Tales of the Old World 25

<Tales_GM> The year is 2512 on the Imperial Calendar...
<Tales_GM> Calls from bargemen arriving, late, to the festival awaken you in the morning. And as the harbormaster's men pace along to guide and assist the incoming vessel, any chance to slip back into a comfortable sleep are ended altogether.
<Tales_GM> "Aye, that's the one."
<Tales_GM> A knocking against the deck follows.
* Roderick clears the sleep from his eye and pulls on his coat and hat while chewing on some dried jerky. Washing the meat down with a swig of water from his canteen he moves to find the others, remembering they needed to vacate the boat before repairs are underway.
* Afrock makes a watery breakfast by mashing oats into water and drinking it thorough a straw.
* Thorek finishes a quick breakfast of hard bread and jerky, with some tepid ale from last night before throwing on his clothes and tieing his boots on.
* Far_Foririan get up from sleeping and gathers his things before they head out.
* Shivva wakes up and doesn't want to get up. He eventually stumbles out of the hammock to get ready.
<Tales_GM> Another series of knocks follows. "Alright, lads, let's begin."
* Seig stretches and gathers his things, doing a quick once over of the boat to make sure he has all his affects.
<Seig> "Lets clear out."
<Tales_GM> Footsteps against the deck announce the arrival of several men.
* Afrock nods and prepares to leave.
<Tales_GM> "Okri Kaznarak, and company, at your service," a stout dwarf says with a bow at the first of you to emerge on the deck.
<Roderick> "Shipwrights I assume?" Roderick looks over the group.
<Thorek> "Good name, cousin!" Thorek greets the master dwarf as he emerges onto the deck behind Roderick.
<Tales_GM> "Aye, the very same. Now with your blessin', Master Umgi, you and yours will have ta clear out on account of the lumbers we'll be bringin' on board."
<Roderick> "Right well we'll clear out of your way then and let ya get to it."
<Tales_GM> "Much obliged, gentlemen."
* Afrock nods and grunts.
* Roderick leads his horse down the ramp and waits for the others to disembark.
* Seig puts action to Roderick's words and disembarks.
* Thorek finishes gathering his things and walks down the ramp, joining the Witch Hunter.
* Far_Foririan makes his way off the ship following Seig.
* Shivva gets his handcart and makes his way off the ship.
<Tales_GM> "Oi! Mind that feckin' line, ya moron. And wait fer them to clear out before you start swinging that thing around."
<Roderick> Once the group is gathered Roderick asks everyone to keep their eyes and ears open for any work suited for a Witch Hunter while continuing to enjoying the Festival.
<Tales_GM> "Dawi kin flourishing across Sigmar's Empire, as the Ascended One would have willed," Kruger says with a hint of patriotic pride.
<Seig> "Planning on looking out for work so will keep an ear out for you too."
<Thorek> "I'll do my best, but unlike yesterday I plan on getting some proper drinking done." Thorek pats his dwarf belly with a chuckle.
<Far_Foririan> "Will do my best as well."
* Afrock grunts in agreement.
<Shivva> "I doubt anything interesting will happen Boss."
<Roderick> "It is appreciated. Once I can make a name for myself my rank will begin to mean something and hopefully there won't be irons waiting for us at every turn."
<Tales_GM> As you reach the festival grounds, you spot a new addition. A semi-circular rope enclosure stands against the town wall marking out the edges of Doctor Malthusius's Zoocopeia. At the back are two wagons, one of which has a banner on the side proclaiming "Doctor Malthusius's Zoopeia! Strange creatures from all korners of the worlde! The marvellous, the bizarre, the disgusting. Brought
<Tales_GM> to you at enormous ekspense! No other like it in the worlde!"
<Tales_GM> The other wagon is a flatbed with the pile of stout wooden cages on it, all covered in oiled tarpaulins. Odd sounds come from within. Leaning against it are stacked a variety of signs for advertising the show, which will presumably be staked around the ring of rope.
<Tales_GM> As you pass by, a seedy-looking Dwarf who is checking the cages jumps as he notices you, spooked by your presence... a jumpy man.
<Tales_GM> "Oi! Ya gave me a start, there... Come back in an hour, lads. Bring some drink, relax, and I guarantee ya won't believe what the Doktor has brought this year!"
<Thorek> "Aye, why so jumpy though Dawri?"
<Tales_GM> He eyes Roderick for a moment before approaching Thorek. "Had some pryin' eyes earlier... no doubt some greedy dawi wantin' his hands on our rarities."
<Thorek> "Oh, a jealous rival mayhaps? Or has this Doktor truly brought some rare critters?"
<Tales_GM> "Grunni, check on the feed, will you?" a voice comes from inside a wagon.
<Tales_GM> "Come by later, cousin," the Dwarf says with a quick nod before turning back to the wagons.
* Thorek scratches his chin with a shrug. "Shall we continue on?"
* Afrock nods.
* Seig shrugs "Nothing happening here for a while at least"
<Roderick> "Yeah lets keep moving. Seems odd but nothing to do for the moment."
* Thorek whistles an old battle song as they make their way back into the proper festival grounds
<Tales_GM> Early in the morning as it is, most of the attractions are being prepared for the festival-goers. The simplest of them all, however, are already able to serve patrons. And thus, the beer tents remain popular even at this hour. Some more venturing owners have even brought out small grills to offer a break of fast to lure in the early birds.
<Tales_GM> "Is that... bacon? Pork of some kind, I wager," says Dietrich, following his nose.
<Tales_GM> Indeed, after a long night of drinking at Josef's pace, the smell is alluring.
<Seig> Seig locates a tasty looking sausage at one of the grills parting with 10 brass for a bap.
<Seig> "This kinda food always hits the spot."
<Thorek> "Think I'd prefer an ale honestly to work up my appetite again." He comments as he lines up at the nearest beer tent.
<Tales_GM> "Aye, restorative grilled meats to prepare for another day of good drinking!" replies the vendor.
* Shivva buys some sausage as well. "I could use a drink too." He joins Thorek at the beer tent.
<Seig> "Nothing better to do" Seig says chuckling
* Afrock join Thorek.
* Roderick joins Thorek at the beer tent, having already eaten his morning meal.
* Afrock finally finishes up his straw breakfast in time for ale.
* Far_Foririan decides to get in line for some of the grilled food.
* Far_Foririan pays the 10 brass pennies for some food for his morning meal.
* Shivva gets his ale.
<Tales_GM> "I'm back. Bright 'n early," a large beast of a man says coming in.
* Afrock gets an ale.
<Tales_GM> A group quickly forms around him, and several "challengers" emerge. It appears the large man, Willard, is some sort of unofficial champion of the previous evening's drinking games.
<Tales_GM> "How much coin you losin' today boys?" he asks, with a pint in hand.
<Tales_GM> Coin is slapped on a pile at the center of the table, quite beside the price of each of the drinks which is happily collected by the beer tent owner's son as the round is served and brought in.
<Thorek> "Oh ho! A drinking contest is it? By Grimnir's beard, about time!"
* Thorek joins in, slapping some coin in.
<Tales_GM> "Another, is it? Ha! Welcome's the coin, dwarf!"
<Seig> "Another day another show."
* Afrock nurses his drink trying to not injure his jaw any further.
<Tales_GM> Four rounds in, and the first of the contestants begins to have trouble finishing his ale.
* Far_Foririan eats his food as he watches the drinking contest
<Tales_GM> At his fifth, the man backs off, taking a knee and trying his best not to vomit.
<Tales_GM> The following round sees another drinker wavering... yet he finished and holds.
<Tales_GM> By the eight round, two more begin to regret their decision.
<Tales_GM> Barely able to turn over in time, a cascade of vomit pours from a lanky drinker's mouth.
* Thorek start telling bawdy jokes in Reikspiel and Khazalid, slurring many a word but having a good laugh between each one
<Tales_GM> "Ahahaha!"
<Tales_GM> A big belch turns into something more substantive, and yet another contestant is out.
<Thorek> "Carefule Dawi! Hahaha!"
<Tales_GM> Face-first onto the table, a thump preempts Willard's words, "And then there were three!"
<Thorek> "Ayeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, threeeeeeeeeeee."
<Tales_GM> "And..."
<Tales_GM> It's a slow affair, like a man sliding out of his own body.
<Tales_GM> "There he goes."
<Tales_GM> It's almost graceful - Thorek finishes his drink, and manages to plant the flagon down. Yet when the new round arrives, Thorek appears not to know what the item in front of him is, or who the people around him are.
<Tales_GM> Pounding the table with hard laughter, Willard cries out victory.
* Seig waves his hand in front of Thorek's eyes "I think we lost him lads."
<Tales_GM> "Got'im! Ahahaha!"
<Thorek> One moment Thorek is ready for the new round, and the next...darkness takes him.
* Afrock nods in agreement.
<Far_Foririan> "Well this is new for my notes."
<Shivva> "He's out.."
* Afrock taps on Shivva's shoulder, points at Thorek, and then points at the cart
<Shivva> "Yea, let's get the cart."
<Tales_GM> "Sigmar preserve us," Kruger says to himself.
* Afrock assists Thorek into the cart.
<Roderick> "Looks like you get to wrangle your cousin Afrock. Can't do much fighting anyhow with your jaw like it is."
<Thorek> "Shu funny thingsh, thisss gravishty."
* Afrock grunts in response and nods to Thorek's ramblings.
* Thorek plops into the cart, not that he's aware he's now in a cart.
<Shivva> "I just remembered. We might need a pestle and mortar to grind up food for Afrock."
* Afrock gives a thumbs up.
<Thorek> The bounty hunter starts making whistling noises, not too far off from the noise an Imperial Steamtank would make as it charges into battle. "Juggernausch driver! Karak Eight Peaks! Wooooo wooooooo."
<Tales_GM> "Roll up, roll up!" you hear from the direction in which you came.
<Tales_GM> A large crowd has started to form.
<Tales_GM> "Is the show about to start?" Dietrich says, finishing a pint of ale.
* Afrock quickly buys some sausage for Thorek to eat.
<Tales_GM> "In just one hour you will witness the most original and astounding display of zoological curiosities ever places on exhibition in the entire length and breath of our glorious Empire!"
* Far_Foririan makes a metal note that when Dwarfs are drunk the believe they are on a steam tank.
<Tales_GM> Welcome to Doctor Malthisius's Zoocopeia! Gathered together for your education, entertainment, and edification from the far corners of the known world at incalculable expense! The unusual! The bizarre! Yes, even the faintly disgusting! You will never see its like again, my friends, not if you live to see a thousand years!"
* Thorek munches on the sausage as he makes comments on the socio-economic statuses of the various dwarven holds.
<Seig> "I think we have a pretty bizarre curiosity here..."
<Roderick> "Well do we want to wait and watch the menagerie show or we do we move on?"
<Thorek> "Woooo wooooooooooo."
<Seig> "Might as well take a gander eh?"
<Tales_GM> A commotion begins by the exhibit, and the crowd gasps and screams. A panicking creature runs through them all, making its escape, awkwardly limping on all three of its limbs, and makes straight for you.
* Far_Foririan grabs his bow.
* Afrock raises his fists.
* Far_Foririan then decides not to use his bow and readies his staff.
* Seig is just trying to figure out what the creature is.
* Roderick draws his flintlock and fires at the creature in one smooth motion. The shot rips open the greenskin's arm and blood pours from the wound.
<Tales_GM> The scrawny, three-legged creature looks as though it has been kicked in the shoulder by an angry stallion. Gripping its bleeding upper arm, it falls awkwardly on the mud, and lays there grunting and cackling in pain.
<Tales_GM> "No! Don't shoot!"
<Tales_GM> The Doctor and his assistant rush through the crowd.
* Roderick sees the creature go down and begins reloading his pistol. He figures they have until he is ready to fire again to explain why he shouldn't.
<Tales_GM> Using netting, the dwarf assistant drapes and captures the goblin. With syringe in hand, the Doctor injects what must be a tranquilizer on the creature, and begins to dress its wound.
<Seig> "Didn't look too threatening gunna be honest. What is it?"
<Tales_GM> "You..."
<Tales_GM> "...don't know the lengths..." the Doctor speaks irately as he works.
<Tales_GM> "...the lengths to which I have gone to procure such a creature. The cost!"
* Roderick raises an eyebrow. "That you had to go through to allow a goblin to escape into a crowd at a festival."
<Roderick> "Be grateful no one was injured and you sideshow lives."
* Roderick holsters his sidearm.
<Tales_GM> Eager to get a closer look at the oddity, the crowd shifts to encircle the Doctor and his captive.
<Thorek> "No mershy to Gobbos! No mershy!"
<Tales_GM> It is here that a miscalculation in the sedative dose causes Grunni, the dwarf assistant, to get bitten suddenly in another dash for freedom past the crowd.
<Tales_GM> The crowd's flinching and weaving reactions tells you that the creature is making for the town walls. Amidst the ensuing chaos, a Watch patrol rides in to determine the cause of the loud disturbance.
* Roderick sighs and draws again. "STOP GREENSKIN OR THIS TIME I WON'T JUST WOUND YOU!" Roderick heels his horse around the crowd, moving to cutoff the creature.
<Tales_GM> The pitiful creature stops its movement mid-stride by scratching the ground for traction with all three of its legs.
* Roderick catches up to the goblin and holds him at gunpoint.
<Tales_GM> The Doctor runs up in a panic.
<Tales_GM> He takes in the situation, looks over his shoulder, and curses.
<Tales_GM> "There's no time. Spare the creature, let it go. Five Crowns now, and another five if you can recover it later. Please..." the Doctor looks worried, and instantly produces the five golden coins.
* Roderick sighs and shakes his before pulling the trigger and ending the creature.
<Tales_GM> The soldiers arrive, weapons drawn.
<Tales_GM> "No..."
<Tales_GM> "What's the meanin' of this? Disturbin' the peace, are we?"
* Roderick glances to the guards and gestures to the Doktor and the goblin.
<Tales_GM> "What in Sigmar's name..."
<Roderick> "One of his sideshows escaped. Can't have a greenskin running about and causing problems can we?"
<Tales_GM> "Gentlemen! Gentlemen, please! This is no more than a misunderstanding, exacerbated by a man with a blood lust and a gunpowder weapon to satisfy it!"
<Tales_GM> "Way above me pay grade. Come with us, Doktor."
<Roderick> "Choose your words more carefully before you slander a Witch Hunter Doktor. That is a goblin, albeit a warped one. But you would risk public safety all for the sake of your purse."
<Tales_GM> "Witch Hunter, is it?" the watchman asks. "Your name, sir?"
* Roderick nods to the Watchman as they begin taking the Doktor away. "Roderick Haynes."
<Tales_GM> "Like as not, you see, Magistrate Richter will be needin' a statement. Expert witness works twice the charm."
<Roderick> "Of course. I will be happy to provide such."
<Roderick> "Send for me when I am needed."
<Tales_GM> "Much obliged, sir. Provided we is unable to find you, please present your lordship to the court pavilion by the end of day, sir."
<Roderick> "Of course." Roderick nods at him once more before reloading and holstering his sidearm.
* Far_Foririan waits for Roderick to return to the group.
* Roderick guides his horse back to the group. "All taken care of it seems. I don't think there will be a show at the moment."
* Afrock nods.
<Far_Foririan> "Yes, what did they say by the way?"
<Tales_GM> "Master Witch Hunter, sir..." a familiar voice calls.
<Tales_GM> You realize it is Grunni, the dwarf assistant to the now arrested Doktor.
* Thorek is currently snoozing between bouts of dwarfish swearing.
<Tales_GM> "No cause for alarm, sir, but you wouldn't happen to see..." he looks around him and continues in a more hushed tone, "...any other such creature. Similar-like, with odd limbs."
* Afrock grunts.
* Roderick looks over to the dwarf.
<Roderick> "There was another?"
* Afrock has a slightly shocked expression on his face.
<Tales_GM> "Well, that is... not as such. Maybe. I am no Doktor Malthusius, sir. But it must be of the same race. They were a pair, ya see. Three-legs, and... erm. Well, three-arms."
<Seig> "All taken care of you said?"
<Roderick> "The one was and the Doktor. But now apparently there's another creature loose."
<Roderick> "We best spread out and search."
<Tales_GM> "Never you mind, sir Witch Hunter. I'm sure its only a temporary misplacement. No need for alarm, sir."
* Afrock starts rubbing the temples of his head in distress.
<Roderick> "Unless you can produce it here before me then there is cause for alarm."
* Far_Foririan begins looking around.
* Far_Foririan notices something out of the corner of his eye as a sewer hatch closes, "Oh no."
* Shivva says to Roderick "A child sized thing went into that grate."
* Afrock looks at the direction of the sewer grate.
* Afrock looks at the direction of the sewer grate.
<Roderick> Swears under his breath. "Alright...." Roderick looks to the assistant again. "Describe the creature. I understand it had multiple limbs. But other features."
<Seig> "Oh boy....."
<Thorek> "I eversh tell you the time I killed a ratman bigger thansh me? Hugesh!"
<Tales_GM> "Ugly beast. Orange eyes, hardly a pupil. Green in skin, though more brown than the one hunted down. A patchy affair, its hide is. Small as a human child, with sharp teeth and claws."
* Afrock sighs
<Tales_GM> A rider brings his horse to an abrupt stop from a full gallop, nearly trampling the dwarf. He wears the colors of the town, and quickly approaches after a short, fixed glance at Roderick. "Magistrate Richter's regards, sir. You are the Witch Hunter, yes?"
<Roderick> "I am."
<Tales_GM> "Sir, the Magistrater has learn'd that there is yet another such creature on the loose," the rider begins, reaching into a pouch.
<Roderick> "We've just discovered the same thing through the assistant." Roderick gestures towards the dwarf.
<Roderick> "It's made it's way into the sewers."
<Tales_GM> "Given your expertise, Magistrate Richter has asked that you fulfill the task of capturing the creature at once. Recompense of ten Gold Crowns to be be paid upon completion," he says producing the order made out by the Magistrate.
<Roderick> "The Magistrate wants it alive?"
<Tales_GM> "Yes, sir, living capture," he nods, pointing to a sentence on the order.
* Roderick nods and mentally curses. "Very well, I'll accept. Pass on that I recommend the Magistrate station men at the sewer exits in case we flush it out, back towards the surface."
<Tales_GM> "Aye, sir."
<Tales_GM> "And sir, at the town's expense, you are granted accommodation at the Journey's End."
* Roderick accepts the orders. "Appreciated. If possible would you take my horse there and see it stabled? I'd rather not waste time tracking the creature and a sewer is no place for a horse."
<Tales_GM> "Aye, sir, I'll see it stabled."
* Roderick passes the man a shilling and dismounts. "My thanks."
<Roderick> "Gather your gear, we go after the creature."