Lacco
 
  Into the Dark Night  

The fire sputtered, lighting the small refuge for a moment, its light reflected in the eyes of three people hiding inside.

Narset finished binding the cut on Archer's arm using a bandage with her own poultice. She nodded, and walked towards the bucket to quickly wash her hands of the oils and herbs.

The wound was not deep - and the sword that made it was not especially sharp - but she made sure it was clean and well-bound. The young squire rolled down the sleeves to cover the bandage, nodding back. His companion sat in the corner, eating a piece of bread. She was not sure if he was also wounded - he had blood on his clothes, but did not mention anything so far. The only sound he made so far was the chewing and the occasional rattling of the manacles.

When they turned up at the refuge - a simple hut with a log palisade surrounding it, which she used as her base for her visits to this land, she was cautious and did not go out, only watched them from behind the window. The squire introduced himself and asked for help - that happened a lot around here. He looked civil, his companion strangely wild. She did not know where he came from, but the squire was Stahlnish. The dialect was obvious.

And he was wounded.

They explained the situation while she took care of Archer's wound. They were hunted, and needed to escape to civilization. Already evaded a group of bounty hunters and fought off two other assassins. The last one managed to land a blow to his sword-arm, but only managed to land a flesh wound.

As she thought about their situation, the squire stood up, a key in his hand, and approached the manacled man. " As long as you are under with me, you are forbidden to die. I've gone to far too much trouble keeping you alive to bury you now. Its time that I took the chains off of you. "

" Is he not your prisoner? " Narset asked.

" Yes. But it's not so simple. And I thought about it - if he decides to go on his own, he will be dead before reaching any minor town. We are in this together. I have promised to lead him to Stahl - but unless I wish to drag his body in front of my lord, I need to trust him - we both will be safer this way. "

Few moments later, the man was free of manacles, and Archer stepped out of the cottage. Johann, now without manacles, massaged his forearms a bit, and then returned to his food. After few chews, he remarks towards Narset.

" As would you. They are tracking us. You will be brought back for interrogation. Or killed, if you are lucky. " He takes a long sip of water. " War is coming. "

Before she could answer, Archer stepped back in and threw a backpack with a sword at Johann's feet. " Be prepared. We leave as soon as horses get some rest. Won't help if we tire them out. " He sat down, and looked at Narset. " Thank you for your hospitality. We will rest shortly and leave. "

 - - - * * * - - - 
The sun was just beginning its descent when they heard the voices.

They were here. Men, from the Scar. At least two, maybe more, yelled from beyond the palisade.

"Open up! We are sent by the king-priest and we seek a traitor and his companion!"

Their voices raspy, filled with urgency and threat.

 
 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Welcome to the game.

Feel free to introduce your character, but we'll be jumping right into it.

The hut is small, just a single room with a bed, a table, an old chest that can't be properly closed. It has window slits looking towards the gate. Its back is propped against a rocky cliff, some 11 feet tall.

The palisade is tall enough to protect you from direct attack, but a horseman can either climb over it easily, or they can pull the gate open. It will give you some time, but not too much.

The yard is some 15 yards across, from the hut to the palisade.

Feel free to state what you have with you, your horses (and the rest of the things) are in the 'stable' - a canopy/shed with a large water trough.
 

 
 Spoiler: LINKS 

 IC 
 OOC 
 Recruitment thread link 
 
JNAProductions
Narset knows enough to know that this is NOT a talking situation. The men who she found are being hunted-but they are not prey, and should not be treated like so. She looks to the two of them.   "We fight?"   she asks.   "I am skilled with a bow-though I'd hate to kill them. But... I don't know if we're going to have another choice."  
bramblefoot
 

johann nods, drawing the longsword, and donning the leather armor  "the priest-kings men are notoriously impatient"  he murmurs, clasping a hand on narsets shoulder.  "this is the law of the jungle, as old and as true as the sky"  he stops, and looks at narset.  "the rules are simple. it's kill or be killed out here. i dont know about you. but i prefer to kill rather than be killed" 
ProgressPaladin
 ”I would also prefer to survive.”  Archer says, as he draws his blades. He stands ready, favoring his uninjured arm.
ProgressPaladin
Archer motions for Narset to stand back, and stands by the door, wanting Johann to follow his lead.
bramblefoot
johann will form up on the other side of the door
JNAProductions
Narset nods, readying her bow.
Lacco
A commanding voice sounded from beyond the gate.

" Break it down and see if they are inside! "

In few moments, the enemy managed to push the gate open. There were five of them: one in the back sat on a horse - a red-haired man wearing a reddish leather gambeson, was holding four other horses.

The rest were on foot. The two in front wore thick fur coats, one was black-haired and wielded a quarterstaff, the other one was a bulky, muscled bald man with a cudgel in his hands.

Behind them stood a man of smaller stature, thin and sickly looking, with narrow, rat-like face. He wore a leather jack, and wielded a spear and a round shield.

The last one stood a bit to the side. A rugged man with a large scar on his cheek and bushy beard, wearing a leather gambeson, a sword in his hand and a round shield slung over his shoulder.

The big guy, the bearded man and the thin man immediately entered through the gate, looking around.

The battle was joined.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

First off, we are now in combat time.

Second...let's see if the enemy gets surprised and hesitates.

It's a Reflex/7 roll for enemies. You were expecting them, but you also may hesitate, but it's Reflex/4 for you.

You roll amount of d10 dice equal to your Reflex. Your TN is 4, so every die that is 4+ is a success. One success is enough for you to succeed on the roll. So use the rollv command.

If you succeed, you can act normally. If you fail, you can only react (defend yourself) in first round.

Let's see how the enemy manages:
Gistaf the Fox:  (4d10)[ 10 ][ 6 ][ 1 ][ 10 ](27) 
Arnaud the Tracker:  (3d10)[ 4 ][ 4 ][ 7 ](15) 
Detlef:  (4d10)[ 7 ][ 8 ][ 6 ][ 2 ](23) 
Baze the Raven  (3d10)[ 4 ][ 1 ][ 10 ](15) 
Kodlak:  (3d10)[ 10 ][ 10 ][ 2 ](22) 

Next step: check your CP. New round, new dice.
Melee combatants: wait for me to update the post according to the rolls. Choose an opponent.

JNAP: you have nocked the arrow and now should be drawing the bow. Which means your dice pool has your Proficiency in. You can aim (and add your AIM to the pool) or just shoot.


 
bramblefoot
johann will point out the rider.  "plug him, followed by mr beard"  he whispers.  jesus detlef, you didnt have to get involved you know  he thinks. guess i gotta kill you now. better hope you're good cuz, cause im not going back 

ooc: johann will prep sword and shield,letting narset fire until they close to melee

ill take detlef, but let them come to us. four on three isnt spoting odds

neutral stance
ProgressPaladin
 (1d10)[ 5 ] 
 (1d10)[ 3 ] 
 (1d10)[ 6 ] 
 (1d10)[ 9 ] 
 (1d10)[ 2 ] 
 (1d10)[ 4 ] 
Archer readies his sword in a neutral stance.
JNAProductions
Narset looses her arrow, sending it flying against the horse-mounted foe. It punctures his leg, a devastating blow.
Lacco
As soon as the thugs began to move forward, Johann and Archer heard the 'twang' of a bow and heard a scream. Had they time to enjoy it, they would see the chaos in the back rank: the large man on the horse fell down to the ground, losing the control of his horse and even the other horses.

One of the three that advanced stopped, hearing the sound - the black-haired staff-wielding man - and looked back. The spear-wielding man ran towards the horses with a panicked scream " Horses! Catch the horses! ", attempting to stop them from running, but the burly man with a club and the bearded man continued their advance.

The swordsman slung the shield onto his arm and increased his pace, his eyes burning with hatred as he looked into Johann's face. He barked at the men in the back.

" Screw the horses! This is our prey! Quick. Circle around and kill the archer. We'll keep them busy. " He smirked, and turned to Johann. " I hoped I'd be the one to catch you. Surrender and the Reaver may only take your body, not soul! "

The burly man with the club nodded and turned towards Archer, holding his club with both hands. He started to run, charging him.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

It will take 1 round for them to reach you. @JNAP: let me know what are you doing during the round.

@bramblefoot and ProgressPaladin: throw initiative. I already picked for your enemies. For stances, Detlef (sword &amp; board) has neutral stance, Kodlak (club) is charging (aggressive stance).

State your initiative (feel free to OOC that, but you can also prepare to receive your enemies in IC).
 
ProgressPaladin
Archer is dropping into a defensive stance, facing the burly man.
 
 Spoiler: Die 
Throwing a White Die, looking to parry.
 
bramblefoot
johann will let detlef approach, cracking a rictus grin.  "you couldnt a fly, just like your useless wench of a sister!"  he taunts.  "you do realize her last two kids were mine right? How does it feel to know that you couldnt even protect your little sister from my depradations?" 
 
 Spoiler: ooc 
throwing white, body language and ridicule
 
Lacco
 Archer 

Archer heard the exchange between Johann and the enemy - but he did not have much time to consider it. The burly man seemed eager to kill. He charged him and swung his club in a wide, powerful strike from above, aiming at Archer's head.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Round 1 Exchange 1
Burly throws red.
He attacks with a bash, downward vertical (zone V) for 7 dice.
State your defence, allocate dice.
 


 

 Johann 

Detlef snarled. There was no response from him, just a deep breath, his nostrils wide, his eyes wild. He closed in, with the intention to kill. His sword on his shoulder, but his shield held well, protecting his side - he was angry, but not furious enough.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

 Waiting for the initiative statement &amp; maneuver. 
Missed the OOC spoiler. Sorry for that.

Detlef goes RED.

He goes for a diagonal cut for 6 dice.
 
ProgressPaladin
Going to Defend with 9 dice(DTN 6)  (9d10)[ 2 ][ 2 ][ 9 ][ 9 ][ 1 ][ 8 ][ 8 ][ 8 ][ 2 ](49) , Then if I successfully parry, go for a lunge at the chest (Zone XII) With 4 Dice (ATN 6) [rollv]4d10[/rollv]
ProgressPaladin
(ATN 6) (4d10)[ 9 ][ 8 ][ 5 ][ 6 ](28)  STR+2
bramblefoot
johann will parry with five dice (4 sux), and reciprocate with an upwards slash at zone VI

 (4d10)[ 4 ][ 6 ][ 8 ][ 10 ](28) 
Lacco
In the hut, Narset deftly picks up one of her arrows, and starts nocking it, while watching the battle.

On one side of the door she sees Johann parry a wide swing by the bearded assailant.

On the other side, there is Archer - the young squire first displaces the club that is threatening to crush his head, and then lunges forward, seemingly just poking the big man in his guts, directly under his ribs - the burly man squeals of pain and falls to the ground, curled in fetal position, holding his guts and watching blood gushing out of the small wound. The club falls from his hands.

The large redheaded man stands up amongst the horses, shouting curses and ordering the rest of his man to advance.

The spear-wielding rat-like guy does not seem to like the idea of moving forward, but the black-haired man with quarterstaff obeys immediately, rushing forward.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

The quarterstaff-wielding man is advancing towards the hut. It will take him a round at least, but you can intercept him.
The redheaded man will need at least two rounds.
The last guy seems to fail his morale rolls.

@bramblefoot: will need the amount of dice spent on the second roll
@JNAProductions: if you elect to roll to speed up and succeed, you have the arrow nocked and the bow drawn - you'll have your proficiency minus 2 dice - for the speeding up - you can increase that by aiming for another round, or you can shoot. Pick your choice.
@ProgressPaladin: new round, new dice! Your opponent is alive still, even though he seems to be out of this combat. What do you do?
 
ProgressPaladin
Archer elects not to kill a downed opponent, and charges to meet the fellow with the staff. He assumes a defensive stance.
 
 Spoiler: Die 
I will throw a white die.
 
JNAProductions
Narset keeps her distance, readying her next shot.
Lacco
 Archer 
The man slowed down, seeing how Archer quickly dispatched his opponent, but kept advancing. Archer watched him, waiting for his attack, but it seemed the raven-haired man was reluctant, defensive. They stepped to the side, moved in a part of a circle, then steppe back - neither of them attacked.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

White.

Round 3, Exchange 1: new round, new dice. If you want, you can state a stance - he assumes a defensive stance.

This will be a bit tricky: he has a longer weapon (range L) than you. Every attack you launch comes with +1 activation cost until you hit (afterwards, he is in trouble).

Stance? And throw initiative!
 

 Johann 

Johann more felt than saw his blade connect, and he saw his opponent's face: pain. Not enough to down him, but enough to startle him, to make him doubt. His blade cut his upper thigh from the inside, just below the gambeson: it cut through meat and maybe even some veins.

But there was no time to celebrate.

His opponent was still standing.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Round 2, exchange 1: new round, new dice!

Johann has the initiative, you are the attacker.

State your maneuver, allocate dice.
 

 Narset 

She saw Johann hit his opponent, her arrow in her hand. And the young squire managed to stop the man with staff advancing on her: that made her safe to take her time. She carefully nocked the arrow, calmly, and started to raise her bow.

She watched the red-haired man in leather gambeson in the back draw his longsword and place a round shield on his arm, while nudging the reluctant rat-faced spearman to move forward. Soon, her companions would get more combat their way.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Round 2
On round 3, your dice pool will contain your Proficiency dice. You can aim (adding Aim dice to the pool) or shoot.
 
ProgressPaladin
 
 Originally Posted by ProgressPaladin 
 Archer elects not to kill a downed opponent, and charges to meet the fellow with the staff. He assumes a defensive stance.
 
 Spoiler: Die 
I will throw a white die.
 
 
 

This is my die and stance. (Yes, Repeat.)
bramblefoot
johann will step forward, testing detlefs mobility  "how do you feel now, ya d!ickless worm?"  he taunts  "i think this is where you meet your end! quick and painless is too good for you! i think ill make an incision in your tummy, and start pulling out your large intestine" 

johann will cut zone IX (opposite leg to cripple him) with six dice

 (6d10)[ 9 ][ 8 ][ 1 ][ 5 ][ 4 ][ 5 ](32) 
 
 Spoiler: ooc 
johann will throw red, and test detlefs mobility by taking a step forward. He'll also keep up the patter of insults
 
JNAProductions
Despite focusing on the melee in front of her, Narset hears what Johann says. It is not something she wants to have happen, but hopefully he's just trying to intimidate the opposition.
Lacco
 Archer 

The black haired man sidestepped. Archer followed him. Then Archer stepped to the other side, with the black haired man following him - it was an intricate dance, which lead them to the same spot as before. Neither seemed to be willing to strike first.

Archer noticed movement in the back. The leader of the group and the reluctant spearman advanced. They would join the combat in few moments. He did not hear anything from Narset...

But the man in front of him occupied his thoughts the most. He seemed nervous - maybe it was the stream of insults from Johann, maybe seeing how the other pair fared... Arched knew not. But there was fear in his eyes, tremble in his steps.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

White-white. Neither attacks.

R4E1: New round, new dice. Initiative throw!
 

 Johann 

Detlef just grunted, his breath heavy, and attempted to deflect the incoming swing with his shield, dropping it lower - but his wound made him slow.

Too slow.

The sword passed just below the shield and hit his knee in full speed. The knee gave way with a sickening crack and a splash of blood. Instead of stepping back, Detlef just fell down like a sack of potatoes, roaring in pain, just holding his now defunct leg.

A pool of blood was beginning to form under his leg.

Glancing up, Johann saw the squire face off with the staff-wielding boy, and the pair of men that advanced upon them all - they were still moments away.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

R2E1:

Detlef blocks using 6 dice.

Johann's cut has 2 successes, hit location II (upper legs; zone IX is the thrust zone); rerolled in OOC: 5 successes

Let's see how Detlef fares:
Detlef's block:  (6d10)[ 10 ][ 2 ][ 4 ][ 6 ][ 4 ][ 3 ](29)  DTN 6
Hit location:  (1d6)[ 6 ](6) 

Detlef's block: 2 successes
 
A tie!

If you want, you can spend Drama to reroll all failed dice; otherwise it's a tie: you keep initiative. 

3 net successes:

Damage: ST 4 + 2 (weapon) - 1 (dull) + 3 net successes = 8 cutting damage

Resist: TO 4, no armor on legs = level 4 wound to knee

Blood loss: 8
Shock: 10
Pain: 13-WP (current: 11)

Btw, that's like 4 to 6 rounds of insults 😁 Each exchange is just few seconds - you'd have to deliver that over several rounds.

Also, during combat, initiative is switched around based on the result; you don't state it. In this case, Detlef had the initiative - you parried (you have initiative), you attacked and hit - you keep initiative. Initiative is restated only during break in combat (if the one who has initiative launches no attack/has no die and the other guy also launches no attack, or if one performs full evasion).

In this case, it's a scratch/tie =&gt; initiative stays with the attacker.

R2E2: you still have initiative and few dice to spare: what do you do?
 

 Narset 

Narset raised her bow and drew the string. She was ready to let loose the arrow, but she needed to find a target.

The black-haired man and Archer did not fight - they just stood, waiting, or walked around each other. They were close, but she was not completely sure she'd hit the man if Archer decided to suddenly move.

Johann pushed the bearded one back - and blocked him from her arrows. He seemed intent on cutting him to pieces.

The two men in back advanced. They could join the combat in few moments. She still had time to spare, but not too much.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Round 3: you have nocked &amp; drawn, your dice pool is your Proficiency (6). Do you shoot or do you aim?

Black-haired man: point blank range (+1 die) but Archer is in combat with him (if they decide to duke it out when you shoot, you get -3 dice due to erratic movement; if you miss, there is a chance of hitting Archer, if you fumble, you hit Archer)

Leader: short range (+0), but he has a shield (if he's aware of your attack, he may attempt to block it using reflex roll; also if you hit the shield, it won't probably hurt him)

Reluctant spearman: short range (+0), also has a shield.

BTW, hit location is determined randomly (by roll of 2d6). You can choose to concentrate and place your shot more precisely to the point where you want it - by setting dice aside (not using them for the shot). Each die provides a modifier of +1 or -1, depending on where you hit (i.e. GM will tell you where you can move it). Maximum amount of dice you can use for this depends on your AIM attribute.
 
bramblefoot
johann will call to archer  "hey pretty boy, three on one isn't fair odds. no reason to let honor get your guts ripped open"  he will flick detlefs blood off the blade, and assume a  come hither  stance, weapon low but ready and shield protecting against any thrown projectiles

rolling body language on rat man and the reluctant leader

ratman body language
 (3d10)[ 3 ][ 2 ][ 3 ](8) 

reluctant leader body language

 (3d10)[ 1 ][ 2 ][ 3 ](6) 
ProgressPaladin
Fletcher decides to end the circling, and drifts into an aggressive stance. He stabs into the opponents chest, aiming to surprise them.
 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Fletcher is using an aggressive stance, and attacks with 6 dice+2-1= 7 dice. Roll: (7d10)[ 2 ][ 9 ][ 6 ][ 8 ][ 4 ][ 8 ][ 6 ](43)  ATN 6
 
JNAProductions
Narset takes aim and looses an arrow against those in the back-she doesn't want to chance hitting anyone friendly, and hopefully the shot will make them think twice about coming further forward.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
 (6d10)[ 3 ][ 2 ][ 7 ][ 6 ][ 9 ][ 10 ](37) 

If one of them is unshielded, I'll hit that one. If they both have or both don't have shields, then it doesn't matter a ton to me.
 
Lacco
 Johann 

He watched the two men moving, but his heart thumped in his chest with excitement of combat and downing the foe. He tried to focus, but also tried to keep an eye on Detlef: it would be a bad day to be surprised by soon-to-be-corpse like him.

He now recognized the broad-shouldered red-haired man. It was Gistaf, called the Fox - mostly because of his red hair and stupid red leather gambeson that he wore everywhere. He noticed that he was moving slightly slower - his knee was hurt. Not too bad, but it would slow him down. He was right-handed and would most probably open defensively, using his shield as opening.

The other man was a mystery. He seemed to be spooked, afraid, definitely not the kind to rush into combat. But he wielded the spear comfortably, and kept the shield high. He seemed uninjured so far.

...and at that moment, an arrow hit him into belly, piercing his leather jack and causing him to let out a whimper of pain. He started backing out of combat, trying to escape towards the horses, slowed down by the arrow.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Daaaamn, forgot that you were using shield and went with weapon TNs for double-handed use.

Okay, let's pretend you just slung it forward.

From now on, you are using longsword single-handed.

Also, the 'relaxed' stance is called Alber (or 'low forward'): Defensive modiﬁers consist of +3 CP against any attack to the legs or groin, +2 against any midsection attack, and -1 CP against the vulnerable head and shoulders (does not affect evasion, so feel free to evade those). There’s only one offensive bonus: +2 CP when attacking the opponent’s hands; all other attacks are at -1 CP (thrusts) or -2 CP (swings).
 

 Archer 

The enemy seemed almost surprised, his eyes widened - he was lulled into a slight feeling of safety by Archer's previous defensive approach.

The lunge was good: powerful, fast and precise. And it aimed right at the enemy's heart.

The man raised the staff in an effort to parry the lunge. A big effort that almost knocked him back: the staff spun, hit Archer's blade, but did not manage to completely displace it - it grazed the man's fur armor and scratched his skin.

Recovering from the lunge, Archer had no time to curse, only to fight...

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

5 successes
Baze responds with a parry for 7 dice.

Baze's parry:  (7d10)[ 10 ][ 7 ][ 4 ][ 5 ][ 9 ][ 10 ][ 10 ](55)  DTN 6
 Hit location:  (2d6)[ 6 ][ 2 ](8) 
Damage: 8p + ?
Resist: TO 3 + AV 1 = 4
 

It's a tie: Archer keeps initiative.

R4E2: second exchange, you have initiative. Maneuver &amp; dice?

Also, was it Fletcher or Archer?
 

 Narset 

The arrow sped through the air and hit the spearman in the back. It pierced his leather jack and made him take a step back and grab his belly instead of advancing: he seemed horrified and let out a whimper, with which he started to back out of the combat.

It seemed that was enough to persuade him not to stay.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

4 successes (if you decide to spend Drama to reroll the failed dice &amp; explode the 10s, let me know)

And I'm going to leave the result to random chance:
 (1d2)[ 1 ]  1 = tracker, 2 = leader

Luckily, they both have the same shield and the same Reflex.

REF/8  (3d10)[ 3 ][ 6 ][ 9 ](18)  for block

Just 1 success!

It's a hit!
Hit location:  (2d6)[ 5 ][ 2 ](7)  = belly
Hit zone:  (1d6)[ 4 ](4)  = lower abdomen

Damage: 5p + 3 = 8p
Resist: TO 3 + AV 3 = 6

Level 2 wound to lower abdomen

Blood loss: 6
Shock: 4
Pain: 6 - WP (3)

Enough to persuade this one it's not worth it.
 
ProgressPaladin
Archer will go for another Stab to the chest, capitalizing on the advantage from his prior one.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 
Red die, Thrust with 7 dice  (7d10)[ 1 ][ 5 ][ 3 ][ 5 ][ 7 ][ 6 ][ 6 ](33)  ATN 6
 
bramblefoot
Johann will casually step on detlefs injured knee  "look boys, why dont you just slink away?"  he says  "you tried and failed, or are you afraid of disappointing the head honcho?" 
 (5d10)[ 9 ][ 2 ][ 6 ][ 2 ][ 3 ](22) 
Lacco
 Archer 

Even with shaking knees, the man still fought. He was thrown off balance, off-tempo, but scrambled to make the parry and fight back. In a way, it was admirable. But it was a fight.

And Archer was just too good. His blade found an opening, his lunge gave him speed and strength, and neither the man's chest, nor his fur armor offered any significant resistance. The sidesword punctured his heart.

His eyes got glassy and he fell back onto the ground, dead before his head landed in the flower patch.

Archer looked around. Johann, seemingly amusing himself with idle banter and causing pain to the foe he downed was being charged by the man whom Narset shot down from the horse. The strong-looking lad that tried to bash Archer's head in was laying in a pool of his blood, fading quickly - he was still alive, but looked rather pale. The spear-and-shield wielding man was trying to get on a horse, but the arrow in his belly made it very difficult, and the man that Johann seemed to know was  also lying in a pool of blood.

It seemed there was just one last enemy.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Archer has 3 successes on chest thrust.
Baze goes for parry for 3 dice

Parry:  (3d10)[ 8 ][ 3 ][ 2 ](13)  TN6
1 success

2 net successes for Archer:
Hit location:  (1d6)[ 5 ](5)  = chest

Damage: 6 + 2 +2 net successes; 10p
Resist: TO 3 + AV 1 = 4

Level 5 wound to the chest. Immediate death.

FYI, Initiative stays with you when you successfully attack, so no red/white die at the moment: that comes when there is a break in combat.
 

 Johann 

Gistaf's eyes narrowed, but he threw back no insult - he just shouted "For Ardukh!" and ran forward, wildly swinging his sword in a wide overhead swing.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Intimidation attempt failed.
Gistaf's stance: aggressive, he's charging you.
Throwing RED.
He's going for an 7 dice diagonal overhead cut

Your response? Stance, red/white, maneuver?
 
ProgressPaladin
Archer will yell  “Narset! Spearman!  before charging over to help Johan.
bramblefoot
johann will take a block open and strike on gistaf, attempting to bat the spear away and run him through

i will throw white, take a neutral stance, toss a 7 dice high block, and go for a 4 dice strike to zone X

 (7d10)[ 4 ][ 7 ][ 1 ][ 6 ][ 5 ][ 6 ][ 10 ](39) 
 (4d10)[ 3 ][ 7 ][ 10 ][ 10 ](30) 
JNAProductions
  "On it!"   Narset replies, hurrying to nock her arrow back.
Lacco
Gistaf's blade, powered by his anger, struck Johann's shield with a loud clang. Johann received the swing with firm footing, and swung his shield outwards. Gistaf underestimated him, and paid the price: his sword was deflected with a powerful block and left him open for Johann's attack.

Behind them, Narset was working on nocking the last arrow she prepared for this fight. Her target, the spearman, managed to climb up on a horse, breaking the arrow and screaming curses in pain. It made him pause.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

R1E1 (total: 3+1 rest +1)

Gistaf's diagonal cut:  (7d10)[ 1 ][ 8 ][ 8 ][ 7 ][ 8 ][ 3 ][ 3 ](38)  ATN 7 = 4 successes
If it connects - hit location  (1d6)[ 3 ](3) 

Rerolled using Drama!

Johann's block open &amp; strike:  4  8 successes (the 'block' part)

 A tie! Unless you use Drama to reroll, Gistaf keeps initiative. 

R1E2:  Gistaf attacks with a cut at arms, investing 3 dice and getting +1 die (for attack on arms).  Johann gains initiative, attacks with an upward swing for 4 + 4 dice.


Also: in case of maneuvers like Block Open, or Counter, I'd suggest using more dice.
 
Lacco
 Johann 
Johann quickly used the opening his enemy gave him and responded with an upwards swing, but did not count with the man bending slightly forward when evading - and hit him straight in the gambeson, piercing it slightly. The opponent winced and had to step back, but continued fighting - but poorly.

Johann managed to hit him with a powerful upwards blow, which even the gambeson could not stop completely, making him lose his breath. Two other cuts followed - one cut his arm deeply, and the other one finished him - a quick blow across his neck.

He fell down dead.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

R1E2: (updated due to the change in post above)

Original roll: (4d10)[3][7][10][10](30) +  (4d10)[ 4 ][ 9 ][ 7 ][ 1 ](21)  TN 7 = 5 successes

Detlef goes for a straight block for 3 dice:  (6d10)[ 9 ][ 3 ][ 7 ][ 2 ][ 5 ][ 9 ](35)  TN 6 = 2 successes (messed up, thought it's a new round; took first 3 dice)

3 net success

Hit location  (1d6)[ 6 ](6)  = chest

Damage: ST 4 + 1 (weapon) - 1 (dull) + 2 net successes = 6 cutting

Resist: TO 5 + 1 AV = 6

A level 1 wound into the chest.

Blood loss: 2 (total 5)
Shock: 4
Pain: 5-WP (0)

You keep initiative.

R2E1: New round, new dice!
Your opponent is bleeding, but he pushes through.

What do you do?

BTW, need to check, but in round 3 should hit the first point of Fatigue.
 

 Archer 
The two were still fighting, but it seemed Johann had the upper hand: the enemy was slowed down by his wounds, and Johann was still fresh. But it was time to finish it - the fortune of battle could turn at any moment; one bad step or single blow could change the almost crushing victory to an unpleasant event.

Narset was in the meantime already raising her bow, her arrow nocked. She was watching the rider.

Archer surveyed the battlefield: the burly man he fought was unconscious - his eyes closed, his face pale. He was still bleeding. The man Johann fought - and knew - was also unconscious and bleeding. His black-haired opponent was dead - his blood, drawn straight from his heart was still on Archer's blade.

The whole fight took just few moments, but it seemed they had won.

 Narset 

The arrow was in place, the bow was drawn.

Her target, the spearman, was already on the horse - speeding up, away from them. At this moment, he was almost 20 yards away, getting further every moment.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

At this moment, he's at short distance (+0 dice to your roll). You have your Proficiency in your dice pool.
In a round, he'll be at medium distance (-1 die from your roll). But you'll have a full CP.
Do you wait?
 
bramblefoot
johann will drop an 11 die upward slash into zone  VI

 (11d10)[ 4 ][ 5 ][ 9 ][ 4 ][ 9 ][ 10 ][ 10 ][ 8 ][ 2 ][ 2 ][ 7 ](70) 
JNAProductions
Narset waits just a moment. She steadies her breath... And chooses not to fire. He's running, not fighting-it'd be wrong to shoot him down.
bramblefoot
 "fugging shoot him!"  johann barks at narset.  "this is not some game of pretend where everybody gets up again!" 
JNAProductions
  "I won't kill someone that's running or surrendering. And you,"   she says,   "won't either if you want my help."  
ProgressPaladin
 ”I stand with Narset.  Fletcher says  Killing a fleeing man is dishonorable.  He wipes his blade of with a cloth, and then sheathes it.
bramblefoot
johann shrugs, and blows air out his nose  "chivalry will get you killed in the trenches"  he comments to archer

as for narset, he studiously ignores her .  "In the somber and bloody times of combat where shadows whisper ancient truths and the air is thick with the scent of impending doom, there exists a harsh reality veiled beneath the veneer of mercy—a reality that bears witness to the necessity of swift and decisive action, even amidst the chaos of battle.

When the clamor of conflict reaches its crescendo and the din of war echoes across the blood-soaked fields, there comes a moment when the choice between mercy and justice hangs heavy in the balance. It is in these fleeting moments that the wisdom of the warrior is put to the test, for to let fleeing men live is to risk the resurgence of strife, to sow the seeds of dissent amidst the ashes of defeat.

In the unforgiving crucible of combat, where the line between victory and defeat is drawn in the crimson sands of fate, there exists a stark truth that cannot be ignored: to permit the escape of those who would seek to sow discord and despair is to court the very chaos from which they sprang.

For every man who flees from the fury of battle carries with him the ember of rebellion, a smoldering flame that threatens to ignite the flames of insurrection once more. In the eyes of the vigilant, in the hearts of those who stand as guardians against the encroaching darkness, there exists but one course of action—to snuff out the spark before it has the chance to engulf the world in flames once more.

To shoot down runners as they flee is not an act born of cruelty, but of necessity—a grim reminder of the sacrifices that must be made in the name of order and stability. For in the crucible of conflict, where the fate of nations hangs in the balance, there can be no room for hesitation, no quarter given to those who would seek to sow the seeds of discord.

In the annals of history, amidst the tales of valor and sacrifice, let it be known that the greatest warriors are not those who shy away from the harsh realities of war, but those who possess the courage to do what must be done, even when the cost is steep. For it is in the act of shooting down runners as they flee that we safeguard the fragile balance between order and chaos, and ensure that the flames of rebellion are snuffed out before they have the chance to consume us all." 

johann will pick up kodlaks club, walk over to detlef, and look at him like a bug  "wheres your camp, and how many men are in the vicinity?"  he hissses, tapping it against against his palm  "tell me, and ill grant you a swift death" 
JNAProductions
  "Say what you will, but becoming a monster helps no one,"   she replies to Johann.   "I would rather die well than live cruelly. And besides..."   Narset continues, moving towards their prisoner.   "Just as evil can grow into a horrid future, so can the seeds of good be planted."  

She moves towards the prisoner, standing nearer to Johann than their captive.
bramblefoot
johann shrugs  "to quote my old teacher, The dead are useless. The living, however, can shed light on things, illuminating the paths we must tread and the shadows we must leave behind."  he will stare at narset with dead eyes  "im going to interrogate him. archer needs me, and intel about the priest-kings men will prove useful. now you can either lend a hand, or stay out of my way"  he'll brush past narset, and step on detlefs knee again

 "where is the priest-kings camp, and how many are out and about?" 

he will turn back to narset

 "Your perspective is naively idealistic, Narset," Johann remarked with a hint of condescension, his tone tinged with the wisdom of experience. "In the harsh crucible of our world, where survival is the ultimate currency, notions of good and evil often crumble beneath the weight of necessity. It's easy to speak of dying well when you haven't stared into the abyss and felt its icy embrace. But mark my words, the path to true understanding is stained with the blood of compromise."

He paused, his gaze piercing, as if seeking to impart a hard-earned lesson. "There's no room for sentimentality on the battlefield. Sometimes, to ensure the survival of those we hold dear, we must embrace the darkness within ourselves. It's not about cruelty, Narset. It's about survival. And survival demands sacrifice, even if it stains our souls with shades of gray." 

johann will turn back to his grisly interrogation duty
Lacco
Finishing the fight with the red-headed bandit, Johann found Detlef dying. The man woke up when he introduced him to the living world using the pain from his wound, but his pale face and his fading eyes told Johann that Detlef was already one step in the afterlife.

To his questions, he almost managed to smile.

" You broken tool. I fear not your hand - I die in service to the priest-king and I will get my reward. We rode to catch you - there is no camp of mine. " He closes his eyes, but he awakens once more when Johann pushes him. " Fool. You always were a fool. Overestimating your value. " He attempts to laugh. " The priest-king would not chase  you . But the riders were sent. Words were sent. You will be hunted everywhere by the  unrelenting hand  and you will be killed. "

He looks directly into Johann's eyes. " There will be no happy ending for you. Just death. You know I do not lie, you can read the truth in my words. We will meet again and you will serve me in the afterlife. So says the pries... "

With that, he closes his eyes for the last time.

***

The skirmish was over. Narset could still see the dust rising from the galloping horse of the last survivor. The sun managed to find a gap in the grayish clouds - it shone and she felt its warmth on her face, in stark contrast to the bloodbath that she just witnessed. While the sight of death was not new to her - after all, she hunted for her food for long years, and she witnessed violence in the past - being in combat was a different beast.
bramblefoot
johann will snarl, and kick the corpse.  "we need to move stat. gather the horses, strip the dead, and then lets ride like lightning"  he will gather weapons, and then move to collect the horses.  "no reason to linger, unless you want the hordes of hell after us" 
Lacco
It felt strange, but suddenly, the combat was over. The overcast sky allowed few rays of sunshine to pierce it. It felt unnaturally calm.

The spearman got away - he rode away, horseback. He seemed severely wounded, but there was no certainty in his death, unless they decide to catch him. In his escape, he drove away also some of the horses. Only two of them remained directly outside of the gate - the rest were gone.

All the others were dead. Narset looked them over: the black-haired young man was dead immediately as Archer's blade pierced his heart and he suffered no pain. The same could not be said for the burly thug - his wound was painful, although he lost consciousness and died in peace.

The ones killed by Johann were a different story: the man went for gruesome kills, and spared no pain he could inflict. On the other hand, with Detlef it seemed personal.

A magpie could be heard in the forest behind the refuge. Clouds rolled over the sky. Wind picked up.

Of the four dead, the leader wore a worn red leather gambeson - it was quite large, made for a well-built men, but with a good belt, that could be overcome. He also wielded a longsword - it looked to be in a good condition - and a round wooden shield.

The one Johann knew - Detlef - wore a leather gambeson. His longsword lay on the ground, the hilt covered in his own blood. His round shield was slightly cracked. He wore a small leather satchel across his chest.

The black-haired youngster and the large thug both worn simple fur armor - not more than a tunic made out of fur and hide, held together with a belt. They wielded a quarterstaff and a cudgel, but these were just simple weapons.

The horses outside, the two that remained near the gate, seemed a bit spooked by the smell of blood, but they remained. Two others ran away - they could be found, maybe, if they had time to spare. The two horses had both a sack bound to the saddle, and one of them even had a backpack bound to the saddle, while the other had saddlebags.

 Archer 

Archer took a deep breath. He did not notice that he actually held breath as he watched Johann 'dance' with his enemy, but he needed him alive. And while he, as a squire, had already killed in battle, it never felt so personal. For a moment, he just breathed and enjoyed the warm sun on his face. Even if for just few seconds.

While there were many things he'd disagree with Johann, the man's words rang true: they needed to move. Maybe grab an item or two, but no looting. There was no time to spare.

And they had to take Narset with them. At this point, she was their enemy's enemy. And she would not be spared.

 Narset 

Her knees shook a bit, but she managed to overcome the sensation. Her gut felt like on water, but focusing on the task at hand made the feeling go away.

There was nothing that could be done for either of the men. Luckily, her companions were unharmed - but she had a distinct feeling that would change in the future. Their enemies would be even less likely to show them mercy - if they even knew the word. But there was something strange on Johann and Archer: it felt like they had a purpose. A fate.

But there was work to be done. Luckily, she already managed to pack up most of her things before: she had collected the herbs that she came for. And the part of her garden where the summer batch of herbs grew was now being fertilized by one of the dead men.

 Johann 

Taking few deep breaths, he felt his heartbeat slow down.

Detlef was dead. And Gistaf too, his tracker chased away. He knew there would be others - the servants of the Cult were many, and the King-Priest sent out riders. They would ride fast and reach far, and alert others. There would be ambushes, traps and assassins on their heels and in their vanguard.

And he needed a new weapon. His sword was dulled down - its former master cared little to make it sharp, and he needed to cut just once, not three times.

 
 Spoiler: OOC 

Each one of you gets 1 point of Drama.

Each one of you also gets 1 point of Fatigue. You can rest for 1 hour to be allowed to roll EN/6 (TN is modified by conditions; if you are cold, miserable, hungry or sitting on a pointy rock, it will be worse).

You'll need to decide which way you'll choose to go.

@JNAProductions: you gain 1 Conscience point. Narset is mostly packed up, you can spend some time gathering additional herbs or helping the guys loot.

Looting time: I have provided some basic information on what you can find. If you want to strip down the men, rummage through the sacks and saddlebags on the horses, or anything else (e.g. loot the refuge), let me know. I'll let you know how long it will take. In general, it's a roll of PER/Search (you'll find anything that's not hidden if you spend enough time, but for hidden and lost items it's different).
 
bramblefoot
johann will check the gistafs blade, testing how it feels in his hand. He will stoop, wipe detlef's sword's bloody pommel on detlefs face just for maximum disrespect and do the same.  "narset, can you get the two horses together?"  he says, pulling the satchel off detlef.  "archer that gambeson is good too, just needs a belt. care to help me get it off him?" 

johann seems to have more pep in his step after disposing of people. It's quite obvious that he enjoys the savage beauty of combat, the intricate dance of steel and flesh, and especially the screams of the dying. He will begin to wiggle gistafs arms out of the gambeson, and pull it over gistafs body.  "might need some laundering, but a little bloodstain hurts no one" 
ProgressPaladin
Archer turns to Johann and says  “Can you not just let the dead rest in peace? Besides we have very little time. Get a Horse and go.”  He also turns to Narset, with a gratified expression on his face.  “Thank you for helping us. It would have been much easier just to run, yet you stuck with us. For that, I am in your debt, and you have my loyalty.”  He then starts packing his saddlebags.

(Sorry if I haven’t been posting as often as I should have. I’ll try to post more.)
bramblefoot
johann will shrug, and finish pulling the gambeson off gistaf.  "Looting the dead is a time-honored tradition. After all, to the victor goes the spoils, Johann began, his voice laced with a hint of cynicism as he regarded Archer's plea. "But understand, lad, it's not about desecration or disrespect. It's survival in its rawest form. In this unforgiving world, we scavenge what we can to ensure our own endurance."

He paused, the weight of his words settling heavily upon the air. "The dead may yearn for peace, but we are bound by the relentless march of time and the imperatives of our own survival. Every blade, every coin, is a testament to the sacrifices made in the crucible of conflict. To ignore them is to squander the legacy of those who came before us."" 

he will fish a dagger out of gistaf's boot, and tuck it into his own.  "any of you know how to tie a lead rope? these horses could be relief mounts, or good coin to some ostler or horse merchant" 
JNAProductions
  "If you won't give them proper rest, you will leave them alone,"   Narset says. To Archer, she adds   "I won't stand idly by while people are hunted. But... I hope the future is less bloody."  
 
 Spoiler: OOC 
What sort of check is it to calm the mounts and get ready to go?
 
bramblefoot
Johann will finish his looting, and go gather the horses from the stable.  "im finished, now lets ride like lightning"  he says
ProgressPaladin
 “I agree. Let’s leave.”  And they do.
JNAProductions
Narset takes a moment to bid her little home goodbye. It might not be her main domicile, but it's served her well.

  "Let's ride."  
Lacco
They saddled the horses, gathered the supplies and after a brief struggle with the gate, they left the refuge.

Narset lead them directly through the forest. At first, they followed a forest path, but Narset soon took them off the path and directly through the forest. At first it seemed like she got lost - they had to move through shrubs, and even had to lead the horses instead of riding them, but soon it became obvious that she knew the forest well: an hour after they left the refuge, they hit another path: this time it was a narrow, a bit overgrown path across the forest and through a gully - it was well hidden, but wide enough for them to ride through it horseback.

Two hours later, they were already out of the forest, at the river fork. Their horses could enjoy few moments of rest and a refreshing fresh grass and water, but soon they would be moving again. Archer's stomach grumbled. It was way past midday and they had no moment to rest.

Good news were that they managed to get past the forest onto the riverside fast - faster than a group of riders could manage to go around. The bad news were, they saw some riders south - it was not obvious if they were following them or not at the moment - they were too far away, but Narset's keen eyes saw them. She noticed them as soon as the group left the forest, but it was still not possible to determine if they were getting close or not. And she was starting to feel a bit tired - she was on point since they left the refuge.

They had a chance to outrun them on relatively fresh horses. But they would have to ride until sunset, and it would be hard to find a camp if they do not reach the village - and horses would get tired pretty soon. Even now, only Archer's shire horse looked fresh. Johann already felt a cramp in his left thigh.

Or they could get back into the forest. Set up camp before it gets dark.

The other possibilities included losing few hours of time to ambush them - but they could not be sure if this was just some sort of a caravan, trying to find some hiding spot in the mountains, going through the southern side of Three Lake Gorge, or hiding somewhere in the hills...

They had a lot of choices, as their horses took few moments of rest.
bramblefoot
Johann will scan the horizon, letting out an almost animalistic chuff as he scents the air.  "a dark road, and a stormy one"  he remarks offhandedly.  "blood will be spilled, and the raven will have his due, one way or the other" 
ProgressPaladin
 “Let us go onward. They do not look like they mean any harm. If they do, we attack. It’s gone well before.” 
bramblefoot
Johann sighs  "that will get you killed. Honorable combat leaves room for more dastardly opponents to sling a handful of gravel in your face and then a quick face stab which puts you in the cold cold ground" 
ProgressPaladin
 “And dishonest combat gets you into Hell.” 
bramblefoot
Johann scoffs  "there is no good or evil, there is only dead and alive. we may die any day, so live vicariously!"  he grins wolfishly  "dont be a stick in the mud. let your hair down and enjoy the savage beauty of combat. the whistle of arrows, the sound of a sword going through someones gut, the cheers of the victorious and the screams of the dying are meat and drink to my soul" 