IC:1 The village, from afar

[jemmus]

The chaplain isn't exactly Kerecsen's type of lady-- only because she's an unapproachable one. But still, she's a lady, and shame be to a fit gentleman who wont lend aid to a lady in need. Well, the chaplain's hope chest must be saved. I hope it's not overly heavy. If so and I can't heft it, I'll have carry what I can. Madame Chaplain, is there something that you particularly value from the chest? He notes the whispering in the group of not happy villagers and the teenaged boy running, as if on an errand. Then, to the League members, Anyone want to come along? He prepares to climb through the window and dash to the foot of the bed on the second floor.

He looks at the main group of peasants. Oh, by the way, would you mind not throwing anymore oil on the fire? Just until I come back out? It won't take a minute. The fire and smoke discourage much dallying, you see.

Spending a boost(?) or a fate(?) to compel Kerecsen to comply with his Impulsive Lady's Man aspect/trouble.
Physique roll for smoke inhalation - 6,6,1,6 (+1,+1,-1,+1) = 3. +1 = 4. Succeed with style, for a boost?

[shaidar]

Louis

"As any gentlemen would, of course I will help you with the lady's accoutrements."

He looks at the crowd and follows up Kerecsen's comment with:

"I hope you are gentlemen and refrain from laying your hands on the lady chaplain while we are gone, that would not be appreciated at all." he casts a pointed glance at the priest outside

As he is not sure if the peasants will understand Latin he repeats it in french, hoping that some of them might be cultured.

Louis then assists Kerecsen in his attempt to climb through the window.

Physique roll for smoke inhalation:
Base roll: [_4d6]=(3+6+4+4)=17 = 1

[Pulpatoon]

Bastiano Vemeri, following the running boy's path, hangs back and moves around to the opposite side of the crowd, hoping to avoid notice. He looks for a vantage point where he can continue to observe the crowd while remaining unobserved himself while also keeping an eye on whatever might come from the direction the boy ran to. He steadies his gun, ready to fire if his companions need back-up or a distraction.

Stealth +4: Fate Dice: [_4d6]=(1+6+4+1)=12

[Leitz]

Farid, blade in hand and unconscious chaplain across his saddle, saw the villagers trying to decide if they could rush him. His team had gone from four cavalry to one, and the two in the chapel may not make it out. Sounds were muted and smoke billowed out of the window he had opened.

Inside the chapel was a spartan existence, a rough hewn wood crucifix stood to one side, while two rows of backless benches took up a quarter of the space. Most of the chapel was empty, and the ladder to the loft was easy to climb.

The hope chest, although small, was heavy. Seeing the need for haste, Kerecsen (that Succeed with Style result) realized the blankets will soon be burned, and could be looped as a rope to lower the chest without breaking it. Both Kerecsen and Louis made it out of the window, as oily smoke grew thick and the chapel roof caught fire.

Vemeri, while impossible to miss in such a small village without horses, was free to ride away from the chapel and loop around a house or two. Farid stood resolute against the villagers, protecting the escape route for the men who went inside. Coming around the north of the village, back to the road and with a good line of sight to the chapel and the road north, Vemeri saw the boy standing a hundred yards away, looking at him. The boy waited one more moment, and then dashed across a shallow portion of the river.

OOC:

PCs begin as such:
Louis and Kerecsen have gotten the hope chest out of the window, and can follow shortly thereafter.
Farid has the chaplain on his horse, with him.
Vemeri is just past the north most house on the map.
The PCs can choose to act before any of the villagers nearby.

also

The boy was roughly where the cross on the top of the big church points to the road.
The road and river continue to slowly wind together for a long way.
To the west, across the river, the terrain becomes mountainous.
To the east, a mile or three away (at various points along their ride here), the terrain also becomes mountainous. Enough, in places, that horses would have to be walked. Very steep hillsides.

[Rex]

Farid

Farid will attempt to stare down the villagers so they will be to afraid to act against them.

Will +3 [_4d6]=(2+3+5+2)=12
roll -1, 0, +1, -1 = -1+3 = 2

[shaidar]

Louis does his best to avoid the worst of the smoke and dodge the burning and falling timbers as they recover the chest.

With the chest safely outside he vaults through the window as he hears the whoosh of the roof going up.

He stands next to Farid's horse, his hand lightly resting on the pommel of his sword. He tries to catch the gaze of the villagers and then the priest

"Good people, I think your point has been clearly made. Now is the time for the virtues of prudence, temperance and love. We shall leave your village with the chaplain, in peace, and you shall not be bothered again."

Will (+1): [_4d6]=(1+2+6+6)=15, so 0+1=1

[Leitz]

Spittle flew for two yards as the priest pointed at the trio near the window, screaming "Get them! Your souls will be damned if you disobey!"

Men of the village, holding buckets of oil, or oily but empty buckets, looked at Kerecsen's horse, at Farid and Louis, and then at each other. The didn't move forward, despite the screaming. Oily smoke billowed in the gentle breeze, and the trio near the chapel could feel the heat building.

Vemeri thinks he knows the spot where the boy went through the trees and into the river.

The landschnekt leader paled slightly as the priest worked up a unholy froth, and then motioned his men to move forward. It spoke well of him, if unwise, that he led from the front. Each of the six men took a tight grip on his spear, while the leader drew his sword and moved forward. The group huddled together, until the leader cursed at them, pointing them into a line formation.

The landschnekts are using typical one handing swords with a sharp edge, and spears. Not fencing weapons, nor the traditional zweihander, and certainly not the standard military pike. They will be within combat range as a part of their turn, but do not yet have the trio hemmed in. No one is going near Kerecsen's horse.

If it is a concern for you, a blade attack is usually more survivable than a bullet, in these times. They didn't yet know about germ theory, and medicine was iffy. A blade wound will tend to bleed a little more, hopefully washing out debris.

[jemmus]

Kerecsen puts down the chest and whistles to Ördög. The sleek black horse with the light hussar's saddle trots over to him and he swings in the saddle. He backs the steed up a yard or so, putting a little distance between horse and rider and the villagers and "landsknechts." Getting a little distance from the fire, and for maneuver. And also letting everyone have a good look. He leaves the reins on the horse's neck and puts his right hand on his saber's hilt and the other on the butt of one of the two flintlock pistols at his belt.

He smiles, and says in his rather slurry Hungarian accent. I hope you will all listen to my friend here, with a nod to Louis. You've had your fun. And that is all of the fun you'll have today. At least at this place. Who am I to deny you having more fun at home? Or the inn or anywhere else? But though the words of his speech are for the crowd, the veteran hussar's gaze is hard fixed into the priest's eyes throughout.

Riding +4 6,4,2,5 (1,0,-1,1 = 2) +4 = 6

Kerecsen has Will +1, but I think he might be out of fate points to use it. If I understand correctly, that's three fate that Kerecson has used. One each for the two Riding bonuses, and one for compelling himself to help the chaplain. Is that correct? I believe he has a boost from the first roll. Can he use it to add force to his little performance and try to intimidate the priest and/or crowd? Or is boost something the GM handles? Sorry, I need to find some time to just read the rules.

[jemmus]

Kerecsen trots Ördög forward, to the side of the landskneckt group, so that Louis is on one side of them and he's on the other. He rests his right hand on the hilt of the saber resting on his left thigh. And looks the "landsknechts" in the eye, each in turn.

I think here would be a good place for a Will roll, for the eyeball-to-eyeball encounter. But I've already rolled a Riding roll. Anyway, staring them down is mostly just a ruse. Kerecsen already has a target among the landsknechts in mind. (Noted that Farid is already on the leader).

[shaidar]

Louis takes in the screaming priest and the reaction of the landschnekts. He smiles and shrugs "You were warned."

In an instant his hand goes from lightly resting on the pommel to a silver blur as he draws his sword and starts to spin at the same time, the silver streak of his blade heading towards one of the villagers standing nearby holding a bucket full of oil.


Fight (+4): [_4d6]=(3+6+2+6)=17
0,+1,-1,+1=1+4=5, succeed with style!


The villager doesn't even have a chance to react as the sword slips through the rope handles and whips it out of his hands. Louis continues to spin and his momentum takes him full circle and he twists his blade to send the bucket sailing towards the group of landschnekts closest to him.


Athletics (+3): [_4d6]=(5+6+2+3)=16
+1,+1,-1,0 = 1 + 3 + 2 (from succeed with style from previous roll) = 6


The oil makes a sparkling line in the sunshine as it arcs through the air and drenches 5 of the approaching mercenaries. Louis grins as the takes in his work, his sword raised in a defensive stance.

[Rex]

Farid

Farid draws his sword and charges the leader with the intent of knocking him down or out but not killing him.

Fight +3 [_4d6]=(3+1+4+5)=13
0-1+0+1+3 (for fight)=3
Uses the boost.

[Leitz]

Kerecsen, having the benefit of elevation and knowing his French compatriot's flair, used Farid's warlike demeanor, and military bearing, as camouflage. He swept wide, behind Farid, and built up speed.

Quick as a flash, Louis doused the landschnekt mob. The entire group turned towards the gallant Frenchman, and filled the air with guttural Tuscan curses. Unfortunately for them, the Hungarian flank attack slammed four of the five face down into the dirt.

Meanwhile, Farid's well practiced blade easily slipped past the leader's defenses, and only the last moment turn of the blade kept the landschnekt alive. Fearful, yet aware of his duty, the landschnekt leader kept his guard up. A quick glance confirmed the sounds of retreat. Beaten, he backed away two full steps, bowed to Farid, and sheathed his sword. A quick word to the one standing landschnekt, and the two men withdrew in good order, yielding the field.

Suddenly, the villagers were unable to make eye contact, and disappeared like fog in the bright sunlight. The sputtering priest rained down impotent curses on all and sundry, but within a moment, only he and one female villager remained. The two of them did not seem to acknowledge the other.

[shaidar]

Louis watches the retreating landschnekt

"It seems they are not a fan of the flambé, no?" he turns to the priest with a disgusted look on his face "And you sir, you are a disgrace to the church!"

[Rex]

Farid

Looking at the priest, "I think it is in your best interest to tell us what is going on here."

[Leitz]

As Louis and Farid move forward, the priest flees with an enthusiastic and smelly flopping of his vestments. The other lady returns to the small house with the lavender veils, and the three PCs in the village see Vemeri waving them towards himself.

Farid has the unconscious chaplain, and either Louis or Kerecsen are able to strap down the hope chest to their mount.

"A young man went this way, and he has made sure that I see him. I think his intent is that we follow, and I saw no risk in him," Vemeri said.

The group followed the trail Vemeri pointed to, and occasionally catch a glimpse of the young man waiting for them ahead. They move upwards for half an hour, the mountain side at the point of needing to walk the horses, before coming to a small flat area with a strong log cabin.

There is plenty of room for their horses in the little barn, and the construction is very Germanic. The dark wood of the cabin suggests it has been here for several decades, and is well maintained. The door to the cabin is open, and the barefoot boy is carrying firewood inside.

Whomever chose this location had an eye for the view; it is a breathtaking expanse up and down the valley. Across the valley you can see the Castello di Drena. Farid noted, however, that the cabin has trees planted in such a way as to hide its presence, and disburse smoke from the chimney.

As they entered the cabin, everyone saw the small sigil carved into the right side of the door frame. An upside down "V", tilted slightly clockwise, inside a circle. One of the hidden symbols of the League of Adventurers.

The one room cabin is stocked with food, water, wine, and plenty of blankets.

What do you do with:

• The Chaplain
• The hope chest
• The boy

Let's call this a Minor Milestone, so that you can see how that part of Character Advancement works. Give it a read, and make any changes you like. Had you taken any Stress damage, it would be recovered during the next few days of rest and planning.

[shaidar]

Louis

"Let us get the chaplain comfortable", he turns to the boy "Get some water for the lady while we settle her down. What is your name and who is your master?"

Louis helps get the chaplain settled on some blankets and once the water arrives bathes her forehead and looks for signs of serious wounds (while protecting the ladies modesty of course)

[Leitz]

The boy, who looked to be mid-late teens, nodded and grinned. He grabbed a pitcher from the counter, went outside, and shortly returned with water.

"Fraulin Kurstnen is a strong woman, they should not have done that." He spoke passable French. "Thank you for rescuing her. We have bandages here, if you need them."

The boy protectively watched Louis examine the chaplain. Besides scrapes on her hands, and a heavily bruised shoulder, she seemed to be suffering from smoke inhalation. Louis, having been inside the chapel, knew that the windows were a meter and a half from the floor. The bruises look like she was trying to shoulder the shutters open, but they were too high for her to get her full strength into.

Once Louis was done, the boy added. "I'm Diego, and I have no master. I help my mother around the house, and am learning the sword. Hmmm... Fraulin Kurstnen was teaching me German, so perhaps you mean my sword master, who passes through occasionally, or her, since she is my German master?"

[Rex]

Farid

"Do you speak Latin Diego?" He will use a secret sign of the league and see if Diego recognizes it.

[Leitz]

Diego laughed, and replied in very poor Latin: "Only church, and that did not help."

His Latin is what a native Italian speaker could glean from a little bit of liturgy, not from actually being taught.

[shaidar]

Louis

"So, Diego, who is your mother? Is this your home?"