Tales of the Old World 8

<Tales_GM> The year is 2512 on the Imperial Calendar...
<Tales_GM> With a nod from their sergeant, the tollkeepers follow Captain Steiger's command, bringing the standoff to an end.
<Tales_GM> "Guardsman," Steiger barks at Roderick, "We are far enough now from the usurpers. Don your uniform with pride."
* Thorek stands there, thumbs in his belt, looking between his quarry and Roderick.
* Roderick nods and pulls the tabard over his clothes. Once the uniform of the Ubersreik City Watch is on Roderick salutes Steiger.
<Tales_GM> "Ubersreik city is not yet lost; the Jungfreud colors will soon rise above it," as he makes this inspiring asserion, Steiger's eyes meet Thorek's for a brief moment, with the slight look of familiarity about his expression.
<Thorek> The dawi crooks an eyebrow questioningly. "Greetings sir." He nods.
<Tales_GM> "You are licensed with the Dawihafen thief-takers, are you not?"
* Roderick whirls towards Thorek with his hand on his hilt, as if surprised by the news.
<Thorek> "I'd be liable to take offense to that, master umgi. You're probably thinking of my cousin who's in on that sorta thing. We do look similar, though his beard is shorter. I do odd jobs for umgi like him." He jabs a thumb at Roderick.
<Tales_GM> "I see," Steiger ponders for a moment.
<Tales_GM> "Your service to men loyal to the Jungfreud cause elevates your people. Once the upstart Emperor is reminded of the limitations to his power and I am able return to my post, your efforts will be rewarded, Dwarf."
<Thorek> Thorek nods to the man, trying to to see if Steiger took his lie. Alas he can't really tell, but the fact that he hasn't been attacked yet bodes well.
<Tales_GM> "Your reliance on the... non-human population of Ubersreik, is a peculiar yet clearly effective choice," he says to Roderick while looking at Far'Foririan and Afrock.
<Tales_GM> "Come, we are near enough Black Rock now. The City Guard are to rally with Duke von Jungfreud there, and await his command for a counter-attack."
<Roderick> "Had ta make less than ideal choices to get out of tha city, speakin of we should head towards the border. Never know when a patrol is gonna come by and spot us."
<Tales_GM> "Indeed. Word is the Reiksguard has been summoned from Altdorf. We will do well not to be caught in the open. What is your name, guardsman?"
<Roderick> "Sergeant Leofric Terwulf sir."
<Tales_GM> "Terwulf? Of the Terwulfs of Morgenseite?"
<Roderick> "No relation sir though that question comes up often enough."
<Tales_GM> "No matter. Board that coach and push those beasts to collapse if need be. We cannot delay," he says pulling on the reins of his horse to align with the road ahead.
* Roderick nods. "Sir. Load back up we're continuing to tha border!"
<Thorek> "Aye, you heard him." Thorek mounts back up.
* Roderick climbs into the carriage.
* Shivva_Runna hits the reigns to get the horses moving.
<Tales_GM> With a kick of his heels, Udo Steiger gets his mount moving ahead of the coach.
<Roderick> After the carriage is underway Roderick will turn his head and slides open the window slat to speak with Shivva and Far in the driver seat. "Choose your moment once we are a bit away from the toll and run him off the road. We want him to tip from his horse so we can scoop him up before we get too close to their border."
* Far_Foririan waits for a bit for the right moment, he then nudges Shivva to let him know its time.
<Shivva_Runna> "Aye."
* Far_Foririan waits for a bit for the right moment, he then nudges Shivva to let him know its time.
<Tales_GM> The attempt is an utter failure as the coach swings wildly to one side, altogether too strongly, then fish-tails back and forth with the subsequent attempts; violent swings that have every occupant striking some panel or corner of the coach.
<Tales_GM> It does, however, elicit no response from Steiger up ahead.
<Thorek> "Oi wazzock!" Thorek swears at the driver.
* Roderick curses violently and yells at the drivers. "Do it again and get it right this time!"
* Afrock braces himself for shit
<Shivva_Runna> "I'M TRYING MY BEST."
* Shivva_Runna attempts the maneuver once more.
<Tales_GM> On a stretch of road running on a down-hill angle, the coach is pushed to match, and slightly overtake Steiger. His initial reaction is minimal, almost approving; that is, until Shivva pulls hard left on the reins, and brings the bulk of the coach swinging towards him. Reacting as best he can, Steiger drives his mount off the path,  but the beast spooks and comes to a halt rather than
<Tales_GM> jump over a low hedge. Udo Steiger, Captain of the Ubersreik City Guard, becomes airborne. Several yards in front of his horse, he finds land once more, and remains immobile.
* Shivva_Runna brings the horses to a stop.
<Shivva_Runna> "I think he's dead."
* Afrock pokes him with a stick.
* Seig rushes out to secure the captain.
<Thorek> Once the coach comes to a stop, Thorek hops out, and readies his rope. "Let's make sure he's actually knocked out. We'll then strip him, and then tie and gag him."
<Far_Foririan> "Well unless he is dead that is."
<Tales_GM> A long, multi-toned wheeze is heard, then, as Steiger slowly exhales in pain.
* Roderick follows Thorek out of the coach, blade drawn and moving towards the immobile Captain.
<Tales_GM> With a voice that struggles to form, Steiger curses.
<Thorek> "Aye, Seig, hand me your staff."
* Seig moves to secure the captains horse. "Hmm? oh sure." and passes off the staff.
<Tales_GM> Though dazed, and hurting, he instinctively reaches for his sword-belt; empty, though it is.
<Thorek> Once there, Thorek accepts the staff. He then brings it up, and then around and down as if he were swinging it to make a rock on the ground fly. The intended target is Steiger's helmeted head.
<Roderick> Once Thorek knocks him unconscious Roderick begins stripping and removing everything from his person. Once removed of his affects Roderick moves to the horse and repeats the process, piling all of the gear and items in one place to be sorted.
<Roderick> Once securing the gear Roderick tears off the Ubersreik tabard and passes it to Thorek to gag the man.
<Thorek> Once the man is stripped, Thorek ties the man's hands and then legs. With Afrock's help he moves Steiger to the coach, and gags him with the guard tabard Roderick handed to him.
<Roderick> Roderick, Thorek and Afrock take to scouting the surrounding area to find a suitable path for the coach, that circumvents the established toll station manned by the soldiers of Black Rock. The path discovered is rough but with skill can be succesfully navigated by the drivers.
* Shivva_Runna gets in the driver's seat of the coach and sets off on the path.
<Tales_GM> The path is narrow, taking advantage of game trails and smuggler's streams. The draught horses struggle, yet hold steady, even if exhaustion has begun to kick in. On a particularly narrow trail, flanked on one side by tall stone formations and on the other by a steep ravine, the path ahead requires the crossing of a bridge, before continuing parallel to the course of a shallow stream.
<Thorek> "Some good country out here. Though it won't beat the mountains."
<Tales_GM> The thumping of hoofs against the wooden bridge are barely replaced by the sounds of thumping against dirt, when Steiger's horse begins to bob its head, flaring nostrils, and trying to come to a stop - fighting the forward movement of the coach.
<Thorek> "Oi, wazzock! Keep those hooves moving." He says as he pokes his head out as the coach jostles a bit.
* Shivva_Runna brings the coach to a stop.
<Shivva_Runna> "What's goin' on back there?"
* Far_Foririan begins looking around that they have come to a stop.
* Afrock sticks his head out and look's at the horse.
<Thorek> "Umgak horse is fighting the coach for some reason."
<Afrock> "The creature doesn't sound happy."
* Seig climbs out and looks around but doesn't see anything amiss.
<Shivva_Runna> "Of course it ain't happy. We stole it."
<Tales_GM> The moment those most aware among you notice the source of the horse's panic, it is too late. The rest of you become aware a fraction of a second later, as a filthy, hulking creature of disturbingly stealthy nature leaps out of vegetation, goring Steiger's horse with a swing of a vicious man-sized stone scythe.
<Afrock> "COMBAT!!"
<Far_Foririan> "Oh no."
* Afrock draws his weapon and prepares for combat.
* Roderick stares in almost disbelief. "A damned troll...damn you Udo, couldn't have just died when they took the town? Instead I have to chase ya across the countryside! Roderick delivers a swift kick to the bound man and draws his weapon while exiting the coach.
* Seig recognises the beast and draws his sword.
* Shivva_Runna takes out his crowbar and says "Well, fuck..."
<Seig> "Lads... this one is gunna be trouble..."
<Thorek> "Umgak!"
* Far_Foririan moves quickly drawing his short sword he moves behind the beast and hits the creature in the head.
* Shivva_Runna tries to sneak behind the coach, but stumbles about.
* Thorek hops down from the coach and immediately charges the troll. "Grimnirrrrrr!" He roars as he brings his axe down, and is rewarded with a meaty thunk as it is applied to troll flesh.
* Roderick charges the beast and adds his blade to those of his comrades, carving a deep slash into the creatures chest with a spray of stinking blood.
* Afrock enters a frenzy, screams, "FOR GRIMNIR", and charges the troll.
* Seig manoeuvres around the beast, taking a swipe with his sword, the beast attempts to block it with a clawed hand but the blow gets under it and severs one of the claws leaving a cleft in the hand.
<Tales_GM> With a bestial roar, the troll swings twice, both times against the dwarves of the party.
* Far_Foririan swings again but misses his strike this time.
* Thorek grunts as he's slammed in the chest, but he's still on his feet.
* Shivva_Runna charges into melee with his crowbar, but he misses the attack
* Thorek brings in his axe again slamming it into the Troll's chest.
* Roderick swings again only to have the blade chip and rebound as the troll counters with his crude weapon.
* Afrock attacks the creature again.
* Seig strikes the creature again scoring a decent hit.
* Afrock manages to counter the creature and devastates the creature and decapitates the creature and screaming at the top of his lungs.
<Afrock> "grimnir BE WITH ME."
<Far_Foririan> "Well Afrock, I see this one is going into my notes."
* Afrock goes to the creatures head and collects as a trophy.
<Afrock> "Now to clean you out and make a cup out of you."
<Tales_GM> When the beast's head is parted from the rest of the carcass, the steaming gore produces a shockingly pungent stench that keeps the draught horses even more on edge.
* Thorek falls onto his ass, all adrenaline draining from his body. "Living up to the Slayer name, cousin." He says in khazalid.
* Shivva_Runna walks away from the stream of troll blood.
* Shivva_Runna hops back onto the driver seat.
<Seig> "Fuck, heard enough about trolls from other barge crews, seen em from a distance but never wanted to fight one."
* Far_Foririan holds his breath as he makes his way back to the co-diver seat with Shivva.
<Shivva_Runna> "Let's leave. I don't wanna stick around for it's mate or worse to show up."
* Roderick turns towards the dwarves. "These things have lairs where they stash their stuff they take off of people?" He sheathes the chipped blade cursing the ill luck.
<Afrock> "Yes."
<Thorek> "He'd know more than I. I've only heard tales from family and traveling dawri merchants."
<Roderick> "May as well see if it has anything valuable."
<Shivva_Runna> "Hopefully, we don't run into more of them."
* Seig goes to check on the captive.
* Far_Foririan jumps down from the co-driver seat to go with Roderick and the two dwarfs.