On other hand, I'm not sure how mutants would take Markus since he is a Witch Hunter and they're feared for a reason. Aside Rikard who have a human reaction of disliking Witch Hunters because of what happened to his dad, these mutants would most likely attack first and ask questions later or never.
Unless the mutants have a bald guy on a wheelchair who can read minds or a handsome guy who can control metal leading them which Markus can negotiate with.
On other hand, I'm not sure how mutants would take Markus since he is a Witch Hunter and they're feared for a reason. Aside Rikard who have a human reaction of disliking Witch Hunters because of what happened to his dad, these mutants would most likely attack first and ask questions later or never.
Unless the mutants have a bald guy on a wheelchair who can read minds or a handsome guy who can control metal leading them which Markus can negotiate with.
I mean, these mutants do know that there's just been an edict that they're no longer 'kill on sight'. They are currently in an armed standoff with someone else, and if we open up with language that clearly notes that we are very much on board with 'You're no longer kill on sight' a Witch Hunter is a threat... but also an opportunity. Because if there's anyone who can walk you into town, say 'Hey there, I brought these good Imperial Citizens, whose killing would be murder under Imperial Law, here, I'm sure you people will treat them well' then it's a Witch Hunter.
And again, you might personally believe that the world is such that such a negotiation would be a fool's errand, and there's too many variables at play for us to argue that. But Maugan Ra had Markus consider 'negotiate with them' as a reasonable option. So in the Warhammer Fantasy, as it exists within the context of this quest in particular, we can assume that this negotiatiion is in fact a realistic choice. Because Markus is someone in the position to judge these things, and Maugan Ra is not someone who writes trap options.
For a moment or two you weigh your options, but in truth there is only one path that you can hope to live with yourself if you take. There are children down there, to say nothing of those innocents who may yet have a chance at returning to mankind's fold. You spared your brother from the pyre on grounds no firmer than this, so what right have you to condemn these people now?
"Stay here," you say to the others, rising to your feet with a sigh. Max cottons on immediately, Elvyra only a moment or two later.
"You have to be kidding," Max growls, looking at you as if you have suddenly grown a second head.
"I do not jest," you say flatly, unsurprised by the reaction but displeased all the same.
"Then you've lost your damn mind," the legbreaker barks, only remembering to quiet himself a moment later. He glances down the hill at the settlement below, then shakes his head in disgust. "Look at them!"
"Stay here, Max Ernst. That is an order," you say sharply, because now is not the time to weaken your own authority through debate, "You too, Elvyra. Stay here and watch. If this goes wrong, return to town and inform Josef, then the authorities."
"I'm not saying I don't sympathise, milord," Elvyra says cautiously, and it's a poor sign if she has remembered her manners, "But the law only bends so far, an' a wise man is one that knows not to push."
You nod grimly, well aware of the rather dubious legality of what you are about to attempt. "That may be so, yet if it were Liza down there, I trust you would at least hope for words attempted before swords were drawn."
Elvyra grimaces at that, but she cannot deny it, and while Max is clearly unhappy he does not look as if he is going to challenge you further. You nod to them both, then unsling your pack and pull out a spare shirt from one of the pockets. A few moments of searching turns up a suitable branch, and with the two tied roughly together you have something that passes for a flag of parlay. Using your makeshift flag as a walking stick, you start descending the slope and making your way through the forest towards the old mine and new encampment.
It is quiet in the forest today, the normal sounds of wind and wildlife distant and muted, and the walk long enough that you cannot avoid the direction of your own thoughts. You know you are doing the right thing here, you feel it in your heart, but how many others will agree? The mutants ahead of you are, one and all, either members of or allies to a cult that worships the dark gods. Even if they did not wish to be, or joined because they felt they had no other option, or resented their circumstances in some fashion, the overwhelmingly likely verdict from most priests you care to name would be one of damnation and immediate execution. You cannot even say with certainty that General Wälder would approve of your course, which makes you wonder… how much longer will you be fit to walk the path of the Witch Hunter, if this is where your heart leads? You push the thoughts aside for now, concentrating on the immediate perils you are likely to face, but you know such doubts will stay with you for a long time to come.
The mutants spot you immediately the moment you clear the treeline, and while some of them panic at the sight of you, the majority snap smoothly into a routine they have clearly practiced time and time again. Some run for the storehouses to gather what supplies they can, others grab the children and pull them to the back, and those fit enough to serve grab weapons and gather in groups before their kin. You have seen militia enact such drills a hundred times before, often under the leadership of Sigmarite priests, and you spare a thought to wonder how many of these people are practicing the same routines now as they once did in more wholesome times. Still, while spears are readied and arrows set to bows, none of the outcasts open fire or look keen to charge. The garb of a witch hunter is distinctive, but so too is the white flag you carry in your right hand, and the sheer incongruity you must present buys time enough for them to realise you are approaching alone. So they let you approach, and only when you draw within thirty paces or so does the scaled man with the crossbow step forward and raise a hand.
"That's close enough!" he yells, his voice made rough and bestial by the bony plates covering his neck and shoulders, his yellow eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"I am Markus von Bruner of the Holy Orders," you call out in reply, planting your improvised flag in the soft earth and letting it list slightly to the side as you release it and step away, "Who speaks for you?"
The reptilian looking crossbowman opens his mouth to reply, but before he can do so the unnaturally skinny man you saw arguing with him earlier steps forwards. "I am Rolf. This is Knud. You will speak with us both."
Knud shoots his comrade a filthy look but seems unwilling to challenge the claim before an outsider. "Aye, what the man said. Now, what are…" he begins, before taking another look at you and taking half a step back in shock, "Wait, I know you. You're dead! I put a bolt in you myself!"
You blink at that, entirely wrongfooted, before the evident recognition provides enough of a trigger to make the pieces click together at last. "You were the bandit on the Altdorf road, then? One of the ones who ambushed that coach."
"Aye, I was," Knud shakes his head, lowering his crossbow and looking to the others, "Stand down, you lot. He's not a hunter, he's Purple Hand."
Markus makes an Average (+20) Lore (Chaos) test! Skill is 55, roll is 21, clear success.
That is not a name you were expecting to hear, but given the context it is easy enough to dredge back through your memories and recall the briefings you once received as part of your training. The Purple Hand are another chaos cult, one dedicated to the same foul deity as the Red Crown but far more concerned with subverting the existing power structures of the Empire than creating their own external organisation. The two approaches would seem naturally complementary, but as the ambush on the road demonstrates, the two cults seem to despise each other.
Another man would make use of this, would be happy to be identified as a prospective ally in darkness if it meant that he could open the ears of his audience to the proposals he brought. You are not that man.
"I am not Purple Hand," you say clearly, pitching your voice to carry just as your old tutors showed you, "You have been confused for another, a man who looks very much like me, but I am not Kastor Lieberung. I am Markus von Bruner, and I am a Templar of Sigmar."
The mutants hesitate at that, casting each other doubtful looks as they try to decide whether they should keep their weapons levelled or not. Knud just snorts, shaking his head. "Come off it. Templars don't come under flags of truce."
"Most do not," you agree, "But as you can see, I am. I am here under the flag of truce because I believe there is a path forward that we might all walk side by side, and where such a path exists Sigmar commands that we find it."
Markus tests Charm! Difficulty is Hard (-20), skill is 35. Roll is 43, bare failure.
One or two amid the watching crowd look hopeful at that, but all too many have chosen to harden their hearts in the name of survival and yet look upon you with suspicion and hostility. Knud is among them, for after a moment he turns and nods to the other warriors.
"You two, check the perimeter," he growls, indicating a stumpy fellow with three arms and a dog-like woman with long floppy ears, "Make sure there's nobody sneaking up on us while this ponce acts as a distraction."
The two warriors salute briskly and hurry off, spreading a wave of worried murmurs in their wake, but you do not react. It is not an unreasonable fear, you suppose. To use the flag of truce for battlefield deception would be an act of gross dishonour, but you do not imagine that a community of mutants lasts all that long by expecting those who hunt them to extend the protections of protocol so generously.
"Why are you here, hunter?" The skinny man, Rolf, asks you again, "Precisely, now."
"I am hunting a woman named Etelka Herzen," you say, for hiding that fact is unlikely to benefit you here, "I suspect you know where she is."
Neither of the group's leaders react at that, but enough of the crowd watching from further back shoot each other fearful or reassuring looks that they hardly have to. Knud glances back over his shoulder and scoffs before turning back to you. "Even if we did, and I'm not saying we do… even if we did, why in the name of all the gods would we tell a Templar?"
You have a nasty feeling about exactly which gods it is he is swearing by there, but now is not the time to bring it up. "Because you are citizens of this Empire and children of Sigmar, and Etelka Herzen is an enemy to both and a threat to any that imagine her a friend."
That draws a greater reaction, as you knew it would, and on a wave of angry murmurs Rolf steps forward and balls his too-slender hands into fists. "She saved us! Took us in and sheltered us, gave us food and kept us safe when all the world called for our deaths!"
"Rolf, stop talking," Knud growls, hefting his crossbow and shooting you an ugly look, but you have your opening now and you intend to use it.
"The Red Crown are not your allies!" You roar the words loud enough for even those lurking within the caves to hear, addressing all the gathered mutants now instead of just those who claim to lead them, "You know this! You have seen this! The Emperor's Edict grants you a way out, offers a path back to all they claim to want, and they rejected it! They burned homes and killed children in their beds rather than take the open hand, and they would rather make you all accomplices than allow any of you to escape from their control!"
You jab an accusing finger at Knud, putting all the fire in your heart and bile in your gut behind your words now. "They claim to love you as a family, yet seek to own you as a slave!"
Markus makes a difficult (-10) Charm test, skill is 45, roll is 20. Success with 2SL.
Your words are well chosen, and they land as a hammer does against a nail. The community here does not trust you, may never trust you, but neither do they trust their more militant kin. Tempers were already running high, feelings of horror and betrayal dividing the community against itself before you stepped in, and the fragile veil of unity that sought to bind them together in the face of outside scrutiny is not enough to muffle the truth of what you have to say. You see the cracks forming, the gulf widening as the civilians step away from their warrior kin and huddle in ever smaller groups, hiding behind spears now pointed at you and Knud alike.
"Idiots," the reptilian man hisses, a mouth full of narrow teeth working in frustration as he sees the cracks spread through his own community, "Gullible fools. We are the only things standing between you and the hunters, and you think this is the way to move? The Templar came here to kill us all."
"Not all. Most here have done nothing to earn my ire, nor that of any righteous man," you shake your head, letting your hand rest upon the hilt of your rapier, "But you, Knud. You are a murderer and a cultist in service of gods dark and forbidden. You are guilty of banditry, blasphemy and arson. Surrender now and confess your crimes and I will spare those foolish enough to follow your orders. Or refuse, and die here at my hand."
It should be a ridiculous demand, a threat without any weight. You are alone, and even with his community divided and distrustful Knud still commands at least half a dozen raiders, men and women armed and practiced with spear and axe and bow. Your words should be nothing more than the barking of a puppy and just as easily dismissed. And yet.
Markus tests Intimidate! Skill is 61. Roll is 19, 5SL base, +2SL from talents.
Knud resists with his Leadership of 45, rolls 63, failure by -2. All enemies suffer Fear.
The raiders take a step back, seven souls moving as one, and though they do not break and run you can see the doubt in them, the fear and uncertainty. Knud grits his teeth hard enough to hurt and hefts his crossbow, but he cannot disguise the way his breathing has grown faster or the faint trembling in his hands.
"Damn it all," he growls, glancing left and right at the other raiders before spitting on the ground and bringing his crossbow up to his shoulder, "Alright, kill…"
You draw your pistol and fire in a single fluid motion, the shot catching Knud in the shoulder and sending him staggering backwards even as he pulls the trigger on his own weapon. The crossbow bolt skim across your leg, turned aside by the leather armour but still wrenching the limb back hard enough that you almost fall, and you have to hastily throw up your arms to shield your face from getting torn open by hissing arrows a moment later. Two of the mutants are armed with hunting bows, it seems, but your chain and brigandine is thick enough that the impacts across your arms and chest bring only grunts of pain and the promise of future bruises.
Two of the other mutants charge in towards you, yelling to drown out their fears and brandishing the weapons with which they intend to put you down, and with a growl you draw your rapier and move to return the favour. The first is a woman, thickset and muscular, long rows of fish-like gills flapping fitfully beneath the collar of her smock. Her axe is sharp enough and her swing made with confidence, but she has clearly never faced an opponent with any degree of training before, the gaps in her defence wide and achingly obvious. You step back out of range of her opening swing and then pierce her heart with a lunge, your rapier flashing in and out so quickly the mutant doesn't realise she is dead until her legs go out from under her.
The second is a man with only one bloated and oversized eye, nothing but a smooth expanse of flesh where the other would be. The spear in his hands actually looks to have been made for war, doubtless stolen from an arms shipment or perhaps taken with him when he fled whichever town he used to serve, and he wields it with enough skill that you cannot end him so quickly as his comrade. The two of you exchange probing thrusts for a moment, then you draw your second pistol in your off hand and shoot him in the gut, an agonising wound that leaves him open for a follow-up thrust through his single eye and into the brain.
Another arrow clips your arm, then a crossbow bolt slams into your gut with enough force to drive the breath from your lungs even through the armour. You grunt, forcing yourself to stay upright, and step over the corpses of your first two attackers. Ahead of you, Knud and the two archers rapidly reload their weapons, one of them even now stumbling in the mud as panic makes her lose her footing.
"What are you doing?" Knud yells at the rest of his frontline raiders, the ones who hung back as their comrades charged in, "Get in there and kill the bastard!"
The two raiders he is addressing gulp and take a hesitant step or two forward, but they are clearly badly shaken by your threats and the speed with which you dispatched their comrades. You look them over for a moment, taking note of how the first one's skin seems hard and shiny as metal and the second's arms hang low enough to touch his toes while standing, then holster your expended pistol and draw your silvered sword in its place. If those two cannot bring themselves to get in your way, then you will seize the opportunity offered.
The first archer seems almost entirely human but for a long wolf-like tail protruding from the base of her spine, and she is still struggling to get her feet back under her when you cross the remaining distance and pierce her throat with your rapier. She falls once more, choking on blood, and you take three steps and sever the second archer's bird-like leg at the knee with your other sword. Even with weapons suited to close range fighting they would be at a disadvantage against someone as trained and experienced as you; armed only with bows and with their defenders too frightened to do their job, they are like lambs to the slaughter. You grimace at the unpleasant business and turn your attention towards their leader.
"Stay back," Knud stammers, backing away even as he tries to reload his crossbow, stale yellow eyes wide with fear, "No, no, no, this isn't…"
You've heard such spluttering denials too many times before to waste time on them now. A single downward cut opens the bandit from chin to groin and he falls. Then someone stabs you in the side and your entire world turns to pain. You stagger, a strangled cry erupting from your lips as you feel broken ribs grind against each other, and it is only by a supreme act of will that you are able to stay on your feet.
It is the spearman, the mutant with the distended arms. You can see no signs of the swordsman with the iron skin, doubtless fled as his nerves overtook him, but this one is snarling at you now, already drawing back his spear for another thrust. The chainmail saved you from being impaled by the last attack, but even if it lasts against a second strike, your consciousness will not. You can already feel your mind swimming, your body trembling. You hold it together just long enough to lash out with your rapier and stab the last of your foes through the eye, then your legs lose all remaining strength and you sink ungracefully to your knees in the bloody muck.
You are burning to death, your every thought consumed by agony, each frantic breath a new and terrible torture as broken ribs and battered flesh cry out at your abuse. You cannot even muster the wit to scream, and for long moments all you can do is kneel there and feel the world sway and twist around you. Such is the pain that it takes you a moment to realise that there is someone standing before you, and such is Rolf's height that you cannot lift your head enough to look him in the eye.
"Well, if you aren't the most bloody-minded bastard I ever saw," Rolf drawls, looking down at you from his impossible height, "Seven to one and you still got them all, more or less."
Somehow, you manage to muster the will to speak despite the pain, though each word is a new and fresh torment.
"In the interests… of diplomacy," you gasp, tasting your own blood as you press on, "I will overlook… the comment… about my parentage."
Rolf snorts with laughter at that, but before he can reply there is a booming roar from somewhere off to your left and he disappears from your view. A moment later Max takes his place, pistol smoking gently as he levels a sword at the crowd you can barely make out through the haze of pain.
"Back off, all of you," Max growls, his voice thick with rage and concern alike, "Don't you fucking touch him."
"Max," you force out, bracing one arm against the ground and mustering your will to stand, "You don't need to…"
"Shut up and stop moving, or I swear to Shallya I will feed you a whole bottle of sedative," Elvyra hisses in your ear, placing a firm hand upon your shoulder that is quite sufficient to keep you pinned in place. "You lot! I am going to need boiled water, alcohol and somewhere clean to work! Get moving!"
-/-
Elvyra tests Heal. Skill is 85, roll is 72, success with +1SL. 7 wounds restored.
Markus has sustained a Smashed Ribcage. For the next 50 days, he halves his movement speed and suffers a -30 penalty to his strength and agility characteristics.
-/-
An hour or so later finds you ensconced in the stone tower you noticed near the mine's entrance, which as you surmised is indeed Etelka's own residence. You have no idea if the witch truly is a noblewoman, but regardless of the truth of the matter she certainly lives like one, her tower boasting all the comforts of a stately townhouse despite the isolated location. There is a full dining room with silver cutlery, well made wooden furniture and taxidermied animals in every room, and enough glass windows and mirrors you think she must have connections with one of the major guilds of Nuln. Indeed, the innermost walls of each room are made of solid glass that some trick of alchemy makes reflective in only one direction, allowing those within to watch anyone seeking to use the spiral staircase at the tower's heart without being observed in turn.
Elvyra cleans your wounds and rubs your bare torso with some foul smelling concoction and feeds you enough drugs to dull the pain to a low simmer before binding your chest with bandages soaked in something she assures you will control the swelling. She is a true professional, but you hardly need her words to confirm that it will be weeks before you are anything close to recovered. Nor do you need her to speak to understand how displeased she is that you went and got yourself so badly injured on her watch. The huffy way in which she leaves you to your rest is enough to reveal that.
Etelka has a portrait of herself in her bedroom, an oil painting signed by one of Nuln's many aspiring artists, and seated on her downy feather bed you find yourself examining it at length. Though it has been over a decade since last you laid eyes upon your quarry, you find you recognise her easily enough. The handsome blond woman in the portrait is a little older than you remember, her humble traveling clothes exchanged for a rich dress of vibrant red, but you would know that face anywhere. You're still staring when Rolf enters the bedroom, folding himself nearly in half to get through the low doorway.
"So, you're hunting Etelka," he says in a contemplative voice, folding his hands across his narrow chest as he looks down at you. You can see Max keeping a wary eye on him from the antechamber beyond, but you doubt the mutant leader is here to do you any harm. "Might I ask why?"
"Aside from her other crimes, and membership in a proscribed cult," you note carefully, feeling your ribs twinge slightly even through the medicine, "she led someone I loved to his death. My pursuit is both professional and personal as a result."
You realise a moment later that you should not have shared that so readily, but somehow you cannot quite muster up the energy to care over much about it. Rolf nods at the words in any case.
"She left three days ago," he explains, "Another member of her cult, a weedy little guy, arrived bearing a message of some sort for the higher ups. They spent a day or two planning, then set out together. Took a few of the fighters with them, the ones whose gi… whose mutations could be hidden under clothing easily enough."
You close your eyes, unsure if what you are feeling is frustration or exhaustion. Three days… gods, you might very well have passed her on the river. "I see. Do you know where they were heading?"
"Up past Kemperbad, into some place called the Barren Hills, way I heard it," Rolf supplies easily enough, clearly having decided that there is little to be gained by holding back now, "No idea why though, they kept that one pretty close to their chests."
You nod slowly. The Barren Hills are, if you recall your lessons correctly, a desolate stretch of uninhabited terrain in the western reaches of Talabecland, though you cannot claim to know anything more about them than that.
"You'll, ah, be wanting to go after her then?" Rolf speaks up after a few moments, quailing slightly at the sharp look you send his way in reply. "Just wondering, is all."
Hm. There is rather more eagerness for you to be gone in the mutant's tone than you might like to hear, but you suppose you cannot blame him for that. While you have Etelka's description and destination now, it hardly needs saying that the shorter her lead the easier it will be to catch up and track her down. Yet that pursuit is not your sole and only concern, and while simply dumping the bodies of the mutant raiders in Grissenwald with an explanation before leaving would probably resolve the most immediate issue, you might be well served in sticking around for a while longer to make sure everything goes smoothly… to say nothing of your injuries, and how heavily they will tilt things against you as and when you do catch up with Etelka.
Article:
Etelka Herzen has departed a few days ahead of you on an unknown mission to the Barren Hills. How long does Markus intend to stay in Grissenwald and the Black Peaks before pursuing?
[ ] Leave Immediately You will drop the bodies of Knud's raiders off in Grissenwald, make a public statement to address tensions, then depart on Josef's barge as soon as possible. With luck, you will catch Etelka before or even in the Barren Hills.
[ ] A Short Delay You will remain in the area for about a week or so in order to properly attend to all the legalities, defuse tensions and resolve the situation with the dwarves and their claim on the mine. You will likely not catch Etelka until she has found what she seeks in the Barren Hills, but may be able to intercept her return trip.
[ ] Until Healed Markus will not begin pursuit while still suffering from his broken ribs, attending to all outstanding business in the meantime. There is no chance of catching Etelka while she is abroad, but posting lookouts means you may well surprise her when she seeks to return to her home.
-/-
In addition to the above, you may submit any number of different tasks, conversations or enquiries you wish Markus to pursue here or in Grissenwald before he departs. As a guideline, if he leaves immediately he will be able to pursue one of them, a short delay will allow three, and if he wants until healed we will cover five.
I am making this a write-in in order to allow maximum flexibility, and will count it separately to the time vote, picking the top X most voted options as necessary.
[ ] Choose someone to converse with, and a topic (Optional write in)
[ ] Choose something to investigate (Optional write in)
[ ] Choose a companion to interact with (Optional write in, Josef, Max and Elvyra are all options)
[ ] Choose some other task to undertake (Optional write in)
Combat has broken out! Markus is facing down Knud Cratinx and six other mutants, four of whom have melee weapons and two of whom have bows. To aid in keeping track, the foes are designated according to their mutations:
Mutant One is armed with an axe and has gills.
Mutant Two is armed with a sword and has iron skin, giving him +2 armour points.
Mutant Three is armed with a spear and has long, distended arms.
Mutant Four is also a spearman and has only a single eye, penalising his ballistic skill.
Mutant Five carries a hunting bow and has a tail
Mutant Six is also a bowman and has bird's feet.
Markus has an initiative of 40 and so goes first, then Knud, then the ranged fighters, then the melee fighters.
The mutants start with three points of advantage because of their numerical superiority, but all of them treat Markus as if he has a fear trait.
Round One
Markus
Draws his rapier and a pistol and advances. He fires at Knud, gaining a +20 to hit due to being at short range. Skill is 78, roll is 12, success with +6SL.
Damage is 9+6=15, minus Knud's toughness bonus of 3 (his natural armour from the scales is ignored by the gun's penetrating quality). Twelve wounds reduces Knud to zero, but as a significant NPC is not dead just yet.
Knud
As Knud was targeted by a blackpowder weapon, he makes an average (+20) cool test against his skill of 35+20=55. He rolls a 49 and stays in the fight.
Knud fires at Markus with his crossbow. He gets +20 due to the short range, and so tests against 72. He rolls 08, hitting Markus in the leg with 7SL, reduced to 6 by fear. Damage is 9 base +7SL -1 Fear = 15, minus 5 for Markus' toughness and 1 for his leather armour on the legs. Markus takes 9 wounds. He has 10 remaining.
Ranged Mutants
Tails and Bird Feet spread out and fire their hunting bows at Markus, gaining +20 due to the range for a skill of 65. They roll 13 and 34, hitting with 4 and 2SL respectively after fear. Their bows have a base damage of 6, so they inflict 10 and 8 damage, both to the arm. Markus has toughness 5 and 4 armour on the arms, so takes the minimum one wound each from those hits. He has 8 wounds remaining.
Melee Mutants
As Markus is causing Fear, these mutants need to roll a cool test against their skill of 30 to get anywhere near him. Gills and One-Eye pass, the others fail.
Gills and One-Eye charge Markus. They have a skill of 45, get +10 for charging and +20 for outnumbering him, though Gill's axe means he takes a -10 for having a weapon with a shorter reach, so they roll against 65 and 75. Gills rolls 31, One Eye rolls 08. After fear, this makes for 2SL and 6SL respectively.
Markus tests against his skill of 63 to defend, rolling 12 and 04 for 5 and 6SL respectively. As he has a higher base skill than One-Eye, he successfully defends against both attacks.
Round Two
At the start of the round, the mutants have six points of advantage, and Markus has three.
Markus
Drawing his second pistol, Markus attacks Gills and One-Eye with rapier and pistol respectively. His skill is 63 for fencing and 58 for the pistol. He rolls 60 to attack, getting 1SL on the rapier, complete with a critical hit due to Impale. He adds +1SL due to being a dual wielder.
Gills has a shorter ranged, slower weapon with unbalanced and is suffering from fear, so he takes a -10 penalty and -2SL to his defensive test. His skill is 35 and he rolls 76, a total of -6SL.
Markus inflicts 8 base +8SL = 16 damage, reduced to 13 by Gills' toughness. This is enough to kill the mutant even before the critical is taken into account.
Markus then reverses his earlier roll to make the pistol shot, getting an effective 06 against 58 for a total of 5+1=6SL on the attack against One-Eye.
One-Eye is close enough to try and defend himself with his skill of 45 and rolls 04, a total of 3SL after fear. He is hit with 3SL net.
Damage is 9+3-3=9 wounds to One-Eye the spearman. He makes an average (+20) cool test after being shot at with a blackpowder weapon and gets 44, managing to hold his ground.
Markus, Second Action
Having gained three extra advantage, Markus spends four from his total of six to take another action. He draws his other sword and attacks One-Eye again.
His skill is 63, but he takes a -10 penalty due to his shorter range. He rolls 20, for 4SL after talents and another critical hit due to the Impale quality.
One-Eye takes a -10 penalty on his defence due to facing a Fast weapon, and so rolls against 35. He rolls 78, for -5SL after fear. Markus inflicts a total of 8+4+5-3= 14 wounds, bringing One Eye to minus eleven. The mutant is torn apart.
Markus gain advantage for putting down an opponent but not for beating him in the roll on an additional action, and so still has three advantage total.
Knud
Knud makes a test at 52 to reload his crossbow. He rolls 48 and succeeds.
Knud then spends four advantage to take another action and two more to get a +10 bonus on shooting Markus. He is still at short range and so rolls against 82. He rolls a 37, hitting with +5SL, reduced to 4 by fear. This is a body hit.
The damage is 9 base +5SL -1 fear = 13. Markus has five toughness and four points of armour on the body, and so takes four more wounds. He has four remaining.
Ranged Mutants
Tails and Bird Feet once again open fire at an effective skill of 65. They roll 66 and 62, so Tails fumbles his shot and Bird Feet gets a bare success. Bird Feet inflicts 6 damage, which Markus reduces to the minimum of one wound. He has three wounds remaining.
Tails rolls for his Fumble and stumbles badly, losing his next move action.
Melee Mutants
Still suffering from Fear, Iron Skin and Long Arms need to roll cool to engage Markus. They have a willpower of 30 and neither of them passes it, so they cannot engage.
Round Three
At the start of the round, Markus has three advantage and the mutants have one.
Markus
Seeing the melee fighters are unwilling to engage, Markus charges Tails and Bird Feet. He has a skill of 63 and gets a +10 bonus from charging, so rolls against 73. He gets 50, a success with 3SL once dual wielder is taken into account, and once again gets a crit via impale.
Tails defends with dodge 40, with a -10 penalty for not being Fast and a -1SL penalty for fear. He rolls 91, a failure by -7SL.
Markus deals 8+3+7+1 resolute talent = 19 damage, reduced to 16 by Tails' toughness. Tails is once again slain before the critical can even be taken into account.
Markus reverses the dice for a 05 with his silver sword against Bird Feet, for 7SL after talents. The mutant tests against dodge 40 and rolls 69, a failure by -3SL after fear. Markus inflicts 8+7+3 = 18 damage, reduced to 15 by toughness, and kills Bird Feet as well.
In total he gains four advantage from this flurry, two for beating opponents in opposed rolls, two for killing them both.
Markus action two
As before, Markus spends four advantage to take another turn. He uses this to charge Knud. Once again his skill is effectively 73, and he rolls 68 for an effective 2SL.
Knud defends with his dodge of 33, reduced to 23 by the fast quality on the rapier. He rolls 61, a failure by -4SL. Markus inflicts 8+2+1+4-3 = 12 wounds. Since Knud had zero already, he is brutally slain.
Melee Mutants
Still afflicted by fear, the two remaining mutants roll against cool 30. While Iron Skin fails, Long Arms gets a 03 and passes.
Iron Skin decides at this point, having failed his fear tests so consistently and seen so many of his comrades die, to just leg it.
Long Arms charges Markus with his spear, rolling with an effective skill of 55. He rolls 06, so after the fear penalty he has 4SL.
Markus has a skill of 63 but takes a -10 penalty on defence for using dual wielder. He gets 63 and spends a fortune point to reroll, getting 87. He fails by -3SL.
Long Arms deals 7 base +4+3 = 14 damage to the body. Markus has five toughness and four armour on the body, so takes five wounds. He drops to an effective -2 and takes a critical hit.
Long Arms rolls for the critical, d100+20 and scores 92. This results in a smashed rib cage. Markus gains a Stunned condition that can only be removed by medical attention and a Broken Bone (Major) injury.
Round Four
At the start of the round, Markus has four points of advantage and the remaining mutants have two.
Markus
Normally Markus could not act as he has a "stunned" condition. However, he spends a point of resolve to remove, and another resolve to ignore the broken ribs. Both benefits are only for one round.
Markus attacks Long Arms. He takes a -10 penalty due to the enemy's longer reach, but spends all four remaining advantage for a total of +30 on this roll. He therefore rolls against 83 and gets 08, a total of 9SL after talents.
Long Arms has a -10 penalty to defence due to not having a fast weapon and so has a skill of 35. He rolls 26 and so gets 1SL, reduced to 0 by fear.
Damage is 8+9 = 17, reduced to 14 by toughness, Long Arms is also slain.
At this point combat ends. Markus has killed six enemies and frightened the last off, at the cost of being badly injured.
awww, the genuine protectiveness is very sweet. i hope they get the chance to be friends, they both need it
maybe stay a few days to tie up lose ends, if we clear everything up with the dwarves and townsfolk we might be able to swing something nice for our employees while we're here
[X] Until Healed
[X] Search Etelka's residence for information on the Red Crown with a particular eye towards what they could be attempting to do in the hills.
[X] With the local situation resolved and your injury hindering you, attempt to rally reinforcements from the local constabulary and dwarf clan to help you bring the sorceress behind these events to justice.
[X] While fostering true reconciliation is almost assuredly beyond you, it would be best to make sure that the townsfolk are satisfied with the the deaths of the direct perpetrators, and won't attempt to inflict further violence on the innocent mutants, less your mercy be rendered for not.
[X] Converse with Rolf regarding what he and his people plan to do from now on. See if there's something you can help them with.
I still think that was a mistake, as it led to difficult rolls in Charm and a very hard combat, when the other option could have gone cleaner, but I'm happy we made it.
I say we stay and heal up. Fighting a full fledged witch is going to be difficult while we're healthy, but when we're injured? Let's not take that chance. If we're going to fight Etelka, we do it under optimal conditions.
That means a full recovery, an ambush on her return trip, and gathering what support we can from the town and the mutants by defusing the tension between the local dawi and the townsfolk.
Yeah, I'm preferring this option, it's best not to underestimate a witch, or any magic user really. Getting an ambush off should allow us to garner enough of an advantage to finish things quickly once they start, unless Markus pulls out his usual rolls of course
[X] Search Etelka's residence for information on the Red Crown with a particular eye towards what they could be attempting to do in the hills.
[X] With the local situation resolved and your injury hindering you, attempt to rally reinforcements from the local constabulary and dwarf clan to help you bring the sorceress behind these events to justice.
[X] While fostering true reconciliation is almost assuredly beyond you, it would be best to make sure that the townsfolk are satisfied with the the deaths of the direct perpetrators, and won't attempt to inflict further violence on the innocent mutants, less your mercy be rendered for not.
I don't expect the ambush to work. This place is her powerbase, and all she needs is a single sympathetic local to warn her of our (dramatically announced) presence before she returns.
Incidentally, are we going to talk to the Dawi soon ?
"Aye, what the man said. Now, what are…" he begins, before taking another look at you and taking half a step back in shock, "Wait, I know you. You're dead! I put a bolt in you myself!"
I'm honestly surprised we took this much damage, didn't we get dwarf-forged plate a couple turns ago? I thought that had a armour value of 7? Or am I misremembering half-forgotten rules and it only warrants armour 4.
[X] Until Healed
-[X] Search Etelka's residence for information on the Red Crown with a particular eye towards what they could be attempting to do in the hills.
-[X] With the local situation resolved and your injury hindering you, attempt to rally reinforcements from the local constabulary and dwarf clan to help you bring the sorceress behind these events to justice.
-[X] While fostering true reconciliation is almost assuredly beyond you, it would be best to make sure that the townsfolk are satisfied with the the deaths of the direct perpetrators, and won't attempt to inflict further violence on the innocent mutants, less your mercy be rendered for not.
-[X] Converse with Rolf regarding what he and his people plan to do from now on. See if there's something you can help them with.
Edit: just checked the post, apparently we don't get it until we get back to Altdorf. Nevermind then.
[X] Search Etelka's residence for information on the Red Crown with a particular eye towards what they could be attempting to do in the hills.
[X] With the local situation resolved and your injury hindering you, attempt to rally reinforcements from the local constabulary and dwarf clan to help you bring the sorceress behind these events to justice.
[X] While fostering true reconciliation is almost assuredly beyond you, it would be best to make sure that the townsfolk are satisfied with the the deaths of the direct perpetrators, and won't attempt to inflict further violence on the innocent mutants, less your mercy be rendered for not.
[X] Converse with Rolf regarding what he and his people plan to do from now on. See if there's something you can help them with.
Right, I think if we're going to make sure the mutants we saved can maybe reintegrate with society and have a chance at not getting murdered the moment we leave, staying until we're healed is mandatory.
Thankfully, Grissenwald is a sleepy no-name town so the local authorities shouldn't have the backers required to tell a Witch Hunter acting in accordance with Imperial Law "No", especially when it's in Reikland where the Mutant Edict was passed in the first place.