Session 0: A Walk In The Woods - Ferdinands Story
General Summary
Angestag 22nd Day of Vorhexen 2512 IC Time Late Afternoon Weather A chill wind blows from the south
Ferdinand had stumbled across the empty shack in the forest a few days ago and cold and footsore he decided to take a risk and rest up for a few days. He was skirting a village nestled between the forest and the road to Osburg having managed with some difficulty to cross the River Schilder at Schilderheim. The plan was to skirt the village and then hug the edge of the forest as far as Castle Graurenburg before crossing the Bogen and making his way home. So, far he had avoided even minor settlements and only used the roads when they were empty and quiet. The long walk from Marienburg had made his feet sore but the biggest problem was hunger and that was why he had dallied perhaps longer than prudent at the hut. It was close enough to the village to make nightly trips to the edge of the forest and like most rural villages they left small offerings to the gods along the treeline to placate evil spirits. Even ale sometimes as long as they didn't spoil it by mixing it with the food. He had supplemented the offerings with rabbits and other small animals that were easy to kill with a dart and could be cooked after dark provided he hid the light and smoke of the fire. The woodsmen crowded into the forest during the day felling trees but were easy to avoid. They tended to make a lot of noise, singing and shouting. Nerves perhaps or just a warning to large animals to stay away. So, it wasn't hard to avoid them and though he had been spotted a few times both he and they had run in opposite directions and none had ventured as far as the hut. The worst incident had been a few days ago. The offerings at the shrines had become sparse and Ferdinand had convinced himself that exchange was no robbery and that if he left the villagers a couple of dead rabbits surely they would not begrudge him a few carrots so he could make a proper stew. Anyway, he was running low on horseshoe nails. The few he had found in the cottage were fast being expended and he needed to find some more otherwise even the rabbits would be impossible to catch. It had not gone well. He approached the vegetable garden closest to the forest and dropped the rabbit at his feet to pull a few carrots when the door of the cottage suddenly flew open and an old woman stepped out into the night. He froze, hoping she would be half asleep and not notice him. But that was not to be. The old woman spotted him crouching in her vegetable patch and she froze also. They stared at each other for what seemed like an age neither saying anything. Ferdinand couldn't think of anything to say at the time. He felt like a child caught with his hand in the cookie barrel Eventually, he stood up slowly carrots in one hand and staff in the other gave the woman a slight bow and walked away back to the woods leaving the rabbit behind. It was now late afternoon the sun was setting and there was a chill wind from the south. The carrots were eaten and he was still short of nails.
Ferdinand Gruber [OOC: I take it the horseshoe nails are the ingredient I use for dart? Correct me if I'm wrong, I'll write this assuming it is. However, if it's a projectile that I use that would change it a bit since I could be more flexible on the item] Ferdinand stands in the doorway staring in the direction of the village. Ever since returning to the Empire he hasn't been able to get visions out of his head, of the faces of his family when he first revealed his Gift. He's been avoiding villages to avoid that same look of horror. However, he had seen that same look in the eye of the woman at the vegetable patch. It is burned into his mind and he can't stop seeing the pure terror he had caused. Shame ripples through him. She had merely been trying to grow some carrots. He has to leave. But he cannot go out completely unprepared. Although out of horseshoe nails, he decides to search the cottage for other types of nails, possibly in the walls or furniture. He had never tried casting dart with a different nail before, as his instructors had always imposed upon him the importance of recreating each time the recipe with the exact same specifications. Still, if the case of life or death were to arise, he would rather take the risk. Ferdinand heads into the cottage to search for nails.
GM Ferdinand begins a systematic search of the hut looking for anything that might be a substitute for a horseshoe nail. He has already been over the contents once soon after he arrived and so he is essentially picking over the same ground. [He finds ten nails or metal pins of various descriptions]
Ferdinand Gruber Ferdinand eyes the nails suspiciously but pockets them anyway. He stands, reluctant to leave his only shelter, but he would feel too uncomfortable to sleep here tonight anyway. Perhaps, he reasons, he could grab a few pieces of firewood if the woodcutters left any around. Then he could head out deep enough to not be seen and have some warmth for the night. Ferdinand heads towards where he had seen the woodcutters, keeping an eye out to see if anybody is in the area before he approaches. If he does not see anybody, he will head further and try to find a few pieces of firewood.
GM From past experience, Ferdinand knows that the woodsmen leave plenty of waste wood behind them after they have finished work for the day. The felled trees are stripped of their branches where they fall and the main trunks dragged away leaving the branches scattered around the area. The village women and children will collect most of them for firewood themselves but he has managed to collect enough in the past for cooking and heat. However, he doesn't even need to look to know that at the moment the woodsmen are still working. He can hear the rhythmic thuds of their axes and the sound of their singing. It reminds him of Marienburg and the songs sung by the sailors on the ships in the harbour as they hauled their ropes and lifted their cargo. A similar way of regulating the timing of each action perhaps. Unless something unusual happens they would continue until dusk and only when the light begins to fade will they return to the village. Ferdinand has attempted to move around the forest during the day but the woodsmen tend to be quite alert and watchful and these are usually the occasions that he has been spotted. Perhaps was he a rogue or an illusionist he might have more luck at remaining unseen, but as it stands it's safer to wait until it gets dark.
Ferdinand Gruber Ferdinand weighs his options. He considers heading into the woods now and searching for firewood, but does not relish the thought of using his scythe to cut up logs. He decides instead to rest back in the safety of the cabin until the woodcutters leave for the night.
GM [OOC: Shame you don't have a Vihuela with you or you could have practised your entertainment skills.] Basically, you are just waiting until it gets dark. [OOC: It's worth just mentioning that in terms of character improvement I don't stick rigidly to the career system. As a fundamental principle, I will not allow a character to improve a skill or attribute that they haven't used. So, for example, you cannot spend XP to improve your BS unless you have fired your crossbow, or at least thrown a few stones at something. Likewise, you cannot learn a new skill without being taught it or practising it. So, if you wanted to learn to play a Harpsicord you would need to find a harpsichord and someone who could teach you how to play it. The positive side of this is of course that there is no arbitrary limit on what you can improve. Hope that makes sense, I've used this system before and it seems quite intuitive. My last party all decided to take swimming lessons from the Elf, except the dwarf of course.]
Ferdinand Gruber Ferdinand sits. Then can't stop thinking so imagines he's playing is Vihuela. Alas, he left it in Marienburg, and playing air-vihuela is not helping him calm down. He stands up and starts pacing, thinking. He knows he cannot avoid others forever. And the poor woman was terrified! The right thing to do would be to approach her and apologize. This would also be good practice for when he arrives back in Weissbruck - he needs to get used to being more charming to people in the Empire, or it will get him into trouble in the future. Quite nervous, Ferdinand stands up and tries to make himself look a bit more presentable. He won't leave his scythe behind ever, but he straps it to his back and tries to make the blade a bit lower down so it isn't as obvious. Ferdinand also tries to slouch down a bit to make his height less intimidating. Ferdinand then tries out something he hasn't done for a while: smiling. With what he hopes to be a friendly smile on his face, Ferdinand leaves the cottage and begins to walk towards the old woman's garden.
GM Ferdinand walks calmly and steady towards the village the wind still chill whips at his robe. He can see movement amongst the trees ahead. The rhythmic singing and thud of axes on wood. One of the men looks up in your direction and freezes. He's about one hundred paces away a two-handed axe held across his chest. He begins to back away unsettled by your continued advance "Markolf! 'e's back again." he shouts to someone you cannot see amongst the tree's
Ferdinand Gruber Ferdinand freezes. He turns towards the men, and, plastering a big smile on his face and trying to look friendly, waves towards them. "Good evening gentlemen!" [OOC] Let me know if I'm being presumptive with my rolls. I'm used to the GM requesting them but for the play by post, I guess it's quicker to roll and have you decide whether to use it or not, plus what I'm rolling against?]
GM Ferdinands attempt to charm the woodsman doesn't go too well. [OOC: Charm Test: Fel=23-5 (Class difference) -10(Reputation)= Rolled 46<8 Failed -4 SL Appalling Failure] He waves at the man he first spotted and calls out a greeting but the man literally turns on his heels and runs towards the village screaming "It's the demon get the witch hunter." The cry is rapidly taken up by the others and the singing and chopping come to an abrupt halt as the entire work crew abandon their task and run towards the safety of the village. [OOC: I'm dragging this out a bit because I want to give eggburger a chance to finish his conversation in the village. Just in case you think I'm doing it to be awkward.]
Ferdinand Gruber [OOC] Haha! Wow I am not charming at all, this is hilarious. I probably looked even scarier with my big grin!] [OOC] Since Eggburger and I are in a similar timeline, we should probably do a bit more of a one to one action, right? So I'll hold off my next post until after Else takes another move.]
GM [OOC: Ferdinand is definitely not an instantly likeable character even without the class issues and the general prejudice against magic. One thing I want to try and achieve with these Session 0's (which I suspect most of you have already sussed) is to let you weave your own story of how you met. So, yes....hopefully at some point Else and Ferdinand will meet and hopefully she will not shoot you or burn you as a witch. But I have zero control over that. So, far my devious scheme has worked for Sali and Gunnar who have met and managed to avoid killing each other. Watch this space.]
Ferdinand Gruber [OOC] Ah okay. Mostly I was worried if I'm doing too many things in-between Else's actions, it might be weird. But for now I'll add in another one because Ferdinand would definitely react to that.] Ferdinand hears the man mention "Witchhunter", and his heart jumps in his chest. He needs to escape immediately. He quickly grabs up a couple of pieces of firewood and runs into the woods, trying to get away as quickly as possible before the Witchhunter arrives!
GM [OOC: Not an unnatural reaction really. But yes obviously one of the problems has been that Session 0's tend to progress at different paces so in your case with nobody to interact with the pace has been quite fast. Whereas Else has been heavily involved in investigations and abducting children. I was trying to think of something to keep you occupied but short of having you attacked by a swarm of rats I couldn't think of anything.]
Ferdinand Gruber After running through the woods for a few minutes, Ferdinand slows down. He realizes he may have been leaving a trail with his reckless trampling through the undergrowth. He turns and walks 90 degrees from his original path, trying as best he can to avoid leaving broken branches and twigs in the way. After walking this way for a few more minutes, he sits on a large rock and listens to see if he can detect whether he has been followed. He palms one of the nail-like objects, just in case.
GM After running through the trees and bracken of the forest for several minutes Ferdinand is badly out of breath and his legs and arms are scratched and painful from contact with various branches and thorns in his path, His right arm has incurred a particularly nasty scratch from a passing branch (OOC: Deduct 1W from Right Arm Remaining = 9) But as he finally runs out of breath and begins to walk off to his right (south) he has put a goodly distance between himself and the village, at least two thousand paces maybe even more. He walks more carefully now avoiding the nastier branches and bracken and after a short time comes across a comfy-looking rock where he sits and listens for sounds of pursuit. (OOC: 1d6=2 minutes about 150 paces/Secret Observation Test) The chill southerly wind continues to rustle the tree canopy and chills the sweat and perspiration as Ferdinand continues to breathe heavily after his frantic run. There is constant movement all around him as the wind stirs the leaves and branches but no obvious sign of pursuit. Perhaps you outrun them. Dusk is beginning to draw in now at least under the tree canopy and shadows are gathering. Ferdinand shudders it will be cold and dark once the sunsets. (OOC: (Average Dice Roll=1 wound to right arm)
Ferdinand Gruber Shivering in the cold, Ferdinand looks down at the firewood he has stolen. He will need to find a spot farther from town to light the fire. But with it getting dark, he will need a light source. Ferdinand searches the nearby area for some sticks that he can use for Light. If he finds any, he won't Light them yet, afraid to be too visible, but will instead start to carefully head away from the town, trying not to leave too many tracks.
GM It doesn't take Ferdinand long to realise that there is an ample supply of sticks in a forest. Not to mention the handful he collected as firewood there are trees and bushes all around from which he could easily break off a stick. [OOC]Given that the Light spell consumes the item it causes to glow it's probably a waste of time worrying too much about the quality of what that item is, basically any old stick will do providing that you don't mind losing it. e.g. Don't use your hairbrush, the ebony club you need for the shock spell or a nail.]
Ferdinand Gruber Ferdinand will grab a few sticks and make his way away from the village, for as long as he can see. If the light runs out he will need to reconsider whether he feels safe enough to use Light, depending on how far he gets.
GM More cautious now Ferdinand heads east again deeper into the darkening forest. As the light begins to close in he can hear the nightlife of the forest starting to stir around him. Predators waking up and beginning their nightly ritual of violence and survival. Faintly in the distance from the direction of the village comes the distinctive sound of dogs barking, deep and loud. The sound made by big dogs bred for work and hunting.
Ferdinand Gruber Ferdinand curses softly to himself, "Morr's breath!". He wracks his mind trying to think of if he has seen any streams or rivers during his time around the village, and if so, if he can make a guess as to which direction to walk to reach one.
GM Angestag 22nd Day of Vorhexen (Winter) 2512 IC Time Early Evening Weather Dusk - The chill southerly wind drops and dark clouds begin to gather.
Ferdinand continues to stumble eastwards through the trees the wind has dropped but ominously dark clouds now begin to gather blotting out the sky and hastening the dusk. Ferdinand is having trouble seeing his path and has to slow his pace to avoid risking more injuries from low branches and spikey bushes. It must be almost an hour now since the incident near the village and he estimated that he must be at least two or three miles into the forest possibly as much as four. This was not the place to be at night. He desperately tried to visualise the map that used to hang on the wall of his father's study. From what he could remember somewhere ahead, perhaps another two hours away, should be Castle Grauenberg seat of Graf Wilhelm von Saponatheim. He must be walking through the von Saponatheim estate now as the village he had just left was part of it and so was the town of Bogenhafen somewhere to the south. Somewhere a long way to the North was the Skaag Hills. Ironically Ferdinand had been planning to head for Castle Grauenberg with a view to crossing the river there and then using the forest on the far bank of the Bogen to reach home. But he had never planned to do so through the trees. [OOC: Secret Observation Test] The forest seems to be alive with sound now as the night creatures begin to stir and go about their nocturnal business. He listens intently but cannot hear the barking of dogs any longer and looking back there are no lights following him.
Ferdinand Gruber Ferdinand listens carefully but cannot hear the dogs anymore. It's getting too dark for him to move so he will have to risk it. He resigns himself to walking through the next few hours and hopefully reaching Castle Grauenberg. To do so he will need some light to navigate by and hopefully scare away any wildlife. He grabs one of the sticks and attempts to cast Light on it. [OOC: Let me know if I did that casting roll incorrectly]
GM Ferdinand reaches into his belt pouch and removes one of the small sticks he collected for use by his light spell. He holds it at arm's length and concentrates his mind feeling the energy flow through his body down his arm and into the stick. It quickly begins to glow at first just faintly and then it bursts into full radiance. [OOC: There is no casting test for a controlled cast of Petty Magic in WFRP 1. However, you have expended 1 Magic Point please reduce the number available to 6.] The darkness retreats rapidly for a radius of about fifteen paces all around Ferdinand and the trees and undergrowth become as visible as day. Whilst beyond the light circle Ferdinand can see the outlines of the trees beyond lit up by the reflected glare. "Stand reet vere you are human." was the almost instant reaction from the darkness beyond the circle of light. "One more step and vee vill make you deaded." Added another in an almost amused tone. [OOC: Secret Observation Test] Ferdinand stares into the trees in the direction the voices came from but can see nothing but trees, bushes and darkness.
Ferdinand Gruber As Ferdinand channels light into the object, he feels a surge of pride. He hadn't told anybody, but the light was a bit of a side effect when he was attempting to adapt an object teleportation spell. His theory was that the spell converted the object's mass slowly into light, which would explain why the object always dissa- He spins on his feet as he hears the voices. Instinctively he checks his palm for the nail, but he had to put it back in his pouch in order to cast Light. "Good evening," Ferdinand says in what he hopes to be a friendly voice, while slowly switching his glowing stick to his left hand, holding it up to hopefully block the vision of his right hand, which he uses to reach and grab a nail from his ingredient pouch. "Bit chilly tonight, yes?"
GM There was a brief pause as though Ferdinand's statements were being assessed by whoever was hidden in the shadows. "No! I vood say it ist not a good evening." was the eventual judgment. "It ist getting cloudy and may vell rain later." The voice added by way of clarification. "Vy are you vandering about in der woods on your own?" Asked the voice "Are you lost?" [OOC: On a point of note. Letting go of the light stick will cause your light spell to 'fizz' and the stick to disappear. I've assumed Ferdinand knows that and so was careful not to let go of it as you transferred it to your other hand.]
Ferdinand Gruber With the nail in his hand, Ferdinand now needs to get a look at who is talking to him. He casually moves the stick behind his back, hoping that with the light blocked, his eyes will adapt to the darkness. He needs to buy some time. His brain rifles through his rules for small talk. Weather. Ferdinand looks up at the sky, "Ah, yes. I see the wind pattern and gathering clouds now. Nimbus, I believe? I had not realized it may rain." Next rule: people love to talk about themselves. Ferdinand looks back towards the voices. "Seems like you have some skill at predicting the weather. How was it that you came upon such a talent?" Ferdinand stares into the darkness, trying to make out who he is talking to as his eyes adjust to the dark with agonizing slowness.
GM [OOC: Secret Observation Test] With the light stick tucked behind his back, his body now casts a huge shadow across the small clearing he is standing in and the trees beyond. But even once his eyes have adjusted to the darkness there is nothing to see. "ve are not here to talk about da veather. I ask you if you are lost." said another voice off to his right.
Ferdinand Gruber "Lost? Oh, no. I am just in the middle of a journey. How about yourself, are you lost? Perhaps we could travel together. My light is running low so I could use the company." With his hand still behind his back, Ferdinand reaches over to his scythe. Knowing that the second he drops the stick, it's light will go out, he intends to use the time it takes for the others' eyes to adapt to pull out his scythe. His plan is to have the scythe in his left hand so he will be able to use the nail first before quickly switching to a two-handed grip on his scythe, should the others approach him.
GM There was a long pause as though whoever was in the shadows was pondering Ferdinand's response. "So, you know vere you are?" it finally asked "Is this part of the Drakenburg estate?" Ferdinand Gruber Ferdinand pauses, deciding he might not need to use his scythe after all, though he keeps his hand near it out of caution. "Oh," says Ferdinand, "I think perhaps you are lost? These are the Saponatheim estates. Are you trying to get to Drakenburg?" GM There was a brief pause as though the recipient was absorbing the information. But then it replied from somewhere in the shadows cast by your light stick. "Did you realise you are not alone?" It asked
Ferdinand Gruber "Of course I realise. " Ferdinand realizes he might be dealing with creatures of lower intelligence than he initially believed. Unfortunately, he is used to being surrounded by slower witted individuals, even amongst humans. "I am talking to you right now."
GM There is silence. Ferdinand thinks he hears a faint bird call. Then the unmistakable sound of a twig breaking followed by a hushed expletive 'Ah! Taal's Teeth.' off to his left on the edge of the trees. [OOC: Secret Observation Test] Ferdinand turns in that direction forgetting that he has his light stick in the small of his back and in doing so instantly casts his own shadow over the location where he heard the voice. However, just before the light was blocked he caught a clear glimpse of a young man wide-eyed and fearful hunched over and staring at him from the undergrowth.
Ferdinand Gruber Ferdinand swings towards the man. Things are getting out of control. He executes his planned out motion of dropping the stick to douse the light, and freeing his scythe into his left hand. He readies the nail in his right. "Good evening," says Ferdinand. "It appears these woods are very popular tonight!" With his light now extinguished Ferdinand will see if he is able to make out any additional figures in the woods, like the ones he was talking to previously.
GM Ferdinand releases his grip on the light stick and it falls from his grasp. There is a sound like hot fat dropping into a heated pan and the stick disappears plunging the forest into total darkness. Ferdinand thinks he hears a whimper from the darkness ahead. Then a loud authoritative voice breaks the silence directly behind him. "Foreigners! Identify yourself and your business! I am Hunter Sigloben of the Reik and you are ordered to respect my authority! Show yourselves!" Ferdinand can hear movement behind him now, the nail is in his right hand and he unstraps the scythe into his left though he knows it needs two-hands to wield. [OOC: Secret Observation Test - 20 Modifier for Total Darkness] As his eyes adjust to the darkness Ferdinand can just make out the shadow of the man he saw a few seconds ago crouching in a bush not more than ten paces away.
Ferdinand Gruber Ferdinand holds back shivers as he hears the announcement of the stranger's title, though he tries his best to appear outwardly calm and speak in a steady voice. "Greetings, Hunter. I myself am no foreigner, being of the Gruber family. Alas, I am not able to speak as to my new acquaintances' heritage, as we have only crossed paths for the first time tonight."
GM There is a frantic scrambling sound as the man in the bushes makes himself scarce and with the light extinguished you can now see the dim glow of orange light a few hundred paces to the west through the trees. Out of the shadows on the other side of the clearing, a sinister-looking female figure in a tall hat emerges one of those new-fangled pistols aimed and levelled threateningly at you. Her thumb pulls back the hammer with a loud click. She looks you up and down in the dark, and, scowling, she moves closer pistol still levelled at you to get a better look. "Herr Gruber, forgive me, but you will understand that under the circumstances I have to proceed with some caution, maybe even suspicion. Can you prove that you are who you say? And maybe you can explain why a little old lady in a village not far from here believes you to be a daemonic giant with a taste for dead rabbit and her prize carrots? Finally, I am going to want to know why you are meeting with foreign agents in the dead of night in the middle of a forest? Hmmm..." She shouts across the clearing: "Rudi! Get Burkhard here quick with the torches and the dogs - and mind you don't trip over your feet while you are at it!" SESSION ENDS
Rewards Granted
Character(s) interacted with
Else Sigloben
