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As the priest rushed them out of the Temple and back through the dark streets towards Spittlefeld, Ruprecht couldn't help the terror that built up in him. He felt like he was in one of those dreams where some unimaginable horror was approaching ,but you could not run or move.
The first rays of dawn heartened him somewhat, but then they descended into the dark , noisome basement, stumbling about among the garbage and filth.
Clutching the black rose as if it were a lifeline, Ruprecht looked over Landolf's shoulder at the box and the tome the was revealed therein...
... his head fills with the chant, his nose fills with the sweet smell of putrescence, Ruprecht reaches for the dropped book, mewling "It must be released...sweet , sweet rot...."
[dice=Cool 30]1d100
Sensing the danger in the book, Landolf drops it back into the chest and attempts to close it up before it can do any further damage.
"Beware! This thing is evil!"
Landolf resists the compelling call of the book and tries to drop it in the chest before it can cause any damage...but damage has already been done. Landolf can never unsee what he's seen or unhear what he's word. Those things will likely haunt him the rest of his life.
As the priest rushed them out of the Temple and back through the dark streets towards Spittlefeld, Ruprecht couldn't help the terror that built up in him. He felt like he was in one of those dreams where some unimaginable horror was approaching ,but you could not run or move.
The first rays of dawn heartened him somewhat, but then they descended into the dark , noisome basement, stumbling about among the garbage and filth.
Clutching the black rose as if it were a lifeline, Ruprecht looked over Landolf's shoulder at the box and the tome the was revealed therein...
[dice=Cool:30]1d100
... his head fills with the chant, his nose fills with the sweet smell of putrescence, Ruprecht reaches for the dropped book, mewling "It must be released...sweet , sweet rot...."
Valghaz is attempting to cover the book and Ruprecht is attempting to take it. They struggle over the book's fate.
-3 SL
”Lad! What’re ye doing?! This thing is evil and must be destroyed.” With hammer in one hand, a buckler strapped to his other arm, and his refusal to actually touch the book, Valghaz was having trouble getting a firm grip.
"Must...open...the...book..." Ruprecht mutters , seemingly unaware of Valghaz's words, struggling , his fingers extended like claws, the skin stretched taut...
Valghaz is able to keep the book away from Ruprecht and shoves it back down into the box, slams the lid on the box, and tears his Watch armband off and wraps it around the box and ties it off, temporarily at least shutting away its malign effects.
Father Bürke gasps out, ”we must take the foul tome with us...too dangerous to leave here now...Sir Dwarf can you carry the burden until we finish the task at hand? Your people are better able to resist the temptation of the Ruinous Powers than we frailer humans.”
”Why can’t we just burn it here and be done with it? That thing...it’s bloody evil. But if I must carry it then I’m not touching it. It will need to be wrapped up right good, and I’ll want a pouch to carry it in. Bloody Fookin’ dark magic is nay joke. Oh. And if we survive this, I’ll want yer word that this’ll all be reported from the church to our captain. Otherwise this’ll never be believed.”
”Why can’t we just burn it here and be done with it? That thing...it’s bloody evil. But if I must carry it then I’m not touching it. It will need to be wrapped up right good, and I’ll want a pouch to carry it in. Bloody Fookin’ dark magic is nay joke. Oh. And if we survive this, I’ll want yer word that this’ll all be reported from the church to our captain. Otherwise this’ll never be believed.”
”Sir Dwarf, if you tried to burn it now, I can almost guarantee that you’d instead burn down this building and the book would not even be scorched. Someone centuries ago must have hidden it away down here after failing to destroy it. We must take it to the Temple of Sigmar and gain their insight. I will personally vouch for your behavior to your Captain.”
Once the book was hidden from his sight, Ruprecht falls to his hands and knees....overwhelmed by a feeling like the most treasured possession had been wrested from him...and then he realized what he was smelling and tasting, the most foul, foulness he's ever experienced. his belly heaving, he moaned and groaned for a few moments before looking up at the dwarf, "Thank you, Dawi,i think you saved my soul..."
Wiping his lips, then spitting to the side, he rises unsteadily ,his face pale, "Let's find this fiend and quit this place..."
Round 4 of the Basement Search
Father Bürke stumbles into what everyone thought was a solid wall of the maze which was actually a mattress overgrown with black mould. Spores are now floating down your throat! Succeed on a Challenging (+0) Endurance Test or gain a Poisoned Condition
”Aye lad.” Valghaz said to Ruprecht. ”Just watch me back too. Nay anyone is immune. I’m just glad that it was against yer will. Ye’re still yerself.”
——
When they got exposed to the mould, Valghaz coughed as he waved his arm to dispel the foul cloud. ”Ach...cover yer mouths. Bloody hell...”
As if he didn't already feel horrible, the Black cloud of spores sets Ruprecht to retching again, but seems to allow him to expel the worst of it.
Talther swiftly covers his mouth!
"I am sorry, Father. I had no idea..." Landolf fails to find tge words to describe what he had just learned. The world was far more fearsome than he had known. Even knowing that they had entered the basement in search of a vampire, this had still seemed like an investigation...not entirely unlike the troll hunt. Now, the fetid confines seemed like a nightmare made flesh. He felt ill.
"I am sorry, Father. I had no idea..." Landolf fails to find tge words to describe what he had just learned. The world was far more fearsome than he had known. Even knowing that they had entered the basement in search of a vampire, this had still seemed like an investigation...not entirely unlike the troll hunt. Now, the fetid confines seemed like a nightmare made flesh. He felt ill.
dice=Toughness (Endurance) 33]1d100
dice=Toughnees (Endurance) reroll 33]1d100
"Morr, grant this soldier who is fighting to uphold your tenet of destroying the undead, the blessing of Tenacity," Father Bürke calls in a sanctuous voice.
Before Landolf is consciously aware of the first touch of poison upon his system, Father Bürke is able to call on Morr to remove it. Landolf feels like he's just been dunked in an icy pool but that sensation passes quickly and like that the spores that had invaded his lungs are destroyed.
"I am sorry, Father. I had no idea..." Landolf fails to find tge words to describe what he had just learned. The world was far more fearsome than he had known. Even knowing that they had entered the basement in search of a vampire, this had still seemed like an investigation...not entirely unlike the troll hunt. Now, the fetid confines seemed like a nightmare made flesh. He felt ill.
[dice=Toughness (Endurance) 33]1d100
[dice=Toughnees (Endurance) reroll 33]1d100
Round 5 of the Basement Search
Turning a corner you come face to face with a whip-thin woman in her early 20s, 5’4”, with shoulder-length, straight, chestnut-brown hair who seems to be hunting rats. She hold half a dozen by their tails. Her skin is alabaster white and her eyes seem to have a reddish glow. She is dressed in expensive blue servant’s clothes turned to rags, blackened by dried blood and filth.
She screams in terror and surprise, and scrambles up one of the maze walls and flees.
Round 6 of the Basement Search
The Vampire’s Lair
The vampire's lair is hidden against one wall in the twisting labyrinth that is the basement of the Spittlefeld Tenement Building. She has a small, broken, polished mirror, and a large stash of candles (though no way to light them, nor need to use them in the dark). Her bed is a pile of soiled and bloody bed sheets, stolen from some of her victims. In
one corner are broken and grime-coated cooking utensils, set up in a mockery of a fine noble kitchen.
Combat!
Roll for Initiative
The vampire moves so quickly that she's almost a blur as she leaps forward to attack.
The elderly priest begins to call upon Morr to strike down the vampire.
[dice=Initiative]1d10+35
Just having it somewhere visible would have a negative impact on the vampire's attack. Presenting it forcefully as an Action give a high likelihood of causing the vampire to recoil from you but you lose your chance to attack.
Round 1 Combat
Initiative Order
Vampire
Characters
Priest
The vampire charges from her position in the corner to attack the one she has instinctively identified as the biggest threat, Father Bürke. She lashes out at him with her razor sharp claws.
Failure with SL -3
Failure with SL -2
The elderly priest is much spryer than you would expect by just looking at him. He manages to dodge the claws that are attempting to rip out his eyes.
However, the vampire has more than one weapon at her disposal and she attempts to rip the Father's body apart with the fangs that have grown in her mouth.
Failure with SL -4 (-1 SL because of the Black Rose)
Success with SL +3
Again the priest demonstrates that faith in Morr and years of training in dealing with the undead is all the defense he needs. The vampire screams in rage and fear as she is unable to hurt the old man.
Father Bürke now has +2 Advantage
"Morr protects," Father Bürke shouts.
Despite Father Bürke's success, the waves of evil that radiate from the vampire make it difficult for the rest of you to face her.
With hammer held up high Valghaz charged the vampire!
SL 2
SL 3 (4 with charge, 5 with advantage from priest?[/ooc]
”Ancestors watch!” He roared as he came in, as if though the louder he was the more likely they would hear.
With hammer held up high Valghaz charged the vampire!
dice=Cool 50]1d100 SL 2
dice=Attack 50]1d100 SL 3 (4 with charge, 5 with advantage from priest?[/ooc]
”Ancestors watch!” He roared as he came in, as if though the louder he was the more likely they would hear.
Vampire's defense is a success with SL +1 because the vampire is -1 for the Black Rose holy symbol.
Since it is a critical hit, need to reroll for hit location.
Which is Left Arm.
Regular Damage To Left Arm = SB + Weapon Bonus + Resolute Bonus + SL difference - toughness - armor which is 4 + 4 + 1 + 2 - 4 - 0 (no armor) = 7 wounds inflicted for the regular part of the hit
Which is a minor cut so 1 additional wound and acquired Bleeding 1 condition
Total from Valghaz is 8 wounds inflicted + Bleeding
Valghaz has chopped off a ruffians arm with a shovel (A FRICKING SHOVEL!), raced into a burning building to save the inhabitants, helped crush a River troll and ignored the effects of a major evil artifact all in the last couple of week. There was no way a small female human vampire was going to scare him. Hammer firmly in control, he smashes it into the arm of vampire causing her blood to begin to flow freely and driving her back from the priest.
[dice=Cool:30]1d100
Yes and next round if you get another SL +1 you are no longer afraid for the rest of the encounter
Yes, the first was for Fear and the second is to withstand the Corruption caused by being in the presence of such an evil thing.
Too horrified to charge in at the vampire alongside Valghaz, Landolf nevertheless manages to maintain control of his soul. Too shaken to charge in, he looked about for anything else he could do to help.
[dice=Cool vs Fear 30]1d100
[dice=Cool vs Fear 30]1d100[dice=Cool vs Corruption 30]1d100
[dice=Cool vs Corruption 30]1d100Too horrified to charge in at the vampire alongside Valghaz, Landolf nevertheless manages to maintain control of his soul. Too shaken to charge in, he looked about for anything else he could do to help.
[dice=Initiative (Intuition) to gain Advantage 35]1d100
[dice=Cool vs fear (42)]1d100
[dice=Cool vs Corruption (42)]1d100
[dice=Cool vs Corruption, Fortune re roll (42)]1d100
[dice=Attack (62)]1d100
[dice=Defense (62]1d100
Ruprecht quails in the face of the Vampire, but continues on with the others as the corner it in its fetid lair.
When it attack the Priest, he is immobilized by Fear, seeing it's ferocity up close...
... his mind careens here and there, the unimaginable become reality before his very eyes.
Despite his Fear, he resolves to do something. Brandishing the black rose he stands beside the Priest, hoping to protect him enough to complete his Prayer...but not advancing any closer to the horrible Undead.
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Success with a SL +0
Is it the Army training, the success against the troll, the brotherhood Adelaida is developing with Valghaz or something else...whatever it is, Adelaida is able to suppress the fear caused by the vampire and move forward, silver dagger stabbing to attack the horrible monster. The vampire, concentrating on the priest and distracted by the dwarf, is unable to defend herself and Adelaida buries the silver dagger in the side of blood-sucker. An ear-piercing scream fills the air as the vampire feels the silver burning into her.
Total Wounds Inflicted = 15
I got stuck into a damned troll! I will make this vampire rue meeting Talther Augenlos!
Talther advances without hesitation, rungo in hand, and swings at the undead monster's cranium!
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dice=Cool vs Fear 45]1d100
dice=Cool vs Corruption 45]1d100
I got stuck into a damned troll! I will make this vampire rue meeting Talther Augenlos!
Talther advances without hesitation, rungo in hand, and swings at the undead monster's cranium!
dice=Called Shot to Head with Melee Basic and Strike to Stun 40]1d100
dice=Opposed Strength 32 vs Endurance test]1d100
Corrected Total Wounds Inflicted = 17
Success with SL -1
99 is an Automatic Failure so vampire did not resist being stunned.
The vampire had never dealt with armed opponents as she had always struck from the shadows at the weak, the small, the unprepared. She also had never had multiple foes attack from every direction. Her speed had given her the first chance to ravish her opponents but the old man in black had done what had never been done before and easily dodged her attacks. Then those Black Roses...everyone showing those Black Roses...the sight of the symbol of Morr had distracted and dismayed the vampire. Finally, the dwarf with the hammer then the women with the horrid silver dagger and then the man with the club had swarmed her battering her into submission.
Collapsed on the ground, stunned, she heard a voice seemingly from far away saying "Now for the stake", then the searing pain and then finally a release from the curse of undeath and overwhelming hunger. The vampire was no more.
With the deed done, Valghaz looked at the corpse with grim satisfaction.
”Well, priest. Thank ye. First, for taking us seriously. I’ve seen how few here do so when danger is reported. Even now, without yer word, our leadership would laugh this off. And secondly, for yer courage. Without ye, there’d be many more dead at the hands of this filth. Ye held that beast off with the skill of a Templar of Gazul. Now, I’m dead tired. But we still have this book to deal with. And I for one don’t plan to sit idle while such a cursed tome exists.”
Landolf found himself unable to do little but watch as the rest of the Watch tore the vampire apart, followed by a none-too-solemn staking. The fear that had gripped his heart so tightly only moments before subsided, but in its place he found doubt.
What had he done to help? Nothing. His only real act in the tenement basement was to open that box: an unfortunate, foolish mistake. Then, when danger arrived and he could have acted in earnest, he froze up. What could he make of himself with this?
Still, relief. Somehow, they had once again survived a terrible monster. Even if his friends did all the fighting, he could take solace in that much. Another morning.
"Thank you father. Let us leave this place."
"Dead tired", really, Brother? To a priest of Morr, after defeating a vampire? Amusing choice of words...
says Adelaida with a grim smile. She looks at the now dead vampire
"Stalked and staked."That's a good one too.If the humor is bad, we've nonetheless did a really good deed, and we couldn't have done without you, Father, and the help of your god.
Given that Reikspel was a second language, it took Valghaz a moment to get what Adelaida was saying. But when it registered his smiled and shook his head, seeing the humor.
"We did it! We hunted down and slayed a vampire in but one one night! Father Bürke, you have my sincere thanks for your aid and understanding."
Ruprecht's hand holding out the black Rose of Morr slowly sinks as his comrades swarm the Vampire-girl, beating it down and the Priest moves forward to dispatch the undead monster into its well deserved oblivion.
He gasps as the terrible Fear that had gripped him leaves with a rush, leaving relief and shame in equal measure.
"I am glad to have you all here, especially you Father Burke, for anyone else would not have achieved so much!" he declares emphatically.
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[vs spores]
Initiative
"I cast Magick Missile (dart) and attack the darkness!"
"Herr Dwarf, meine friends, you have down a great thing today and you can justifiable be proud of yourselves. The Cult of Morr is in your debt. I shall draft a letter for each of you commending you on your actions and requesting any Shrine of Morr to provide whatever assistance to you that they can. Well done." Father Bürke shakes hands with each of you. "Remember Morr Protects!
Bürke gives a sad shake of his head. "Meine friends, our work is not done. We need to search through the vampire's belongings so that the Witch Hunters can find her progenitor. We must then take the body, remove the head and expose the rest to sunlight. But that cannot be done in public. It will need to be done by the Witch Hunters in Sigmar's Temple. We will need to cover the body in one of your cloaks to hide it from view."
Once the search is complete, Father Bürke gathers you all together again."Herr Dwarf, please carry the box for me, Adelaida and Landolf, you look to be the strongest so you must carry the body, and the rest of you must accompany us to the High Temple of Sigmar. We must report what has transpired and deliver the artifact and the vampire." If you wish to do anything else before going to the Temple, Bürke is very insistent that the Temple must be visited first.
The High Temple of Sigmar
The High Temple of Sigmar, the Empire’s patron god, was the first building rebuilt on the orders of Magnus the Pious after the old one was levelled by Greenskins during the Great War Against Chaos. It is the largest temple in town, dwarfing those in other quarters. The facade is lined with pillars, and the temple itself can hold hundreds of worshippers. It is located in the Marktplatz.
Your early morning march through Ubersreik draws many stares and whispered comments but the stern visage of Father Bürke is enough to keep the onlookers at bay. Even fellow members of the Watch are intimidated by the glare on his face and keep their distance.
Bürke's arrival at the Temple of Sigmar kicks off a hornet's nest of activity. Initiates are sent to bring the high priest, the Witch-Hunter Captain Freling, and the head of the local Order of the Silver Hammer Warrior Priests, Father Grunthal. You all quickly find yourself gathered together in the anteroom of the private chambers of Father Gunther Emming, the High Priest. A stern looking man in his 50s with thinning silver hair, Emming is famed for the severity of his sermons, and the sobriety of his demeanour. Though not unkind, he laces even his praise and comforting words with dire warnings of the consequences of vice.
You are relieved of your burdens and told to wait whilst Father Burke confers with Emming, Freling and Grunthal. You cool your heels for over an hour waiting for the meeting to finish. At several points, you hear angry shouting coming from Emming's chambers. Finally Father Bürke exits the chamber alone and with a sad look on his face says,"you have an unpleasant day in front of you meine friends. You will each have to be interrogated by the Witch-Hunter and his entourage to make sure that your souls are not contaminated by your incursion in the Spittlefeld. I have vigoursly explained to my esteemed," Bürke's face twists into a sneer of disgust, "colleagues that you exhibited nothing but bravery and honor in the best tradition of the Empire this morning. Unfortunately, it is the duty of the Witch-Hunters to uncover corruption and Herr Freling is nothing if not enthusiastic about his duties. Remember, tell the truth, keep your temper and once this is over come to visit me at the Shrine and I'll have your letters prepared and also tokens of Morr's gratitude. Remember Morr Protects." With that Father Bürke takes his leave.
Each of you are then called individually to enter Emming's chambers. You find yourself confronted by all three of the most powerful members of Sigmar's cult in Ubersreik. They sit at a table and face you. There is no chair for you, as you are expected to stand at attention while being questioned. Standing behind the men are six Witch-Hunters, all heavily armed, with pistols held ready in their hands. In addition six Temple Guards carrying two-handed hammers guard the exits of the room.
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Valghaz was so relieved to not have died that he was *completely* oblivious to his surroundings. If another vampire was in front of him he likely wouldn’t have noticed. He went with the priest in something of a haze, though the sight of a crowd forming to see them was becoming more common.
When they got to the hive of witch hunters he was relieved, for he wanted nothing more than to be rid of the horrid tome in his possession. He didn’t know much about them, just that they were the umgi way of dealing with chaos. So in his mind they were the good guys, and any worry shown by the others was chalked up to being mere fatigue.
This belief was born out when he was called in. To his pleasant surprise the High Priest spoke flawless Khazalid. Completley at ease, he was as open and forthright with the High Priest as possible, showing the man all due respect as an ancestreal ally. The lunch was a nice touch, and truly showed the hospitality of the Cult of Sigmar. He left quite impressed with the religious orders of the Empire.