Through the Drakwald

[Stratovarius]

All of you grew up listening to stories of the Great War Against Chaos. The tale of Magnus the Pious and his victory over the armies of Chaos is well known. While there have been wars and threats in the 200 years since, there has been nothing on that scale. Until now. This year the Chaos Lord Archaon invaded the Empire with five mighty armies. They swept down from the Chaos Wastes, ranks filled with mutant warriors, nightmarish monsters, and power-mad sorcerers. Flagellants and other prophets of doom declared these the End Times. And as these armies pillaged and burned their way through the northern provinces of the Empire, it was easy to believe.

You’ve heard endless stories over the past few months. They say that Sigmar once again walked the earth. They say an army of wolves attacked the Kislevian city of Erengrad. They say the dead rose from their graves to defend the Empire. They say a mighty victory was won at Middenheim. They say a plague has choked the streets of Talabheim with bloated corpses.

You can only believe what is in front of your eyes. You are in the town of Untergard in the Drakwald Forest. A nine-day battle took place here, as Beastmen tried to force their way across the town’s great bridge. They were rebuffed but the price was high. The town is in ruins and its remaining citizens struggle to survive. The Imperial army has long since moved on from Untergard, leaving behind only its dead. You’ve heard tell of more battles up north but the war here seems over. Or so you hope.

You have been in Untergard for several days, as rainstorms of utmost savagery lashed the Drakwald. You find two things when you awaken: the rainstorm has broken and there is a commotion in the nearby Ackerplatz.

[Nanshork]

Gottfried and Thomas had come to Untergard to trade.  Thomas hadn't managed to figure out what they had to trade exactly, he just knew that he was tired of haggling with people over whatever scraps Gottfried dug up.  Thomas was supposed to be his way into a better life, that's why he took him under his wing in the first place.

But when he tried to convince Gottfried that digging up whatever treasures might be buried under all of the mud and rocks and corpses is exactly the same as digging in a mine, Thomas balked at the idea.  Gottfried had learned to play dumb with Thomas, it made life easier, but he wasn't about to scavenge through the remains of the dead just for money.

Since Gottfried's shoulders tower over Thomas, he doesn't notice when Gottfried looks at their female companions and shrugs his shoulders helplessly.  He then says, "I hear something over there, should we go take a look?" 

Scowling, Thomas says, "It doesn't looks like I can get you to do anything productive anyway."

[Raineh Daze]

As for Gretchen and Jarla--well, Gretchen had just been looking for somewhere out from under the feet of the well-heeled after one too many incidents, and the bandit had been paid as some protection. She had a sword and knew a bit about how to use it, which was more than could be said for the burly student. Of course if situations got too dire she'd probably end up stabbed in the back quite literally, but for a minor deterrent to smaller troubles...

It was the same reason to stick with the halfling and the miner, though neither of them seemed particularly intimidating alone. The miner looked like he'd blow away in a strong breeze and the halfling... like many halflings, there was a definite impression that you could roll him down the stairs.

The bandit merely rolls her eyes as the two agreed to go towards the noise, fully expecting that "curiosity" was a trait unfortunately shared by scholarly types and halflings. And sure enough...

"It's not like we have anything better to do."

[Stratovarius]

As you make your way to the square, you see that most of the 75 survivors of Untergard have already gathered in the decrepit town square, and are muttering restlessly to one another. Many still nurse battle wounds; whilst others are clearly too old or young to have taken place in the fighting. All are ragged and pale, and some are clearly pinched by hunger. The town itself is in ruins, especially the part across the bridge. While there may have been victory here, it did no favours to the survivors. Aside from keeping them from a beastman's stomach.

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[Nanshork]

Thomas waddles up to the closest survivor and demands to know what is going on while Gottfried hangs back and attempts to look like punching Thomas isn't worth the trouble.

[Stratovarius]

The survivor looks at Thomas, grunts, and shoves past, ignoring the rudeness.

[Stratovarius]

After a few more moments of asking around, using tactics that have slightly more grace than Thomas' barging into people, the ground of colleagues was able to discern that the Watch Captain of the town had an important message from Boris Todbringer, and was going to read it to the town. It was likely something to do with the recent battle that took place here, although whether good news or not, the town folk did not know.

[Raineh Daze]

Of course all of this only raised one more fundamental question:

"Who's Boris?"

[Nanshork]

"He's the Elector Count of this place and hates Beastmen and Mutants," Thomas pipes up helpfully.

[Raineh Daze]

"That Boris? The Elector's involved here?" Jarla groaned--so much for a nice, out of the way town with almost nobody in it being a good place to lay low for a while and avoid issues with the law. Instead, they just had to run into somewhere the higher-ups were interested in.

Not that the student seemed anywhere so concerned, simply nodding and tucking that information away. For someone not from the big cities, she still came across as so... unworldly and unsuited to these spots.

[Nanshork]

Thomas meanwhile is wondering if he could try to pass someone off as a mutant to get a reward.  Once again he decides that doing so will at a minimum just get someone killed for no profit and at worst get him killed for no profit.

Gottfried meanwhile just looks like he doesn't want to be here.  However, he seems to always look like this so it isn't anything new.  "We should hear the message, it's probably important."

[Stratovarius]

A ripple runs through the crowd as Captain Schiller appears. One of his watchmen sets up a box for him to stand on. He mounts it spryly for a man of his age. Though his uniform is torn and his armour dented, Captain Schiller still commands the respect of the crowd. He only needs to motion once before the crowd quiets down.

“People of Untergard” he begins, “this is a glorious day. I have received a letter from Count Todbringer of Middenheim. The old wolf still lives and the city of Middenheim also stands strong!”

The crowd cheers and once again Schiller must motion for silence.

“Count Todbringer sends his thanks to all of Untergard for the part we played in hampering the invaders. He said, and I quote, ‘the battle for the Untergard Bridge will go down as one of the most glorious battles in Middenland’s history.’ Be proud, people of Untergard, for our sacrifices have not been in vain!”

When the cheers die down, Schiller continues. “To show his gratitude for our valour, the Count has sent us a token of his appreciation.” The captain reaches into a bag and pulls out a loaf of bread and a bottle of wine. “We were honoured to receive thirty loaves of bread and a dozen bottles of wine, straight from Middenheim.”

The crowd goes wild at the sight of the Count’s largesse, hungry eyes fixed on the fresh bread in the Captain’s hands. They begin to chant, “Long live the Count! Long live the Count!” Schiller holds bread and wine high in the air as the hardened survivors of Untergard shout themselves hoarse.

Suddenly, there is a loud crack and the bottle shatters, showering Schiller and the bread with glass and wine. Pandemonium erupts as the crowd scatters in panic.

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Combat time.

Map

[Stratovarius]

Despite the noise and confusion, it was obvious there was something wrong. And while it was uncertain what, precisely, had happened to the watch captain, the creatures charging across the bridge made the cause all too visible.

Four mutants were sprinting across the bridge, angry, filthy, and malformed. One has tentacles instead of arms, the second horns and thick fur, the third a pig-like snout, while the fourth blinked with its third eye to clear the spittle thrown from its slavering mouth.

The crowd, already in a frenzy, screams louder, jamming the exits from the plaza in their attempt to get away from the hated kin of the Beastmen. Already having lost so many friends and loved ones to creatures just like the attackers, the peasants and burghers have no desire to fight.

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Enemies are in alphabetical order, so:
Aboleth - Tentacles
Abyssal Ghoul - Horns/Fur
Strangler - Snout
Warrior - Three Eyes

You need to tell me which of the PCs are which (and provide portraits, if you want)

Updated map

[Stratovarius]

Combat, Round #1
Map

Init
48 - Thomas
36 - Mutants
33 - Jarla
32 - Gottfried
32 - Gretchen

When it's the player's turn, don't worry about Init order. I'll apply the commands in order and let you know if anything needs changing.

[Nanshork]

Thomas draws his sling as he moves to hide behind one of the supports at the edge of the bridge.

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Map

[Stratovarius]

The four unholy creations of Chaos sprint across the bridge at their maximum speed, flying towards the riot their presence has engendered.

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http://beta.ditzie.com/95097/5a2c20edd369b

4x Run actions

[Raineh Daze]

If she died because of this and the halfling didn't, she was going to come back and haunt the short bastard.

Still, better to die grouped up if that happened.

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Jarla moves towards the others and draws her sword, so does Gretchen with considerably more reluctance.

Map

[Nanshork]

Gottfried moves up to protect his companions, mining pick in hand, while Thomas lets loose a sling bullet at the tentacled mutant.

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Map

Rolls
[/spoiiler]

[Stratovarius]

The sudden surprise of being struck by a sling stone seems to have caused the mutated humans some second thoughts, as they realize that members of the crowd in the square are preparing to fight, instead of fleeing. They approach more slowly, weapons unsheathed.

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http://beta.ditzie.com/95097/5a2ea6b88da4a

Sling hits tentacle boy. Jarla, Gottfried, Gretchen to go.

[Raineh Daze]

Jarla braces, ready for the mutants to come even closer, and Gretchen does mostly the same with her staff.

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Both are delaying for the mutants to come in closer. No sense rushing ahead where they can easily surround us.