WFRP Chapter 94: Race with the River

Summary: Zena's Zany Legends enter a boat race.

Chapter 94 ~ The first round race

Asking around it seemed a lot of people were traveling to Sonnefurt to etither watch or even enter the boat race.  Given the prize was a whole estate, even if was in the cold north, a lot of powerful people were converging on the city.  Tayy spent the day making toffee and other sweetmeats he could sell (having no intention of actually entering a boat race) and then set off with his friends.

Hayley entered Morgan's Men and Zena her Zany Legends.  There were quite a few famiiar faces also entering Dagmar and her Dragoons; Astrellion; Boris Becker, the Chaos Sorcerer, and Adam Petey were also there from Nuln.

The first day of the races consisted of preliminary trials.  After lots were drawn seven teams got into the water with only the first three qualifying for the next days battle for the title deeds.  The boats entering the first race were :-

• Prince Imrik, High Elf Noble and entourage.
• Evelyn, or was that Evil Lyn, Sorceress and her retainers Merric and Redgrave.
• Boris Becker, Lord of Nuln and companions.
• Astrellion and the Woodland War Dancers of Athel Loren.
• Zena and her Zany Legends, Rubinifa & Kormac.
• Tom and the Serrig Rowers Club.
• Larry, Curly and Moe local Fishermen.

As the race started all the rowers put their backs into it to try and get a breakaway lead.  Arrows started flying as people attempted to pick off the rowers in other boats.  Asterillion's first arrow killed Larry, his second Becker's bodyguard - going straight through his eye [quad six on the damage].  Rubinifa shot at Redgrave; this angered Merric who dematerialised in a cloud of smoke only to materialise next to Rubinifa!  Primce Imrik cast a spell on the Serrig Rowers Club and they all started brawling.  Punching and kicking each other forgetting all about the race.  Evil Lyn cast a stunning strike that incapacitated Asterillion's rower and his boat started to fall behind.

Kormac continued to row as Rubinifa used his bands of power to chop Merric down with two mighty strikes.  Stripping the corpse quickly of goods the body was thrown overboard.  Sadly the plethera of enchanted items was quickly depleted as one after another of them broke into dust when noone was able to attune to them.  All that survived was the powerful mail shirt that Kormac pulled onto the bench next to him.

Evil Lyn was still upset at the demise of Merric and used finger of death on Rubinifa; it only had a 10% chance of working due to his hight toughness and protection from Humans but it did!  He fell to the floor his body thrashing around in death spasms.  Only the luck of the gods, and a quickly administered healing potion, prevented his swift demise.

The three lead boats all turned on each other with spells and arrows flying back and forth.  After a few moments Becker, Lyn and Imrik's boats all had rowers who were suffering from different mind effecting spells that stopped them rowing.

This gave the other boats a chance to catch up.  Converging on Becker's boat Asterillion went on the left, Zany Legends to the right.  Leaping over Zena slashed down at the injured rower who had to use his ore to parry and stay alive.  Rubinifa was about to leap over as well when a witch bolt from the Sorcerer struck Kormac in the back.  He was just saying how lucky he was to have got a magical shirt when his torso exploded showering Rubinifa with blood and gore.  Seconds later the rest of Kormac melted into dark smoke.  All that was left was a single hand clutching a mail shirt.  

Leaping across into the other boat Rubinifa used the last charge in his bands of power to hack Boris down with a single blow that split him from neck to belly button [52 dmaage!].  Most if his powerful items were destoyed but Rufinifa did get a sword and Zena a bow.  Becker's hired rower agreed to join them and they carefully climbed back into their own boat.

The Elves peppered the rowing club and fishermen with arrows.  With his friends dead Moe tried to row on but was quickly stopped allowing the Elves to power forward unopposed.  Prince Imrik was the winner with Astrellion close at his heals.  That left Zena and Lyn fighting it out for third place...

Having got back into their own, an annoying rule that is was the craft not the crew that would qulify, the Zany Legends worked on trying to catch up Evil Lyn.  She used another witchbolt to vaporise Ben the rower and then started to row herself.  Rubinifa kept shooting at her but even in her wounded state she managed to make it over the line a few strokes ahead of an exhaused Zena.

Somewhat dejected as most of the magic loot they had tried to acquire had been destroyed the pair headed back to watch the other qualifying rounds.  They got back just as Hayley was preparting to set off.  Zena offerd Madoc the armour, that has very briefly belonged to Kormac, and he was able to attune to the suit of mail.  The extra proection it offered should help in the race ahead.  The most important part of the day, so far, was that Tayy had managed to sell his produce and made nine crowns profit!

Loot gained -

• Madoc - Mail of Pride (mail coat) [+3 Armour Points to all locations; +2 Toughness; +1 Strength; Flaw: Cannot be worn with any other armour.]
• Zena - Deadshot [Str 6 Bow]
• Rubinifa - White Razor [Sword +4 Damage]

Image Credits -
Art from wessamaden.