S5E14 tHR- Careful What You Look For

From the Beginning: https://rigglewwh.blogspot.com/2021/06/s0e1-introductions.html

PCs: Agnes (Duane), Mor (Bill), Gary (Matt), Katja (Geoff). The wizard and Ogre absent.

ReCap: The Gladbeich beast proved to be a wounded, mutated griffon that almost killed Gary and Katja. But it was skaven aiming long barreled Jezzial rifles that threatened the elf. Who scaled the sheer cliff to assault them and caused them to flee. They survived only because the elf low on arrows. The elf’s concern: did Baron Holzbek’s report of muffled explosion and minor avalanche have anything to do with the griffon’s sudden mutation? The elf focused on searching for the griffon’s nest and possible source of the explosion. “She could have young in her nest! I must try to help them.” They sent the young huntress home to report the demise of the beast that howled throughout the days.

To the Nest: As they studied the griffon’s wounds, they realized the spiral pattern cut around its shoulder was similar to that of the Unterfraus miner’s wounds. Agnes gathered wood for a pyre, “We must burn its carcass for concern scavenger beast become tainted by its possible warpstone-green infection.” Mor said prayers over the beast before they departed higher into the mountains in search of the nest. Mor warned, “Griffon are known to command hundreds of miles of territory. We may not find its nest but given its wounds and missing wing, I imagine the nest near as the beast probably crawled away. Those skaven probably hunted it for cruel intent, rather than tracking us.”

Katja’s dog ‘Snout’ picked up the skaven trail. Along the way, Gary mused, “The Emperor owns a griffon mount, Deathclaw. Maybe skaven attacked this griffon as a test of weapons to kill the Emperor’s mount.” Mor rankled at the thought of humans “owning” such noble beasts. And scowled even more at the thought of the skaven who killed such. He quickened his pace. And soon peered skyward at a couple of outcroppings in the mountain. His keen eyes saw branches that formed the outer edge of a nest. Without second thought or comment to his allies, he began to climb the sheer-faced cliffs and soon stood beside the nest.

Eggshells littered the floor of the nest under the mutilated bodies of two hatchlings. Obviously used for target practice by the skaven Jezzial teams. But under one body, he found an intact egg. Which he gently lowered over the edge on rope with it secured inside his cloak. Too far to hear his allies’ comments, but he was able to read Gary’s and Katja’s lips [yes, Read Lips skill] and see their expressions to know they saw it as treasure. At least the Shallya priestess showed honor toward the find as she offered to carry it in her magical sack, “Protection from being crushed as we travel.” They returned to Gladbeich where they were welcomed with celebration.

Unterfraus: Come morning, they rode on southeast to the mining town. The road wound between mountains and soon crested to reveal the town… deserted. Agnes’ calls for villagers answered with the distressed noises of animals. They rode faster and with caution, dismounting before a tavern with its window shudders ripped off and door hanging limp on one hinge. Inside: tables turned on their side as if a barrier/cover. Bloodstains that proved to still be tacky when then entered for closer search. No bodies. Just empty quivers and broken bows. And the unnerving stench of feces and urine. The usual smells of death struggles from fright or torture.

The nearby stable was a scene of slaughtered horses, cut with a dull blade. Behind it, cows roamed the fields, bellowing in pain from not being milked. The heroes entered the small Temple of Ulric and found its pews pushed aside, and desecration to tapestries and carvings of the symbolic wolf head emblem of Ulric. Most concerning was the headless body lashed down on the altar. The priestly garbs soaked in blood. Disemboweled and the head stuffed inside the gut!

Surprisingly, throughout their search, not one track left in the bloody pools. But when they came upon the barn (with its doors open and thus cows escaped), the inside reeked of death. Blood stained the hay floor. But it was the burlap sack found under the cart outside: filled with over 30 pairs of human eyes! Finally, sight of a single skaven print nearby. ‘Scout’ locked onto the scent of human tracks that shuffled south. Drag marks between the prints implied chains dragging. Obviously, blind men being led away towards what must be the mine entrance. And a single print of a LARGE rat! Another ogre-rat?

The Mine: The shuffling tracks led into the mine. An empty cart outside, sat on rails that disappeared into the opening. Gary lit the way with his magical gem mounted on his shield, Agnes at his side. The rails ended at a ‘Y’ branch. Indecision till flashes of green light drew them to the right down a narrower passage that required single file. They came upon an intersection. Momentary glimpse of red eyes in each passage that quickly disappeared. “If we move further, we could be blocked in.” Gary inched forward and paused as he stepped in a thin pool of water. Shining his light revealed it not water but still wet blood. “This way.” But when Agnes stepped forward, she felt a drip on her head which caused her to look up. Where she spotted an eyeless human lashed to the ceiling. Only his upper torso; his lower half cleaved away and missing. A sadistic message? Before entering further, Mor lay an animal trap in case the skaven behind followed.

The passage opened unto a wider cavern. Gary paused at the sight ahead. Surprise lost per his glowing stone, “Barrels of gunpowder set either side of the entrance. And there is a skaven further back inside holding a torch to what looks like a fuse, ready for us to enter their trap.” The skaven lit the fuse. Run away? They forged ahead with a plan: Gary entered to the left to remove the fuse stuck into those barrels, while Mor did the same with the barrels to the right. 

Gary forgot to mention the other skaven holding huge weapons that glowed green with a screw-like appendage (Warp Grinders!). As they readied their weapons, other skaven fired warp-pistols at Gary. The bullets bounced off his shield. Rat chittering echoed from the cavern. [If they knew the language, they would have realized why the grinders not fired yet, “You fool! Turn it on!”]

“Snap!” “Yeow!” Mor’s animal trap was sprung. A skaven’s leg caught as two tried to sneak up on Agnes and Katja. The trailing skaven stooped to gnaw at the other’s leg to free him. Meanwhile, Mor fired 2-swiftarrows at foe in front, before entering further into the cavern. Hoping to get too close for the grinder to be brought to bear. Gary fired his pistol and also closed. Katja loosed one bolt after another as she took down wounded skaven, to include their chieftain leader.

Leaderless, the skaven still continued the attack. Katja was able to kill one member of a skaven Warp-Grinder team, with Gary killing another. But the team facing Mor managed to severely wound his leg. [fumble on both Mor and the Grinder team] And another team aimed at the elf who blocked the warp-barrel skyward. “ZAP!” The mechanism fired into the ceiling causing a cave-in. The grinder team buried and dead. Mor also caught in the rubble: his quivers crushed (lost 2/3^rd  of his arrows). At least the rubble pile protected him from…

A skaven took aim at a gunpowder barrel behind their foe. “Blam!” “BOOM!” The barrel exploded and caused ignition of the other barrels. “BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!” The concussive force: knocked the heroes across the cavern, cleared the rubble layer off of the buried elf, outright killed skaven within range. To include the two behind Agnes in the narrow passage. Ears bled as the heroes lay motionless for minutes. Before groans and slow movement announced their living. Realization a cave-in separated their healer Agnes from the main party. Tense moments trying to dig an opening to allow Agnes to heal the dying elf [1HP left and corrupted].

“Press ON!”: Despite his grave wounds healed and loss of most arrows, Mor insisted they continue the fight. “We need to see what their plans are with the blinded and captured miners. More labor force to dig under the Brass Keep this far south?!” They followed the trail of the lone skaven who had fired the pistol and run. Deeper into the mines. And further into skaven clawed passages.

The passage widened to allow three-abreast. Another cavern where 6 skaven stood ready from the alarm. Five, considering one retreated for possible reinforcements. Gary fast-shot to drop one skaven as Mor fired an elf-arrow to take down another. Agnes and Katja fired arrow or bolt at their enemy. But that is also when the elf heard more skittering deeper into the cavern. The elf held his fire knowing his ammunition low. “This is but an advance party. The main force is just around the corner.” Indeed, a wall of skaven came into view. “RUN!”

Pursuit: No, Agnes did not hold back to cover the other’s retreat. It’s hard to retreat when weighed down with heavy armor. Only because the retreat passage narrow did the skaven hold back. A few charged forward to blast with pistols, then fall back to reload as others charged forward to fire. An ebb-and-flow as the priestess tossed one lit flask of oil after another to discourage hand-to-hand closure. The elf led the way out as they backtracked. Fortune him far ahead that his wrong passage discovered in time to backtrack to the real passage before the others arrived. Tense moments before they finally gained ground to exit the mine. Where they discovered a crate of dynamite to collapse the mine entrance to afford time to escape the area. Back to Gladbeich to pick up their prisoner before they journeyed back to Middenheim to collect bounty on their prisoner before reporting to princess Katarina.

Middenheim: Katarina handed them a scroll, “This is your charter asking the Karzsburdgers to allow you to investigate closer to the Brass Keep by order of the Todbringers. But bear in mind: this is from ME, not my father. Under no circumstance are you to promise anything. Cannot tie the Graf to any deal. We cannot afford to dispatch soldiers to the area as that might inflame war! You are to ask audience with Emmiline Karzsburdger. Be discrete on the subject of the keep. Many of the Karzsburdgers see us Todbringers as usurpers to the crown. At one time, THEY ruled as the Grafs.”

She continued by displaying a banner with the Karzsburdger heraldry, “You will know you are in their territory when you see this emblem.” 

Gary interrupted, “That’s the same heraldry we saw stamped on the barrels of gunpowder within the mine!” The conversation quickly turned to suspicions of traitors within the Karzs ranks. If not higher. Mor offered the possibility the gunpowder stolen. All matters to be discovered once in the Karzs realm. Agnes asked the caution to stamp the weapons to be delivered, “If THESE turn up in enemy hands, then there is chance proof of traitorous acts. But as appeasement to the Karzs, perhaps we should deliver a case of finest wine as a gift to throw off any suspicions toward us.”

Next Session: https://rigglewwh.blogspot.com/2022/11/s5e15-thr-march-of-zombies.html