Come on Tempter, I know I can study two feats at a time.
Unlock Onset Thrust or Waiting Guard as 9th Warrior Feat.
There wasn’t time for standing around. “Onset Thrust.”
Warrior, Onset Thrust unlocked at 2/6 Grasp.
Axe Girl was still whirling her axe when Torstag thrust at her chest, pivoting forward behind the blade to give the attack more reach.
Using Onset Thrust 2/6 at cost 3 Potestas. 5 Potestas remaining.
Onset Thrust is Unpredictable.
Result = 8 (Performance) -2 (Unpredictable) +2 (Enemy performing Flourish) -4 (Enemy Challenge) = 4
She saw him coming too late, tried to back-step and sweep her axe…
Armour 1 Negated.
Effect = 4 (Result) +2 (Greatsword) = 6
Axe Girl’s quilted armour did her no good. Her ribs crackled as Peacebringer sank a good handsbreadth into her torso.
Her eyes widened enough to stretch her wrinkles flat and Torstag saw she had once looked angelic with a round face and big eyes. “How the fuck…?” she gasped, the coughed.
Blood sprayed Torstag’s face. The light went from her eyes. The corpse toppled, the surprised look forever fixed on her tear-streaked face. Somewhere, a man sobbed.
Enemy Slain.
Onset Thrust advances to 3/6 Grip.
“Holy—” began Torstag.
A net draped over him, tightened around his arms.
“Surprised.”
Enemy Result = 5 (Performance) +2 (Feat) +2 (Net in Onset) +3 (“Tactical Advantage”, “Target Distracted”) -8 (Your Performance) = 4.
Enemy Effect = Successful Netting.
Test of Potestas, 5. Form lost.
Torstag cursed and tried to break out.
New Form 2.
Performing Warrior at Level 5.
Result = 5 (Performance) +1 (Luck) -15 (Net) = -9
Effect = None. Still netted.
Finally, Torstag twisted against its tether to face Net Man.
The mailed hunter merely tugged at the rope, tightening it further, pinning Torstag’s upper arms. “Got you, you little fucker. You fucking killed Axe Girl and the fucking Kid. Now I’m going to fucking make you fucking die slow and painful, you fucking fucker. Then I’m going to give your body to Gronchard the Fucking Flayer so he can bring you back as some fucked up undead thing and fucking fuck you up some more.”
You have disadvantages “Netted”, “Leashed”, “Outreached.”
Chapter 24: Ingar to the Rescue!
Ingar’s vision spun.
Test of Will, 3. Still Dazed.
Torstag yelled. Metal clattered. Wood thudded.
Ingar raised his head into a warm breeze that whipped sand into face. Everything hurt. “What the actual fuck?”
You incurred 4 Vitality Loss: 3 on crashing_which surpassed your Toughness, incurring 1 Wound and Hindrances “Stunned” and “Wounded”_then 1 additional point from fire. Vitality was reduced to 0, resulting in Hindrance “Debilitated”. Form and Feats were rendered unavailable.
Disadvantage “Knocked Sprawling”.
The two halves of Brother Neutrality’s split skull lay not far off like a broken theatre mask. The remaining eye still twitched. Smoke seeped from the hair and spread out across the rocky ground.
The side of Ingar’s head throbbed. His left arm stung—the skin was red and blistered. He lowered his face, rested it on the backs of his hands while the world whirled.
OK Doofus, where am I at?
You are Ingar, Human, Youth, Quick Witted, Nimble Fingered, Hedonistic, Sensitive.
Potestas 12/6. Will 3.
Vitality 0/4. Toughness 2. 1 Wound. Hindrances “Stunned”, “Wounded”, “Debilitated”.
He’d been really pleased back in the Catacombs when raising his Burglar level had finally boosted his Vitality—it really did take two levels per point. It had not, however, really done him any good.
Vocations:
Burglar 4: Hide, Climb +1, Spider Climb, Move Silently, Stalk, Pick Pocket, Open Lock, Detect Trap, Stalk Close 3/6, Disarm Trap 2/6.
Cleric 1: (learned): Meditation. Repel Shade, 1/6.
Entertainer 2: (Learned): Tout, Recite, Acrobatics, Sing.
Artist 0: Visualisation 4/6.
Disadvantage “Knocked Sprawling”.
Sand stung his cheeks. “Gnugh,” said Ingar.
Again, he tried to get up, or at least get his face above the mini-sandstorm that swept across the ground at ankle height.
Test of Will 3. Hindrance “Stunned” shaken off. Hindrances “Wounded”, “Debilitated” remain.
New Form 3.
His arms collapsed under him.
“Bugger fuck.”
He struggled onto his side and saw that the girl was skipping around the top of a big rock, throwing stones at her hunters.
Ingar twisted his head—his neck hurt from the crash—to find Torstag.
His friend now wielded a really big sword and looking frankly dazed as two hunters approached him from the front.
A kid a bit younger than him crept up behind. A dagger flashed silver in the desert sun.
Ingar yelled a warning. Torstag seemed to come to himself. He spun. The sword cracked down. Blood sprayed. The boy…fell into two pieces.
Ingar’s gorge rose.
One of the hunters, an older woman with a lined face, dropped her shield and club, pulled an axe off her shoulder and went for Torstag.
Her companion—a man with a silly red codpiece—yelled something.
The girl whirled past, drove him back, whacked him in the belly. He doubled over and she ran on, the other hunters trailing behind.
A wave of nausea caused Ingar to sink back to the rock. When he looked again, Torstag already had his sword embedded in the chest of the axe woman.
She went down like an old sack. The man with the silly codpiece stumbled toward the corpse, sobbing.
A net draped over Torstag, tightened. A rope tugged him off balance.
Blearily, Ingar traced the rope to the hands of a mailed man who wore a nasty looking sword on his belt.
It was all happening so very fast.
“Fuck,” said Ingar.
Vitality 0 of 4. Toughness 2. 1 Wound.
Hindrances “Debilitated”, “Wounded” Remain.
Yeah, thanks for the reminder Doofus. Now shut the fuck up for a while.
Ingar flopped onto his front and crawled across the rocky ground toward the dropped axe. His head swam, his right arm blazed as if it were still on fire. Waves of windblown sand stung his hands and wrists.
Everybody, however, seemed distracted. Just perhaps…
Chapter 25: Going Down Fighting!
The mouth of the net tightened around Torstag’s arms, pinned them to his side. He strained his muscles until the blood ran to his face and his forehead hurt. At last, the rope scraped up his skin, then lodged in the crook of his elbow. Now he could just manage to heave Peacebringer up to horizontal. He yelled and ran at his captor.
Laughing, Net Man sidestepped and yanked.
Enemy greatly outreaches you.
Result = 5 (Performance) +2 (Boldness) -1 (Luck) -4 (“Netted”, “Leashed”, “Outreached”) -5 (Enemy Challenge) = -3. Fail.
Enemy Result = 3 (Result) +2 (Your Boldness, since you failed) = 5.
Enemy Slam Effect = 5 (Result) = Knocked Over (4) + 1 Vitality loss.
Torstag lost his footing, crashed sideways into the grit and stones. Pain blazed in his shoulder and flank.
4 of 5 Vitality remaining.
Test of Potestas, 5. Form 2 Preserved. You have Disadvantage “Knocked Sprawling”.
He managed to wriggle around onto his hip.
The mailed hunter had drawn a sword that seemed like the bastard offspring of a barbed fishhook and a darning needle. He hunched down as he advanced. “Got you now you little prick.”
With a yell, the girl sailed in from nowhere, staff extended. It caught the Net Man in
the throat. Her weight was behind the staff. Bone crunched and he flopped to the ground.
A muffled voice shouted, “Gods! No! Cerdic!”
The girl landed nimbly, whirled her weapon and—with a long step to the North—struck at her returning pursuers.
She caught one by surprise, flicked the staff into the back of her head. Bone crunched. Teeth sprayed into the scalding desert air. The body of a beautiful young woman tumbled into the ground, long blond hair trailing behind her like a winter comet.
The surviving two front-rankers—both also blond women—blocked with their shields and fell back, while two male fighters with bigger shields slipped East to flank the girl. One of them shouted, “Trophimus you old fart! You’ve fucked up!”
“This is not the time, Rufus!” growled Thief Catcher.
Torstag let go of Peacebringer and strained to get a fingerhold on the net.
Test of Toughness, 2. Fail.
The cataphract appeared behind the girl, an apparition rendered in steel. He thrust the thief-catcher at her neck.
Torstag yelled, “Watch out…” He didn’t know her name. “…my lady!”
The girl turned just in time for the fork to catch her under the chin. The tines bracketed her neck and spring-loaded bars snapped into place, trapping her.
The cataphract tugged her forward. His voice cracked. “You killed Cerdic!”
The girl whirled her staff at him but he only pulled her off balance.
“Your man killed Axe Girl and the Kid,” continued the cataphract. “Rufus! Blade Bitches! Come on. Get her!”
The four remaining shield-and-club fighters closed in.
The girl grabbed the shaft of the fork with her left hand, flourished her staff one-handed, low.
The hunters scattered like startled pigeons.
Again the girl whirled the staff.
The cataphract shoved, making the blow go wild. “I’m going to watch Gronchard peel your soul back like an onion and I’m going to laugh.” He looked past Torstag. “Come on Dekan, disarm this one then I’ll help you torture that one properly. I know tricks to make it really last…”
Torstag rolled over and found that Red Codpiece was standing over him. The man had his sidesword poised to thrust, but his eyes were glazed with tears and he was mumbling to himself, “Beautiful beautiful she was beautiful…”
“Dekan!” snapped the Thief Catcher.
Red Codpiece kicked Peacebringer out of reach. “Later, scum,” he said, voice aristocratic despite its rawness.
The girl started chanting.
The cataphract shoved her forward by the throat, choking her off. “No you don’t with your damned wizardry.”
Torstag strained against the net, thrashed his legs.
Test of Toughness, 2. Fail.
Red Codpiece sheathed his sidesword, ducked in, yanked the staff out of her hands.
The girl snap-kicked him in the crotch.
He collapsed.
The cataphract yanked the thief catcher.
The girl grabbed the shaft with both hands. She skipped with the motion, keeping her feet but still making choking sounds.
Torstag brought his hands up as much as he could, bent his neck, and hooked his fingers into the mesh of the net. He tugged and the net shifted up his biceps, scouring the skin.
The four hunters closed in on the disarmed girl. She hopped and kicked, but they only laughed and bashed her with their shields.
A growl welled up in Torstag’s throat. Muscles blazing, he raised his arms against the constraining rope and cord. The net caught his chin, scuffed his neck, lacerated his nose, and it was off.
Test of Toughness, 2. Success.
He grabbed Peacebringer and, still growling, rolled to his feet and charged, point forward.
Performing Warrior at Level 5.
Club and shield. Light armour. You have the Tactical Advantage.
Club and shield. Light armour. You have the Tactical Advantage.
Greatsword has First Strike.
Thief Catcher barked, “Bitches! Ware left!”
The two blond women turned as he closed, dressed their shields toward him. Behind them, the girl and the cataphract kept up an odd dance; her trying to yank the fork out of his hands, him pushing and shoving to keep her off balance while the other two men with big shields tried to box her in.
Tactical Advantage Lost.
Torstag frowned. He should have attacked immediately, perhaps risked an Onset Thrust.
Club and shield. Light armour.
Club and shield. Light armour.
Great Sword has First Strike.
First Strike negates disadvantage “Outnumbered” during Onset.
Grinning mirthlessly, Torstag cut diagonally at the woman on the right, stepping to put his weight behind the blow.
Using Feat Cleave Shield, cost 1 Potestas. 4 Potestas remaining.
His target lifted her shield to block.
Torstag changed his angle to catch the edge of the shield.
Result = 5 (Performance) + 2 (Boldness) +1 (Luck) -4 (Enemy Challenge) = 4.
Armour 1 negated.
Damage = 4 (Success) +2 (Greatsword) -1 (Shield 3, halved by feat) = 5. Shield 3 Destroyed.
The four-foot blade clove the wooden shield, glanced off the woman’s helmet, severed a blond pigtail, caught the base of the neck, cracked through the collar bone, splashed blood. Her head flopped onto the opposite shoulder and the body fell sideways.
Enemy Killed.
Disadvantage “Outnumbered” ended.
The second blond woman was already on him, grunting as she shoved her shield to block his arm.
Torstag pivoted back and struck diagonally, again catching the shield’s rim.
Using Feat Cleave Shield, cost 1 Potestas. 3 of 5 Potestas remaining.
Result = 5 (Performance) +2 (Boldness) +0 (Luck) -4 (Enemy Challenge) = 3.
Armour 1 negated.
Damage = 3 (Success) +2 (Greatsword) -1 (Shield 3, halved by feat) = 4. Shield 3 Destroyed.
Peacebringer split the shield, swept off her hand. She stumbled away, sinking as blood spurted from the stump.
Target Killed.
Ingar’s voice rang off the cliffs. “Torstag. Behind you!”
Torstag turned.
The two remaining shield and club fighters were on him, bigger shields well to the front to form a barrier.
Enemy Combined attack.
Club and large shield. Light armour.
Club and large shield. Light armour.
You have disadvantage “Outnumbered”.
Large Shield in Combined Attack outclasses Greatsword for Melee.
Enemy have manoeuvred to negate your “First Strike”.
Result = 4 (Performance) +0 (Luck) -5 (Enemy Challenge)- 4 (“Outnumbered”, “Combined Attack”, “Weapon Outclassed”) = -5.
Enemy Effect = Feat “Arm Pin” (cost 2) + 3 Vitality loss.
One jammed his shield under Torstag’s elbows to stop him cutting. The other clubbed him in the ribs. Something cracked. A stabbing pain drove the wind out of him.
3 Vitality Lost.
1 of 5 Vitality remaining.
Toughness 3 Surpassed.
1 Wound incurred.
Hindrances, “Stunned” and “Wounded”.
Form lost. Feats unavailable.
New Form 0. You are Performing Warrior at Level 3.
Torstag gasped for breath. He stumbled backwards trying to get away, trailing Peacebringer.
Disengaging is Unpredictable.
Result = 3 (Performance) +2 (Disengaging) -3 (“Stunned”, “Wounded”) -2 (Outnumbered) -2 (Unpredictable) -4 (Enemy challenge) = -7.
Effect = -5. Retreat unsuccessful. Enemy has “Tactical Advantage”
His heel bumped a rock. He’d trapped himself against the wall of the canyon.
Chapter 26: It Looks Like a ****ing Axe to Me!
Ingar’s hands were sticky.
He turned his palm and sa
w it was caked with blood and dust. He was crawling in gore.
He shuddered. “Man up! Man up man up!”
You are Sensitive.
Test of Will 3. Issue, “Horror of Murder” acquired at 1/6 Hardening.
Wrestling with Horror of Murder 1/6, cost 2 Potestas, 10 Remaining.
Hindrance “Horrified” evaded.
“Fucking marvellous.”
Ingar willed himself to keep crawling, hands then knees sticking to the tacky surface.
And there was the axe.
He reached out, grasped it and had a memory of plying a similar weapon on the stern of a dragon-prowed ship while arrows rattled off his scale armour. “Fuck!”
Unlock Warrior, Halberd Proficiency.
Ingar screwed up his eyes against his growing headache. “Halberd?”
Weapons tumbled across his mind’s eye, all chopping blades on long handles, some sophisticated confections of spikes and flanges, some not so far from what you’d chop wood with, and some so primitive that the ‘blades’ were basically chunks of rock.
The Jungle Tomb of the Ice Queen (The Flying Tooth Garden Book 1) Page 17
