A Long Conversation in the Snug at The Happy Hearth

Nico numbers points on his hands:

* Drive the Skaven out of the 'Shlag.
* Fortify the wall.
* Get some extra defenders (mercenaries maybe?)
* Find a continuous source of food.
* End the bickering in the guilds. (completed?)
* Drive the Beastmen out of the forests below.
* Check the 'Shlag's defenses and seal up any breaches.
* Discover what the connections and the chain of command (if any) of the Skaven/Chaos forces in the city. Lets make it a point of capturing and interrogating at least one human baddie each encounter to make sure we've tied up any loose end.

Nicodemus says, "Did I miss anything?

Oldric finishes writing the list Nico cannot and looks at it for a few moments.

* Drive the Skaven out of the 'Shlag.
* Fortify the wall.
* Get some extra defenders (mercenaries maybe?)
* Find a continuous source of food.
* End the bickering in the guilds. (completed?)
* Drive the Beastmen out of the forests below.
* Check the 'Shag's defenses and seal up any breaches.
* Discover what the connections and the chain of command (if any) of the Chaos forces within the city.

Oldric takes one of the deep breaths everyone his freinds know will lead to a long diatribe, "You forgot to add get ourselves killed. Gods! If we could do but one of these things we would be lucky my idealistic friend. Let us take them one by one. Fortifying the wall, well I think we moved on step closer to that today.Yeah? So we have accomplished one.

First, Drive the Skaven out of the 'Schlag. That will require killing hundreds if not thousands of of those rat bastards. An admirable goal but deadly no doubt. On the other hand checking the 'Shag's defenses and sealing up any breaches now that makes some sense to me."

Next, drive the Beastmen out of the forests below. Again seemingly an impossible goal. I think that our last run-in with forty beastmen showed us that. Let us set to killing all the flies at an out house first. The job might stink but at least we won't die.

In general both of these are grand ideas but we seven, no matter how great we are.." Oldric laughs " ... we must either find allies or followers. That brings us to getting some extra defenders for the cities. You suggest mercenaries perhaps but I would guess they bring as much trouble as they relieve since any mercenary company worth its salt is in the Field with the Emperor. Instead I suggest we look to the militia, the city is full of able bodied men that ! could be trained to better defend the walls. This is not work for us, though perhaps you and Diebold might be suited to it. You might want to offer the contents of our purses to arm them. These militia should be quite able to aid the cities defense even if green. "

Next we get to the economics of the city. First, ending the bickering in the guilds. Sooner we shall slay every beastman and skaven than finish that job. It is the nature of merchants and guildsman to bicker. Just look at how much trouble we went through to get the Manual Laborers Guild to do an honest days work.My purse is nearly empty for gods sake."

Finally finding a continuous source of food. This is the one that I find most interesting. I think we have seen that our fame has begun to get in the way here in Middenheim. We have begun to skulk about just to avoid our enemies .. hell we can't even drink in peace. Perhaps if we truly want to aid the cit! y of Middenhiem and do our best to drive chaos from the Empire we could consider adding freeing Untergard from the clutches of the foul mutants that have overrun it. Here such a list as yours Niko is in our grasp. Here we could free the city from the chaos creatures that have over run it. We could rebuild and improve its defenses. Most importantly we could secure an important bridge and access to an important river port. It is at least as crazy as some of your ideas." Oldric says with a wink.

Andric smiles and then becomes more serious again, "After our last dealings within the city I realize even moreso that we are needed here in the City of the Wolf. Each of the tasks mentioned by Nicodemus is a near impossible task I agree. However, I believe that were we to make even small inroads in the areas he mentions the Empire will be made more secure. Unterguard will be re-populated when the people want to return to their homes. As it stands they are here. We are not only protecting the people of Untergaurd. Middenheim is the primary target of the servants of Chaos. While the Emperor is at the Brass Keep fighting the forces directly we must remain here and protect the city. Were we not here, the great Temple of Ulric would have been overrun and the walls of the city would not be being completed. I say: one thing at a time. First, protect the City of the Wolf by driving the servents of Chaos out of the Schlag. Check the 'Shag's defenses and seal up any breaches. Speed the repairs. Drive the Beastmen out of the forests below. We have already begun our research and it appears that Throngor has requested aid from the Dwarves. The Skaven are just a start. There are other more horrific creatures which fester and rot within the walls of Middenheim. Rather than getting more defenders maybe we should look at improving the quality of the defenders we have. Diebold is looking for a squire now he has been elevated to knighthood. Regarding food for the city, this is important but the city's security is more so. There is no way to stop the bickering of the guilds. That is what guilds do. If they stand in the way of the security of the City of the White Wolf, then we step in."

Oldric shakes his head and draws in another deep breath, "Yah well, Andric, my greatest worry is that our fame here is getting in our way. I think all the skulking around we have been doing gets in the way. In Untergard there is no need for such nonsense but given your desire to remain here how do we intend to deal with this issue of fame and enemies?

If we are going to go down in the sewers again I suggest we find a few more warriors, preferably a dwarf or two. It would seem that the Dwarven Engineer's Guild would be interested in such an endeavor perhaps they might know of some dwarf keen to die as we all seem to be. As for Diebold's squire if he can find someone .. hell why not the more the merrier.

We also might want to think about what kind of supplies might help us in such an expedition. Perhaps the Engineers might have some bombs for Throngor .. some thing that will close a tunnel orsomething. My last thought is do we want to seal it and wipe out those trapped within or try to wipe them out and then seal it? Either way seems like madness but we should have a strategy."

Andric shakes his head, "Oldric, I truly do understand your concerns but I cannot leave this city when I feel that it is still so vulnerable to the enemy. I do not only concern myself with the Skaven but all of the followers of the Chaos lords who hide here. I am not delusional in any way that the task seems insurmountable. I realize that it is. But until I see another more important enemy I cannot leave this city. I will understand I you or the others wish to look elsewhere for your calling but mine is here until I feel I have done everything I can.I still say we gather our strength and enter the darkness under the rock. It is here that we will find the source of chaos in the city."

Odric nods, "Fine... as I said we will stay. However I think we must concider less obvious means to protect Middenhiem and her people. We do not yet have any of our own in positions powerful enough to make a real difference. I think we must add to the list the goal of aiding one another in gaining power andf responsibility here in the city. If we are going to stay let us attempt to make a real difference and not throw away our lives attempting to battle impossible odds."