+ inload: Witchhunters of the Tallowlands

+ inload: The Subtlety of Witchfinders +

“It’s no stone. Samphire is hobbled. She won’t be carrying you further today.” Madczek looked up from the horse’s hoof. Ne’erwell’s pinched face screwed tighter.

“On the crossroads, too.” He pulled his cloak about him as he spoke. The wind was picking up, and the storm was coming in. “Whatever way you look at it, it’s an ill-omen.”

The rest of the group stood in silence as Madczek stood up, snapped his knife shut, and dusted the knees of his breeches. In the dim light, the group’s long capes made them look like statues, or temple-stones. Even the hounds were quiet tonight. There was electricity in the air; a sullen, bruised sense of expectation.

“A happening in this benighted place speaks volumes.” Ne’erwell intoned. “Dante, Plainacher.” The two stood a little straighter. “Lodgings. Find us some.”

“And the captive?” Madczek queried.

Ne’erwell looked over at Pendle, who grinned, his teeth glistening and wet. The sadist’s long, pale fingers ran caressingly up and down the wicker cage.

“Until those two find us a village or hamlet with lodgings, we’ll need warmth.” Ne’erwell declared. “The witch can serve in more than one way tonight.”

+++

+ Dramatis Personae +

Left to right: Pendle Anderssen, Tobias ne'erwell, Marios Madczek, Fausta-Severia de la Saul

“Tobias Ne’erwell, Witchfinder. Not a man with a great sense of humour. Not much to him beyond his hatred of witches, to be honest. Why’s he that way? Some say his own kinder was a witchling. Not me. I know what’s gossip, and what’ll get you… disappeared.“

• Witch Hunter Captain (60 GC) 20 exp
• Sword (10 GC)
• Light armour (20 GC)
• Lantern (10 GC)

“Fearful. It’s not a word you associate with the witchfinders, but in its own way, it’s as staunch as courage. Shows a man who thinks. Shows a man who’s wise enough to jab a blade through his bed each night – just in case of monsters. Marios Madczek. An old associate of Ne’erwell; his old master, if you can believe it. Goes to prove the saying.”

• Witch Hunter (25 GC) 8 exp
• Sword (10GC)
• Light armour (20 GC)
• Lantern (10 GC)

“Pendle Anderssen. Notorious sadist. Notorious pervert. Good at finding witches, mind. You wouldn’t know him from the next man in the bawdyhouse. And if you think what goes on in your own house is private, you don’t know the witchhunters.”

• Witch Hunter (25 GC) 8 exp
• Hammer (3 GC)
• Axe (3 GC)
• Torch (2GC)
• Rope and Hook (5 GC)

“That's Fausta-Severia de la Saul. Tilean. A fine shot. Nobility, some say. ‘Course, some say she’s a conartist, a highwaywoman and vagabond – no better than them she hunts. Not in earshot, though. Leastways, not more‘n once.”

• Witch Hunter (25 GC) 8 exp
• Axe (3 GC)
• Dagger (free)
• Crossbow pistol (35 GC)
• Net (5GC)

+ Grubby henchmen +

Yes there are three here; and yes I did get carried away building them!

“Devotees of some dead god. Mad as a box o’ fish, both of ‘em. Don’t go near ‘em, don’t talk to ‘em. Don’t look at ‘em.”

• 2 Flagellants (40 + 40 GC)
• Flagellant with flail (15 GC)
• Flagellant with flail (15 GC)

Samphire the horse is at the back. She's not part of the warband yet, but will (hopefully) be joining once her hoof heals (i.e. I manage to trade for a horse in-game).

“Fine trackers. Good manhounds. Strong as an oak beam and about as deadly if one falls on you.”

• 3 Warhounds (15 + 15 + 15 GC)

Dante, Cosmo, Plainacher. I wanted to get a slightly hesitant look – hence weapons across bodies and hunched, closed-in posing.

“Wherever you find a leader, you get the dullards who follow. When you get leaders with funny ideas, you get zealots. One come in the public house over at Mensgrave – aye, just down the way. Came back every night for a week straight. Just sat and stared. Fair put the fright on the village. Came back Sallowstag to find the place shut; some learnedman’s writing nailed to the door. It burned the following week.”

• 3 Zealots (20 + 20 + 20 GC)
• Zealot with Hammer (3 GC)
• Zealot with Mace (3 GC)
• Zealot with Hammer (3 GC)

 +++

+ As part of the PCRC's Tallowlands setting, Lord Blood the Hungry is running a Mordheim-based campaign. I say Mordheim-based as I think the plan is to make the games more exploratory and open-world. He's created a mysterious town in the woods that we'll be exploring. +