A Witch Hunter

by Bob Story Builder

A witch hunter tracking the servants of Chaos stumbles across an old friend forcing him to return home. Don't own Warhammer.

"Die!" a witch screams engulfing a tall witch hunter with a fireball, but the hunter rolls out drawing, aiming, and firing a dwarf-forged pistol. The witch grunts in pain clasping his arm before muttering a spell that throws the hunter across the glade crashing into a tree. While the hunter drops down out of the branches, the witch disappears into the forest. Cursing, the witch hunter adjusts his hat before pursuing the bleeding witch.

The witch hunter runs in the direction the witch went following the scattered blood trail. Drawing a second pistol, he advances through the underbrush soon finding the witch incanting a healing spell with two acolytes standing guard armed with axes. The hunter shoots one acolyte in the face drawing his axe as the second acolyte charges him. Dropping the pistol, the hunter parries the acolyte's swing spinning the man into a tree. The acolyte turns thrusting his axe, which the hunter bashes away and slashing his midsection. The acolyte falls to the ground groaning holding back his entrails. The hunter hacks off his head and walks over to the witch who draws a dagger snarling off a spell. Disembodied hands grab the witch hunter hauling him before the witch. Up close the witch has a short brown beard and bandolier of potions and herbs over a greatcoat. He snatches the hat off slapping the hunter's face.

"An elf! What is an elf doing hunting for Sigmar's priests? I thought your kind looked down on humans?" the witch says with sneers.

The elven witch hunter looks at the witch replying, "My name is Trauensili, and you, Bathumser Grommilt, are under arrest for breaking the laws of the Empire for practicing magic–"

"Magic? I have done worse than claim to be of the Colleges! I have raised the dead to serve me and bartered with daemons! I gave my soul to the gods of Chaos. The power is intoxicating but tell me why serve the priests of Sigmar?" Bathumser interrupts.

Trauensili answers, "Bartered with daemons? More reason to execute you eventually. If you have such power why do you not have an army at you call?"

Bathumser barks a long laugh. He pinches the bridge of his nose trying to stifle his laughter. He says, "I do not need an army. My magic can lay waste to an army. I can kill you, but I find you intriguing."

"Wonderful! I am not interested in serving a witch who is delusional. I rather serve Morathi who actually can be a threat. Spear!" Trauensili shouts out the last word hoping everything is in place. A spear flies through the air grazing Bathumser. The witch's concentration broken, the disembodied hands disappear freeing Trauensili.

Trauensili lunges for his axe, which had fallen to the ground when the hands grabbed him a few minutes earlier. Bathumser screams a spell possibly one that a daemon gave him because the trees try to grab him with withered branches ending in metal claws. A branch grabs Trauensili just as he gets a hand on his axe. As the tree hauls him, he swings lopping off the branch and rolls across the ground away from the trees. The elven witch hunter charges Bathumser slashing at his legs. Bathumser leaps back drawing a sword. He stabs at Trauensili who bats away the weapon. Trauensili steps in jerking his axe down towards his enemy's groin, but the witch parries it away with his dagger bringing his sword around for an overhead chop. The elf sidesteps and bashes his head into the witch's face following with a chop to the hip severing the leg. Bathumser screams clutching his gushing stump.

Trauensili grabs Bathumser by the beard growling, "I serve the priests of Sigmar because the Empire is a bastion against Chaos. I choose to serve them to root out the damned and the soulless. The agents of Chaos are many, and I intend to slay as many as I can. I remember a time when there was no Chaos, and I intend to bring that time back."

"You are mad! Chaos is everywhere, and you cannot stop us!" Bathumser spits.

"Who is in the cabal? How many are in it and how far does your influence stretch? I'll stop the bleeding if you tell me about the cabal!" Trauensili interrogates. He shakes the witch resisting the want to behead him. The witch yelps as blood leaks through his fingers. The elf stomps on his wound eliciting a scream. Bathumser grimaces showing bad teeth at the hunter. The witch hunter grinds his foot into the witch's hip. The witch laughs and dies. Trauensili drops the man in frustration.

Bathumser's head lolls on the dead leaves. A young yeoman steps from behind a tree trunk grinning. The yeoman asks, "So what are we going to say when we tell Uthrin in Altdorf that we didn't get anything about the cabal this fellow is in?"

"Gretory, I will say it was life or death and there was not a chance to properly interrogate the witch," Trauensili replies, "But we should find where he was hiding out here in this part of the woods and hopefully find a list of those in the cabal."

"We aren't living in a story where the bard conveniently writes in the list that will unmask the villains," Gretory complains.

"Is not Sigmar the author of the Empire? Does he not know what will be, so you can call him a bard in a divine sense?" Trauensili asks.

"Now don't get church smart on me, Trauensili!" Gretory sputters. Trauensili laughs at his friend knowing that Gretory knows Sigmarite theology better than most priests. The pair become quiet at the sound of hoof beats. Gretory ducks behind a fallen trunk, and Trauensili sprints joining his friend. They look at each other with unease.

"My hat!" Trauensili mutters rising to go for his hat.

Gretory pulls him back down his friend whispering, "Forget it! They're almost here."

Trauensili sighs. A few moments later, three mounted knights of the Blazing Sun trot into the clearing. They dismount and examine the bodies with one of the knights saying, "You think Bathumser said anything?"

The second knight removes his helm revealing a brown bearded face. He answers, "We'll have to assume he was interrogated. We must report back to Lord Allistern. He'll destroy the necessary evidence, and we'll withdraw with a hunt."

Trauensili did not like how "hunt" was emphasized. He exchanges looks with Gretory. The third knight says, "We seen all there is to see. We have answered this one's summons for aid too late, and hunter is preparing to arrest us, I expect. Let's not waste time trying to ride down the hunter. As brother Grimm said, we must report and withdraw by hunt. This will discredit the hunter and extract us from any guilt."

The three knights remount and gallop back into the forest. Trauensili and Gretory listen to the fading hoof beats before springing from their hiding place. Gretory comments, "Clever of them to worship a foreign goddess to cover their true dealings with the gods of Chaos. They're from that local chapter and Lord Allistern must have what we need."

"Indeed. Now we know why they refused to help us earlier in our investigation. We ride back to Duther to get the evidence and kill any who resist," I plan.

Gretory grins at me saying, "Let me get my handgun calibrated."

Trauensili goes to the witch searching for any object, which he might have used to call to the knights. He finds a dagger with the symbol of the Blazing Sun on the pommel along with several wands, handful of alchemical ingredients, and varying scrolls. Gretory pulls the man's boots off shaking them for any hidden items without success. Trauensili looks through his amulets for Bathumser's summoning spell by incanting a spell to detect magic on any of the amulets finding nothing. Trauensili pockets the dagger and scrolls, and they hike five miles to their horses. Gretory mounts a red white piebald stallion, and the elf mounts a grey mare. They trot the horses through the trees of Drakwald Forest to the town and the Blazing Sun chapterhouse. Gretory lays his handgun across his legs fidgeting with the scope. Trauensili comments, "You aren't going to have it calibrated like that."

"Shut up, elf. I'm just getting it tuned, so I don't need to do much if we have to fight the knights."

Trauensili falls silent leaving his friend to his weapon. The braying of beastmen echo through the ancient trees making the horses nicker with tension. The two men ignore the noise knowing the creatures are not near. Two hours go by before the pair arrives at the town of Duther. They skirt the town heading for the Blazing Sun chapterhouse sitting on a low rise that watches over the town. The chapterhouse is a squat tower surrounded by a twenty-four foot tall wall. The banner of the Blazing Sun decorates the gatehouse facing the east. Men-at-arms patrol the wall armed with halberds and handguns. Trauensili and Gretory go into the forest south of the chapterhouse riding until at the base of the rise then dismount. Gretory pulls a telescope out of a saddlebag examining the fortifications through the device. He lowers the telescope from his eye reporting that the men-at-arms do not have visible blessings of Chaos. Trauensili scans the patrolling men and the condition of the wall evaluating his plan against the architecture. Shaking his head he dismounts tying his horse to a tree before running over to the northern side recalling memories of capturing a Druchii fort millennia ago. Men-at-arms shout to each other noticing his movement through the trees with a few firing their handguns in his direction. He curses at his hastiness veering deeper into the trees fearing the possibility of pursuit.

The elven witch hunter stops after running a few hundred yards feeling like a fool. Fifteen minutes later, Gretory trots to him leading his horse critiquing, "That was damn stupid. There's the possibility of hastening their actions. Where's your usual stealth?"

"I was caught up in old memories and I lost track of where I was. The western side won't work being too steep and southern side is too open. I need to get in speedily to save any evidence Lord Allistern will try to destroy."

"If you're thinking of climbing, the northern side is the best place. What's your plan?"

"You're going to lure out the main body of knights and lock them out. Then you get on a high point and snipe at them but not kill if you can. I want as many alive to interrogate if I can't stop Lord Allistern. Once the main force is outside I'll get over the wall–"

"Why not go through the front gate once they're gone?"

"There'll probably be cultists guarding the main entrance. I don't want unnecessary fighting to get inside. Going over the wall prevents from being seen and reduce amount of fighting hopefully. I'll get inside to interrogate Lord Allistern."

"That reminds me I better have the night vision on the scope activated."

"We should go to the local warrior priest to get his aid and see if he can rustle up the militia to help hold the chapterhouse against the knights once they realized they've been fooled. Those handguns are going to be a problem. We need to capture the armoury."

"I'll take the armoury once I lock the gate, Trauensili. The warrior priest can mop up any remaining cultists still inside. You get Lord Allistern to confess about the cabal."

"We'll move on them an hour after dusk as they'll be spending the daylight readying to deploy. Where should the warrior priest be, Gretory?"

"First, what's stopping Lord Allistern from destroying the evidence right now?"

"He needs to gather everything to ensure that all of the evidence is destroyed. Now where should the priest go?

"In the woods slightly north of the gate, and he moves in once the knights are out."

"Alright. I realized you should talk to him because don't think he'll be willing if I approach him even though I am a witch hunter."

"Right."

"I'll go into town and learn the chapterhouse's strengths. We didn't see much last time we were there."

Trauensili puts the hat into a saddlebag and fold the greatcoat with it. Swinging onto the horse, they ride to Duther. Gretory peels away to the Sigmar chapel while Trauensili rides onwards to a tavern. He finds one called Beastman's Whore and goes in. The place is loud and smoky with the smell of bad ale wafting through the air. He goes to the barkeep ordering a mug of ale. Trauensili asks a man next to him, "Know how many live in the chapterhouse of the Blazing Sun up there?

"Don't know elf and wouldn't tell you if I did."

The elf gets similar responses from other men some making the sign to ward evil at him. A man with leather pads mentions he is in Duther's militia. The portly man informs, "Those knights have called on the militia to aid in excursions against the beastmen in these parts. Always ten knights and forty men-at-arms and squires although the squires seem to have high mortality rate."

"How so?" Trauensili asks not having heard about the squires.

"They either die on the excursions or wash out, but I've never see them leave through town."

"Is it the same ten knights who go out on these excursions against beastmen?"

"Aye, always the same ten led by Sir Grimm."

The elf buys the man a cup of ale as a way of thanks. Trauensili goes to other men not getting new information from his inquiries. Discouraged, he sits down at a table with dwarf man with a red beard. The dwarf burps before replying, "I deliver to them, elf. Seen about forty knights and twice or thrice the men-at-arms. They eat and drink a lot!"

"They have a small army up there."

"That they do. You're the witch hunter! Beseeching their aid against some Chaos cult?"

"In a manner, yes. I could use your aid. You look like a fighter."

"Beheaded plenty of beastmen and the occasional orc band. Served as a Hammerer for number of decades for my thane. Why? Won't the knights be enough?"

"I won't say here as there can be unwelcomed ears, but I can do with an experienced warrior."

"Let's go to my wagon where we can talk more in private."

The elf follows the dwarf out of Beastman's Whore. They go through a market and a smithy to a simple wagon. The dwarf introduces himself as Troghek Ilthsson as he puffs on a long handled pipe and commenting, "Heard talk of Lord Allistern refusing aid to a witch hunter."

"Yes, five months of investigating a cabal of Chaos worshippers in this area led to a witch named Bathusmer Grommilt. He died before he could be interrogated, but I learned that the local chapter of the Blazing Sun is a place of Chaos and a part of this cabal I've been investigating. I fear they will destroy any evidence tonight as they withdraw from Duther. I plan to strike in several hours with the warrior priest and whatever militia answers the call."

"Chaos! Ancestors, I don't believe it. You need do better to persuade me, elf. I've been delivering supplies to Lord Allistern for twenty years. Elves always deceiving for their own ends."

"My partner and I witnessed knights of the Blazing Sun come to Bathusmer's aid too late. One of the knights who came is Sir Grimm," I reply realizing that Gretory may be having the same problem persuading the warrior priest. I pull out the dagger I took from the witch handing it to Troghek.

He examines the weapon testing the edge. He takes off a glove fingering the pommel with the symbol. Troghek asks, "It's of Blazing Sun. They don't hand these out to just anyone. Where you get it?"

"It was in the witch's possession."

"Doesn't implicate Lord Allistern. Bathumser could've stolen or looted it off a dead knight. This doesn't prove anything! I'm going to Lord Allistern to warn him."

"I can't let you do that as it will be obstructing my investigation. You're familiar with the Blazing Sun. I plead you examine the dagger to spot anything unusual."

Troghek mutters something about elf being humble, but he inspects the weapon. Running his hands over the handle gripping the symbol of the Blazing Sun. He pulls on the pommel popping off the knight order's symbol. He snorts in surprise looking at what the symbol was covering. The high elf sees the wheel with eight arrows forming the spokes over the dwarf's shoulder. The dwarf stares stupefied. He scratches at the symbol of Chaos causing it to light up briefly. That must be how Bathusmer summoned the knights. Troghek swears throwing the dagger away from him into a post of the smithy. One of the smiths looks at us and continues to hammer at her hot metal after no reaction. Trauensili goes over plucking the dagger from the wood bringing it back to Troghek who is swearing.

"Gor's shit and fuck! The lordly bastard fooled me! Fuck the knights in their man-forged armour! Damn you Lord Allistern!"

"I am sorry."

"You have yourself a former Hammerer at your service, witch hunter. What's the plan of attack?"

Trauensili explains the plan to the dwarf. He chuckles approving while fidgeting with the dagger. His eyes glitter with anger as he mumbles about avenging a grudge. The witch hunter leaves him assured he knows his role in tonight's battle. Trauensili mounts his horse and trot to the Sigmar chapel tying the horse next to Gretory's horse once there. Entering the building he ignores the stain glass windows refracting the light. He goes past the altar into a smaller room finding Gretory arguing with the warrior priest. The priest, a black haired man, is not wearing his armor but simple robes. Trauensili tosses the dagger at their feet silencing them. The priest picks up the dagger looking at the pommel his face turning grave. His brown eyes gaze at the elf with sparkles of zeal. Gretory asks, "Now believe me?"

"Yes. I'll muster what militia I can, Gretory. I knew those knights were of a suspicious nature."

"Gather willing men and assemble within the forest northeast of the gate. We'll need those of the militia that have handguns. Once we are inside, we need to claim the armoury and secure the surrender of any cultists that hadn't left. There are men-at-arms with handguns who need to be neutralized quickly."

"Kill if we need to?" the priest asks.

"Yes. Of those who surrender we'll lock up somewhere and hold against the knights until Lord Allistern is arrested. Everyone should surrender once he is in our hands," Gretory says. The witch hunter grins at his young friend pleased with his confidence and steadfastness. The elf clears his throat enough for the two men to look at him.

"Gentlemen, I secured the services of a former Hammerer. He will help you, Gretory, securing the armoury. Priest, I need you and the militia to take guard on the walls once you have everyone killed or captured. I expect the knights might possibly turn on Duther to wreak retribution, so I will need the handgunners to keep them near the chapterhouse."

"How does an elf end up a witch hunter?"

"Seen too much darkness and decided to fight back with fire and blessed steel."

"Glad to have you helping us, elf."

"Priest, may I have your name?"

"Gresorlt Husser."

Gretory and Trauensili outline the plan of attack against the Chaos cult with Gresorlt for another half hour before leaving. They go back to Beastman's Whore to find Troghek drinking with a dozen men. He introduces the men as his caravan guards saying they will aid in tonight's fight. Trauensili informs him to meet northeast of the gate in the woods with Gresorlt and the militia. Once that is done, the two men ride into the forest. They reach a spot near the chapterhouse and set up camp. Trauensili slips on his armor then puts on the greatcoat over it. Donning his hat he hears a group of people coming their way. Gretory loads his handgun putting it to his shoulder as he draws Moonreaver. They hear Gresorlt call, and Gretory calls in reply. Gresorlt Husser in plate armour strides to us with several dozen militiamen all armed. He swings a great hammer chanting prayers to Sigmar. The men spread through the forest talking in low voices. Ten minutes later, Toghek shows up wearing gromil armor with his dozen guards. Each guard is armed with either a lance and sword or handgun wearing partial armour. Trauensili calls everyone to assemble. The men stare at him muttering about how the witch hunter is an elf. Ignoring the commentary the witch hunter sketches out a diagram of the chapterhouse.

"As you may know, the chapterhouse on that hill housing knights of the Blazing Sun is an outpost for a Chaos cult. Once Gretory gets a majority of the force out, you are to charge in quietly and help secure the chapterhouse. Shut the gate and kill or capture any cultist. A dozen of you, militiamen, will guard the captured and the rest will get on the walls ready to repel a counterattack. Toghek, you are going to go with Gretory to secure the armoury and dispense handguns and ammunition to any man without one. Gretory, I need you to be convincing enough to get majority of knights out because I'm more worried about the knights than the men-at-arms," he explains.

Night falls with a full moon shining down. The men creep through the woods as Trauensili sprints ahead in silence to the north wall. He spies men-at-arms with handguns patrolling the wall top as he flattens against the stone waiting.

Author Note: Before anyone goes into the reviews pointing how unlikely an Elven Witch Hunter is, it is viable in Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay. I appreciate any criticism, feedback, and general commentary. Thank you to SpartAI412 for proofreading.