Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay: Shadows of Altdorf

Cynical Cat · Post by **Cynical Cat** » Tue Sep 22, 2009 6:16 pm

The capital of the Empire, Altdorf, straddles the River Reik. Buildings cluster on both banks and fill the dozen odd islands in between. More than a hundred bridges connected the sprawl of city together.

Altdorf was more than an old, rich city. It's position on Reik made it the nexus of all the trade via the rivers and waterways of the Empire and thus made it the heart of the Empire's commerce. The province of Reikland was already rich without Altdorf's commerce and so the city was richer still. It was the heart of the Cult of Sigmar and Colleges of Magic. It hosted the Imperial Palace and for the last few centuries the Elector of Reikland had been the man to bet on when it came to an Imperial Election.

There was no city in the Empire that boasted Altdorf's wealth, scholarship, commerce, and political importance. Goods and people from every corner of the Old World and from Araby, far Cathay, and even remote Ulthuan flowed into and through the city. It was arguably the greatest human city in the world.

"No pennies on pints!" roared the crowd. Clubs and billets were waved in the air. The apprentices, always ready for a riot, formed most of the front ranks along with longshoremen and stevedors. "No pennies on pints!"

The mob was spilling into several surrounding streets and hadn't quite gotten to the phase where it would engage in wanton property damage, but that wasn't far away. The proposed tax on beer had made a lot of people unhappy and Altdorfers had ways of expressing their unhappiness.

The Empire had ways of dealing with rioters as well. Imperial cavalry was drawing up down the street, streamers trailing from their lances and their breastplates gleaming dully under the cloud shrouded sun.

Some of the rioters, and the people just going about their business before the mob had rolled through the area, started to look for somewhere else to be.

Comrade Tortoise · Post by **Comrade Tortoise** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 11:26 am

What happened? Deitrich had just left the college when a riot regarding a tax on beer came through and rather roughly swept him up in it. This would normally be bad on its own. However the Imperial Cavalry looked like it was getting ready to charge. This made things especially unpleasant, and he started looking for some little nook he could duck into in order to avoid lances, swords, and trampling horse hooves. A shop, a large door frame, a space between buildings. Anything to avoid becoming part of the riot-kebab.

Cynical Cat · Post by **Cynical Cat** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 12:26 pm

Two men, neither drunk nor with their blood up, noticed a nearby alley half blocked off by a rain barrel full of stagnant water. Marcellus and Dietrich pushed there way through the crowd as the Imperial Cavalry formed up.

The alley was narrow, the roofs of the tenements on either side almost touching at the top. The mud surface was littered with refuse and it smelled and the end was blocked off by another building but at least it was out of the fighting line.

Cpl Kendall · Post by **Cpl Kendall** » Wed Sep 23, 2009 12:37 pm

Nijssen glanced over at the man he had found shelter with and grunted out," nice day for a walk huh?"

Comrade Tortoise · Post by **Comrade Tortoise** » Thu Sep 24, 2009 6:24 pm

Dietrich looked at the other man and smirked. "Oh yes. Lovely day. The sun is out, the birds are singing. The cavalry is forming up, and soon we will be treated to a symphony of screams, complete with a large section of percussionists."

Cpl Kendall · Post by **Cpl Kendall** » Thu Sep 24, 2009 7:26 pm

Marcellus lets out a hearty laugh, "well perhaps they will be good enough to leave some food for the audience when they depart." He offers a hand to Dietrich and introduces himself, "Marcellus Nijssen."

Cynical Cat · Post by **Cynical Cat** » Thu Sep 24, 2009 7:53 pm

The shouting of the mob is getting louder and more intense. A ragged chant of "No pennies on the pints!" is taken up and slowly spreads. Wooden billets and cudgels are rhythmically thumped against each other or against walls or cobbles. Periodic roars punctuate the crowd. It is definitely getting angrier. And uglier.

"In the name of the Emperor disperse!" comes a faint yell, half drowned out by the crowd's chanting. "This is your last warning!"

"Watch where you're going fat arse!" comes from nearby.

"Please, I'm just-"

"Just used to pushing around the working man eh? That it?"

"Please-"

Thwack.

A heavyset man wearing fine doublet of dark blue wool doublet over a frilled white shirt staggers near the alley mouth. A dark blue hat with a long white feather in the brim is at his feat. He is bleeding from his forehead. A man, or a boy, in his late teens wearing a leather jerkin over worn breaches menaces the wounded man with an axe handle.

Comrade Tortoise · Post by **Comrade Tortoise** » Thu Sep 24, 2009 10:01 pm

"Dietrich Wolschin" the wizard said, taking the other man's hand. He motioned toward the wounded man "He however I dont think deserves to be someone else's snare drum. What do you say? Two against one and a good conscience afterward?"

frigidmagi · Post by **frigidmagi** » Fri Sep 25, 2009 2:43 am

Axel struggled through the unruly crowd, muttering under his breath. They were perilously close to heresy with this. The Empire came first! It had to, without it there would be no damn beer for these rowdy children to guzzle in the first place!

Not that he was really rooting for the cavalry. It was a over reaction. A line of men with halberds could have controlled and dispersed the riot. Some noble's overreaction was gonna get alot of boys killed. Boys who should have grown up to serve the Empire. They warranted punishment to be sure, a good heavy hand to correct them but they weren't gonna get that. Sigmar damn all flighty nobles anyways.

There was also the fact that when said overreacting cavalry charged, Axel was likely to catch a lance in the chest or a hoof somewhere sensitive. He couldn't very well do Sigmar's will dead!

He saw a boy standing over a fat man with an axe handle in front of an alley. This would not do. He was blocking the way to safety! Damn boy!

He pushed his way over and made a grab at the Ax Handle.

"By Sigmar, enough of that boy!" He said firmly, with the kind of authority only a man wearing a religious symbol used.

Cynical Cat · Post by **Cynical Cat** » Fri Sep 25, 2009 3:07 am

Axel's reached out, but closed on empty air. The intimidating presence of huge, blond priest had an effect of its own. The boy backed away, looking for the company of his brothers. Picking a fight with a big well armed man was a different kettle of fish than bashing a convenient burgher.

"Sigmar bless you," said the groggy merchant.

Cpl Kendall · Post by **Cpl Kendall** » Fri Sep 25, 2009 5:10 am

"Looks like Sigmar's servant beat us to it. We better get him in here all the same though." At that Nijssen took a firm grip of his spear with his right hand and stepped out of the alley, looping his free hand under one of the merchants arms to help him up.

"Come along friend, not so safe out here ay?"

Marcellus half carries, half drags the injured merchant into the alleyway and deposits him against the wall next to the mage.

Looking up at Dietrich he asks, "I don't suppose you know anything about medicine?"

frigidmagi · Post by **frigidmagi** » Fri Sep 25, 2009 2:47 pm

Axel stepped into the alley, it seemed unlikely that the damn cavalry would come in here.

"I have some training in the healing sciences from the temple, if no one minds, I'll look to the good merchants hurts." Axel offered.

Cpl Kendall · Post by **Cpl Kendall** » Fri Sep 25, 2009 3:04 pm

Marcellus gets to his feet and stands aside, "please do Priest. He certainly won't get any better if I do it."

Comrade Tortoise · Post by **Comrade Tortoise** » Fri Sep 25, 2009 4:06 pm

"I am equally inept at such things" the wizard said, stepping aside so the huge priest could get through.

"Thank you by the way. You have saved us a lot of trouble. Twice."

frigidmagi · Post by **frigidmagi** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 5:27 am

Axel examined the wound.

"Best I can do here is bandage it. But my bandage should hold until you can get home good man. See a healer before tomorrow's sunfall and make sure to pray for Sigmar's Grace." Axel instructed as he bandaged the wound.

Cpl Kendall · Post by **Cpl Kendall** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 5:35 am

Marcellus leaned over to whisper in the wizards ear while the Priest bandaged the injured merchant, "by Manann's trident surely we could have done that though?"

"Still," he murmurs a little louder, "at least I did not have to tear up my cloak. My thanks Priest, what is your name?"

Comrade Tortoise · Post by **Comrade Tortoise** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 11:47 am

The wizard looked at Marcellus and gave him that look that said
"perhaps nepotism was involved with his ordination"

frigidmagi · Post by **frigidmagi** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 2:51 pm

"My name is Axel. We had best get moving. The idiot who ordered out the cavalry is likely to arrest anyone who survives the charge." Axel said while pulling the merchant up to his feet.

Comrade Tortoise · Post by **Comrade Tortoise** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 8:15 pm

"I definitely do not want to get arrested. Axel, my name is Dietrich. It is a pleasure. Now, lets see about getting out of here" Dietrich looked around to make sure the coast was clear. Behind them to make sure some ruffian did not follow, and in front to find a path.

Cynical Cat · Post by **Cynical Cat** » Tue Sep 29, 2009 3:07 am

Dietrich found that there was no path. There was an angry, whipped up crowd about to confront Imperial authority head on and probably lose very badly.

"My thanks," said the burgher. "I am Helmut Schwartz and you have my gratitude." He was panting and holding his head. "If we wait until after the cavalry charges, the crowd will begin to disperse and we'll have room to move."

Comrade Tortoise · Post by **Comrade Tortoise** » Tue Sep 29, 2009 10:13 pm

Dietrich was not particularly religious. How could he be when the cult of Sigmar and most other religious authorities would torture him within an inch of his life and burn him at the stake for the crime of existing... but this time, this one time, a priest was useful.

"The problem is, the Imperial troops will probably arrest everyone moving around. Axel, do you think you can convince them that we are not rioters?"

Dietrich could probably reveal his association with the Celestial College and convince them that he was not involved. However just as likely the guard would use it as an excuse to put him to the sword, or summon the Witch Hunters. As a result, he kept his affiliation close to his chest.

frigidmagi · Post by **frigidmagi** » Tue Sep 29, 2009 11:27 pm

"Maybe. Say better then even odds. Depends on who is in charge and if they actually believe me when I say I'm a priest. Priests have been killed in riots before... Some of them leading riots for that matter. Still I'll give it my best." Axel say looking up at the roofs, maybe they could climb up there...

Comrade Tortoise · Post by **Comrade Tortoise** » Tue Sep 29, 2009 11:56 pm

Dietrich saw the priest looking up at the roofs

"If you think we could climb... Does anyone have rope on them?" he said, looking around for anything that could be used to assist in a climb.

Cpl Kendall · Post by **Cpl Kendall** » Wed Sep 30, 2009 5:54 am

Nijssen shakes his head, "all I have is some fishing line." He looks around at the junk and the barrel. "Perhaps we could push some of this stuff near the entrance and hide behind it until this is all over?"

Cynical Cat · Post by **Cynical Cat** » Wed Sep 30, 2009 4:30 pm

Given the close proximity of the tenement walls, the crude (and perhaps flimsy) gutter pipes, the ability of one man to boost another up and then pull those on the bottom up, climbing is quite possible.

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Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay: Shadows of Altdorf

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