Warhammer, The Darkness Within, Intro

[Dragoon]

OCC Thread:
OCC Thread

Intro:
The Storm of Chaos is over, the Lord of End Times Chaos Army has been defeated upon the gates of Middenheim by the combined armies of Light, led by the Glorious Emperor Karl Franz. However danger in the old world is far from gone. Remnants from the Chaos army still roam the land wreaking havoc. Orcs, Goblins, Beastmen and worse things rape and pillage the land.?

The small village of Hockenbacher, ruled by Baron Karl Hocenbacher, lies deep in the Forest of Shadows about 10 miles south east of Salzenmund, The village was largely spared the depravations of the Chaos army, however the village’s 73 souls struggle to survive in the post war world. As the year 2522 draws to a close the Autumn rains have begun and the cold winds blow down from Norsca, a sign that Winter is nearly upon the village.

This a time for heroes, can you stand against the darkness or will you fall to the darkness?

A cold wind drives a wet saturating rain down on Hochenbacher, turning the dirt paths of the village to streams of mud, the rains of continued unabated for three days. People of the village stay huddled by their fires to keep warm in bone chilling cold. You find your self in the villages only tavern “The Slick Pig” having enjoying a few pints of Ale to keep the chill away, when Baron Hochenbacher and his retinue burst through the door.

“Ahem good villagers and wanderers, I am in the need of some manpower,” states the Baron triumphantly. “Please step back into the storeroom of the tavern, where I will give the details, serious inquires only.” Then the Baron barks an order to the barkeep/owner of the Slick Pig, the battle scarred Willheim Osterklein, “Willheim, get me your finest ale and a plate of sausages and cheese.” Willheim replys, “Yes right away milord, on the house o’ course.” “Well of course it is,” replies the Baron. With the exchange over the Baron walks toward the backroom, with the villagers giving a curtsy or bow as he passes with his retinue, including a man who looks to be some sort of scholar, a couple of guards and strangely a man from Kislev in shackles escorted by the Baron’s jailer/executioner Otto von Otto.

 

[Asmor]

Earlier that day...

"What kind of half-assed job is this, Jotunn?" the dirty peasant screamed. "She's gonna break a bloody leg, she is." He referred to the horse he was picking up. He'd left it with Jotunn to be shod, and now she had a slight limp due to the terribly low-quality horseshoes.

"Taal's Teeth! Piss off ya soddin' **** farmer! I kin 'ardly 'elp it if yer damned mare's 'ooves are lopsided."

"You get those shoes off of her now! There's no way I'm paying for this!"

"Bah, I dun need yer thrice-damned brass anyways." Jotunn turned around, leading the horse back to his workshop to take its shoes off.

He wasn't a master blacksmith by any means, but he could hardly be entirely to blame for the bad shoes. All he had to work with was low-quality iron riddled with impurities, not the fine stuff his father-- spit on his name-- always had. There was little Jotunn could do, though, because that's all that was available in this podunk town. Heck, even if better stuff was available, he probably wouldn't be able to afford it.

Later, at the tavern...

Jotunn sat in a dark corner of the tavern, drinking himself into a stupor. He watched with drunken disinterest as the Baron made his speech and then walked away.

He'd never let anyone know it, but Jotunn was deeply dissatisfied with his life in this town. The humans lacked the thick skin of the dwarves and he'd already managed to insult everyone in town at least three times or four.

On top of that, his business was in the gutter. Sure, he was the only blacksmith in the village, but that's really the only reason he still had any business. He'd tried to explain the problems with the ore to his customers, but the stupid inbred hicks didn't seem to understand and still blamed him anyways.

He didn't know what the Baron had in mind, but it had to be better than just wasting away in this hellhole. So with a characteristic grumble, Jotunn stood up, started to fall, balanced himself, stood up again, grabbed his tankard, and proceeded into the storeroom.

 

[ObiAndy]

"Gods, but I miss the sea..."thought Nicklaas as he woke in the stable where he spent the night. The chilling rain didn't help, either. Yet here he was, miles from the nearest port, laying low until he could return one day to buy his own ship.

Realizing that he did indeed have some coin to spend, Nicklaas made his way to this hamlets only tavern. At least here he could get warm and dry. And perhaps a hot meal.

Handing over his precious coin for a hot spiced rum, Nicklaas quietly glanced around the tavern, noting others who didn't look like natives. Soon his thoughts drifted off to sailing, until his daydream was interrupted by the entrance of a nobleman and his retinue...

...Hearing what the Baron said, Nicklaas, ready to move on, decided he was up for a new adventure. He at least could hear the rest of the Baron's offer. Besides, this could earn him some money, maybe even lead back to Marienburg...

 

[Imperialus]

Hans allows the guard to lead him into the back of the Slick Pig. He says nothing but his dark eyes are narrowed dangerously under his heavy brow.

Thinking: "Wonder what this pig ****er has planned for me? Sure as **** better not try and hang me for slapin around that ugly wench over there, or busten up them barstools when the stupid barkeep tried to get me to back off, I'm sure the guardsman will recover from his busted arm too. Few lashes I can take, at least the bastard won't get my coin, but what in the name of Khorn is he doing dragging me around like this? Only a couple guards, and the high and mighty baron himself don't look so tough. The chains are a pain in the ass but I could probably still give him a hell of a beating before someone stuck me.

Then again, he did say he wanted men, probably not for somthing like diggen ditches neither, if that was the case he's be telln' not askin. Maybe he needs swords. I have a sword... at least I had one... if they give it back, then I'll have a sword. Maybe he just needs me to crack some skulls for him, that'd be nice. It's been a while since I've gotten to kill anyone without getting in trouble afterwards. Maybe he needs me, Sigmar knows his guards don't seem like they're worth the pot they piss in. Maybe I'll even get some coin out of it, I could use that."

 

[scranford]

Felix Brecht

Felix looked up at the nobles exclaimation. Hmm, I guess I'd better see what he has to say. Now that the Dwarven Blacksmith has reshod Gus, and I'm getting a little short on coin (Dang those wonderful pies the innkeeper keeps putting out every morning)

Felix stands a little clumsily as his rotund belly gets in the way of an easy stand, and stretches his arms above his head. As he does so a button pops off his strained shirt, and plops directly into the mug of ale of the individual accross from him at the table. Hopefully he didn't notice as his attention was directed at the nobles speech.

Well, thats a sign for sure Felix muses. Guess I'd better get off my duff and move around a little, or I'll lose more than a button off my shirt.

Felix then stands and makes his way towards the back room.

 

[Dragoon]

The obviously vain and foppish Baron, dressed in the latest Altdorf fashions walks into the store room, motions at a chair, "Wipe this filthy thing." and snaps his long slender fingers, with that one of his guards pulls out a cloth and wipes the chair off. Baron Hochenbacher with a dignified "hurrrmph" settles into the chair. "Well I can certainly see that Willheim is saving gold in cleaning the place."

 

[Asmor]

Without even waiting to see if anyone else is still coming in, Jotunn blurts out, "So what the 'ell is this all about, then?"

 

[Dragoon]

The Baron curtly responds to Jotunn,"Ahh can you not wait a moment dwarf, I need a few others before I make my grand announcement, I do not want to repeat myself." The Baron continues to look about the room at those present and fiddle with with his fine leather riding gloves. Then he looks put out and says, "Honestly it really should be a requirement for the lower classes to attend a finishing school, say by the way," as he looks at Jotunn, "are you not the village blacksmith?"

The two guard look bored and rest their bodies on their halberds and Otto keeps an eye on the prisoner awaiting for more guests to file in.

Willheim a few moments latter delivers a plate of deer sausage and wheel of Nordland Yellow cheese with tankards of ale, "Her ya are milord, cheese and sausage, on the house."

 

[Asmor]

Gods, Jotunn thinks to himself, you'd think with their short little lives they'd be a bit more eager to get to the point.

"Yeh, what's it to ya? I done toldjer men, I kinnae 'elp it if the damned ore's shoddy!" he replies. "If'n the pike 'eads ain't good enough fers ya, then get meh some decent iron!"

 

[Imperialus]

Hans eyes the ale hungrily. "Say ser baronship yer grace. Don't suppose I could have a taste o' that ale? Your keyman here isn't the best at providing men with what they need, and I'd hear a lot better if me throat ain't so parched."