# COPS & ROBBERS



## Viking Bastard (Jan 19, 2002)

*Introduction*

(If you don't give a rat's behind about my campaign world you can just skip this and the next posts).

_The theme of my current campaign is that the players play cops in my technocracy/steampunkish kinda world. Since I and my group are all Icelandic, this was all originally played in Icelandic. All the names are the same with just maybe with different spelling because I wanted the pronounciation to come out right in english. City names like Serpent City and Iron City are direct translation and both sound *much better* in Icelandic.          _

The setting is a city named *Serpent City*.  It is placed in the western continent of the world, which was first settled about 700 years ago  by humans from the then-all-powerful Kentaarian Empire (that's sometime in the 11th century of the Kentaarian calendar).  Before that the only sentinent races in the continent were gnomes and orcs.  At first, both the gnomes and the orcs neither liked these new strange invaders and tried everything to stop them.  The gnomes quickly changed suits after the Kentaarian army crushed and enslaved the whole orc civilization in one strike.  Instead, they greeted the strangers with open arms, glad to be rid of those pesky orcs who had been tormenting them for milleniums.

Serpent City was the first city to be founded by humans in the new world, although back then it was named Forkwood City, after the neighbourhood woods.  It was built from stone taken from the mountain ranges west of the city called Shadow Mountains. The spooky name comes the fact that the rocks the mountains mainly consist off are completely black.  Therefor, Serpent City is nearly all completey black too.

About 400 years ago some gnome miners discovered a mysterious new blue-ish alloy in the southern mountains of the continent.  The gnomes named it *Thunderstone* because of it's explosive qualities.  The gnomes, who are known tinkers, were able to create such things as *gunpowder* and *explosion combustion engines* from this magical substance. Big markets formed around thunderstone products. When this thunderstone tech was combined with the age   old human magic disciplines named *Rune-Smithing* (kinda lowpower magic item creation) by the tinkers of the gnome city Harrgard, such things as *wargolems* (big metallic warmachines, not always humanoid in form) and *aircruisers* (flying ships) were created which completely revelutionized the world's way of warfare and travelling.  

When the aircruisers became the main tool of travel and trade in the world, *the spires* were built in many of the main trade cities.  Colossal towers often up to 250-350 metres in height.  They function as both multilevel docking stations and warehouses and as gigantic market places. The biggest one of them all is the *the Serpent* which is located in the centre of Serpent City (the city gets it current name from the contruct).  Like the rest of the city the Serpent is made from completely black stone, except for the huge silver dragon statue that sits upon the top of the spire and circles it’s tail around the spire all the way down (a long tail, that).  The idea is that the dragon sits upon it’s treasure (the treasure being the spire and all the riches it holds).

But the denizes of the western lands were not so happy, because all the profits from the thunderstone went straight to the Kentaarian Emperor. One day Lord Julius Dracani and his followers of New Leiteinscheir, a city south of Serpent City and east of Thunderstone Mountains revolted against the Empire.  In the course of the following year all of the Kentaarian colonies except for Gromnburg (a city north of Shadow Mountain) joined Lord Dracani in the war.  The war lasted for nearly a decade, or until the old Emperor died and his son took over, who thought that the war wasn't going be won and it would be better just to let them go.  And so the western world got freedom to do whatever it wanted.

Some of the southern colonies joined New Leitenscheir into the Dracani Dynasty, ruled by King Julius Dracani I and some of the northern ones (like Serpent City) followed King Kerak, but most remained independant. But Kerak quickly came corrupted by the power and craved for more, so he raised an army and marched south.  Kerak's war efforts did though not go well and lost all his followers outside of Serpent City.  Then he confiscated the Serpent City's Merchant Guild's aircruiser fleet to aid him in his war efforts.  This decision backfired on him though because without the fleet, the guild went out of business, this didn't exactly sit well with the guildmasters so they revolted against Kerak and chopped his head off on the palace's balconies.  Now the Merchant Guild controlled Serpent City and they later founded the *Union of Free Cities* (usually just called *'the free cities'* or *'the union'*)  with some of the neighbourhood cities (all of which are now controlled by the guild).

The Guild is lead by a counsil of eight Guildmasters which are elected for life by guild members (which are mainly the rich people, seeing that how awfully high the entrance fee is).  Non-guild members (which consist of nearly everyone) have very little rights against guild members. Still, life in the union is pretty good for most people as long as they don't get guild members against them.  There are no taxes in the free cities since the guild gets all the neccasery funding from the rates they charge guild members.
]


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## Viking Bastard (Jan 19, 2002)

The city is divided into wards, the further you go away from the spire the   poorer the wards get.   


Surrounding the Serpent is the *Merchant's Ward*, which consists mostly of warehouses, but also holds the Guild's headquarters and the City Guard's main barracks.
North of the Merchant's Ward is the *Industrial Ward*.  Here you can find everything from a upperclass blacksmith's workshop to a big steampunkish     factory.[/i]
       South of the Merchant's Ward you find the *Upper      Ward*.  The ward is the home to the most of the city's rich folk       and bureocrats.   [/i]
       Beyound the Industrial Ward, you find the *Western-,       Northern- *and* Eastern Worker's Wards*.  Here you find the       normal middle class people of the usual city professions (workers, housewives,       smiths, experts, thiefs, prostitutes etc.) living their lives.[/i]
     South of the Upper Ward there lie the *Scholar's Ward*       and the *Bard's Ward*.  The Scholar's Ward is a place of wisdom       and teaching, there you find schools and libraries and clubs where people       talk about the finer things in life and foreign poetry.  The Bard's       Ward is on the other hand a place of entertainment: theaters, street art       and upper class harlots.   [/i]
     Closest to the city walls are the *Lower Wards*:       The poor man's home and the center of most criminal organizations in the       city.  The people who live there are frowned at by the rest of the       city and it return the population of the Lower Wards frown back.   [/i]

The City Guard are Serpent City's police force and the closest the city has   to an army.  The only actual uniform they wear are special red capes (which   are issued by the Guild).  This has resulted in their nickname:   *The   Red Capes*' or just   *Capes*'. It is lead by *the Dux*.  The   position in currently held by Jareck Frost, an old fat and bad-tempered fellow.    The capes' job is to fight crimes which may...
...make the Guild loose money.[/i]
...inconvience the members of the guild.[/i]
...trouble the non-guild citezens of the union so they     won't start questioning their current rulership because the Guild doesn't     really have any army to fight a possible rebellion.[/i]

The standard money unit in the world is the *Silver Crown* (equals one   standard D&D gold piece), which then divides into *100 Cents* (equals   one standard D&D copper piece).


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## Viking Bastard (Jan 19, 2002)

*Incognito Blackshadow* _(PC, Human Fighter 1 / Wizard 3) _

*Picture of Incognito*





Incognito comes from a long line of capes. His mother died of birthing him and he was his parents' only child. His father never married again. His father, which loved him very much wanted his son to become something greater than a cape so he saved all his life for enough money to send his son to mage school in the old world, which he did and Icognito was sent to the faraway city of Calhara when he was twelve. Although he never really enjoyed his time in the school, he studied hard for his father. When he was nineteen his father was murdered by the serial killer called the Red Wizard. The Red Wizard was then killed by one of his father's fellow officers, Carp, but on his deathbed the Red Wizard promised he would return saying to Sergeant Carp: "Your death will be the door opened that will let me complete my task." After this Incognito returned home and joined the City Guard in to ensure that the Red Wizard would never return. He has been in the City Guard for two years.

Incocnito is very honourable and takes great pride in his work. He is loyal to his friends and loved 
ones. He does not always agree with his superiours and the Guild, but he does not let it be in the way of doing his job. Incognito tends to be rather stubborn and sometimes looses control of his temper and sometimes in these rages he does things he later regrets. He feels some guilt of joining the capes since it's not what his father wanted.

Incognito is about 172 cm tall, medium built. He has short dark hair and green eyes. He is not very strong, but healthy. He wears leather armour and the city guard standard red cape and carries a pistol and a shortsword.


*Stickler*_ (PC, Human Rogue 4) _ and *Kurk*_ (PC, Orc Fighter 4) _

*Picture of Stickler*





*Picture of Kurk*





(Made most sense to describe them together).

Stickler and Kurk grew up together on the streets of Serpent City's lower wards, stealing food and money to support themselves. Neither one of them ever knew their parents. They originally were protected by an older human boy named Jon, but he was killed by Grunt, the leader of the Brothers of Grunt bandit group when he tried to pickpocket him. Jon was eighteen at the time but Stickler and Kurk were both just twelve. Years later they heard that the capes had an unofficial war against the Brothers of Grunt so they joined the City Guardm wanting their share of Grunt's head. At first the City Guard didn't want/let them to join, because of their not-so-clean background but finally one of the capes, Sergeant Carp, supported their application and they joined.

Stickler is not the serious type. He tends to make fun at everything and just can't comprehend why his partners aren't always amused. Kurk likes the finer things in life, like crushing people with a good club. He's not the intelligent type. He's very impatient and cracks easily under pressure (which usually results in him waving his axe around a lot. They're both a bit greedy but very loyal to their friends which are their only family.

Stickler is short, only about 165 cm tall and is lightly built. He has short dirty blonde hair and grey eyes. He usually wears a black shirt and panths and the standard city guard red cape. He is armed with a pistol, a shortsword and a dagger. Kurk is tall, over 180 cm and is heavily built. He wears studded leather and the standard city guard red cape. He is sometimes armed with a waraxe and sometimes an greatsword, depending on his mood. He usually doesn't use firearms but is very cabable with one if so is needed.


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## Viking Bastard (Jan 19, 2002)

*Act 1 – And So the Games Begin*

The rulers of the Union of Free cities have been concerned with recent raids on air shipments of Thunderstone coming from Iron City, so they sent their best Red Cape (Sergeant Carp of the city guard) to investigate and his team (the players)

*Picture of Sergeant Carp*





Sergeant Carp and the players went aboard an aircruiser - shipping thunderstone from Iron City - in hope it would be attacked.  They  were about to loose hope in that it would when a big metallic cruiser comes out of the clouds and fires harpoons at the ship. They hit and they draw the cargo cruiser to them.  Orc and human pirates start boarding the ship.  They start slaughtering the guards and pillaging the ship like pirates tend to do.

Then they see Sergeant Carp.  They stop, obviously not expecting any Red Capes aboard.  An one eared orc, wearing chainmail and a black cloak steps aboard, he seems to be the leader.  They recognise him as Grunt, the leader and founder of the Brothers of Grunt bandit group.

*Picture of Grunt*





"Ah, Sergeant Carp." He says, "It would seem that you owe me an ear." He signals his men to attack.

Sergeant Carp goes into his pocket and gets himself a cigar.  He lights it.  "Boys... it's time to kick some bandit ass."

There are about twenty of them while the capes are only four, the players and Carp.

There are about twenty of The pirates form a wall protecting Grunt.  Sergeant Carp attacks rushes into the 'wall' with a pistol in one arm and a rapier in the other: "Shiver scum!"  He quickly takes out two of the bandits.  Incognito casts Sleep and takes five out. Stickler and Kurk rush at the pirates in a fit of rage, since Grunt killed their mentor and good friend.  Kurk easily kills three of them in couple of rounds.  Stickler isn't doing as good though and takes two hits.  Incognito casts Sleep again and takes another four. 

Grunt sees that he's not on the winning side and flees with the rest of his force back onto his ship.   He quickly cuts the ropes holding the ships together and puts full power to the engines.  Sergeant Carp calls to the captain of the cargo cruiser: "After them!"   Kurk literally jumps after Grunt's ship and grabs onto one of the harpoon ropes and hangs on the side of the cruiser.  Grunt's ship is obviously much faster then the cargo cruiser and the space between the two vessels gets wider by every second.  

Kurk climbs aboard the enemy vessel and is greeted by two human thugs.  Kurk slices the head of one of them in one blow and stabs the other one in the gut.  He then turns his attention to the chief, Grunt.  Grunt grabs an axe and prepares to defend himself.  Kurk strikes but Grunt dodges the blow with ease.  Kurk strikes again but Grunt parries and lands a blow into Kurk's arm.  Grunt then kicks Kurk's blade out of his hands.  Kurk grabs a nearby bucket and throws it at Grunt.  Grunt slices it in half in mid air.  Grunt kicks Kurk in the chest, Kurk falls backwards.  Grunt waits for Kurk to stand up and when he does, Grunt kick him again in the chest.  This time, Kurk doesn't fall down, but fumbles backwards all the way to the right side of the ship.  Kurk tries to grab Grunt by the neck with his bare hands, but Grunt is stronger and pushes him over the side and off the ship.  Kurk falls down but Incognito casts Levitate on him and levitates him aboard the cargo cruiser.  Grunt turns to Carp and the players and makes some insulting gestures.

“Rats.”  Sergeant Carp watches the pirate vessel disappear into the distance.  “Shake the bodies,  see who are dead and who are just sleeping.  Then tie the sleepy heads up.  We need to get the location of their base out of someone of them.”

There turn out to be a total of nine sleepers. The players take one of them and after some “suggestions” he tells them that the base is located in an old abandoned Kentaari stronghold just west of the great stone mines in the Shadow Mountains, deep into the fog.  The party agrees on going back to Serpent City, get rid of the prisoners, get some rest and get some backup before they head over to the stronghold.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Grunt steps out of his ship infuriated.  Scarran the gnome does in deed think twice before he asks his master: “How did it go?”

*Picture of Scarran the Gnome*





Grunt grabs him by the left shoulder and looks straight into his face. “How did it go?” He hisses, “How did it go?!  The bloody creep, Sergeant Carp was there!  He took down sixteen of my men!”

“Erm... yes sir, I see, the boss wishes to see you.”

“Tell him he can find me in my quarters, I wish to see him too.  He promised me the capes wouldn’t be a problem.”  He stared into the wall for a second.  “And bring me something to eat.”

“Yes sir.”


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## Viking Bastard (Jan 19, 2002)

*Act 2 – Carp strikes back*

The next day the party heads over to Shadow Mountains with a raiding party of twelve well armed men aboard a City Guard aircruiser (notably known by the red sails and the big twin cannons standing out of the front).  After four hour of cruising over plains and woodland the ship sails deep into the Shadow Mountains, beyond the mines and into the thick fog.  After cruising straight ahead for a couple of minutes the fear of sailing straight into the rocky hills has nearly made them turn around.  Those plans are abandoned when they see a strong blue light source in the distance. 

 “A guidance beacon,  Harrgard design.”  Sergeant Carp’s voice becomes the one of a scholar,  “You can tell by the blue flames that it’s powered by thunderstone.”

As they come nearer the light, the ancient stronghold starts to come into sight out of the fog, the blue beacon shines in the rock above.  It  built into the mountain side out of light grey stone bricks, in strong contrast to the dark black rock that surrounds it.  The Kentaaris obviously didn’t trust the native building material so they brought their own.  Grunt’s ship is docked next to one of the two gigantic ground cannons which are located at either side of the base.

“But what shall we do now?” Incognito asks his superior with a hint of sarcasm, “Do we just burst through the door and kill everything that moves?” 

“Sounds like a plan.  Arm the cannons!”  The sergeant tells the captain to stop before they come into sight of the bandits and signals the players to come and talk with him.  He points at the two ground cannons.  “On shot from either of those cannons are enough to take down the ship.  The ship’s cannons can take one out but not both before either of them shoots.  We need to get rid of one first.  Do you understand?”

They do understand.  “Yes sir!” Stickler says.  They arm themselves, two pistols, two grenades and a shotgun (the shotgun only hold one shot) and whatever melee weapon they usually use (Incognito grabs his rapier, Stickler his short sword and Kurk gets himself an new axe, since he lost his greatsword in the battle with Grunt).  They climb down from the ship to a path in the mountain side which leads directly to the stronghold.  They run after the path about 2/3 of the way and sneak as quietly as they can the rest.  Finally, when they get to the stronghold, Stickler sneaks onto the small dock with a grenade in each hand.  He hears some voices and quickly jumps behind some boxes.

“I don’t understand what they need all this thunderstone for,”  It’s a whiny squeaky voice. It sounds like it has done it’s fair share of complaining through the years, “I mean, we’ve stolen enough to blow up half the Serpent for God’s sake!  And now the capes are on to use, this job has become way too high profile for me ye know.”

“Sixteen good lads went down yesterday.”  Another voice, much deeper.  “Pity.”  It sounds as it had done it’s fair share of following orders without any thought put into distractions like ‘why?’ or ‘what for?’,  “Of course da boss probably has a good reason for all of this.”

“Then why doesn’t he share it with us then?  I mean, I’d really like to know what I’m risking my neck for! ”

“But Scarran, if he told us we could talk.”  The voice becomes little more serious, like a parent preaching the dangers of smoking to it’s child, “And we’d not like that, would we Scarran?” 

“Yeah, yeah, you’ve made your point.  Man the cannon won’t you, old Bink said he saw something move in the fog.  It’s probably nothing, you know how he is, we can all remember the incident last year.”

“Yeah, we lost a lot of good men then.”

 “It’s hard to trust his eyesight after that ye know, but I’m not taking any chances after yesterday.  I’m going down to the kitchen to get mister Grunt something to eat now, I can trust you.”  That last part wasn’t really a question.

Stickler hears the one called Scarran walk away, opening a door and closing it loudly behind him.  He takes a look over the boxes, he sees a large orc.  He’s wearing studded leather and holds a war hammer in one hand.  He seems to be counting the fingers of the other hand out loud.

“One, two, three... erm... four and... eh... six... no that’s not right... five! Yup, that’s it! I wonder how many my other hand has...”

Stickler tries to signal Incognito and Kurk: “Pssst, get over here.”

“Who is that?!”  The orc jumps to full alertness, “Are you in the box?!!”  He takes his warhammer and swings it at the box which splinters into hundred bits.  “No, you’re behind box!”  He swings his warhammer again, now at Stickler who just barely dodges the blow.

“Crap!”  Stickler grabs both his pistols and shoots the orc who falls down on his face dead with two bullets in his chest.

The noise of the double blast was loud and didn’t go unnoticed.

 “What’s that?!” can be heard from a distance.

“Probably just old Bink shooting himself in the foot again.”

“We’d probably just check anyway though.  If not Scarran will be angry.”

Incognito and Kurk come running up to Stickler.  Kurk kicks Stickler, “Stupid!”


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## Viking Bastard (Jan 19, 2002)

An orc and a human come running with weapons ready around the corner, when they see the party the human calls for help while the orc attacks Kurk who easily dodges and slices the thug’s right arm off.  Incognito shoots the human who dies instantly.  Kurk then finishes the orc off.

Each of them takes one grenade and throws it at the cannon then they run for shelter.  The cannon blows up with some very neat firework displays.  A large group of thugs comes and following them is Grunt and a very scruffy looking gnome.

“You again!”  He turns to the gnome, ”Scarran, if they are here, Carp is here.  Find him and kill him!  Understood?!”

“Yes sir.”  The same squeaky voice as before.  “I’ll send some lads to guard the other cannon.”

‘BOOM!’

Scarran literally jumps up in the air, “What was that?!”

“That would be the other cannon.”  Incognito says grinning.

The City Guard ship sails into sight, out of the fog.

“Damn!”  Grunt does not look happy.  “Abandon the base, salvage what you can.  I’m going to alert him.”

“What shall I do with them?”

Grunt answers just as he disappears into the stronghold:  “Kill them.”

‘BOOM’  The City Guards shoot again, this time aiming at the pirate cruiser. The ship blows up in a ball of fire and smoke just a dozen meters or so from the players.  The shockwave and flying debris knocks many of the bandits and Kurk off their feet.

Stickler is the first to act and grabs his shotgun and shoots one of the bandit’s head off.  Kurk stands up and then slices and dices like only he can do properly and Incognito once again casts sleep and takes some of the bandits out that way.  But they are easily outnumbered and all three take many hits.  It looks like they are going down when Sergeant Carp and the capes come and start slashing through the ranks of bandits.  The bandits don’t last very long.  A few of them have the brains to give up, including Scarran.

“I would have expected more resistance, than this,”  Sergeant Carp says with a I-have-a-bad-feeling-about-this kind of look on his face, “The place is practically empty!  Just these couple of bandits and not even any loot.”

Kurk grabs Scarran by the neck and lifts him off his feet.  “Where did Grunt go?!!”

Scarran’s face goes white.  “They went through the caves under the stronghold.  They lead to the other two ships, where we keep all the loot.”

“Grunt to?”

“Grunt, the Boss and most of the lads.”

“Da boss? Who’s dat?”

“I don’t know, important guy, talks with a Serpent City accent.”

“His name.”

“I don’t know his name, he and Grunt didn’t take the chance if I talked!”

Kurk throws Scarran away, who produces a little scream.

Sergeant Carp takes some men and goes and searches those caves, when they find the second dock, everybody is long gone.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

The Dux is a short bald tubby man, who likes his cigars big and his employees obedient.  Therefore he doesn’t really like Sergeant Carp, although he must admit people like him have their uses.  “Carp, get your ass in here!”

“Dux.”  Carp walks into the Dux’s office not expecting two people.  “Guildmaster Qter, for what do we owe this pleasure?”

*Picture of Guildmaster Qter*





“The guildmaster here came to offer me some information.  Grunt and his hoodlums are no problem of ours now.”

“He is always our problem.  Has been so for years.”

“He is gone, over the border over to the Dracani Dynasty, he is now their problem.”

“And how exactly do we know this?”

The guildmaster decides to join the debate.  “The guild council has had reliable word of this.”  Qter is the youngest of the guildmasters, also the only bachelor.  The most sought after bachelor in the city.  Tall, dark and handsome.  “Very reliable.  I doubt Grunt will show himself again in the city, he doesn’t sound that stupid.”

“Yeah Carp, forget him.  I have a new case for you, some psycho self proclaimed wannabe witch hunter is killing women down in the lower wards. I want you and your boys checking that out later tonight.  Ok?”

Although Carp didn’t like it he agreed.


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## Viking Bastard (Jan 19, 2002)

*Act 3 – Terror In Little Gromnburg*

Someone has been going on a killing spree down in the lower wards. He claims to be a professional witch-hunter, bent on freeing the empire of the witch pest. The ones who have been killed until now have mostly been fortune tellers, the mentally ill, immigrants from faraway lands and other people who have stood out in any way. Usually the City Guard doesn't meddle in the affairs of the lower wards as the locals don't care for their help (or anybody else's). But the last victim was the apprentice of a very influential Calharian wizard who was in the city for business. Therefore it is now the business of the red capes. 

While everybody the party interrogates seems to be ready to tell them that that the killer is "A bloody nutcase!" or "A wacko, missing some serious screws!", nobody is prepared to tell them anything of any importance. One of the major unwritten rules of this part of town is 'That nobody talk to the capes!'. The only valuable information they get is that he is from Gromnburg. 

Gromnburg is a very small and until recently, isolated society located northwest of Shadow Mountains. They are highly religious and very superstitious. Witch hunting and burning is a national pass time. They were aware of the outside world, but it was of no importance to them. Evil and sinful lands, one of those things that happened to other people. When the people of the western continent revolted against the Kentaarian Emperor, Gromnburg was the only colony that still supported the Empire. For a decade the people of Gromnburg fought by the side of the Kentaarian army against the other colonies.

But then the old Emperor died and his son took over, who thought that this never ending war wasn't worth it, the crumbling empire simply didn't afford it. So the Kentaarians left the western continent, abandoning all it's colonies, including Gromnburg. Now they found themselves alone in a big country full of people that they didn't like and that definately didn't like them. The people of Gromnburg felt cheated and went back to their lands in shame, closed off their borders and isolated themselves even further from the outside world. This isolation has only fuelled their beliefs that outsiders are wicked and evil and sinful, and that at least half of them are witches.

It wasn't until about ten years ago that they were forced to return from isolation after a natural disaster made a big lump of the country uninhabitable. Not only are they now force to buy food and goods from outer sources, but hundreds of Gromnburgian have been forced to relocate to the neighbourhood towns and cities. It was all the fault of them witches, they say. 

When one needs to find someone native to Gromnburg, one always talks to Leeta Townsbuckle who knows every Gromnburgian in town. Leeta is a big woman. Not only physically, but in thought and attitude. When the Gromnburgians started flooding into Serpent City all needing jobs that just weren't there she started her own business. 'Leeta and Co.' makes everything from clothes to cheap furniture and even weapons. Everything she manufactures is made by hand by Gromnburgians. She even runs a very successful 'escort' service. Some would say she uses the poor saps but she would say herself that she 'exploits' them. She says it sound more classy.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

The party finds Leeta down in the lower wards, paying salaries to her workers outside one of her furniture factories.

*Picture of Leeta Townsbuckle*





Nobody has ever said that Leeta is a easy woman to handle. "What do ya want capes?"

"Information." Sergeant Carp has never really liked Leeta or her business and spits it out. "We hear this witch hunter fellow is from Gromnburg."

"I don't make a habit of talking to ye pigs and ya know it."

Kurk, who does not like Leeta's attitude grabs his axe and waves it around. "Talk woman! Or I make you talk!"

Leeta just laughs at Kurk. "Please, save it. I have fifty strong men inside this warehouse. Ya wouldn't stand a chance."

"You'd be surprised."

Sergeant Carp isn't about to just give up and walk away. "Can 20 crowns change anything?"

"I have no need for yer money cape!" She stops to think for a while. "One thing ya can do."

"Oh?"

"Some tweeb killed one of my girls! Hangs out in the old church over in the Little Gromnburg district. The girls say he's a witch, but they think every other man and his dog are witches. Probably just some sicko. Anyway, I sent some of the boys over to wack him, but he beat them all up very badly and ripped the head very cleanly off one of them. They say he seemed to enjoy the brawl very much."

"And you expect us to take care of him?"

"Well, yer all are trained to deal with this kinda crap ain't ya? If ye want to know where to find the witch hunter, ye find this sod first!"

Stickler joins the conversation. "You are aware that the with hunter might start preying on your folk to?"

"He doesn't kill Gromnburgians, this guy does. If ya don't want to, then just sod off!"

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

They come to the conclusion that they don't really have much choice. Still, Carp decides to go and follow up on some other leads, old contacts while he sends the party over to Little Gromnburg to check out the old church and if they see any witches doing anything illegal.


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## Viking Bastard (Jan 19, 2002)

When the immigrants from Gromnburg first arrived they took over an practically abandoned part of town formerly known as the Burnt District (originally it was known as the Harrgard district as the Gnomes of Harrgard ran a gunpowder factory there, but after a rather nasty accident involving one of the factory workers, a hot cup of coffe and a torch, the factory blew up and took the whole district with it. After that it became the home of all the homeless people that even the scum of the other Lower Wards didn't want). The Gromnburgians started by burning all the bums, beggars and other homeless people (even though officially the Merchant Guild frowned at that event, they never did anything about it since they were in reality acctually rather happy about getting rid of those social problems once and for all) and then they tore the whole district down and rebuilt it.Now, Little Gromnburg is probably the cleanest place of the lower wards. It's also the only part of the city that's built out of wood in any real volume, the Gromnburgians believe that black stone is the sign of corruption of the devil. 

The old church is the only building that the Little Gromnburg locals didn't tear down, seeing that even if it was built by the corrupt foreigners it was still the house of God. They don't use it though, and built their own church a couple of blocks away.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

When the party enters Little Gromnburg they are greeted by nothing but hostility. "Go back to yer home witches!" People just stand in the distance and stare at them, some mumbling prayers or exorcism, but most just hurl curses at them. "Ya can't corrupt us ye filthy pigs!"

Stickler just finds this rather laughable. "Maybe we should go away from this place before they grab the torches and hayforks. It's the kinda thing they'd do."

Someone screams, a woman's voice. "Nooo! My baby!! The witch's got my baby!" A hysterical young woman runs in the party's direction. "Somebody help me!!" She crumbles down into the muddy street crying. "Somebody... ::sob:: took my baby..." A crowd starts to form in a circle around her, all staring, but none offers aid.

The party makes it's way through the crowd and Incognito helps her up. "Who took your baby?"

"The witch... ::sob:: ...in the old church. I...I told her not to play in front of the church... ::sob:: ...but she did it anyway, like someone had put a spell on her... then... he came out and grabbed her... ::sob:: "

"He?"

"..the witch! I've seen him before, he lives in the church I think..." Suddenly she realizes that the players are not of her kin. "Ye all are not one of us! Corrupt pigs!"

Incognito slaps the woman who falls back down into the muddy street. "We pigs are the only ones who seem to be willing to save your girl, so watch it!" He grabs his pistol and turns to Kurk and Stickler, "Are you ready guys?"

Kurk kicks open the front doors of the old church and they storm in.


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## Viking Bastard (Jan 19, 2002)

The church is big and majestic. Nearly 25 meters from floor to ceiling, all made from black stone. There used to be six big mosaic windows on either side of the church, but now they are all broken and have been replaced by bits of wood. This results that the only light inside the church comes from the broken entrance. The church has been stripped of everything of any real value ages ago, long before the Gromnburgians came. There's nothing there but dust and spider webs, and lots of both. Even the church benches have been taken away. The only thing left is the stone altar and that's just because it's too heavy.
From the other end of the church a faint crying can be heard, "mommy... ::sob::" The little girl sits on the altar, hugging her knees. 

As they walk closer to the girl they hear a dark, snakelike voice: "Who's there? Looks like we have some friends over to play with." A young pale fellow, wearing a long brown leather trench coat, levitates a couple of meters over the altar. They could've sworn he wasn't there a second ago. "And they're capes too, what do I owe this pleasure?"

Incognito points his pistol at the pale stranger. "We are not about to let you harm the girl. Give up or be annihilated."

"Oh, your little toys can't harm me, and no worries, I have no intentions to harm my little prodigy."

"You're a vampire aren't you?" Stickler asks.

"Some might call me so, I see myself as one who is blessed by the shadows."

Incognito suddenly realizes that something is wrong with what the vampire said: "Prodigy? What do you mean by that?"

"I see it as my task to spread the shadow's blessing."

"Yeah, whatever." Incognito fires at the vampire. He hits, but the bullet just goes straight through him without effecting him in any way.

"Oh darn, you holed my coat! Now I have to kill you." He starts laughing loudly. "I'm a bit thirsty actually, I've gotten a bit tired of all this Gromnburgian blood lately, all this paranoia clearly affects the taste."

After some quick brainstorming Incognito yells to the others: "Tear down the windows!" Kurk and Stickler run to either side of the church and start hacking through the wood that covers them. After they tear through the first two windows, beams of light strike the vampire who screams an inhuman scream and falls down to the floor.

In no time they have opened all the 12 windows and the church is flooding with sunlight. The screams of the vampire have stopped, but he seems not to have been killed, there are tracks in the dust leading to the staircase that leads up to the tower.

Incognito grabs the little girl and runs outside while Kurk and Stickler run up the staircase after the vampire.

Incognito gets greeted by a big crowd of people armed with torches and hayforks. A tall skinny guy waves a shovel at him: "Put the girl down ya freak!!" Incognito puts the girl down who runs to her mother and puts her arms around her neck.

"Mommy, the sun burns..."

The shovel waving skinny guy turns to the mob: "This building may once have been a house of the lord, but now it is infested by spawns of the shadows! We must destroy it and all it's evils with it!!"

Kurk and Stickler run up the stairs after the vampire, when they're about halfway up they see the vampire lying in the staircase badly burned, the smell of his burning flesh is absolutely repulsive. At first they think that the vampire is dead but it starts to speak: "You bastards! You repulsive puny cattle! You make me sick!"

"Yeah? Says da corpse." Kurk prepares to chop it's head off, but the vampire is faster and grabs the axe.

At the same time they hear some commotion down stairs. "Light it now!" Sounds like an angry mob.

Stickler gets nervous. "You think they are gonna burn the place down?"

"How? There's nothing here to burn, it's all just stone." Kurk answers Stickler as he wrestles the axe out of the hands of the vampire. 

The vampire kicks Stickler in the stomach and Stickler falls down the stairs, landing harshly at the bottom. Kurk chops the vampire's right hand off, who flees further up the stairs and Kurk follows. When Stickler gets back on his feet he sees some basic decoration changes, the whole floor has been covered in oil and five barrels of gunpowder have been placed middle of the room. He screams at his brother: "Kurk, they may not be able to burn the place down, but they sure can blow it up!! The place is loaded with gunpowder. Lets get the hell out of here!"

Kurk catches up with the vampire at the top of the stair, not able to go any further up because of the sunlight that shines through the broken windows in the top room. The vampire is helpless, Kurk blocks it way down and the sunshine blocks it's way up. It's goes into a frenzy and leaps at Kurk, who wrestles it down with ease. He gets a good hold of it and draws the vampire with him to the old bell room (lacking any kind of church bell now, somebody pinched it years ago). The vampire kicks and tries to bite Kurk, but Kurk is stronger. It starts to burn as Kurk forces it into the light. It screams in pain.

"Fry bastard!" Kurk throws the vampire out the window. It bursts into flames and then explodes halfway down. Only ash lands on the ground.

Meanwhile somebody throws a torch through one of the windows on the ground floor. Stickler quickly throws it back out, but three other torches get thrown in and ignites the oil on the floor. Stickler runs over to the staircase and screams: "Kurk, get your butt down here, it's about to blow!"

Kurk runs down the stairs as fast as he can. When he gets down every inch of the floor and the gunpowder barrels are burning. The two brothers run out like hell through the fire and smoke. Someone has barricaded the doors so they jump out one of the windows. When they're out they just run as hell away as the church goes up in a gigantic blue fireball.

"Sh*t!"

They go and reunite with Incognito who is being held by the angry mob.

"Burn demons, in hell! All of ye!" It's the shovel guy again.

Kurk goes berserk and waves his axe threatingly around: "Shuddup!! Just bloody shudder all of you filthy superstitious paranoid bunch of wankers!!! Release my friend or I chop the head of every last one of you and feed it to my demonic half fiend cat!!!"

The shovel guy takes a couple of steps back and releases Incognito who walks over to his fellow party members. "I didn't know you had a cat?"

"I don't. Lets get the hell out of here!"

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

They go back to Leeta who gives them the identity of the witch hunter, who turns out to be some chap named Gerald who lives in the Mad Cow Inn over in the eastern worker's ward. A certified nutcase she says.


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## Viking Bastard (Jan 19, 2002)

*Act 4 – To Witch or Not to Witch*

Mad Cow Inn is the biggest Inn in Serpent City, located in the Merchant’s Guild’s old headquarters (before they moved over to the king’s palace).  It’s a five storey building with 68 rooms and about 50 employees. 

The owner, old Turk is an ex-cape.  He is old and fat now, but once upon a time he was the City Guard’s finest.  He was also Carp’s mentor. 

“How are you doing mate, are those your new boys, eh?”

“Hi old dog, we’re looking for one of your tenants, a Gromnburgian named Gerald, does it ring any bells?”

“Aye, a spooky chap.  He only comes here every couple of days, but he pays for his room so I’m not complaining.  What did he do?”

“Ever heard of the witch hunter that has been killing people down in the lower wards?” 

“Aye, the one who snuffed that wizard’s apprentice?  There are not  many things that escape my ear.” 

“We think that’s him.” 

Turk gives them the key and number to Gerald’s room and Carp sends them up the check it out while he and Turk catch up on old times. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

The room is full of witch hunting weapons.  Swords, stakes, crossbows and silver pointed bolts, couple of buckets of garlic, crosses, holy scriptures, a dozen unused torches, oil, gunpowder (but strangely  no guns) et cetera.  The walls is covered in holy symbol and the words “ARE THEE CORRUPTED SHALT THEE BURN” have been carved into the northern wall in capital letters.

After searching the room they find some newspaper clips about old Guildmaster Beramix’s death and Ztorialim’s, the Merchant’s Guild’s most powerful sage, upcoming crowning as his replacement, which is scheduled for tomorrow night. 

Like his father, Icognito has the mind of a detective.  “I think he is planning to do something at the crowning.”

“What? Kill Ztorialim?”

“I believe so, we must tell the Sergeant.”  They run down to the lobby and show Carp their findings. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

The night comes and everybody is getting ready for the crowning.  People running around organizing the palace’s great hall.  The players just stand in the middle of the hall, looking rather sheepish as pretty much everyone else on the Guild’s payroll redesign the whole place.  Sergeant Carp is over in the far end of the hall ordering some other capes around.

He turns around and walks over to the players.  “Ok, it’s best that the three of you will be here next to the stage.  Nobody except Ztorialim and the priest and their disciplines are allowed to step onto that stage is that clear?” 

The players nod in agreement.

“Good.”  Carp goes on.  “I’ve placed two guards on the balconies, one on each side, and one guard at each door, I wanted more but Ztorialim didn’t want to hear anything of it.”  He shakes his head in dismay.  “I tried to explain to him the seriousness of the situation, but I don’t think he realizes it. He doesn’t seem the least worried. But at least the rest of the palace and the neighbourhood is swarming in capes.  Hopefully if Gerald decides to come, he won’t get near this room.”  He waves his arms around.  “Anyway, start to get cosy, the ceremony starts in an hour or two, be on guard so that witchhunter freak won’t just sneak in.  We have nearly no idea how he even looks like.”


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## Viking Bastard (Jan 19, 2002)

An hour or two quickly goes past and the first guests of the ceremony start to arrive.  The other seven guildmasters are the first on the scene and they gather around in one group, probably discussing some Guild issues and the running of the Union of Free Cities.  As the other guests arrive, guildmembers and ambassadors from neighbouring lands, the guildmasters scatter. 

One, the youngest one, the one named Qter,  walks over to the players.  He is tall but slender, in his late thirties but one might’ve thought he was even younger.  He’s sporting shoulder long black hair and a small, very tidy and well groomed beard.  He wears a dark blue silk suit and a fine silver-embroidered black cape.  He smiles a wide smile and raises his wineglass at the players.  “Ah, you are Carp’s boys aren’t you, yes?”

The players can’t do anything but agree.

“The orc... you were the one to jump aboard Grunt’s own ship, am I right?”

“Erm.. yeah.”  Kurk looks suspiciously at Qter.  “Why?”

“Oh, just curious, I heard about that.”

Kurk smirks slightly.  “Yeah, dat was good.”

Qter empties his wineglass into his mouth and then carefully examines it for a moment.  He then looks at the players and says: “I’m going to  get me some more wine, would you care for some?”  The players accept and he goes to find the nearest waiter.

Just about then the priests who will see to the ceremony start to enter the hall.  At first some lowly disciplines start carrying in big drums and then following them come some lower priests all clad in rather plain black robes.  Last in is the bishop of Serpent City himself clad in the traditional white bishop robes.  He’s covered in jewellery and all kinds of holy symbols. Following him are two higher priests, clad in plain black and white robes.  They sit down in their designed seats on the stage and seem to be discussing something amongst themselves.

Incognito feels that something is not right about the guildmaster’s curiosity and asks him as he returns with their glasses:  “What do you care about some small fish like us?”

“What, I’m not allowed to pay any interest  to my subjects?”

“Of course, but it’s a bit... unusual.”

“Hmm.”  Qter sips on his drink.  “Indeed.  You are right of course.”  He point in the direction of a couple of the other guildmasters. ”None of them cares about the wellfare of the Union.  All they care about is the weight of their money pouch.”  He frowns in disgust.  “The diplomatic tension between us and the Dracani Dynasty has never been as strong as now.  If we don’t do something quick to smoothen things out it might result in war.”  Qter seems to have become quite heated while preaching  this.  “And as you know, the Union has no real army to speak of, if it comes to war we are destined to loose!” 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

As Qter releases the last word, Ztorialim enters the hall.  He has a long grey beard running down his chest and thick dark eyebrows.  He’s nearly completely bald.  He’s wearing a dark red ceremonial robe embroidered with golden and black threads.  As he walks through the hall, everybody fall silent and look in the direction of the golden stage, formerly the place of the former king’s throne. 

*Picture of Ztorialim*





Ztorialim slowly walks up the golden steps as the bishop starts mumbling something in ancient Kentaari.  The priest disciplines start hitting the drums:  BAM-BUM-BAM-BUM-BAM-BUM.  As Ztorialim reaches the highest step and halts, the lesser priests start echoing the mumbling of the bishop.  Ztorialim goes down on his knees and touches his forehead lightly.  Immediately the disciplines stop hitting the drums.  The bishop steps forward and Ztorialim looks up at him and says, loud and clearly:  “I wish to serve.”

The bishop nods and places his hand on Ztorialim’s bald head:  “So you do, but are you ready?”

“I am ready.  I stand before God and promise, I am ready.  I swear to the old ones, I am ready.  I vow to the Guild and their subjects, I am ready.”  It’s quite clear from Ztorialim’s voice that the whole scene has been rehearsed countless times.

“So be it.”  The bishop nods again turns to one of the disciplines who hands him a bowl of holy water.  The bishop dips his hand into the water and again lays his hand on Ztorialim’s head.  “Then stand up and declare your vows to the world.”

Slowly, Ztorialim stands up and turns to the crowd behind him:  “I vow to you, the people of the Free Cities, I am ready.  I am ready to rule wisely, to rule by the wishes of the people, not my own.  I am ready to follow the teachings of God and his messengers.  I am ready to stand against evil and corruption in all forms they might come, and ready to uphold truth and justice.  I vow to serve the people until my days on earth are over.  I am ready if you see so fit to honour me.”

The bishop walks to Ztorialim’s right side and asks the audience:  “Is there anyone here who objects to his crowning as a Guildmaster?  If so, speak now or forever hold their peace.”

The great hall is silent.  Someone coughs in the distance.  Stickler turns to Incognito and asks:  “We might have been wrong.”  Incognito nods in agreement.  The bishop again starts to speak:  “Very well, bring me the crown.”  One of the disciplines walks over to the bishop, the small ceremonial silver crown lies on a small pillow in his hands.  As the bishop prepares to pick it up, an angry voice calls from the balcony: “ I object!  I object to the idea of the holy lands of man being ruled by witches, I object to the corruption that this city is drowning in and I object to that the people of the realm close their eyes and act like they see nothing.  It’s time for them to see, to understand!”  There on the balcony stands Gerald the Witchhunter in all his glory, clad in tattered leather armour, which is covered in various holy symbols and trinkets, and sporting a large crossbow in his hands and a old rusty longsword strapped to his back.

*Picture of Gerald the Witchhunter*





The many capes guarding the hall start running to the stairs that lead to the balcony, weapons drawn.  Ztorialim just looks at Gerald in a queer way, says:  “Sorry about all that, I’ll try to do something about all that once I’ve been sworn into office.”, and signals the bishop to keep going.  Gerald goes nuts and screams at Ztorialim: “You frickin’ witch!”  He fires a bolt at the Guildmaster-to-be: “Try to do something about that!”  The crowd gasps in terror and excitement, everybody except Ztorialim who remains calm.  The crossbow bolt, which was heading straight at him, burns up in a white flash just a meter from his chest.  Ztorialim just starts laughing: “You fool, didn’t you think a great scary witch like me comes here without any means of magical protection?!”


Gerald lets out a cry of pure fury and hastily tries to reload the crossbow.  The first wave of capes come storming over him, two guards, one grabs him from behind while the other grabs his crossbow.  Gerald tries to wrestle from the grasp of the guy holding him and kicks the other one in the face, who falls backwards down to the floor.  Then, he swings the one trying to hold him over his shoulder and down from the balcony, down to the crowd below.  He grabs his old rusty sword and chops the head of the other cape while he’s trying to stand up.  The other capes, including the players, are closing on him so he throws away the sword and jumps out a nearby mosaic window, which shatters into thousand bits, and down onto the roof one level down.  After a second or two of rest he jumps up on his feet and starts running.  The players jump after him out the broken window, onto the roof and start chasing.


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## Viking Bastard (Jan 19, 2002)

|------|>  MUSIC = “Smack my bitch up” by Prodigy  <|------|

Incognito doesn’t enjoy these kinda chases.  “STOP, YOU ARE UNDER ARREST!”  He gets no reply from Gerald, who is reloading his crossbow while he runs.  “I SAID STOP!!”

Even though the palace is big, Gerald soon runs out of roof to run after.  He jumps down off the roof, spins around in the air and fires a bolt from his crossbow  at the players which hits Incognito in the shoulder.  Incognito falls back on his back in a groan of pain.  Gerald lands on a balcony two floors down and quickly swings himself off it down onto the roof below (yep, more roof, see the map of the palace roof).  Kurk and Stickler jump after him and Icognito stands up and starts running to the edge of the roof.  Stickler lands safely on the balcony but Kurk seems to have miscalculated a little and misses, he falls down but Incognito (who has reached the edge) casts Levitate on him and levitates him back up on the roof.  Stickler swings himself down off the balcony and onto the roof below and immediately starts running after Gerald who has reached the end of this roof and prepares to jump to the next one. 

When Kurk gets back onto the roof above he grunts nastily as Incognito pokes fun at him: “Heh, you’re gonna make a habit of this aren’t you?”  Kurk frowns and answers in a grumpy voice:  “Ya nitwit, ya should’ve levitated me down, not up, so I could keep on chasing da bastard!”

Gerald jumps over to the next roof with Stickler closely on his trail.  Stickler is able to grab on to one of the holy trinkets on Gerald’s armour, but Gerald jumps into the air, disbalancing Stickler who falls down onto his face.  Gerald keeps running but finds out that the distance to the next roof is too great to jump over.  He looks over the edge but there he sees Sergeant Carp and a large group of capes coming around the corner.  He’s stuck, Carp and the capes down below and Stickler (who’s standing up, wiping his broken nose) blocking his other way away (with Kurk and Incognito gaining on them). 

|---------------|> END MUSIC <|-----------------|

Stickler sees the worried expression on Gerald’s face:  “Give up Gerald, there’s no way out of this.”

Gerald grabs for a bolt to reload his crossbow but he finds that he has lost his crossbow bolts on the run. He looks down again and moves closer to the edge:  “Don’t come closer you pig, I’m warning you.”

“What are you gonna do? Jump? Be my guest.”  Incognito and Kurk have now reached them and Kurk swings his axe around threatingly.

“Screw you!”  Gerald’s expression changes from terror to anger.  “Why can’t you all understand?!  He’s a witch fergawdsake, he’s evil!  He’s got you all under his spell, he and his demonic kin!”  Gerald looks down again, hesitates for a second and then just casually jumps down.  He lands on the street below with a big thump. 

Sergeant Carp runs over to the body.  “Eww!” He says as he steps in the pool of blood that’s starting to surround the body.  He bends down, checks for pulse and then shakes his head slowly.  “He’s dead.”  He looks up to the roof at the players and says loudly:  “Good work guys.  Now come down and help in cleaning this mess up.”

Guildmaster Qter, who just entered the scene, objects:  “On the contrary sergeant, if anything, our heroes should be rewarded, not to be forced into such activities.”  He raises his glass.  “I salute you, the very pride of Serpent City.”

A couple of the other guests join the salution as well as the rest of the capes raise their weapons into the air. 

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

They finish the ceremony  and Ztorialim is crowned into office.  The players are sent to the healers, where they spend the night.


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## Viking Bastard (Jan 24, 2002)

Bumping... who me?


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## Ruined (Jan 24, 2002)

No need to bump, just post more of their exploits.  >=)

Good work, so far, Mastermind!


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## Viking Bastard (Jan 28, 2002)

theRuinedOne said:
			
		

> *No need to bump, just post more of their exploits.  >=)
> 
> Good work, so far, Mastermind! *



Hey, whoah, someone like... _posted_ in my Story Hour.

That's so kewl.

Anyway, new update coming soon.


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## Viking Bastard (Jan 31, 2002)

*Act 5 – The Bank Robbery*

Tholin was just a plain little born and bred city gnome. He didn’t really like the city that much though, in his dreams he lives in the country.  In a little cottage somewhere on the edge of Forkwood.  He really liked the country, peaceful and quiet, fresh air and nothing but friendly neighbours (and if they weren’t that friendly, they at least probably lived some distance away). It’s not like that in the city. It’s loud and people are rude and everything smells of mud and thunderstone smoke. Bah!  

The first thing Tholin would do when he would raise enough money to move away would to be to give mister Lipschulzt, his boss,  the finger.  He hated his job as a cashier, people are always rude to him and he’s surrounded by nothing but limitless greed all day long and he really, really hates his job when stupid gun wielding orcs storm in and demand the combination to the safe. This was the third time this year.

“Give me da numbers to open da safe ya gnome vermin!! This is yer last chance!”

“I already told you, I don’t have ‘em!  Only Mr. Lipschulzt has access to the safe.”

The orc growls in annoyance and looks at Tholin as if he’s wondering whether or not to blow his head off.  He seems to decide against it as he says: “Pah, gnome insect!” and then calls to his gang partners: “Get da thundersticks!  We’re gonna have to blow da door up!”

Just then a loud explosion goes off somewhere outside over the bank.  The chief orc seems a bit worried and yells again over to his partners: “Argh, that would be da bank’s flare, da capes will be here in no time. Hurry!!”


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

One of the City Guard’s  watchers saw the flare from the Golden Ox bank and some capes are sent to help.  The players and two others.

A small crowd is gathering around the front of the bank but when one of the robbers shoots a couple of rounds from his shotgun though the main entrance the crowd suddenly scatters.  Kurk waves his axe around to discourage anyone who’d try to return.

Stickler sneaks silently to the door and quickly looks through the big hole the shotgun blast left behind. He counts eight orc thugs, two armed with shotguns, one with a rifle and the remaining five just with ordinary pistols.  One is holding the cashier, a small tidy well dressed city gnome, down with his foot and points his pistol at him.  He’s ordering some of the other orcs around, he seems to be the leader.  Behind the cashier’s desk there is a big round thick steel door, about 2 ½ metres in diameter.  It’s probably the door to the safe.  Two of the orcs seem to be doing somethingto the big door, but Stickler can’t see what.  They are probably trying to open it.

Suddenly one of the shotgun carrying orcs notice Stickler.  “Argh, the capes are here!!”  He shoots at Stickler and Stickler just barely jumps away from the door as a new big hole is formed in it.  He runs into cover to the other capes.


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## Viking Bastard (Jan 31, 2002)

The capes arm themselves, Incognito  and Stickler with two pistols each while Kurk and the other two capes are all armed with shotguns.

They burst through the doors, guns blazing and start shooting and Stickler hits and kills one of the shotgun orcs.  
Just then, the safe blows up in a light blue thunderstone explosion and the safe’s heavy steel door comes flying in the direction of the capes. First it literally knocks one of the orcs’ head off his shoulders and sends it flying to the far corner of the room, then it crushes the cashiers desk and now heads directly in the direction of Kurk, Stickler and one of the extra capes.  Stickler just barely is able to jump out of danger but Kurk and the extra get the door’s full weight upon themselves.  The door takes them with it through the wall and out onto the street. When it finally stops, landing harshly on Kurk and the extra.  Kurk falls unconscious and the extra is crushed to his death.

After a minute or two of confusion after the blast, the orc leader grabs the cashier by the neck and point his gun at his head, screaming: ”Try something and da gnome gets it!!”  When he’s sure the three remaining capes aren’t gonna do anything drastic, he commands the other orcs: “Go into da safe and empty it!”

The thugs start emptying the safe, carrying chests full of coins and gold bars onto a carriage who just appeared outside.  Without looking away from the capes, the chief thug asks a orc who’s carrying a large heavy chest:  “Did ya find the gem?  Grunt needs da gem!”

The orc grins and nods.

“Good.”  The orc chief says approvingly.  “Otherwise, Grunt will not be happy.” 

The orcs finish loading the loot onto the cart and signal their leader to get the heck the out of there.  The leader quickly shoots the other extra cape into the chest, killing him and throws the cashier at Incognito before he got a chance to shoot, knocking him off his feet and onto his back.  The leader runs for the doors, out to the carts, but Stickler shoots him in the back, killing him.  

Incognito throws the gnome off him and jumps onto his feet.  Then Incognito and Stickler run out the door after the other robbers.  The thugs don’t wait to chat and blast away as fast as the horses can drag them. Incognito quickly grabs Kurk’s shotgun that is lying on the ground and shoots one of the wheels under the carriage.  The wooden wheel splinters into hundred bits and the carriage goes out of control, breaks away from the horses that are pulling it and it crushes into nearby wall.  The orcs seem unharmed, dazed but not seriously hurt.

Incognito and Stickler try to lift the heavy steel door off Kurk but it’s too heavy for them so they reload their weapons and advance to the bankrobbers.  The thugs jump off the carriage and prepare to defend themselves.  

One of the orcs screams out to his comrades: “Crap, where’s the gem?! Grunt needs the gem!”  Then he notices the big emerald lying on the street and quickly grabs it.  He runs away as fast as he can.

Now, the four orcs and two capes stand in the middle of the street, facing each other, guns blazing. Incognito says, “Give up scum.”

The orcs laugh. “Yeah right.”

The firefight starts. Stickler and Incognito are quicker and immedietly shoot two thugs. The remaining two both fire at Incognito and one hits him in the leg but the other misses. Incognito falls to the ground in agonizing pain, but Stickler quickly revenges his friend, shooting the orc.

The one last orc sees that he’s not on the winning team here and throws away his gun and runs away.  Stickler shoots him in the foot before he’s ten metres away.  The orc howls in agony and falls straight onto his face into the mud.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Just about then more capes arrive, a bit too late.  The players are once again sent to the healers and spend the next two or three weeks there, except for Stickler, who is out the next day.  He and Sergeant Carp discuss this seriously as it’s evident that Grunt planned it. They wonder why that gem could possibly mean so much to him and curse over the fact that one of the orcs got away with it.


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## Horacio (Feb 4, 2002)

Hey, good story!

I has begun reading it in the old forum, but after a while I lost it. 

Now I think it will be another of  the (too big) handful of stories I read everymorning...


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## KidCthulhu (Feb 4, 2002)

OK, I'll admit it's taken me a while to get to this story hour.  But this is good stuff MM!  I really like the world feel you've got, part steam punk, part Anhk-Morpork.  

More please.


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## Viking Bastard (Feb 10, 2002)

Horacio said:
			
		

> *Hey, good story!
> 
> I has begun reading it in the old forum, but after a while I lost it.
> 
> Now I think it will be another of  the (too big) handful of stories I read everymorning... *



Wow, thanks mate.



			
				KidCthulhu said:
			
		

> *OK, I'll admit it's taken me a while to get to this story hour.  But this is good stuff MM!*



Again, thanks. 
*



			I really like the world feel you've got, part steam punk, part Anhk-Morpork.
		
Click to expand...


*Ankh Morork eh? hadn't really considered that, but now when you say it I think you're right. I'm a big Terry Prachett fan so it isn't strange that it inspires my worldmaking (consciously or not).
*



			More please.
		
Click to expand...


*Coming up.


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## Viking Bastard (Feb 10, 2002)

*Act 6 - Once upon a Time in Harrgard *

In his cell in the City Guard lockup Scarran is playing poker with his cellmate, a big thuggish orc named Krunch. He's not doing all that well.

He takes a good look at his hand: the Jack of spades, the two of hearts and then the eights of hearts, diamonds and clubs. He lays his cards on the table. "Three of a kind, beat that."

The orc grins sadistically and reveals his hand: "A pair of queens, I win!"

"No you don't! Three of a kind is higher than a pair."

"No it isn't."

"Yes it is, that's the whole point of a three of a kind, a pair is the lowest hand."

"Yeah, but yer hand is three eights. Eight plus eight plus eight is twenty four. Two queens makes twelve plus twelve which is also twenty four." Krunch looks as he's gonna explode from pride over his mathematical knowledge. "We both have twenty four points."

"Eh? So?"

"I got twenty four with fewer cards, I've got only two while you have three."

"That doesn't matter, my hand is still higher."

"I say no. I win."

"What exactly makes you the referee?!"

The orc stands up, he's so big he has to bend his head so he won't hit it into the roof: "You gnome, I orc. You small, I big."

"Point taken. You win." Scarran throws away the cards onto the table and sighs while the orc greedily grabs his prize, a small candybar Scarran had pinched from one of the guards. "Enjoy it." Krunch already has and burps joyishly..

A guard opens the cell door: "Let's go gnome, there's someone here to see you."

Scarran follows the guard to small round room with only one tiny little window, sunshine flowing in. In the middle of the room there's a small table and two chairs. In one of the chair a tall hooded man sits. The guard pushes him inside: "You've got two minutes."

After making some rude remarks at the guard, the gnome sits down opposite the hooded figure. "What are you doing here, why are you still in Merchant Guild territory? It is said you fled over the border to the Dracani Dynasty."

"Do not worry, with my kinda allies even Carp can't touch me. Come, let's go."

"Go? Are you crazy? We can't just walk out."

"Can't we?"

"Of course not, we're on the third floor here." He falls silent for a minute as Grunt grins a snake's smile. "What are you up to Grunt?"

The guard comes back in: "C'mon gnome, your two minutes are up."

From under his hood Grunt howls: "Duck, fast." He jumps under the table dragging Scarran with him while he throws a grenade in the direction of the window. In blue thunderstone flames debris rains into the room. The blast forms a big hole in the wall where the window used to be. Grunt grabs Scarran under one arm and jumps out.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

The players are examining the hole in the wall when Sergeant Carp arrives. "It's certainly... big." Stickler utters.

Sergeant Carp examines the whole scene for quite some time and seems uneasy. "Why would Grunt go to all this trouble to save a mere servant. It doesn't sound like the Grunt I know."

"Maybe they were friends?" Incognito speculates.

Stickler grins. "Maybe they were more than friends."

While the players share a laugh, Carp asks himself: "There must have been something Grunt needed from him, but what?" He turns to the players. "Boys, try to find out as much as you can about this Scarran. Try asking Hadricht at the Weed, he knows nearly every Gnome in the cipposite thet every gnome over in Smalltown."


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## Viking Bastard (Feb 11, 2002)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

When the players enter the part of the Eastern Ward known as Smalltown it is as everything grows smaller. This is the gnome district. They are greeted by swarms of undersized merchants all trying to sell them something. I isn't until Kurk starts swinging his axe around threatingly that the gnome traders back off. "Get da frick out of here ya lil' buggers!"

The Weed is the most successful tavern in Smalltown, nearly every gnome in Serpent City has been there. Nearly every gnome in the city has gotten drunk there too. It's a big place, that is, there's room there for a lot of people. Or rather, a lot of gnomes. The players have to bend their heads to get in through the main doorway. They can all, except for Kurk who has to bend his knees a little, walk around normally when inside. 

Hadricht Hadrichtsson Jr. is the owner of the Weed which was originally founded by his late grandfather, Hadricht Glomsson (which Hadricht is named after. Hadricht's father, Hadricht Hadrichtsson Sr., who owns a small tobacco store in the south end of Smalltown, was named after his great-grandfather Hadricht Glomsson (whose son, Hadricht Hadrichtson Jr.'s great-grandfather, was named Glom Hadrichtsson). Gnomes have never been very original when it comes to names). Back then the Weed wasn't as big and at a different location. When old Hadricht Glomsson died Hadricht Hadrichtson Jr. took over (since Hadrict Hadrichtson Sr. was running his own successful business) and in a year it became the most popular place in Smalltown and moved into it's current place. Nobody knows how Hadricht did it, especially since he didn't really seem to do anything. Some say he puts addictive drugs in the drinks and some say he bribed a powerful wizard to put a spell on the tavern. Most people shut up and just get pissing drunk.

Anyway, the Weed's popularity resulted in that Hadricht hears things and is ready to share knowledge with anyone as long as he has some silver to share in return.

The players walk over to the bar and ask one of the bartender where they can find Hadricht. He directs them down into the wine cellar where Hadricht is going through his inventory.

Hadricht is busy counting wine bottles when they come downstairs. He is so busy that he doesn't notice them until Incognito asks if he knows of a gnome named Scarran. He jumps up in the air and drops a wine bottle onto the floor: "Aaah... don't startle me like that." He looks down at his feet which are soaked in wine from the broken bottle. 

"Damn! That's worth five silver crowns ye know."

Incognito repeats the question: "Do you know a gnome named Scarran?"

"I might."

"Well?"

"Well?!? Nuttin' comes free ye know. You'll have to pay for that bottle as well."

"Tell us or I'll break your neck." threatens Kurk.

"Oh please, you don't scare me orc. I know your boss ye know."
Incognito hands Hadricht ten silver crowns. "Sorry about the wine. Now what about Scarran."

"Oh, I know many Scarrans." Hadricht says while counting the crowns. "Got a picture?"

"No."

"Well, so got his father's name?"

"No."

"That makes things a bit difficult I must say. Can you describe him in some way?"

"He's short, scruffy looking, got a big nose and has a short and thin untidy black beard."

"Doesn't really help me, you just described fourth of the city's gnome population." He stares into the air for a second or two while searching his memory banks. "Could be Scarran Thallsson or Scarran Pelksson. Even maybe Scarran Scarransson."

"He's usually really dirty. He's involved in the Brothers of Grunt bandit group."

"That would be Scarran Pelksson. I don't know much about him I'm afraid. He used to hang around here when he first came to town. Then we caught him cheating at cards and banned him from this place. This was before he got involved with those shady characters down in the Lower Wards."

"What shady characters?"

"Orcs mostly, thugs and bandits, like yer friend Grunt for instance. I believe he first met Grunt in one of Toasted-Jack's parties."

"Who is he?"

"Toasted-Jack? He's a pusher, that's what he is, and also a quite successful one I hear. Deals in everything from thunderstone powder to king's weed. He likes to throw parties, although I guess it would be more accurate to call 'em orgies. He's called Toasted-Jack because he smokes his own stuff and isn't exactly the brightest guy in the city. If I recall correctly, he and Scarran were very good friends."

"Where can I find him?"

"I dunno, somewhere down in the Whore District probably, he likes to hold his parties in some of the bordellos there." Hadricht shakes his head in shame. "To think that one of us gnomes will step so low. It's hard to trust those northerners. It's they that give the rest of us honourable gnomes a bad name as little greedy backstabbers."

"Northerners?"

"Yeah, he's not one of us smallfolks, he's one of 'em Harrgard gnomes." The shame in his face turns into impatience and irritation. "Can't trust the lot of 'em I say. Well that's pretty much all I know. Got some more questions? It'll cost you extra!"

"No more questions, no."

"Then get the hell out of my wine cellar."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


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## Artoomis (Feb 11, 2002)

Nice.

I don't hardly comment at all in Story Hour because it takes away from the storys themselves, but I think you deserve a little positive feedback.  

Keep it up.


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## Horacio (Feb 11, 2002)

I would love to see some details about the city. It seems a rather big and cosmopolitan place, in my mind it's a bit like Sigil, if you know what I mean, with flying ships instead of portals. The caps remind me the Harmonium patrols. Do you like Planescape?


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## Viking Bastard (Feb 11, 2002)

Artoomis said:
			
		

> *Nice.
> 
> I don't hardly comment at all in Story Hour because it takes away from the storys themselves, but I think you deserve a little positive feedback.
> 
> Keep it up. *



Thanks mate.



			
				Horacio said:
			
		

> *I would love to see some details about the city. It seems a rather big and cosmopolitan place, in my mind it's a bit like Sigil, if you know what I mean, with flying ships instead of portals. The caps remind me the Harmonium patrols. Do you like Planescape? *



I love Planescape. My fav TSR setting by far.

I'll see what I can cook up.


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## Viking Bastard (Feb 17, 2002)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

It took some time for the party to find Toasted-Jack, but they finally located him in a shabby bar named ‘The Troubadour’s Trousers’ down in the Whore District, half-drunk and sleeping with his face lying down in a plate full of somekinda stew.  Kurk kicks Jack’s stool from under him and he falls harshly down onto the floor so he wakes up.  He mutters something about acquiring the money before Friday and then opens his eyes to see three officers of the law standing over him.  He screams: “Capes!”   and jumps onto his feet and tries to get away to freedom by jumping over the table but he fails horribly and tumbles down onto his head. He then tries to crawl away as fast he can.

*Picture of Toasted-Jack*






But it isn’t fast enough and Kurk grabs him by the back of the neck and pulls him back onto his feet.  He then pushes him into a nearby seat and growls.  Jack goes pale and tries to hide himself in his jacket.

“Where is Scarran?!?”  Kurk growls.

“I-I d-don’t-t kn-now...  how should-d I kn-now?”

“Tell me!”

“I t-told ya, I-I don’t know... really, I-I swear it-t!”

Incognito looks Jack directly in the eyes.  “Ok, do you know what it is that Scarran did for Grunt?  I’d answer truthfully or I’ll be forced to let my partner here take over.”

Kurk cracks his knuckles and smiles.

Toasted-Jack looks like he’s battling the strong urge to sh*t himself.  “Erm... Grunt was looking for some Harrgard gnomes to do some dirty work for him.  For some reason it had to be a Harrgard gnome.  Harrgard gnomes are hard to find in the city except for the gadget merchants over in the serpent.  They tend to stick to home.  Thankfully I knew Scarran.”

“What is this ‘dirty job’?”

“I don’t know, I honestly don’t know.”  But he quickly starts remembering things when he sees Kurk sharpening his axe. ”Aah!  He needed an insider, he was planning on stealing something in Harrgard. He needed someone to get him inside.  That city is more heavily defended than the Kentaarian Emperor’s palace!”

“What was it he was planning to steal?”

“I don’t know!”

“You sure?”  Kurk asks as he swing his axe just in  front of Jack’s nose.

Toasted-Jack screams hysterically:  “YES!  Really!! I honestly don’t know!!! Please don’t hurt me.  PLEASE!!  I don’t know anything more!”   He starts sobbing and his eyes fill with tears.  “I owe someone a lot of money!  If you kill me he’ll just reanimate me as a zombie and force me to work until I can pay the debt.  Please, I don’t want to become a zombie!!”

Incognito tells Kurk to stop tormenting Jack and then they go to meet back with Sergeant Carp, leaving Toasted-Jack behind crying on the floor.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


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## Horacio (Feb 17, 2002)

Hey, I like the concept of raising somebody back as a zombie to pay off his debts, I think I will steal it for my campaign...


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## Viking Bastard (Feb 17, 2002)

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

As the players walk through the city guard headquarters’ main entrance Carp comes running down the stairs from the second floor, apparently in from the Dux’s office.  “C’mon boys, where have you frickin’ been?  Grunt’s aircruiser has been spotted at the northern border heading for the Aaskran wastes.  If he is allowed to sail into the wastes we’ve lost him.  We’ll never be able to find him there.”

“I don’t think he’s going for the wastes sir.”  Stickler says.

“Oh?”

“He’s heading for Harrgard.” And then the players tell Carp of what they have dug up.

Carp nearly bites his cigar in half.  “No frickin’ way!  Nobody can get into Harrgard that easily, I mean, the city withstood an attack by the Kentaarian army fergawdssake.  Only Grunt would try something as suicidal as this!  But we must get there before they do if it turns out it can be done.  We must warn the gnomes.”

“How?”  Incognito asks.  “Isn’t their ship faster than ours?”

“Yeah, but not as fast as the rocket.”

“Da rocket?”  says Kurk.

“The rocket! Follow me boys.”

Carp leads the players down some stairs into the cellar, the armoury.  They walk through two rooms full of guns, blades and armour and then through a room full of barrels of gunpowder.  He moves one of the barrels away from the wall, revealing a door. He opens it and signals the players to walk inside.  Inside there is total darkness, that is until Carp lights an oil lamp that’s hanging on the wall with his cigar.  Now they can see the faint outlines of some huge oval object.

“Is dat da rocket?” Kurk asks.

Carp released a chain that’s been hammered to the wall, opening a hatch in the roof letting sunlight and a ton of dirt into the room.  “Yep. That’s it.”

First now the whole monstrosity can be seen in it’s whole:  gigantic oval steel object, 9 metres long and 3 – 3 ½ metres in diameter, like a huge cigar. It rests on somekinda tracks aimed at the hatch in the roof.  It’s aft end is blue, scorched by the flames of thunderstone fire.  On top of the rocket is a round hatch and beneath it there is a big window.  there are also two portholes on each side.

“It’s basically just an aircruiser engine, without the aircruiser.”  Carp proudly announces.  “It’s damn fast.  Combines state of the art rune smithing and thunderstone science.”  He smiles.  “Step in boys.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

Pelk Pelksson was a happy gnome, after sixteen years his lost brother finally returned.  “Scarran, I was beginning to think that you’d never return.  Dad always said you’d be back in less than a year, but clearly he was wrong. I only wish he was still here, bless his memory.”

“Damn him.”  Scarran frowns.  “He never believed in me.  He never appreciated me.”

“Well you must understand the difficulties he faced, you didn’t want to choose your future!”

“I wasn’t ready to choose.  I didn’t want to choose from what I was offered.”

“If you didn’t like the thought of being a Tinker like the rest of the family, you could’ve chosen to be a Thinker or even a Tanker.”

“Hah! Good choices that.  Build things, think of things or blow things up.” Every feature in Scarran’s face shows disgust.  “I wanted to do things.”

“Oh well, at least you are ready to choose things now.”  Pelk smiled a optimist’s smile.  “At least you’re here to stay now.”

“I am? No I’m not.  I’m just here to deliver a little gift --”

Just as Scarran released the last word the whole city shook in a huge explosion.  Things fall down from the walls and shelves and both Scarran and Pelk loose their balance and fall down to the floor.

Pelk is terrified:  “What was that?!?”

Scarran grins diabolically.  “That was my gift.”  He slowly stands up.  “And now,” he says as he reaches for his dagger, “I have a gift for you too... dear brother.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


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## Horacio (Feb 17, 2002)

A rocket... A gnomic revenge... A city without defense... Will our heroes arrive at time to save them?

I've found an adjetive for your story hour, it's Pulp action. Really pulp action D&D. I love it!


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## Viking Bastard (Feb 28, 2002)

Horacio said:
			
		

> *A rocket... A gnomic revenge... A city without defense... Will our heroes arrive at time to save them?
> 
> I've found an adjetive for your story hour, it's Pulp action. Really pulp action D&D. I love it! *



Pulp Action eh? Hmm.. I like that. 

Anyway, no updates for a while sadly. I'm doing this amature theatre thingy and it's close to premiering so I'm a bit busy. I haven't gamed for a month either.


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## Horacio (Feb 28, 2002)

mastermind said:
			
		

> *Pulp Action eh? Hmm.. I like that.
> 
> Anyway, no updates for a while sadly. I'm doing this amature theatre thingy and it's close to premiering so I'm a bit busy. I haven't gamed for a month either. *




I'm glad you like the adjetive _pulp action_ because it's perfect for your story 

Good luck with the theatre... 

_hum, wait a moment, you're not suppossed to say 'good luck' to an actor, aren't you, Horacio? It's supposed to bring bad luck. At least in Spain we say things them like 'break your leg' before going on the stage_

Er, I mean, break your leg!



But, the most important, finish soon and come back to RPG and story hour writting...


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## KidCthulhu (Feb 28, 2002)

Horacio said:
			
		

> *In Spain we say things them like 'break your leg' before going on the stage[/i]*




All the English speaking countries do this too.  I wonder who originated the phrase?  Etymology is a fascinating thing.

Broken limbs for your show, MM.


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## Horacio (Mar 1, 2002)

KidCthulhu said:
			
		

> *
> 
> All the English speaking countries do this too.  I wonder who originated the phrase?  Etymology is a fascinating thing.
> 
> Broken limbs for your show, MM. *




I suspect in Spain it can be a side effect of Hollywood culture, too many movies have helped to make world a more homogeneous place...

But the tradition of not wishing 'good luck' to an actor before going on the stage is a truely ancient tradition, I'd love to know its origens...


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## Viking Bastard (Apr 5, 2002)

I'm just bumping this up.

There's gonna be a new update in the next couple of days.


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## Horacio (Apr 5, 2002)

mastermind said:
			
		

> *I'm just bumping this up.
> 
> There's gonna be a new update in the next couple of days. *




An update soon? Cool! Cool!
Bump! Bump! Bump!


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## Viking Bastard (Apr 6, 2002)

Carp and the players have all strapped themselves into their seats in the rocket.  

Carp grins and says: “Ready boys, here we go.” Then he grabs a big lever and pulls it.  The rocket starts to shake and cough. It seems as it doesn’t work.  But then suddenly the engine starts to roar and the rocket shoots out the hatch and up into the sky.  Out the portholes they can see Serpent City, the biggest city of the western world, shrink to an embarassingly small size.  

The rocket changes it’s trajectory and now heads straight ahead into the north, to Harrgard.  The players see the ground below shoot past at uncanny speed, fast enough to upset their stomachs, even Kurk’s.

Carp smiles.  “Time to chill down boys, the trip should take one to two hours.”  He grins.  “If the fuel lasts, that is.”

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

After about one and half hour, the players can finally see the great glass dome of the Gnome city of Harrgard floating over the horizon.  The huge city is being held up by gigantic aircruiser engines.  It is as the city stands upon blue fiery feet.  The earth beneath it is scorched, black-blue-ish, cracked and hard as glass, after centuries of torture by the flames.  High upon the glass dome shines a blue thunderstone beacon, warning lost travellers of  the city’s existance.

“Thanks gawd, because we’re out of fuel.”  Carp says.  “Hold onto something, this isn’t gonna be nice.”

The rocket quickly starts to loose altitude and plummels to the earth, crashing onto it’s belly leaving a long scorched scar in the ground. After stroking the ground for about six hundred metres the rocket finally stops and four dazed capes come crawling out, throwing up over each other’s shoes.


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## Viking Bastard (Apr 6, 2002)

Allrighty, lets take a break and I’ll tell you some stuff about Harrgard and it’s inhabitats.

Harrgard was formed some decades before the discovery of thunderstone.  A couple of forward-thinking Gnome families travelled east of the Aaskran wastes and settled there, just at the borders of the Kentaari Empire, on an island in the Harkan gulf.  They founded what is usually now referred to as Old Harrgard, a small merchant town.  When thunderstone was discovered, Harrgard became the center of the thunderstone shipments to the old world.  That made the Gnomes incredibly rich and their lifestyle became more and more influanced by the Kentaari humans that they traded with. They even started abandoning the Gnome ways of Wizardry and sent their young mage students to the great human Magic Academy of Calhara.  There they learned of the human ways of magical Rune-Smithing.  Some of their smarter designers thought of combining it with their own thunderstone tech.  

The results were extraordinary.  Their first invention were the aircruisers.  Then there came the wargolems, huge steel monsters that reinvented the world’s way of warfare.  Golems were old news.  Anyone with enough silver in his pocket and the right wizardly connections could get one, but they never served much military purpose.  They were slow and stupid.  But when you could attach two huge thunderstone cannons to their backs and make them fly, slow and stupid wasn’t that much of a deal anymore.  It seemed as there were no limits to what the Harrgard gnomes could do with their tech.

Anyway, one thing the Harrgard gnomes didn’t do was share.  They sat on their secrets like a dragon would sit on his loot.  This did not sit well with people, especially the other gnome nations which felt that their Harrgardian brothers had betrayed them with not sharing (this resentment then just grew and grew through the ages) and the Kentaari Emperor, who felt that the Harrgard gnomes were stealing profits which were rightfully his.  After trying to force the secrets out of the gnomes with diplomatic ways for a couple of years, the Emperor lost his temper and sent three legions of his best troops over to take over the city.  

But the people of Harrgard were prepared.  Just as the legions came to the city, the earth shook violently and shattered under their feet.  The city slowly rose up to the sky, carried by huge aircruiser engines.  The Kentaarian soldiers were burned to ashes in the blue flames.  Since then the city has not touched the ground.  Many later emperors as well as various pirates groups have tried to take over the city since, most with aircruiser fleets.  They have never even been close to victory.  The city is heavily defended with golems and artillery and surrounded by a nearly unbreakable magical shield.

The Harrgard gnomes have a strong caste system, divided into Tinkers (workers and inventors), Thinkers (scholars, philosophers and wizards) and Tankers (warriors).  The first forty years of their life they are independant, just indulging themselves, playing and enjoying life.  On their forty year old birtday they choose their path in life, one of the three castes.  Most choose the caste of their parents, although it isn’t required.  After they have made their choice fifteen years of apprenticeship takes over until they are deemed fit as fully functioning citezens.  Marriages between castes are quite rare, but not unheard of.


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## Horacio (Apr 6, 2002)

Cool!
An update in one of my favorites stories! 

And a good update!


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