"Well...I don't right know what to say fella but..thanks seems like a start. " Despite flushed face Harold was sobering up some with the gift, even if it was just a second hand piece the dwarf found it was still the most expensive and dangerous thing he had ever held in his life time. A half naked vagrant wielding a repeater crossbow made for a funny sight, but so did one throwing a flaming shirt over an armored vampiric knight. "If I come across anything that might be of use to ya or your forge I'll be sure to run it by. " Admittedly the bad lander wasn't too familiar with Dwarfs. They were short, had beards across both genders...assuming they had them, and had really, really long memories. That or good books. Either way, grudges weren't a thing to screw around with and the man wasn't going to earn himself one by being anything less than grateful to the stunty. Even if technically all the Dwarf did was throw him a weapon he found out back, rather than craft something for him specifically.
Fulke let out a long and low whistle in the empty armory, appreciation clear in his gaze. As he began to remove the armor from the crate piece by piece, the man from Ostermark inspected the plate in detail. Pristine, not uncommon among regiments of Greatswords given their role as vaunted castle guards. This Ulrich Kostner had most likely died of old age, however long ago his life had been. A long, happy, and dull life. Not fitting for a man in service to Sigmar. "Well, you're in Morr's arms now. Even if you were one of the rotting corpses that had patrolled this land, you've at last earned your rest." Morr may have claimed this man, but the plate could help prolong the Vampire Hunter's life. Sighing, the former Greatsword began to remove his own armor to don the ancient plate. There were small differences in the design and weight distribution. It was strange, almost a familiar second skin yet.. Minutely changed. Perhaps it was the metals used at the time in Ostermark. Or perhaps this particular smith had learned from a half-mad surface Dwarf. It didn't matter, so long as it protected him.
@BuriasDempsey @DeezNuts Kristoff watched in stunned silence as all of his guards spontaneously collapsed on to the ground, fast asleep. He dragged his hand across his face and sighed at the sight. Ulric really didn't want him to train these guys. "It is when they eat Ogre stew lizard friend." He looked at the stew for a moment, letting it's fragrant aroma wash over him. Shrugging, he grabbed a bowl and poured it into his mouth. It was amazing. By Ulric, it was some of the best stew he ever had. He grabbed another bowl before agreeing to the patrol and followed after them. "Ladies? We aren't the one who likes to dress like them." Kristoff said simply as he walked past him, hammer and stew in hand as Vorgen wandered up behind him, his maw bloody. Apparently he found his own meal. When Pierre brought up the bestigor, Kristoffs hands tingled with excitement. It had been far to long since he crushed a beastmans skull. "Let us pray Ukric will give us such entertainment. Show our lizard friend what we do for fun in the Empire." A wolfish grin formed on his face as he tossed his hammer in his hand.
@Colapse Mariah nodded with a solem look on her face, "So be it blacksmith. I shall await to see the results of your work." With that she turned and left the area to return to the shrine of the Lady of the Lake. Once there she began to fast while praying and waiting for her family's armor. It was strange to be separated from one of the last things that conected her to her family, who were all dead and gone.
"Very well then, I shall make sure the caves are secured as you see fit." Alozia replied to her boss, not surprised that he'd be interested in getting information from would be trespassers, after all knowledge was quite the boon in the right hands. After the Knight had left, she then thought to herself that clearly, he didn't quite get the fact that the challenge facing anyone who thought trying to remove her head was a good idea. After all, them simply them getting to her in the first place without being blasted to pieces with Doombolts, wracked with so much agony that they could not take another step, or if her research into leaching went well, draining their own vitality to replenish her own was going to be quite the challenge. Still, thinking of all the ways that the knight's comment about her sword arm was rendered null and void wasn't doing as she was asked to do, so the Druchii walked out off the office so that she could and headed off to the caves to make them secure as requested. As she made her way down into the caves, the Sorceress was currently considering having two layers of wards in the caves: The first ward to strike a bit of pain into the average trespasser, while the second ward would be truly crippling in terms of pain dished out to the more determined intruder, and which should hopefully soften them up enough for Constantine to wring some information out of those foolish enough to use the rear entrance to the castle.
<earlier> Khelandria regarded Pierre for a moment as he asked his question. It was a reasonable enough one to ask. After all, most of the Realm of Men had not heard of holy Khaine, nor his blessed Brides. "I am a Bride of Khaine," she began, trying to frame the whole culture and worship in terms that made sense to one who likely hadn't heard of them. "We are women sacred to the Druchii God of War. We are His Brides, and blood is our sacrament - as we shed it, so we must decorate our skin with its crimson blessing." This was natural to the Dark Elf, but Khelandria had travelled for a little while in the Old World - long enough to realise that it might sound ... well, a little out of the ordinary. Then she had a brainwave. "We are berserkers," she said, smiling widely at having found the perfect simile. "We neither want nor need anything between us and the ecstasy of battle. What we wear, we do for the sake of others' notions of modesty, and because our bodies belong to our God as much as our souls.We do as Khaine decrees." "And," she added, thoughtfully, "sometimes it does seem to disconcert the enemy." <later> Khelandria kept silent during the meeting with Constantine and Pierre, though she did note the Bretonnian Knight's tendency to want to aggravate almost everyone he spoke to. Then again, she was raised in Naggaroth, so this was not all that strange to one who knew Druchii highborn, for whom such aggravation was both art form and pastime. Time better spent in dedication to Khaine; but she supposed that in times of hateful peace people found their release where they might. It was an insight though into how the southern cultures worked ... Khelandria noted it, though she didn't really understand it. She looked to Aloiza, and hid her smile, knowing that the Sorceress would be more than capable of stripping the insolent man's skin from his bones if she felt the need. But she did not have the skills to help with the magical side of things. "Sister, should there be anything with which I can aid you, then call upon me," she said to Aloiza. "Master Constantine, is there anything more you wish of me? If not then I believe I will go and see how our soldiers are training."
<Contract #3 Briefing> @DeranVendar @Jorimel @Maleth @Grall_Stonefist @TuskatheDaemonKilla @Skarboy @matt23 @BuriasDempsey @Keidivh @DeezNuts Eventually, everyone managed to settle in and enjoy some peace and quiet time, except for Master Ori who worked around the clock to get everything prepared in time. Xiuhcoatl received a brand new heavy chainmail shirt, especially made in his own size in order to get more protection and turn him into a real tough front-line fighter. Tugg's cleaver was also upgraded by adding a hammer piece to one of its sides which the Ogre could now use both for killing bad guys and creating better steaks while Khelandria also got her daggers reforged, the Dwarf Blacksmith using a special technique to make the edges sharper and better suited for punching through thickest of armors, which combined with her new set of poisons is deemed to make any enemy standing against her not stand for too long. Master Ori also did as he promised, fixing Mariah's armor and adding couple of pieces of metal for increased protection turned it into a real plate armor. She was not the only one who received such item for Fulke also got his hands on the half-plate carried by the long dead Captain of the Unbreakable, an old piece of equipment sure to help him in the days to come. Most of them ended up with new items however Kolja failed to show up even after five days, a fact that didn't seem to disturb Sir Breckenridge at the slightest, who in between his foul moods told them that the Kislevite boyar had the knack for being late, in fact whatever time he said he'd be back in you should multiply with three and perhaps then you'll get the expected number. Of course, that didn't mean they had nothing to do - Aloiza successfully placed her warding spells across the cavers while Kristoff and Xiuhcoatl worked around the clock instilling discipline in the mob of villagers who after the initial hiccups slowly began turning into a decent military unit. And at the end of the sixth day after the Bretonnian knight joined them, Constantine once again summoned all of them to meet him in the "strategy room", the place below his own chambers where a large round table with maps of Ostland and other provinces of the Empire as well as some lands in the north and in the south were located. Their Employer was looking good now, properly bathed and shaved with his long black hair tied into a ponytail (OOC not because he didn't wash his hair! ) he had every look of a young noble, somewhat different than the first time they met him. "I'm happy to announce that we got ourselves a new contract which takes place somewhat further away from this foul Ostland's weather," he said with a smile and pointed at the drawing of a handsome looking man right next to the map of Talabecland, "Meet Baron Kurt Von Beringer, ruler of the town Ravenstein and the lands around it. Located in the north-western Talabecland and right on the bank of the river Talabec itself his lands are quite rich in both people and natural resources. Baron Von Beringer made his name as an industrialist and a merchant, having his hands on the agriculture business, fishing and having a great dry-dock where he builds ships of all kinds. He also has a factory where he builds parts for imperial artillery pieces as well as ammo, controlling one of the few engineering foundries outside Nuln." "So as you can see, the man is dirty-rich. However, as most such men go, and I'm not trying to be rude here, he has couple of secrets hidden in his darker past. You see, he was not always known as Baron Kurt Von Beringer. Twenty years ago he was Kurt Beringer, Scourge of the South. He was a famous pirate and an explorer, operating from as far as Norsca to the Citadel of the Dawn on the southern cape. He raided many places and ancient cities looking for the lost gold and stuff like that, you can imagine after all. In any case, he was quite successful in his "business" but was also smart enough to call it a day and retreat to this place he lives now, using the riches he acquired to buy himself the title and the lands, turning his focus on living the life of a famed merchant, his old life forgotten. He built himself a great estate on a hill overlooking the town of Ravenstein from where he operates and uses it as a small fortress." "And in a week he is throwing a great feast and a tournament because he is getting married! His future wife, a daughter of another wealthy merchant from Averheim, has been told to be a woman of exquisite tastes who expects lots of fancy gifts from her future husband and the Baron wasn't about to let her down. In the middle of various precious trinkets and other stuff, there is one item our contractor is interested in. It is an item Von Beringer looted many years ago from deep within some ancient vault, its true name lost to the time but its shape and more importantly, its use still known to those who care about such things. It is an Elven artifact called "Eye of the Storm", in a shape of a blue diamond the size of a walnut fixed into a beautifully-crafted necklace. There are many stories considering the use of the artifact, most of them false, but the predominant idea is that it somehow controls the passage of the water, the stories even saying how dangerous it is for misusing it could cause great destruction such as flood, great rains, and so on." "In any case, I'm not 100% sure if Von Beringer knows exactly what he got his hands into but that's besides the point. Our task will be to join the festivities, mingle and eventually infiltrate his estate where we will find the place where he keeps his artifacts and take the necklace. I must say, I haven't really planned this through because I expect the plan to change on the foot but what I had in mind is that some of us join the tournament, which by the way as I understood will be the competition in swordplay, archery and other knightly stuff, the victors will then will be able to join the Baron and his wife during the wedding ceremony itself, while the others maybe try and pull out some sort of a diversion outside the town and the estate to draw the guards away so we could sneak in and take the artifact." "All in all, I laid out couple of possible plans but due to the nature of the situation, this time I'm more than happy to hear all of your questions and thoughts on the matter, perhaps show me something I might've missed?"
Khelandria nodded as she heard the plan, it sounded like something where their skills could be put to good and various use. She did sigh inwardly though, just a little. All that combat, and she could not see a way for her to join in. So she would have to err on the diplomatic side, as it were. And that would mean one thing: a big dress. Her posture drooped a little at the thought. She noted the changes in their employer: he cleaned up well. She'd always seen a fastidious side to Master Constantine, so the Witch Elf wasn't surprised. Like a Druchii, he was capable of enduring much, but preferred to be clean and presentable. She looked at the map and the sometime Human Corsair. "I have no questions as yet," she said, "save one: is it permissable to ask why we want this gem?"
"Oi I'z got a queshun!" Tuska said loudly as he raised a black steel clad hand. "Ow do zog iz I supposed ta infultrate sumfing? I'z a bleedin black orc Is don't exactly fit in one of yer fancy umie get to tagethas." He said loudly but not to be rude more to just get his point across.
Sitting there and absorbing the information that Constantine gave them about who, where, and what they were about to do, he wondered just where in this plan he would naturally fit in. "I have to agree with Tuska, I doubt they will be expecting the likes of an Ork, a Saurian, or an Orge to attend this gathering and do 'knightly' things." Xiuhcoatl spoke up after the ork raised a good point. "Unless this is something that we don't have to worry about and can enter, I can not see us being....stealthy unless part of this 'diversion." The lizardman finished, trying to find the right word for them.
