Ludwig/John

They are resting on the grass at the shadow of some trees. The horses are lazily eating the grass a few dozen of meters away under the watchful supervision of Richard. John approaches Welker, that is sat alone at the Grass after studying him in details, moving in silence.

"You are a good specimen." He says while sitting himself at his side. "Do you a want a tattoo? Like this one." He says showing his tattoo at his left forearm.

After the first few minutes of the ride things began to quite down, but not before Welker got in a few stories. Now sitting at the first resting area with John showing him the tattoo on his forearm. "Not bad work. Never felt confident enough to try my own hand at it," And with a mischievous smile continued, "Also allowed other free time activities to distract me from finding an artist,"

He leaned back against one of the trees taking a sip from his waterskin. "So what sort of idea do you have? Pelt adorned hunter? Some savage beast?"

"Magnificent!!!" John says almost jumping from his spot, with a wide grin in his face. "I can produce anything you like. Anything your limited imagination can produce. I became quite an artist in the centuries... I mean years I have been practicing."

He looks around and continues conspiratorially. "Unfortunately I am an artist. And as an artist I need a special type of "einstellung", or ambiance. You surely comprehend."

At this time, both are knocked prone when a mass of bodies tramples them. In a blink of an eye, the mass of bodies forms itself as Man sitting over Tom with his hands strangling his neck.

"I swear I don kill you now just cause you are family!" Man yells spitting at Tom's face.

"Sssorg... rrryi" Tom almost cannot say.

Some time passes and they are at wagon again resuming the trip to Anvil.

"Well, you can't blame me for him finding out," Welker said over the snoring of Grogash. And as he sat in the wagon, he was being honest. Before John or Ludwig talked to him, Welker had been off getting the story from Tom. So he wasn't too surprised at how Man would react, but more getting caught in the middle of it. That probably would have been true if he hadn't known as well, though the thought loop that created would have made him come to a halt trying to even think about it.

Either way he crawled out of the pile and was here now.

"Hey driver, we almost there?"

Location: Trail to Anvil
Date: Hekatombaion, 18
Time: 14:20

Richard turns sideways to answer the question. "We just left Trunks. We aren't at the half of the trip yet." He says and makes a long pause before continuing. "I am used to do this route. It takes two days at this pace. We will be there at the end of the next day."

"Figures," Welker said getting himself back to sitting comfortably. That is sitting as comfortably as the wagon would allow. As he allowed the wagon to roll along he got a grin on his face thinking about earlier and how John was a tattoo artist. "Seems we'll have plenty of time for stories or working out tattoo ideas. You ever draw a gargol... goylgar... What is that thing called? Statue beasts,"

"There are many types of beings that are made of stone. I believe the word you are searching for is gargoyle." John says feigning interest. "Or do you prefer a heart or a picture of your love? They are always in vogue."

The hours fly fast and the end of the day arrives sooner than they expected.

They are camped at a grass field at the side of the road, near an old well. Darkness already spread on everything. The only sources of light are the stars and a small bonfire. Richard, John and Man are already asleep.

"I named dis scar spider. See, it look like a spider." Wic says showing a scar at the palm of his hand. "You know de name of de scar at my butt?"

"Not again! Wic and his scars." Tom says feigning irritation, but actually smiling.

These men, besides Ludwig himself, seemed a lot let professional than the men he was used to working with. And that wasn't him complaining, he usually filled the role that these men with him were filling, being the mischievous troll just before they got into the thick of things. It wasn't as if he never tried to better his own work by watching the company twelve pelt men in action or that the mercenaries he used to work with did not have a way of cutting loose after a contract.

He still questioned why he went off on his own, Grogash his only companion. Maybe part of it was that he was one of the few who could get him to be of any use.

It didn't matter. He was going to enjoy this contract, add this to his growing collection of war stories and show himself worthy to hold his blade. Just before the scar show began Welker said this to John, "Not sure the heart will work. Longest time with a lover I had was over a week. And I paid her for each day of it!"

The heart of wic is broken when none cares with his scar's name. But his scarred heart recovers faster than his scarred skin, used to be ignored.

Soon all mercenaries are sleeping. And night ends without any disturbance.

Location: Trail to Anvil
Date: Hekatombaion, 19
Time: 07:05

The next day starts as the later. Soon they are moving again. A little more than an hour later something out of the ordinary occurs.

Five goblins appears at the front of the wagon, coming from nowhere. They are making signs for the wagon to stop. The biggest goblin, that is using a panache of red feathers at his head, says loudly. "Stop! We want cargo. Give and live. Not give, we kill."

"That will be awkward." John says, almost whispering. He grips his weapon slowly, the others do the same.

Grogash opens his eyes at the goblin voices and gives Welker a look as if he is going to tell him what to do. In a way Welker does as he grabs his blade with a wicked grin on his face. He was born to fight and if the goblins wanted the cargo, them, why not let them learn what they're about to recieve. Thinking those thoughts Welker burst into roaring laughter.

"You want the cargo?!" Welker said disembarking the wagon, not trying to quiet his footsteps in any way. He waved Grogash on as he did, his not as bright 'brother' following along. "You squeeze some gold out of our gray hides? Matters not if your not alive to do so," He relished the thought of possibly making the goblins squirm, even if they weren't the theives they were sent after.

The trail at this point is surrounded by forest at both sides. Tall but thin trees surround them making the goblin's choice for an ambush a perfect place, nowhere to run.

The goblin ignores Welker's words, not because they are not menacing, but because he has something that the mercenary don't know yet.

The goblin boss yells. "We fear not. We kill and eat, you and horses. Attack!!!"

From the tress nearby a salvo of arrows is fired against the wagon. Most of them misses the target, but three of them find a live target to hit. One plunges at Richard's head, making him fall from the wagon. Two hit one of the horses, it collapses dead still tied to the wagon. The other horse panics but it is unable to pull the wagon alone.

After the volley of arrows, goblins start to appear from inside the protection given by the trees. Eleven more goblins appear to join the attack.

Man, Wic and Tom descend the wagon bolstered by Welker's words, but their moral collapses when they see the number of enemies and the death of Richard.

"This is the perfect time for me to depart this place. A battle is such a tedious endeavor. And messy, blood and entrails everywhere."


Roll initiative.

With his shield raised when the arrows flew, Welker certainly wasn't pleased with these sneaky goblins and he wanted to make them bleed as they first drew blood. Following his fellow half-orc's actions Grogash did so as well, ready to give in to the only strong instincts he had left.

Ludwig/John

One more John becomes confused and suddenly he changes his posture. Only to acknowledge himself surrounded by murderous goblins. Unarmed and unarmored. Al least he thought until he perceives that he is indeed armed with a warhammer and a shield. He feels weight over his body, like something that could be an armor. He is hopeless and tears start to drop from his eyes. He doesn't think he has any chance of surviving, but he will die trying to live. Then he can try solve his memory problems.

"Athena! Give me strengf to live another day."

Totally Unfair Ambush

Escalation Dice: 0

It is now Welker's and Grogash's turn.

"You've only made your deaths that much more painful, cowards!" Welker shouts out as he engages the enemy with his fellow half-orc feeding off of his primal instincts and engage the closest of the goblins hoping to cut them down with ease.

Totally Unfair Ambush

Welker crashes against the mass of goblins and with one precision strike with his sword he decapitates three goblins. A forth goblin hurts himself when he falls over a sword from a fallen companion.

Grogash's sword doesn't find any blood, but his leg finds a target at a goblin abdomen. He falls to the ground writhing in agonizing pain.







Escalation Dice: 0

It is now John's turn.

Ludwig/John

John still confused and shedding tears moves to engage the closest goblin. He was trained as a militia man, but never participated in a real battle.

Totally Unfair Ambush

John moves with a deadly precision that he doesn't know to have. His movement is beyond his knowledge. He strikes the neck of a goblin with the grip of his hammer, turns his hammer and strikes another goblin directly at his face, shattering all the bones of his face. And he finishes his action bringing the hammer to land at the goblin agonizing at the ground. He is not in pain anymore.

"Wow. From where I did know dis?"







Escalation Dice: 0

It is now the goblin's turn.

Totally Unfair Ambush

The goblin boss draws two long daggers from his vest and deftly moves to engage Welker. He climbs his back in one swift move and raises his arms high and points his daggers to strike each at one side of Welker's neck.

"Who feel pain and defeat now, heh?"

At the last moment, Welker manages to move his body enough to remove his neck from the danger zone. He is rewarded with a dagger piercing the armor at his shoulder. Five other goblins pile on him, from all sides. He parries almost every blow, but one of the little bastards slashes Welker's calf with his short sword.

Two goblins move to strike Grogash and hit him at both sides of his armor at the same time.

Two more move to strike John and both find spots in his armor at his arm and at his leg to make him bleed, while making him dance to face both.

More goblins pour from the forest to join the fray.







Escalation Dice: 0

It is now the NPC's turn.