The Grue

Don't see many stories with ronin so good on ya for that. Bad on you for killing Rat Kings... All jokes aside I liked it. Quick, dirty and to the point. As Always, The Grue

Dang, totally not where I thought that was going. Liked the sawdust crow people thing. It is unfortunate you didn't get a chance to explain it more, or what the heart was or who it was for. Liked the fresh take on a new type of "Malifaux Thing". Keep up the good work. As always, The Grue

I liked this story. I enjoyed how Blue told it in his own way and I could even see the flashback montage as he was telling it. Got sort of lost a few times and had to go back and re-read parts but over all a decent tale. As always, The Grue

While I sort of guessed the direction this was heading, you did not disappoint in the execution of the story. I liked how you chose to focus on the lead up to the event instead of the event itself. Keep up the good work. As always, The Grue

Here is my entry, I know it is late but my internet went down so I had to wait until I got to work to post it. If it is too late I understand but this story had to come out. But Wait, There's More! 1,658 words and I used all of the ingredients. As Always, The Grue

I am sorry for the late entry but my internet went down so I had save it to a flash drive and wait until I could get to work to post this here. If it is too late I understand, but either way this story had to get out of my head as I've been singing along with it for a while now. But Wait, There's More! The wagon shifted from side to side as one of its wheels rolled over a corpse in the middle of the road. Dr. Montemore looked back to make sure his cargo hadn’t shifted too much, and after a brief once over was satisfied that his barrels had not shifted too much. He looked down to the corpse, clicked his tongue and sighed. “There was a time when those Necronnoisseurs would have more class than that,” he said to his driver next to him, “like children with their toys this lot, leaving their discarded toys strewn about.” They were approaching the Guild gate that would lead them out of the Quarantine Zone and into Malifaux proper. The guardsmen watching the crossing saw them and picked up their rifles but didn’t bring them to bear, probably more shocked than alarmed, that something that was coming out of the Zone wasn’t actively trying to kill them. They still were alert though, as Malifaux had a way of punishing a false sense of security. “Halt,” the first Guardsman said, “what is your business here?” His face was scarred and pock-marked, eyes scanning them and the surrounding area, a veteran most likely Dr. Montemore thought, and a hard sell, not that that ever stopped him before. Dr. Montemore looked over at the second guardsman, young, clean shaven, with fresh spit on his boots he’d wager. Ah, the rookie, easy, impressionable, loaded with scrip and not much in the head. A walking mark if he ever saw one. Farmer’s and outliers were easier of course, and far more trusting, but there was something exhilarating about selling to someone who should be cautious and had been told to distrust exactly this sort of thing. “Gentlemen,” Dr. Montemore said, with a wave of his arm sweeping out to greet them both, “I am Dr. Montemore, professor and purveyor of all manner of exotic goods and curios.” He rested his hands on his lapels, pulling them back and open as he leaned back and laughed, revealing he was not armed in the conventional sense, trying to put them at ease. “What you see before you is my latest invention, a time saver and life changer. The thing you didn’t know you needed but won’t be able to live without.” He smiled and gave his mustache a little twitch, tipped his top hat forward and bowed. The rookie was already dumbfounded and was staring at Dr. Montemore, but the other guard was less amused. “What do you got back there?” He motioned with his rifle at the cargo they were carrying. “Show us.” Dr. Montemore kept smiling, and as he turned he put a hand on the tarp they had covering the load. “I was hoping to save the unveiling for the townsfolk, but for the good guardsmen of Malifaux, I can let you have an exclusive early view.” With that he tore back the tarp. The guardsmen both jumped, rifles trained and ready, the rookie’s more by surprise and with a bit of fumbling, the veteran’s with an instinctual snap from years of surviving Malifaux’s mean streets. They both had confused looks on their faces when they saw that the wagon was stacked high with barrels. “Dr. Montemore’s Marvelous Miracle Barrels,” the rookie started reading the large painted words on the side of the barrels next to the caricature of Dr. Montemore with exaggerated features, “a feast of fun for the whole family.” The rookie smiled when he finished, clearly excited. The veteran guard was less amused, “What’s in the barrels?” He leveled his rifle at Dr. Montemore. “What a good question. Though the better question would be what isn’t in the Barrels,” He carefully pulled one barrel loose and shimmied it to the edge, tipped it over and knelt down and removed the lid. The veteran guard had pulled back as he opened it, but when the moment passed he crept forward and peered inside, “Huh, there ain’t nothi...hey-ack!” “Now there is,” Dr. Montemore smiled and put the lid back on the barrel, a soft crunching noise sounded from inside the barrel and Dr. Montemore frowned, he had gotten it to be a lot quieter, using various fabrics and rubbery tars in the lining but he still couldn’t reduce the noise all the way. “One day I will figure it out and be able to add ‘Silent’ to the label, Customers always pay more with ‘Silent’ on the tag, oh well,” he turned as the rookie came around the wagon. “What was that noise, where’d he-“ He started before Dr. Montemore cut him off. “You young sir, you look like a man of taste, would you like a barrel?” He rolled the now quiet barrel towards the young guardsman and motioned him closer. When the rookie came forward Dr. Montemore pulled back the lid. Somewhere in the slums of Malifaux… “Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, welcome. I am Dr. Montemore, and I am here to show you how wondrous life can be.” He had amassed a crowd, with the festive banners he hung from building to building and brightly lit lanterns he had hung, his wagon was hard to miss down this dead end street. He gave a point to the organist he had hired and as the organist spun the crank the pipes started to wheeze out a jaunty melody. [Musical number] “How many times have you found yourself riddled with piles of trash?” “You’ve pushed, you’ve shoved, you heaved, you’ve huved but you still just need it gone fast?” He was pointing to different members of the crowd as he sung along. “You’ve thrown it in the streets, you’ve hid it in your sheets, you’ve fed it to your pets and kids,” “But it wasn’t enough, it keeps piling up, and you don’t know where else it can be hid?” He lingered on that last word, pulling the crowd in, when they leaned in to get a look under the tarp he grabbed he knew he had them. With a flourish he pulled back the tarp and the crowd gasped in awe. “What you see before you are Dr. Montemore’s Marvelous Miracle Barrels, a feast of fun for the whole family! Anything you put in them goes away, never to bother you again,” he was buying time as the organist was rewinding the organ, when the music picked back up and a man came forward Dr. Montemore smiled. “But can it get rid of this muck,” a man brought forward a handful of refuse that he seemed to be covered with. Dr. Montemore grabbed it from him and threw it in the barrel and shut the lid. He opened it a moment later, showing it was empty, “You’ll see the barrel’s not stuck!” The crowd murmured sounds of approval. “How about meat that’s gone bad?” a lady sadly holding a rancid chunk of what he thought was horse came forward. In the barrel it went, lid on top then off, once again empty, “It’s something you won’t remember you had!” The crowd cheered softly. He could feel the vibe of the crowd and knew he had them going now. “But what about me bratty Kids?” a man said in the front row, surrounded by half a dozen of what must have been his aforementioned kids. The crowd laughed, and those around him jibed him in the ribs. Dr. Montemore tapped his lip for a minute, appearing to be thinking, teasing the moment out, “Put em in, give it a spin, and don’t forget to close the lid!” The crowd roared and began to sing along. As they sung Dr. Montemore jumped down and marched in place in front of the children. He swept his arm out and snatched a cane from an old man and began to twirl it like a baton as he marched. The children smiled and began marching behind him. He took them in a circle first, gathering a few more children from the crowd before leading them up the stairs and onto the stage. He lined them up single file in front of the barrel and stood beside it. A little girl was first in line and looked up to him while she marched in place. “Little Suzie here was a naughty girl and didn’t clean up her toys,” he picked her up, placed her in the barrel and closed the lid, he continued singing as he opened it, showing it to be empty, “Now she’s gone, with nary a song, and you’ll never again hear her noise!” The crowd laughed and cheered. He picked up the next child, a small pudgy boy, “Now this one’s fat and as fat as that he must cost a lot to feed,” in the barrel he went, lid down, then up, “But now he’s off, with all that fluff so now there isn’t a need!” The crowd was eating this up. A little girl was next, he picked her up and she cut him off before he could begin. “That wasn’t nice, making the others go ‘way.” She said with a pout. Dr. Montemore stopped and knelt with one knee up and sat her down on it. “My dear, there are times in life when you must pay a price, and sometimes nice isn’t nice.” He picked her up roughly and lowered her into the barrel. The last thing she saw before the lid came down were the sides of the barrels, black and charred, and moving and chewing with teeth and mouths too numerous to count, she tried to scream but as the lid shut the opening rimmed with teeth and closed down on her and you could hear soft chewing and crunching if it wasn’t for the din of the crowd singing along. Dr. Montemore had them now, enthralled and enjoying the spectacle. He threw his arms out with a flourish, silencing them as he spoke, “But wait, there’s more!” __________________________________________________ Let me know what you think. As Always, The Grue

I think I will step once again through the Breach and try to shake the proverbial rust off. I apologize if what I write does not stand up to what I have penned before. I have missed this. As Always, The Grue

Congratulations to all involved. This was a very good round of stories to read. With each round I can see all of you getting better and writing interesting stories that will keep me coming back to read them. As Always, The Grue

What about taking a Sergeant and a Lawyer, as they both have usual (0) actions, and they both can help with the horror duels? As Always, The Grue

I am looking at putting together an all Guild Lucius crew and wanted opinions on it. I have had a few users so far in the chat help me modify it to its present state but I was curious what a larger audience may think of it. Feedback is welcome. Lucius - Hidden Sniper - Captain Dashel - Master Queeg - Guild Rifleman - Guild Rifleman - Guild Rifleman - Pathfinder - Guild Austringer - Watcher If I remember correctly that should put me at either exactly 50ss or at 49ss. As Always, The Grue

Congratulations for Brian, as well as Aaron. I wish them both luck. As Always, The Grue

The first computer game I ever played was on an old computer that had a black screen and green text, with the floppy disk drive as a separate piece. As a young boy I could not have known how much my life would change as I opened up the cardboard box my parents got me for Christmas. I got two games that year, one was Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and although Don't Panic was very comforting, the second box drew me to it. With its big stone letters I was hooked. Zork was where I first learned to be a kleptomaniac and hoard everything that was mentioned in the description that was given to me by the "look" command. Step by step, directional command by command I was transfixed, and although that game gave me many things to shape my future, none more than what happened when my lamp ran out of oil. Ever since that day those many years ago I have usually used some form of By a Grue (as my League of Legends account is) or The Grue as my nickname. As Always, The Grue

It was actually an idea I have had (many others have probably had this as well) to use this worldwide event to give an extra boost to interest into the game. I have a local game store that carries some of Wyrd's products here in Northern Minnesota, but not Malifaux. They are starting to build a group of GW people that I plan to try and steal to a more affordable and, in my opinion, a better game. Wish me luck in my endeavors and with my application when it opens again this Fall. As Always, The Grue

To start off I would likely get Riflemen, perhaps a Sergeant and a Pathfinder. Down the road I might add a Hunter, Death Marshals and maybe an Exorcist. As Always, The Grue

Not to borrow from the Neverborn, but: Obediance Under Regimented Society O.U.R.S. for The Guild, we always turn a profit. As Always, The Grue

I am going to try and become a Henchman for my local LGS when the process reopens this fall and had a question on what set to get. I personally will be getting the "Bound by Law" Lucius set. Why you ask? Lucius, enough said. However, I would need to get a second set to be able to demo the game and teach others to play. I plan to get the 2-Player starter set as well to "intro" them into the game, then move on to full fledged crews. The problem I have is that I am not sure what is a "balanced" set to get to oppose him in terms of showcasing the game. I have some ideas of the other Masters I would like to get for myself if I ever dare deviate from the warm embrace of The Guild but I am not sure if they are adequate for the Henchman process. So I turn to you, Forum of the Wyrd, in your infinite and sometimes conflicting wisdom to help me decide what set to get to play and have played against our most beloved Secretary. Let me know what you think, and if you could write a "why to get this one" to help me understand why they are the one to get. As Always, The Grue

Thank you both for your help. Once I get my boys to bed I will see if I can get on to try those solutions. As Always, The Grue

I was going to reply in the other Thread but it has been locked. It seems I am one of the people who cannot access the Vassal Mod. I have tried downloading it from the links people have provided, as well as going through the "Resources" link on the main Wyrd page. I wanted to try and give it a go tonight, anyone have any ideas? As Always, The Grue

Just thought I'd share my vision for a Gremlin/Resserectionist Minion which I lovingly refer to as an "Anklebiter" (though I should come up with a better name). Which is like a zombie Gremlin Backpack for a zombie Gremlin. I was a little rushed as it is 0300 here. Let me know what you think. Open Spoiler As Always, The Grue

I just wanted to wish all of the authors good luck with this 2.0 voting. All of the stories were fun to read and I hope to see you all back again for the next Iron Quill. As Always, The Grue

Papa Grombi made use of the dead Gremlins he could get his hands on. Unfortunately as most Gremlins do not die in a peaceful "whole" manner he had to improvise. One set of Undead Gremlins I came up with I dubbed "anklebiters" but he took one Gremlin that had no arms from a nasty pig feeding incident and a Gremlin that lost his lower half to a hungry gator and stitched them together. The Gremlin with no legs was stitched with rusty barbed wire onto the Gremlin with no arms like a Backpack. Gremlins are a resourceful bunch and make do with the shortcomings they have at hand. Also, Unead Gators with a few dozen Gremlin arms for legs like a Gatorpede. Just a thought. As Always, The Grue

Well perhaps if the MS&U spent a little more of their resources on safer mining conditions and less on automaton there would be less death and dismemberment in the mines. A universal Guild system is a system where you can have a Guild Guard on every Corner, a Watcher on every Lampost and a Hunter on every rooftop. SAFETY, TRUE SAFETY, IS ONLY A STEP AWAY. JUST MAKE SURE THAT STEP IS IN LINE. IF YOU COULD BE TRUSTED TO VOTE, YOU SHOULD VOTE GUILD. As Always, The Grue

I think it would be cool to see a Gremlin/Ressurectionist master. Like Papa Grombi. As Always, The Grue

I tried to write how hard life would be, even for children in Malifaux. One child saying that a boy kicked her into unconsciousness versus the whole schoolyard saying he didn't wouldn't likely go in the girl's favor. While this is tragic, it also shows the need of a more forceful presence by the Guild and less lax laws in terms of civilian rights and freedoms. (maybe I am too much of a Guildie) Thank you for your comments and thoughts. As always, The Grue

Thank you. I was going to take this time Edonil gave us and change up the story to fix what other people had said needed attention but decided to leave it as is. I tried to give Mina's relationship with Mr. Frumpykins the "imaginary friend" vibe. Whereas, maybe she doesn't realize that Mr. Frumpykins is actually real and not just her friend she made up. I appreciate your time in reading my story. As Always, The Grue