WFRP Chapter 98: Time to Say Goodbye

Summary: Running away from our problems (before they kill us).

Chapter 98 ~ Funeral for a friend

We stood in the graveyard as the priest said a final blessing for Flendac and his coffin was lowered into the ground.  A few of the local villagers were there offering condolences on our loss. Then one of the figures pushed back her cloak and stepped forward.  There was a sharp intake of breath from Madoc as he recognised Dagmar, the local outlaw chief and remembered he had tried to kill her.

His hand tightened on the staff he held, the final gift Flendac had given him.  A light frost formed on the wood as he tensed expecting a fight.  Dagmar gave a wry smile as stepped in close to him.  "Given your in mourning I will let you live today.  After tomorrow though you will be joining him".  Her hand scattered earth into the grave as she spoke.  Then she turned her back on the failed priest and strode away followed by her lieutenants.

Everyone shuffled off to the Black Eagle for the wake.  Annalyse introduced us to her cousin Jensen Ackles a solider whos tour was over and was now looking for work.  Hayley was happy to let him tag along with us as she needed some new recruits for the Countesses retinue.  Zena and Rubinifa had a few tasks to get finished so we agreed to meet them in Nuln in a few days.

The rest of us decided to make a quick exit to not only get Madoc out of town but also to try and get to another funeral that of Hayley's family!  She had just received a letter telling her not only had her parents died but her sister too.  There was only ten days until the funeral in Dunkelburg.  We would have to travel quickly to get there.

Having stopped at the apothecary to grab a healing potion we were waylayed by N'ressa.  She had found out about the title Hayley had won.  She wanted to buy, sight unseen, a favourable dock in Ryazan.  Hayley managed to avoid making a contract but N'ressa did say she would send someone up to the city in a couple of months to check the place out.

The Countess and her retinue of three headed east to Sonnefurt.  Along the way we saw the corpses of several bandit gangs.  Either N'ressa has been cleaning house or people had foolishly attacked them as they travelled to Kreutzhofen; who would be stupid enough to do that?  We were able to scavenge a couple of repeating crossbows from the carnage but nothing else of worth.

Reaching Sonnefurt we found Cpt Jamerson and her barge.  She was on route Kreutzhofen so would not be back for a couple of days.  Initially we planned to wait for her return but then noticed we were being followed around the city.  Making a decision we headed up the road towards Kell.  We were barly halway to Thalfang when we noticed a group following up.  Hiding in the woods we let them get closer.  The leader shouted out that three of us could go they only wanted Hayley.  She recognised the speaker her uncle Mitch!  It seemed he too wanted the lands of Ryazan and the quickest way to do that was to inherit the land as her closest living relative on her death.

After a few exchanges they headed north telling us they would see us again at the funeral.  After a very brief discussion about heading overland we decided to double back to Sonnefurt and meet up with Cpt Jamerson.

Hayley asked the captain to push on through the night to get us to Nuln quicker.  This worked well for the first couple of days and we sailed past Wusterburn and Eppiswald.  However then we got attacked by a score of Goblins in the night.  Arrows came in a rain of death upon the deck as grappling hooks pulled us towards the shore.  We shot a few Goblins and then, after drinking the healing potion, the Countess led the charge.  Leaping over the side she charged into combat with the Goblin warriors killing two of them with her first swing.  Tayy and Jenson jumped after her hacking down more of the little green men.

Madoc shot arrows at the Goblin champion until he was injured and dropped prone on the deck.  Seeing most of his warband dead this champion turned tail and fled.  When the battle was over we had gained nothing.  Both Madoc and solider-boy were seriously wounded and needed a surgeon.  It was going to take us the rest of the day to get to Heisenburg.  Hopefully we could make it without suffering a further attack.

Image Credits -
Art from livingalivecreator.