That's it. Before, it was money or maybe a beating. But this matters. Time to act.
Landolf wasn't sure whether he thought the words or whether it was a feeling in his gut, but he was already running toward the fire.
"Alright you lot!" he yells out at the milling crowd. "Stop standing around. Get some buckets and form a line! We have a fire to put out!"
Like Klumpenklug says, Talther brings a lantern, preferably one from the watch armoury, filled with oil from the same.
He's wary. Night patrols must be significantly more dangerous.
*********************
Talther is glad of a quiet night patrol with no trouble.
Then, the night gets all too interesting.
Fire! Damn the Sergeant, I'm not letting this lot watch the place burn!
Talther makes as if he didn't hear Klumpenklug and moves towards the large group, shouting:
"DON'T JUST WATCH! YOU, GET BUCKETS! YOU, FORM A CHAIN! GET WATER ON THAT BLAZE, CHOP, CHOP!"
Valghaz thought back to Adelaida’s question. What was a milk drinker? Literally it was a baby. Someone so young that they still drank their mother’s milk. Figuratively, it was someone who was weak. Useless. Someone you couldn’t rely on to swing an axe. And at that moment Valghaz said to himself that he was not a milk drinker!
The dwarf charged at the flaming building, heading straight inside. He heard people calling for help, and it was his *duty* to do so. And he’d be damned if he didn’t do his duty. Luckily for him, he was naturally low to the ground, and was strong enough to force his way through most obstructions. He was determined to make his way in, and get out whomever he could.
That's it. Before, it was money or maybe a beating. But this matters. Time to act.
Landolf wasn't sure whether he thought the words or whether it was a feeling in his gut, but he was already running toward the fire.
"Alright you lot!" he yells out at the milling crowd. "Stop standing around. Get some buckets and form a line! We have a fire to put out!"
[dice=Leadership 41]1d100
[dice=Leadership 41]1d100
Talther moves to help Landolf get the water bucket brigade going.
Landolf and Tanner soon have the bystanders organized and buckets of water are being thrown onto the fire, one after another after another.
[dice=Whatever test is appropriate]1d100
Valghaz thought back to Adelaida’s question. What was a milk drinker? Literally it was a baby. Someone so young that they still drank their mother’s milk. Figuratively, it was someone who was weak. Useless. Someone you couldn’t rely on to swing an axe. And at that moment Valghaz said to himself that he was not a milk drinker!
The dwarf charged at the flaming building, heading straight inside. He heard people calling for help, and it was his *duty* to do so. And he’d be damned if he didn’t do his duty. Luckily for him, he was naturally low to the ground, and was strong enough to force his way through most obstructions. He was determined to make his way in, and get out whomever he could.
Valghaz shows not an ounce of hesitation as he hurdles flaming boards to enter the burning tenement building. Almost immediately, he is showered with blazing debris which he dodges the best he can.
Ablaze or not, Valghaz grabs a woman, tosses her out the window to safety and then grabs two screaming children and dashes back outside with them.
Meanwhile, Klumpenklug doesn’t stop make any move to stop you, but neither does he pitch in. He soon acquires a mug of ale and calmly drinks it while watching events from the side-lines.
Landolf does his best to ignore Klumpenklug's show on the sidelines. He doesn't expect anything more from the man.
Landolf does his best to ignore Klumpenklug's show on the sidelines. He doesn't expect anything more from the man.
Landolf hears more screaming coming from inside the tenement.
Landolf dashes to the door but is unable to find a safe way through the flames.
Talther hears the cries.
Here it goes!
At the last second, self-preservation instincts kick in hard and Talther stops short of entering.
ARGH!
No being particularly brave...or agile...Ruprecht forgoes dashing into the burning building, instead assisting in the bucket chain as well as he can...
Adelaida sense of duty wants to get her inside the house, to save people and watch the dwarf's back as promised.
But the fear of fire stops her in her tracks at first, as she loses a few precious seconds trying to muster her courage
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Seeing Valghaz already saving lives, and Landolf, Ruprecht, and Adelaida also getting into the fray, Talther stops hesitating.
Get on with it!
He rushes inside...
You talked brave when this started. What is your problem? Do it!
Still struggling not to cringe, Landolf dove into the flames to search for those still inside. The inferno was surprisingly dark as he struggled to continue his search and avoid the perilous flames.
Encouraged to be a hero by his squad mates egging each other on, Talther rushes into the burning tenement. He soaks his cloak in one of the buckets of water and uses it to shield himself from falling embers. Talther then gracefully hurdles up the stairs two at a time to the second floor, leaps a hole where part of the floor has collapsed and dashes into a room where screams of help are coming from. He finds a man coughing and gasping for air trying to to extinguish a fire burning on his sleeve. The sickly smell of burnt flesh wafts through the air.
Talther wraps the man in his wet cloak and holding the man over his shoulder retraces his steps, barely making the leap over the collapsed floor before rushing down the stairs and back outside with the man he has saved. Despite his burnt arm and his hacking non-stop coughing the man immediately joins the bucket brigade.
More cries for help can be heard coming from the tenement.
Fired up by success, Talther goes back in, determined to reach the basement!
Still struggling not to cringe, Landolf dove into the flames to search for those still inside. The inferno was surprisingly dark as he struggled to continue his search and avoid the perilous flames.
=Agility (Athletics) 39 + 20]1d100
Landolf follows Talther into the tenement and dashes towards the back of the tenement. He stumbles over something in the dark and smoke and falls to his knees into burning debris which set his clothes on fire.
Landolf is able to beat out the worst of the fire on his garments so only is slightly injured and he realizes the obstacle that he stumbled over is an unconscious girl. He struggles to his feet and grabs the girl and rushes out of the building. Dumping the girl safely outside of the building, Landolf tries to extinguish his smoldering clothing.
Seeing Landolf emerge with the girl, his clothes aflame, Ruprecht takes his bucket he empties it over his fellow Watch- mate.
Seeing his comrades risking their lives, Valghaz doused his beard in water and charged back in!
Immediately he began to cough as the smoke filled his lungs. His eyes stung and for a moment he couldn’t see. But pure stubbornness forced him onward. He refused to give up. This was his duty. This was what his oath demanded. Step by step he went in, until he was charging towards those trapped inside.
Seeing Landolf emerge with the girl, his clothes aflame, Ruprecht takes his bucket he empties it over his fellow Watch- mate.
Covered in water, Landolf rolls around on the ground and manages to put out the flames.
Fired up by success, Talther goes back in, determined to reach the basement!
[dice=Cool (with Marienburger Courage!) 62 before any Egg you on bonuses]1d100
[dice=Athletics with watering bonus 61]1d100
[dice=Fortune Reroll on Athletics with watering bonus 61]1d100
Talther dances and dodges his way around obstacles until he finds the stairs down into the basement. He discovers that a couple that has taken refuge in the basement and have become overwhelmed by the smoke and heat. He’s able to get the girl over his shoulder and manages to climb and clamber and stagger his way back out the door.
[dice=Cool]1d100-46-10
Seeing his comrades risking their lives, Valghaz doused his beard in water and charged back in!
[dice=Athletics]1d100-20-20
[dice=Fortune Athletics]1d100-20-20
Immediately he began to cough as the smoke filled his lungs. His eyes stung and for a moment he couldn’t see. But pure stubbornness forced him onward. He refused to give up. This was his duty. This was what his oath demanded. Step by step he went in, until he was charging towards those trapped inside.
Valghaz makes his way into the burning building one more time and searches upstairs and doesn’t find anyone. With the tenement beginning to collapse around him, he does a final check of the basement and finds the man that Talther had to leave behind a moment before. The dwarf picks up the full grown man as easily as most people would pick up a small child and bounds as quickly as he can up the stairs and out the door. He makes it just in time as with a great roar the second story of the tenement comes crashing down and carrying the ground floor with it collapses into the basement.
As Talther reaches the relative cool of the outside, he calls:
"*KAF* - There's still a man in the basement! Ah, sterling work, Valghaz!"
Seeing the man saved and the building collapsed, Talther seizes a bucket and helps to throw water first over anyone still aflame, then onto the blaze to contain it.
"Keep it from spreading!"
As Talther reaches the relative cool of the outside, he calls:
"*KAF* - There's still a man in the basement! Ah, sterling work, Valghaz!"
Seeing the man saved and the building collapsed, Talther seizes a bucket and helps to throw water first over anyone still aflame, then onto the blaze to contain it.
"Keep it from spreading!"
[dice=Leadership to make the firefighting efforts more efficient 37]1d100
Because of (or in spite of) Talther’s leadership the fire is gradually brought under control. The man with the badly burned arm that Talther saved earlier leads over a group of survivors to thank the Watch.
”Name’s Narbe Ditwin. We owe you our lives and our thanks. We have no money but we will let the poor know that at least some of the Watch cares about folks that don’t live up the Hill.”
Talther happily offers his hand to shake Narbe's other hand, the less-scorched one. He takes no offense if the injured man does not accept that.
"Talther Augenlos. Happy that we could be of help, Narbe!"
He then looks around at his watch squad.
"Is everyone else hale? We still have our patrol to finish."
Valghaz glared daggers at their sergeant who hadn’t deigned to help at all. The man was a corrupt coward. The dwarf despised him, but didn’t know what to do about the situation. That, and he was too tired at the moment to think of any appropriate actions. ”Aye. ‘Spose yer right. Just give me a moment to wipe the soot off.”
The sky is lightening in the East by the time the fire is contained. Sergeant Klumpenklug saunters over to you all.
”Are we done fooling around? I should write you all up for wasting so much time that we couldn’t finish our patrol. Lucky for you slugs, I like you so the Cap won’t here bout it...this time. Head on up the hill to the barracks and get everything squared away. Though you louts don’t deserve it, it is payday so I’ll see you soon.”
Around noon, the Sergeant calls you all together in your barracks. ”Alright slugs, come get your pay. Three shiny brass pennies apiece. And for Ruprecht, Talther and Landolf, here’s a little bonus from the Dockers Guild.” Klumpenklug hands each of the three a gold piece. ”Good work you three. You’re starting to understand how the Watch functions.”
Talther had been quickly mulling over a retort about earning the Watch some kudos with the locals. But with Klumpenklug's attitude, such words would more likely get the squad into trouble with the reprehensible Sergeant.
He takes the gold with a smile on his face and eagerness in his heart.
Though Klumpenklug might not appreciate what he is eager for.
"Cheers, Rudi. Time to have a good day!"
Out of earshot of anyone else, Talther softly says:
"I suggest that we get out of watch gear, wash as necessary, and find a tavern with no dockers. We need to talk about this week and soon."
"See you later Sarge!" Landolf calls out.
Following Talther's suggestion, Landolf looks at his sovereign in disgust. "More money than I've ever had and I don't even want it," he growls under his breath.
"But it gives me an idea. Let's meet at the Red Moon Inn. This shiny is enough to buy us a decent drink I wager, and we can get a private booth. I'd like to get to know all of you better."
Absent objections, Landolf departs to clean up.
Once the sergeant was gone, Valghaz looked at his companions with a look somewhere between distrust and disgust. ”Shiny coins there. So, how does the watch work that such a bonus is warranted?”
"The same way all of it happens," Landolf replied dejectedly. "I heard about a break-in going down tgat first night on patrol. Told Sarge about it and we rushed off to the scene."
Lowering his voice, Landolf hissed. "Turns out he just wanted to make sure he got his cut of the action. Ordered us to leave it be."
Landolf shoved the coin in his pocket, feeling dirty and offended at the same time. It shows why this sort of thing happens though. It would take more than a year of normal wages for a Watchman to make this much.
"I have an idea where this thing is going. The rest we can discuss later."
”I see. Aye. We should talk about this. Let’s find someplace where we won’t be overheard.” He responded, thoughtfully.
Talther does not wish to add anything about the week, at least not here.
"The Sergeant did not express affection for the Red Moon Inn. We should go there as Landolf suggested.."
You don't have to accept that dirty money. The Sarge would be happy you refuse, anyway, cause it means more coins in his pockets, but at least you won't be corrupted, you'll be honest. You will have my full support if you refuse. We just proved we could do great things together, by teamwork. If no one of us accept bribery, we will be stronger, we will show unity, and loyalty to the Empire. If we follow the sergeant's path, the only thing that distinguish us from regular thieves is that we are wearing an uniform.
She turns to the dwarf
You were very brave, tonight, rushing in that house on fire. Braver that I was. I tried to follow you, to watch your back, but lost sight of you in the smoke. Sorry about that, I failed to honor my word
Landolf spins to face Adelaida, clearly annoyed. "No. Absolutely not. That coin is staying in my pocket, and I'll tell you why..." He steps up to the soldier, getting in her face.
"It's about trust. Every one of us is up a creek without a paddle, and we need all the help we can get. But if you want to blather on about that cursed Mark--if that's all it takes to break you, I don't want you around. I've had two of you up in my face about the blasted thing already, and I haven't held it for more than two minutes."
"If you can't trust me any more than that, don't even show up to the Red Moon Inn. I don't want you there. You can go scream your perfect virtues at the sky for all I care. Go ahead and work your three years for Sarge."
"But if you do show up, I'll promise you this. You'll see that coin again and I'll tell you what I plan to do with it. Then you can decide what you think of me. Soldier."
Landolf turns again and leaves to go clean up.
I just wanted to give my point of view, and you are entitled to give me yours. I'll go to the tavern, and hear what you have to say. It's the least I can do.
Talther raises an eyebrow when Adelaida praises the dwarf - a worthy fellow in himself - but leaves out himself and Landolf's work.
Ack, we shall hash this all out shortly. No point in seeing slights where none are likely intended.
"Less talk here. Let's go, those of us who are going. Which I hope is all of us."
tHe red Moon inn
The two-storey Red Moon Inn primarily caters to boatmen plying their trade up and down the Teufel. It’s the cleanest of the dock-side hostels, though still somewhat shabby. The lower floor is built from solid stone and includes a large drinking hall, common room, and small kitchen. The upper floor is timber and lathe and contains the inn’s private rooms, and a room for the owner. The main drinking hall has a row of quiet booths all slung with heavy curtains and tattered linen to provide a little privacy.
Franz Lohner owns and runs the inn. A no-nonsense Mercenary- done-good, Lohner is a slightly overweight, dishevelled man in his 40s. He employs Ilse Frecht, a matronly woman in her 50s, to clean rooms and wait tables. Gunter Bisset works in the kitchens, cooking dinner, and two younger lads to help serve during busier times. All Bisset ever produces is potato and fish stew. A wholesome meal, but one that doesn’t make the best breakfast in the morning when served as cold leftovers.
All conversations stop and the entire tavern looks at you silently for a long second and then slowly and steadily the clapping and whistling starts. ’Well done you lot!’ ‘That’s what the Watch is supposed to stand for!’ Heroes! I need more ale!” are just some of what you hear yelled as you come in.
Franz comes over himself and shows you to a booth. ”Heroes drink for free tonight,” he tells you.
Talther is a little taken aback that the group has been recognised already but then thinks:
Of course we're being recognised, even out of uniform! We're just that much better than the rest of the usual scum in the watch!
With a cheerful grin, Talther revels in the praise, making thankful quips, shaking hands and clapping backs as necessary. Seizing a solid stein of ale is a priority too.
"Talther Augenlos. Many thanks, Franz!"
He does make a point of seeking out the most private booth available, claiming to need to relax and talk for a bit with his worthy colleagues.
*************
Once there is a bit of privacy...
"We need to talk about the Sergeant and his ways. One week, and I do not want to spend three years under that corrupt and ineffectual excuse for a watchman. We need to clear our names or get him booted out. Preferably both. Who's with me?"
When the crowd cheers for them, Landolf takes a bow but then rises and extends a hand toward Valghaz. "Let's hear it for the master dwarf! The first to run into the flames! Valghaz Ironhammer!"
As the group is seated, Landolf thanks Franz. "We'll thank you for those drinks, sir. And a meal for six!" he says as he puts out three shillings. "We've had a rough go of it this week. If the place isn't busy tonight, we'd appreciate just a bit of extra space around our table."
As the group is seated, he turns to them. "It's been quite the week: perhaps we should start with some formal introductions. I don't think we ever made those."
"My name is Landolf Gersun von Ubersreik. My family's estate is up Grey Lady Pass, but we're a fairly minor family. It's hard to know if you'd have heard of us at all. I'm the sixth of eight brothers, so staying at home with the rest...wasn't really an option. My sister Alrun married some chap down in Altdorf recently, and I took the opportunity to bid my family farewell. I hope to enlist with the Imperial Navy with all of this is over, and was on my way through the market to find work down at the Docks district when the recent craziness took place. I guess I found work after all..."
*
Landolf gives his assent to Talther's suggestion. "Aye. I have no intention of living under Klumpenklug for three years. If this goes on for too long, who knows if I'll end up just like that cretin."
Talther sups fine ale as he listens to Landolf but cannot recall anything else that he's heard about the man.
He then adds his own voice.
"I'm Talther Augenlos. My family have long been courtiers of middling position, serving nobles and merchant houses. The day that we all met, I had just left the employ of the Aschaffenberg family, based between the south bank of the Teufel and the Blitzfelsen Hills. For I do not just wish to serve cosseted nobles all my days - no offense, Landolf! I want to make something of myself, to become a man of importance in my own right."
He takes a swig.
"I was not joking when I told the judge my intention to make what I could of this sentence. My plan was to do well in the watch and find a way to raise my station within it, or through contacts I made in it. The captain seemed promising as a leader, she is from a military family."
Wiping his mouth, Talther continues, doing his best to keep his angry words at a low volume.
"But the sergeant revolts me. He revolts me even more in that he holds power of life or death over us. Do *not* forget that, because he certainly won't! So I played along, as best I could, get on his good side and try to do my duty as best I could. But as Landolf said, all he's interested in is his cut. Saving the lower-classes from a burning building isn't profitable for him, so it's a waste of time in his eyes. I do *not* want to be under the boot of that man for three more days, let alone three years!"
When the crowd cheers for them, Landolf takes a bow but then rises and extends a hand toward Valghaz. "Let's hear it for the master dwarf! The first to run into the flames! Valghaz Ironhammer!"
As the group is seated, Landolf thanks Franz. "We'll thank you for those drinks, sir. And a meal for six!" he says as he puts out three shillings. "We've had a rough go of it this week. If the place isn't busy tonight, we'd appreciate just a bit of extra space around our table."
** spoiler omitted **
As the group is seated, he turns to them. "It's been quite the week: perhaps we should start with some formal introductions. I don't think we ever made those."
"My name is Landolf Gersun von Ubersreik. My family's estate is up Grey Lady Pass, but we're a fairly minor family. It's hard to know if you'd have heard of us at all. I'm the sixth of eight brothers, so staying at home with the rest...wasn't really an option. My sister Alrun married some chap down in Altdorf recently, and I took the opportunity to bid my family farewell. I hope to enlist with the Imperial Navy with all of this is over, and was on my way through the market to find work down at the Docks district when the recent craziness took place. I guess I found work after all..."
** spoiler omitted **...
Franz is happy to give the heroes the back booth.
Valghaz remained quiet, except for accepting the free drinks with good grace. He wasn’t comfortable with all of the praise he was getting. Logically he knew that charging into the burning building was the right thing to do, but he only did it because it was what was expected of him. It was a simple way to lead his life. What would the ancestors do? Figure that out and the rest was easy. Adelaida seemed to get it.
”Nay worries lass. Fire’s a foe that can’t be fought with axe or hammer. In fact, everyone here acted with honor last night.” He finally said, after listening to the others give proper introductions. ”So...what do we do? I think that it is well established that none of us wish to serve under a corrupt leader. I’d say go to the captain, but then again, what do I know? I’m just a miner who knows how to swing a pick. ‘Ain’t no noble or courtier or whatnot. Don’t know how the system works.”
I think I should apologies first, so, Landolf. I'm quite straitforward, I'm not one who uses lies and deception, I try to be honest and honorable, so I took your actions (pocketting some coins, cajoling the Sarge's ego..) at face value. I was wrong to do that. We don't know each other much, that's true, and it's easy to get the wrong impression. Those past few days have exerted quite an heavy toll on my mind, being wrongly accused, having to face a judge in a trial, and all that stuff about suddenly being thrusted in the Watch. The Sergeant is repulsive as a man, his morals are non-existent, and he isn't fit to be a leader, even less an example.