Game 4: Unlikely Allies        We gets surprising offer from old foes, The Rebelz, to give us half their wyrdstone to help them escape walled graveyard; and we also gets offer from two undead warbands lead by powerful vampires to give us human slaves if we help ambush The Rebelz instead. Being pretty smart, me say "yes" to vampires so they kill humans, not us. As we approach I sent Morpheus and six others to left while I keep six with me to right. My pack spies a halfling scout perched on second floor of ruined building. Never before encountering such creature, I employ 6th Skaven Rule of Engagement (Take no chances) and we sneaks up real close but keep hidden. Then like great warriors we pop out all at once and shoot, but nasty halfling dodges all rocks we hurl. So we scurry up to attack, but we still don't knock down hafling.     Meanwhile, as Morpheus' pack creeps closer to graveyard gate, they witness leader of The Rebelz blast female vampire leader of Mummy's Boys, but even so, frothing ghouls and lumbering zombies continue to attack. Morpheus' pack threw rocks from afar, and though Nicotine seemed impressive when taking out blue-haired human warrior, he disgraced himself by falling out second floor window afterwards. As humans and undead take each other out, Morpheus followed 5th Skaven Rule of Engagement (Wait for it); and when undead were all gone, and humans tried to escape, his pack attacked. Bitters used new fighting claws to take out big human and snatch his wyrdstone, while Unadorned verminkin took out another one. As for halfling, we finally got the brute!     Unexpected Encounter    While searching for pretty wrydstone, we spies brightly clothed human hunched over small metal cup lapped by delicate blue-green flames. We sneaks closer, thinking human will not hear, but he whirls around and raises up to a height almost twice ours. Morpheus senses magic aura about this human and immediately hissed, "Warlock!" As warlock slowly lifts his arms, flowing blue-green flames arch between his outstretched palms, causing my verminkin to cower with lowered heads as they fumble for weapons. With teethy grin, warlock says, "Ah, my Skaven friends. Do you mean me harm? Think twice, for I can be a better friend than foe." Something about his brightly colored robes and golden jewelry reminds me of old acquaintance. I says, "Perhaps you are friend … master Henry." Warlock closes his fists to stifle blue-green flames, and squints in my direction.     "Who be you?" he asks. "How do you know that name?" Then I am certain. It is Henry Stickler; who long time ago says he owes me favor. When I was young night runner, I lived in sewers of Marienburg, City of Gold on the River Reik, where I found great riches and knowledge. One fateful day I meets young master Henry, standing in puddle inside sewer, gazing through grate upon large crowd of humans clamoring in expansive courtyard before grand city-house. I creeps up, but his cunning discovers me. But instead of fighting, he says, "You're a Skaven, aren't you? I've never met one before. Are you truly as smart as rumors say?"     "Smart enough to know if you come to steal from that grand city- house," I says, "those other humans beat you to it." His face flashes with anger as a bolt of blue-green flame shoots from his pointing finger towards me, toasting my ear as it flies past my head. "I am Henry Stickler," he bellows, "and those men - those damned leeches - are taking my family's home! I do not come here to steal … I come to destroy! I shall not let any of those pigs take our property. I will burn it to the ground first!" "Ah, master Stickler … me knows you're torment," me slyly says as me realizes this human is only son of Stickler the tax collector who remains free from Burgomeister's dungeon. "I works for your father. Yes, it's true. I spies for him, just like your mother and sisters do. I crawls through sewer tunnels to find secrets of where humans hide their riches so he can collect them for taxes. He and your enforcer brothers then pound down doors to grab riches I tell them about." "Tell me what happened to my family," he said.     "Ah, you don't know," me says. "Oh, humans hate Sticklers. Burgomeister says Sticklers steal tax monies. Burgomeister says Sticklers guilty of misconduct … wrongdoing … malfeasance in office. All Sticklers now in dungeon, except you." His face darkened as he says, "I'll burn all our belongings before those peons get them." "Have better plan," me says. "Let them take your family's house and riches so that your family debts are paid. Burn your belongings later, when new owners possess them. Have sweet revenge and no debts. I will help you find them all." His smile today as he recognizes me is as bright as his smiles when we searches out and burns homes of all those humans who got Stickler property. "Maximillian, my old friend," says warlock. "Tell your warband to put down their arms and join me in a cup of brew. I can be of much service to you. Oh, and by the way. My name is no longer Henry. My name is Malfeasance the Magnificent!" Charge to the next tale. Retreat back to the main page.