Session Twenty: The Man of Law's Tale

The Battle for Castle Maisy

The rag-tag army, working its way through culvert and basement, are suddenly set upon on all sides by a horde of blood-drenched skeletons. Andre, Garnier, and Sabina, as well as the baron, his son, Sir Maximillian, and the other knights, give a good accounting of themselves, sundering the undead on every side. The accompanying priests and serfs acquit themselves as best as they can but, lacking combat skill, many of them fall to the awful skeletons.

Sabina soon sees an opening in the ranks of the ravenous undead and urges Andre and Garnier to follow her upstairs. Garnier, being unusually fleet of foot, outpaces both her and Andre in mere seconds, and soon finds the staircase leading up to the main levels of the castle.

The Bloody Undead Beneath Castle Maisy

Louise, Knight of Khorne

The baroness, still laughing, mocks Josephine for her kind heart and her sensitivity. She says that Josephine would have long since known about the shrine and about her family’s long devotion to Khorne had she been able to quash her “sympathetic impulses.” Since Josephine was unable to serve Khorne as one of his faithful, she is now doomed to be yet one more sacrifice laid before his throne.

The baroness strides forward as ten tendrils of bloody mist coalesce from out of the air and begin to pour into one of the ten suits of armor on display throughout the room. Realizing what is about to occur, Magnus rushes forward and smashes apart the nearest suit of armor, preventing at least one of the bloody mist tendrils from occupying it. He orders the knights to protect Lady Josephine as the rest of the armor quickens and draws swords.

The baroness, now roaring in anger and challenge, spreads her arms wide and invokes the name of Khorne. Blood seeps through her pores and solidifies, transforming into bloodred and organic-looking plate armor. A long streamer of blood flows down one of her arms and out of her hand, quickly taking the shape of an evil-looking great sword.

“You wish to enter another contest with me, Magnus Cadia? I swear that you will not find your belly so pleasantly full after this encounter. Your skull is not fit to prop up my master’s throne. BLOOD FOR THE BLOOD GOD!”

Magnus raises his spear as the baroness charges him.

Baroness Louise in Her Blood Armor

In the Shrine of Khorne

The rest of the company soon grow concerned that something has happened to Lady Josephine, her knights, and Magnus. Leaving the priests behind to sanctify the wretched altar of Khorne, Sir Henri leads the company up the stairs and out into the castle proper. There, he finds the castle’s inhabitants in a riot of panic and confusion. The guards and laborers give conflicting stories, but it soon becomes apparent that a great battle is being waged in the depths of the castle, while another fight seems to be happening in the reception hall.

Sir Henri leads the company to the reception hall, where they find the doors closed and locked. As they approach, one of the castle’s stewards lays hands on an iron door handle and attempts to pry the door open, only getting painful burns on his hands and arms for his troubles.

Pierre tends to the injured steward while the rest of the company tries to figure out how to get inside the reception hall. They are soon joined by Dame Jeanne, who demands to know what they’re doing here and what is happening.

In the confusion, three separate plans are formulated. Pierre asks Frieda to see if she can pick the lock on the reception hall door. Dame Jeanne is asked to fetch several horses from the stables, in the hopes that their combined strength will be able to force the doors open. Lastly, an astute Jules says that he thinks the windows of the reception hall are narrow, full-length, and made of stained glass. He says that, if that’s the case, it might be easy enough to force the leaden frame of the window inward, allowing entrance.

Sir Henri, Jim, Jules, Maurice, and Renee quickly exit the castle and try to find the reception hall from the outside. Dame Jeanne hares off to the stables. Meanwhile, Frieda quietly tells Pierre—who is still treating the injured steward—that she has successfully unlocked the door.

Skulls for the Skull Throne!

The four knights form a box around Lady Josephine—much to the latter’s annoyance and defend her as best as they can from the animated armor. Magnus goes on the defensive, using his shield and spear skills to avoid and deflect Baroness Louise’s deadly blade. Though they are able to hold their own against the baroness and the possessed armor, they are badly outnumbered, and they fear it won’t be long before they are overwhelmed.

But then, one of the windows of the reception hall smashes inward, revealing Sir Henri and the others. Sir Henri leaps into the fray, trading mighty blows with one of the animated suits of armor. Jim, Jules, Renee, and Maurice support the dauntless knight with a hail of well-aimed arrows, quickly bringing down a number of the hollow and blasphemous remnants of Maisy’s brave knights.

It is then that the main door to the reception hall opens, and Pierre and Frieda enter, only to quickly leave again. Pierre insists that he isn’t leaving his companions—he has a plan! This plan entails running out to the castle courtyard, where most of the populace of the castle have been gathered for there protection. Upon arrival, Pierre and Frieda see Dame Jeanne leading two large and powerful warhorses into the castle. They join her, with Pierre and Frieda taking one horse and Dame Jeanne taking the other.

Back in the reception hall, it is still anyone’s fight. The knights around Lady Josephine have been sorely pressed, and Magnus is struggling to hold his own against the baroness. Sir Henri has given no ground, but has gained no advantage in his duel with the armor. The rest of the defenders are worried about firing into melee, for fear that they will injure their companions.

A Suit of Animated Armor

The Lady is With You, Magnus!

The sound of whinnies and hoofbeats announces the arrival of Dame Jeanne, Pierre, and Frieda. Dame Jeanne leaps off her horse and rushes to the aid of her fellow knights. Pierre, insisting that he has another idea, kicks his warhorse in the flanks and urges it forward. The horse rears and gallops into the receiving hall, trampling one of the animated suits of armor and one of Maisy’s knights under hoof. Frieda screams, clutches Pierre, and loudly prays to Sigmar.

Sabina, Andre, and Garnier at last reach the reception hall. Quipping that “things are just as bad up here,” Garnier hurls himself at the nearest suit of armor, damaging it and giving the knights surrounding Lady Josephine a bit of breathing room.

At the same time, Magnus at last sees an opening and plunges his spear deeply into the baroness’ shoulder. She howls in agony and drops backward, a large chunk of her blood armor falling away. Magnus watches, horrified and fascinated, as the blood pouring from the devastating wound congeals around it into a new pauldron.

The warhorse that Pierre and Frieda are riding continues to gallop forward, crashing into the baroness and knocking her away from Magnus. This gives Maurice the opening he needs to fire on her. His arrow strikes true, bisecting the meat of the baroness’ left calf. Her leg armor shatters and the baroness falls screaming to one knee.

Sabina, not to be outdone, draws her pistol and fires, striking the baroness in her other knee. The baroness, overcome by her injures, collapses, her armor sloughing off of her in pieces.

She tries to rise, lifting her arms in supplication and begging Khorne to forgive her and give her the strength to fight onward. In answer, she is surrounded by a column of angry red light that strips her of both her armor and her waning vitality. Naked and dead, the baroness of Maisy collapses on the floor before Magnus, never to rise again.

With the death of their mistress, the last of the animated suits of armor stumble, rattle, and fall into disordered pieces. Pierre leaves his now calm horse to graze in one of the receiving hall’s flowerbeds as he rushes over to tend to the trampled knight. The rest of the company gather in the receiving hall to discuss what happened and to plan for what must inevitably come next.