Mercs:
Twerk | The Bowman | Ashlyn | Usa | Izil
Character Sheets:
Twerk
Name
Wilson Turk
Nickname
Twerk
Race/Nationality
Gnome
Age
50
Daily Wage
7 pence
Action Stats
EXP Level
3
Action Points
5
Hit Points
22
Core Stats
Might
14
Agility
6
Grit
5
Intellect
10
Skills
Ambidextrous, axes (expert)
Equipment
Weapons
Hand axe (damage 4-24), Hand axe (damage 4-24)
Armour
Breastplate, helmet
Other
The Bowman
Name
Christoph Gerd
Nickname
The Bowman
Race/Nationality
Human/Hargon
Age
19
Daily Wage
4 pence
Action Stats
EXP Level
2
Action Points
3
Hit Points
16
Core Stats
Might
9
Agility
8
Grit
5
Intellect
4
Skills
Bows (competent), Knives (novice)
Equipment
Weapons
Short bow (damage 2-12), Dagger (1-4)
Armour
Padded
Other
Arrows of Conflagration
Ashlyn
Name
Ashlyn Sawrey
Nickname
None
Race/Nationality
Human/Durnish
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Age
21
Daily Wage
9 pence
Action Stats
EXP Level
3
Action Points
4
Hit Points
20
Core Stats
Might
9
Agility
9
Grit
8
Intellect
9
Skills
Swords (proficient), Shields (proficient), Knives (competent)
Equipment
Weapons
Longsword (Greenblade, ?, damage 3-24), Knife (damage 2-8), Shield (damage 3-9)
Armour
Leather
Other
Usa
Name
Usain Bizra
Nickname
Usa
Race/Nationality
Human/Alinko
Age
23
Daily Wage
8 pence
Action Stats
EXP Level
3
Action Points
4
Hit Points
21
Core Stats
Might
10
Agility
8
Grit
8
Intellect
5
Skills
Spear (proficient) Shield (competent) Sword (competent)
Equipment
Weapons
Spear (short, damage 3-18) Shield (damage 2-6) Sword (short, damage 2-12)
Armour
Ring Mail, (+Shield)
Other
Izil
Name
Izildra Bizra
Nickname
Izil
Race/Nationality
Human/Alinko
Age
19
Daily Wage
4 pence
Action Stats
EXP Level
2
Action Points
3
Hit Points
16
Core Stats
Might
8
Agility
7
Grit
6
Intellect
4
Skills
Spear (competent) Shield (competent) Sword (competent)
Equipment
Weapons
Spear (short, damage 2-12) Shield (damage 2-6) Sword (short, damage 2-12)
Armour
Padded, (+Shield)
Other
They were lost.
Twerk knew the den was southwest of Eisenberg. But his sense of direction wasn’t good enough to tell him exactly where.
The more annoyed and embarrassed he became, the more he muttered under his breath and put his hands to his axes. No one dared speak. The two Alinko brothers—pretty experienced warriors, it seemed—looked at one another with consternation. No doubt, after a spell in the Golden Blades, they wondered what kind of outfit they had signed up with.
You’ll get used to it, Ashlyn thought.
‘We came from the east last time, not the north,’ Wilson kept saying, as if that fact explained away his inadequacy.
‘We need to find the barrow,’ Ashlyn whispered to Christoph when the gnome was out of earshot.
The farmer’s boy-turned-archer squinted up at the sky, then looked across the rocky and wooded terrain. ‘Reckon it’s that way,’ he said, pointing.
‘How sure are you?’
‘Pretty sure.’
‘Then why haven’t you said anything?’
The Bowman gestured at the gnome. ‘I didn’t want to interfere.’
‘Well I damn well do.’ Be diplomatic, Ashlyn, she told herself. ‘Well done, Wilson,’ she called out.
Twerk turned around to face her with a scowl.
‘There’s the forested area where you discovered the barrow,’ she said, pointing in the same direction Christoph had.
The gnome was a stubborn bastard, but he wasn’t stupid enough to reject a way out when he was offered it.
‘Yes, that’s where we’re going,’ he somehow had the nerve to say, as if he’d known all along. ‘I’m just taking us this way.’ He gestured over to Usa and Izil. ‘They haven’t been here before, and I assumed they wanted to take in the scenery.’
They reached the old barrow they had explored. Ashlyn shuddered as she recalled placing a hand on Greenblade, triggering the skeletons to emerge from the darkness. Surely, some giant wolves couldn’t be as bad as the undead?
‘You know the way from here?’
Twerk nodded. He’d gone pale. ‘I’m hardly going to forget that. Look, these things are ferocious. When they come at you, it’s not easy to keep your head.’
Ashlyn nodded. ‘We need a plan.’ She glanced at the two brothers. They offered little—probably used to taking orders rather than thinking for themselves. She couldn’t expect Christoph to offer much. ‘What is the area around the den like?’ she asked the gnome, as he led them on.
He pointed ahead, to grey cliffs. ‘It’s a steep climb to the top. Pretty much as soon as we reached the top, they came for us. Probably smelt us.’
They arrived at the base of the cliffs and began to climb, a mounting sense of dread enveloping them. Ashlyn peered up, expecting to see a giant wolf’s head watching them. ‘What exactly happened when you got to the top?’
Twerk let out a breath. ‘We decided to head towards that jumble of rocks. Hadn’t got very far when the first two arrived.’
‘From where?’
The gnome thought about it. ‘The first from one side; the second from the other.’
‘Suggesting their den is the other side?’
‘Yes. Why, you have a plan?’
‘Sort of. As soon as we get to the top, we run for that jumble of rocks, and climb. Get The Bowman into a good shooting position. We use our shields and their spears,’ she said, nodding at Usa and Izil, ‘to hold them off.’
‘What about me?’
‘Get behind us. Use your axes where they’re needed.’
‘Behind you? Alright. I like the sound of that.’
Ashlyn went over her plan with the other three, who accepted it without question. When they clambered onto the clifftop, there was still no sign of the wargs.
‘Move it,’ she encouraged her crewmates, and they ran for the irregular jumble of rocks.
A strong wind buffeted them as they crossed the distance to the rocks. Christoph went climbing, until he found a perch that gave him good sight lines. Ashlyn readied her shield and gripped Greenblade.
‘Link with us,’ Usa said. He and his brother held shield and spear.
‘What do you mean?’
The Alinko warrior gave her a look. ‘You’ve never been in a shieldwall before?’
‘Oh. No, I haven’t.’
‘Get between us,’ said Izil. It was so rare for the younger brother to speak, that Ashlyn did as he asked.
They showed her how to link shields to present a solid wall of defence. ‘We get bonus to defence like this,’ Usa explained. ‘Even against monsters.’
‘Good.’ With the spears to keep the wargs at bay, Ashlyn dared to believe they might make it off the cliff alive.
Until she heard the deep, throaty growl of the first warg.