs but weren't able to engage immediately due to the hot metals all over the floor. There's three of them at the bottom of the stairs...at first, before Grigor's mighty swing decapitates the first one. The second Skaven, terrified, shoots Grigor in the chest, but thanks to his thick skin underneath thicker armor, the bolt does nothing.

Seeing this, the remaining two reinforcements begin trying to clamber up the stairs again, but the other Rat Pack members have already shut the door on them, locking them out - and trapping them between a Fighter and a hard place. Grigor, what do you do?

Damage ignoring armor: 1d4 ⇒ 1

Morley curses softly as the magical flames sear his skin and clothing, and then stands dumbfounded for a moment as he watches Grigor work.