Post by Grumbaki on Jan 4, 2006 13:50:59 GMT -5
In what was comming a recent site over the past decade or so, a caravan made it's way down the Imperial Road towards Kazad Dawr. Six covered wagons slowly made their way down the bumpy road, each pulled by a pair of draft horses. Riding along the flanks of the caravan were twelve mounted men, with a further two riding ahead and two more in back. As a final piece of protection, each coachman also had a crossbow next to him.
In the third wagon sat a fat man who was trying, and failing, to write a letter on a table that wouldn't stop moving. Every once in awhile he would glance over at his bodyguard and give him a murderous glare.
Said bodyguard was none other than Sven Brognarsven. Standing at four foot ten his head only reached the neck of the man he was guarding. Even so he outweighed the merchant pound for pound, as he was even more broad of shoulder. Sven had contented smile on his face as he looked out of the wagon at the mountains around him. The cold wind swept through his now graying beard, which had once been bright yellow. He was humming a tune off key, every once in awhile it would be interuppted by him singing a verse in khazalid, only to go back to humming.
He finally stopped when the man he was guarding slammed his quill on the desk and stood up, knocking his chair over. Red in the face he shouted "Shut the hell up! By the gods, you've been humming the same d**nable song for the past three days!"
Sven turned around and looked at the merchant without any noticable emotional change. His axes were still held loosely in his hands, with their chains dangling down to his feet, which was a good sign, as if he was ever seen holding them tightly then it meant that somebody was going to die. The merchant shuddered as he looked at the gem that filled Sven's one empty eye socket. The green gem glittered even though there was no light source big enough to make it do so as it was used to look at him. For a long second Sven said nothing. Then finally he smiled amiable and turned back around. He started humming again, only this time it was a different song. The merchant bent down to pick up his quill and resisted the urge to stab his bodyguard in the back with it.
The urge vanished as he noticed that the wagon was slowing down to a halt. The sound of a horse approached as one of the forward scouts rode up.
"The road's blocked, there's been a small avalanche up ahead. Don't worry, it's not that bad. Someone on horseback could easily get past them, but the wagons won't. If we start working now we should be able to clear enough of it to get through in about an hour or two."
The merchant groaned and started to complain. Sven, not caring for any of it hopped out of the wagon and started to walk towards the blocked road, all the while still humming his song. When he reached the avalanche his gem eye glittered again. One of the scouts road up to him and looked at him from his horse.
"What are you looking at? It's just a bunch of rocks. Here, I'll help you move them."
As the man dismounted Sven turned back to the rocks. He closed his good eye and started looking around with the gem. The scout took a step back and watched the dwarf warily.
Suddenly Sven's eye flashed open and he let out a booming laugh.
"I knew it! Haha! It be an ambush! About fookin' time tae!"
"What?! How did you-"
"Tracks manling, goblin tracks. Leading up to the ridge there, and then they turn into wolf tracks."
"But-, bloody hell we've got to warn the others!"
As the scout remounted his horse an arrow shot out from the ridge, hitting him in the back. The man fell off of his horse and landed on his back, driving the arrow deeper into him. As he coughed up blood he held up his hand towards Sven.
"Warn the...caravan..."
Sven wasn't listening though, or even looking at the dying scout. From the ridge came a small horde of wolf riders. This pack was comming from the south and another was comming from the north, thus hitting the caravan on both sides. With a laugh Sven started running towards the incoming wolf riders.
Sven v. 15 wolf riders
wolf riders are goblins with the skills: strike mighty blow, ride-wolf and they are armed with spears and shields
Round 1: 5 wolf riders charge
Sven (swinging chains): 2 hits. 1 hit against a rider, one against a wolf. goblin-9 wounds. wolf-11 wounds. Both dead. (The goblin on the dead wolf fails the risk test and is pinned underneath. The wolf takes a cl test and passes, so it sticks around)
Goblins: 1 hit. dodged.
Wolves: 2 hits, 0 wounds, 0 wounds
13 wolf riders left and 1 wolf v. Sven (full wounds), Sven won the combat, so he still has room to swing his chains
Round 2: 5 more wolf riders charge
Sven: 3 hits. 2 hits riders, 1 hits a wolf. All die. Both wolves flee.
5 goblins: 2 hits. 0 wounds, critical (6+6) 11 wounds
5 wolves: 2 hits. 0 wounds, 0 wounds
11 wolf riders left v. Sven (2 wounds left), Sven lost the combat, so he can no longer swing his weapons, he now has to hold them by their handles
Round 3: last 5 would riders charge
Sven: 3 hits. 3 hit riders. All die, all 3 wolves flee
8 goblins: 3 hits, 1 dodged. 0 wounds, 0 wounds, 0 wounds
8 wolves: 3 hits. 0 wounds, 0 wounds, 0 wounds
8 wolf riders left v. Sven (2 wounds left) Sven won the combat and thus forced them back, he can now swing his chains again
Round 4:
Sven: 2 hits. 1 hits goblin, other hits wolf. Both die. (remaining goblin takes cl test and flees)
6 goblins: all miss
6 wolves: 1 hits. 0 wounds.
6 wolf riders left v. Sven (2 wounds left)
Round 5:
Sven: 3 hits. all hit goblins. all die.
3 wolf riders take cl tests. All flee.
Final:
Sven kills 12 wolf riders, but is down to 2 wounds.
Both black faced goblin and wolf alike howling, the wolf riders charged down the slope. For his part Sven stopped moving towards them and was now swinging his chains in giant arcs, laughing happily as he did so. A terrible light burned in his one good eye as he remembered the experience of walking through the fallen dwarven hold when he fled the dead town of Mesembria. The first five wolf riders charged at him, trying to impale him on their spears. Sven moved to the left, swinging his chains in powerful arcs that decapitated one goblin and cut the legs of one of the wolves off. The cripled wolf fell onto it's side, pinning it's rider underneath it, while the wolf with the dead rider was unaware of what happened and turned to fight Sven. One of the goblin's spears clipped Sven's shoulder but failed to do anything. The goblins moved past him and turned to encircle him, with the next wave of their band charge down. Sven kept moving and swinging his chains, the wolf with the dead rider leapt at him, only to be knocked out of the air by one of his axes, with his other chain hit a goblin's shield, shattered it and went right through the arm, the goblin's rib cage, and finally settled into the body of the goblin next to it. As Sven pulled his axes free one of the charging goblins hit him full on, the goblin's spear hit Sven in the leg and broke right through the chain. The spear broke as the goblin rode past, leaving Sven with half a spear in his leg.
With a roar of hatred Sven pulled on the chains and caught the axes by the handles. The wolf riders tried to close in on him, but Sven was wild with pain and rage and killed the three closest to him, broke out of their circle and once again started swinging his axes by the chains. The last of the wolf riders charged in, only to have two of them cut down before they could even reach Sven. Once again they tried to encircle him, but Sven was again swinging his axes by the chains and every time they got within striking reach they were cut down. Five more wolf riders were cut down in this fashion, leaving only three wolf riders left. These survivors fled back up the slope.
Sven watched them flee, unable to pursue because of his injury. As he looked up he saw a wolf rider whom had been waiting there. That goblin was actually wearing armor, and his wolf was bigger than any other he had ever seen. The goblin held a bow in one hand and a horn in the other. The goblin held up the horn and blew on it, then dissapeared into the mountains.
Sven spat on the ground and started to limp back towards the caravan. When he came to it, he saw the effects of what was a brutal battle. By his count there were ten dead goblins lying on the ground, and with them six dead humans.
The merchant whom Sven was supposed to be guarding walked up to him and bellowed "Where the hell were you? Fifteen d**nable goblins attack and you arn't anywhere to be seen! And where the hell is Hendricks? I'll have you both fired for this!"
Sven looked at the merchant and then pointed back towards where he came. "I was fightin' tae. Hendricks got shot by their boss and then others charged down. They be dead though, except for a few that ran."
"Oh so you were off fighting? Your are supposed to be my body guard, so for now on stay with me and keep me safe! Do you understand me?"
Sven looked at the merchant as if though he had just been told that he had to give up drinking. Sven nodded his head sadly.
"Good. Now go get that leg taken care of, I don't want a criple guarding me."
Sven suddenly looked at the merchant with murder in his eyes, and the remaining caravan guards all started to crowd in.
"What, did I offend you? I'm am *so* sorry."
Sven nodded, having completely missed the sarcasm in the merchant's voice.
"I accept ye apology. But if ye insult me again, I'll kill ye."
Before the merchant could think of a retort, Sven hobbled away towards the wagon that had the surgeon. As he went, he started to happily hum again.
In the third wagon sat a fat man who was trying, and failing, to write a letter on a table that wouldn't stop moving. Every once in awhile he would glance over at his bodyguard and give him a murderous glare.
Said bodyguard was none other than Sven Brognarsven. Standing at four foot ten his head only reached the neck of the man he was guarding. Even so he outweighed the merchant pound for pound, as he was even more broad of shoulder. Sven had contented smile on his face as he looked out of the wagon at the mountains around him. The cold wind swept through his now graying beard, which had once been bright yellow. He was humming a tune off key, every once in awhile it would be interuppted by him singing a verse in khazalid, only to go back to humming.
He finally stopped when the man he was guarding slammed his quill on the desk and stood up, knocking his chair over. Red in the face he shouted "Shut the hell up! By the gods, you've been humming the same d**nable song for the past three days!"
Sven turned around and looked at the merchant without any noticable emotional change. His axes were still held loosely in his hands, with their chains dangling down to his feet, which was a good sign, as if he was ever seen holding them tightly then it meant that somebody was going to die. The merchant shuddered as he looked at the gem that filled Sven's one empty eye socket. The green gem glittered even though there was no light source big enough to make it do so as it was used to look at him. For a long second Sven said nothing. Then finally he smiled amiable and turned back around. He started humming again, only this time it was a different song. The merchant bent down to pick up his quill and resisted the urge to stab his bodyguard in the back with it.
The urge vanished as he noticed that the wagon was slowing down to a halt. The sound of a horse approached as one of the forward scouts rode up.
"The road's blocked, there's been a small avalanche up ahead. Don't worry, it's not that bad. Someone on horseback could easily get past them, but the wagons won't. If we start working now we should be able to clear enough of it to get through in about an hour or two."
The merchant groaned and started to complain. Sven, not caring for any of it hopped out of the wagon and started to walk towards the blocked road, all the while still humming his song. When he reached the avalanche his gem eye glittered again. One of the scouts road up to him and looked at him from his horse.
"What are you looking at? It's just a bunch of rocks. Here, I'll help you move them."
As the man dismounted Sven turned back to the rocks. He closed his good eye and started looking around with the gem. The scout took a step back and watched the dwarf warily.
Suddenly Sven's eye flashed open and he let out a booming laugh.
"I knew it! Haha! It be an ambush! About fookin' time tae!"
"What?! How did you-"
"Tracks manling, goblin tracks. Leading up to the ridge there, and then they turn into wolf tracks."
"But-, bloody hell we've got to warn the others!"
As the scout remounted his horse an arrow shot out from the ridge, hitting him in the back. The man fell off of his horse and landed on his back, driving the arrow deeper into him. As he coughed up blood he held up his hand towards Sven.
"Warn the...caravan..."
Sven wasn't listening though, or even looking at the dying scout. From the ridge came a small horde of wolf riders. This pack was comming from the south and another was comming from the north, thus hitting the caravan on both sides. With a laugh Sven started running towards the incoming wolf riders.
Sven v. 15 wolf riders
wolf riders are goblins with the skills: strike mighty blow, ride-wolf and they are armed with spears and shields
Round 1: 5 wolf riders charge
Sven (swinging chains): 2 hits. 1 hit against a rider, one against a wolf. goblin-9 wounds. wolf-11 wounds. Both dead. (The goblin on the dead wolf fails the risk test and is pinned underneath. The wolf takes a cl test and passes, so it sticks around)
Goblins: 1 hit. dodged.
Wolves: 2 hits, 0 wounds, 0 wounds
13 wolf riders left and 1 wolf v. Sven (full wounds), Sven won the combat, so he still has room to swing his chains
Round 2: 5 more wolf riders charge
Sven: 3 hits. 2 hits riders, 1 hits a wolf. All die. Both wolves flee.
5 goblins: 2 hits. 0 wounds, critical (6+6) 11 wounds
5 wolves: 2 hits. 0 wounds, 0 wounds
11 wolf riders left v. Sven (2 wounds left), Sven lost the combat, so he can no longer swing his weapons, he now has to hold them by their handles
Round 3: last 5 would riders charge
Sven: 3 hits. 3 hit riders. All die, all 3 wolves flee
8 goblins: 3 hits, 1 dodged. 0 wounds, 0 wounds, 0 wounds
8 wolves: 3 hits. 0 wounds, 0 wounds, 0 wounds
8 wolf riders left v. Sven (2 wounds left) Sven won the combat and thus forced them back, he can now swing his chains again
Round 4:
Sven: 2 hits. 1 hits goblin, other hits wolf. Both die. (remaining goblin takes cl test and flees)
6 goblins: all miss
6 wolves: 1 hits. 0 wounds.
6 wolf riders left v. Sven (2 wounds left)
Round 5:
Sven: 3 hits. all hit goblins. all die.
3 wolf riders take cl tests. All flee.
Final:
Sven kills 12 wolf riders, but is down to 2 wounds.
Both black faced goblin and wolf alike howling, the wolf riders charged down the slope. For his part Sven stopped moving towards them and was now swinging his chains in giant arcs, laughing happily as he did so. A terrible light burned in his one good eye as he remembered the experience of walking through the fallen dwarven hold when he fled the dead town of Mesembria. The first five wolf riders charged at him, trying to impale him on their spears. Sven moved to the left, swinging his chains in powerful arcs that decapitated one goblin and cut the legs of one of the wolves off. The cripled wolf fell onto it's side, pinning it's rider underneath it, while the wolf with the dead rider was unaware of what happened and turned to fight Sven. One of the goblin's spears clipped Sven's shoulder but failed to do anything. The goblins moved past him and turned to encircle him, with the next wave of their band charge down. Sven kept moving and swinging his chains, the wolf with the dead rider leapt at him, only to be knocked out of the air by one of his axes, with his other chain hit a goblin's shield, shattered it and went right through the arm, the goblin's rib cage, and finally settled into the body of the goblin next to it. As Sven pulled his axes free one of the charging goblins hit him full on, the goblin's spear hit Sven in the leg and broke right through the chain. The spear broke as the goblin rode past, leaving Sven with half a spear in his leg.
With a roar of hatred Sven pulled on the chains and caught the axes by the handles. The wolf riders tried to close in on him, but Sven was wild with pain and rage and killed the three closest to him, broke out of their circle and once again started swinging his axes by the chains. The last of the wolf riders charged in, only to have two of them cut down before they could even reach Sven. Once again they tried to encircle him, but Sven was again swinging his axes by the chains and every time they got within striking reach they were cut down. Five more wolf riders were cut down in this fashion, leaving only three wolf riders left. These survivors fled back up the slope.
Sven watched them flee, unable to pursue because of his injury. As he looked up he saw a wolf rider whom had been waiting there. That goblin was actually wearing armor, and his wolf was bigger than any other he had ever seen. The goblin held a bow in one hand and a horn in the other. The goblin held up the horn and blew on it, then dissapeared into the mountains.
Sven spat on the ground and started to limp back towards the caravan. When he came to it, he saw the effects of what was a brutal battle. By his count there were ten dead goblins lying on the ground, and with them six dead humans.
The merchant whom Sven was supposed to be guarding walked up to him and bellowed "Where the hell were you? Fifteen d**nable goblins attack and you arn't anywhere to be seen! And where the hell is Hendricks? I'll have you both fired for this!"
Sven looked at the merchant and then pointed back towards where he came. "I was fightin' tae. Hendricks got shot by their boss and then others charged down. They be dead though, except for a few that ran."
"Oh so you were off fighting? Your are supposed to be my body guard, so for now on stay with me and keep me safe! Do you understand me?"
Sven looked at the merchant as if though he had just been told that he had to give up drinking. Sven nodded his head sadly.
"Good. Now go get that leg taken care of, I don't want a criple guarding me."
Sven suddenly looked at the merchant with murder in his eyes, and the remaining caravan guards all started to crowd in.
"What, did I offend you? I'm am *so* sorry."
Sven nodded, having completely missed the sarcasm in the merchant's voice.
"I accept ye apology. But if ye insult me again, I'll kill ye."
Before the merchant could think of a retort, Sven hobbled away towards the wagon that had the surgeon. As he went, he started to happily hum again.