Some models scare me. They look so neat, and there reputation for greatness is so well known that I end up scared to paint them in case I stuff them up. Jes Goodwin Ogres are in that league. The models below are close to how they finished up. Just a red wash on the leggings and a brown wash on the boots remained when I took the photos. I might go back and add a couple of mushrooms to the bases. I stuck to my safe palette but did branch out with the stripey pants.
I have heard it said that the old ogres lack a unified look. I disagree. I think as long as you keep a consistent colour scheme the group will hang together nicely. Two ogres down and two to go.
Jes Goodwin Ogres. The one on the right had his foot remodelled.
These next batch of models I finished around the end of November. I was hoping to photo them in the kitchen where there is more natural light but only recently got around to it. I experimented with green as this is not usually a colour I have confidence with. I used the secret weapon inks on the greens and above on the ogres flesh. They are tricky to use, I like to use them on the base coat before I highlight up. Don't use them as a wash though, just apply to the recesses directly. My favourite model of the group is the poacher with the goose stuffed in his bag. I had read an earlier blogger looking to collect the set of miniatures that appeared in the colour plates in the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay Rulebook. That sounds like a great idea but I am in no rush. I have plenty of stuff to paint over the Christmas break.
I needed some Skaven. I don't use mini's in the running of 'The Enemy Within' campaign, I find they slow the action down, but I still like to collect relevant models. You never know, I might use them one day. All four made their way from the US courtesy of Blue in VT. The colour scheme is 'inspired' by Nico's excellent skaven which in turn were inspired by Andy Chambers Skaven army posted in a now ancient issue of White Dwarf.
Finished Skaven. I am getting the knack of pigments and Secret Weapon washes,
On this occasion I decided to give pigments a go. I had seem a youtube video explaining how to muddy up tank tracks using pigments. I experimented on some Flames of War panzers. The results were messy and a bit rubbish. I was hesitant to crack out the pigments again. However Aggro84 gives a detailed account on how to use them that gave me the courage to have another go.
Secret Weapon 'Fallout' wash on poison wind globes.
Pigment rust on metal parts. Citadel's new Oxide on the bronze.
Credit where it is due, the paint scheme is a direct copy of the fine work by Stone Cold Lead. His work is always exceptional and I can browse his blog for ages soaking up the inspiration. This is Hrothyogg, he is an Ogre Captain. In the warhammer armies book you could hire ogres as mecenaries. They come in squards of 5 + the Captain and cost a truck load of points. Back when I was a kid I would use the plastic ogres from hero quest in my Orc and Goblin army. Those plastic ogres are long gone and looked crap to be honest. I have Skraag the slaughter still to paint and in a pinch could strip and repaint 2 of my maruader ogres. I can't say I like the puff and slash marauder ogres but there are enough fans out there that they go for crazy prices. If I am honest I will probably scrounge up 2 more Jes Ogres from ebay to complete the unit, but not this year. I have spent too much already.
I can improve the basing but otherwise I am stoked with this model.
We continued our monthly marathon game sessions in December finishing Shadows over Bogenhafen. This is a challenging adventure to run. I recently added my thoughts on how best to run this adventure on the WFRP Google+ community. Here's what I said: If your players know about the warhammer world probably the first thing they do once they work out chaos is involved is head to the Temple of Sigmar. You'll need to write something up for the priest Priest of Sigmar.
Also write down a list of all the names and a brief description of each character for your reference. Do the same for the major locations. Include a page reference back to the book so you can find more info in a hurry. All this should fit on a page, be very brief.
Be prepared to substitute plot points to different Characters. I had Steinhager replace Magirius' role in the adventure as I couldn't see Magirius slotting in. I also had the purple brain fever hit the Priest of Sigmar as the group were using him to romp towards victory.
Be prepared for the players to hate Dr Malthusius despite him being written as somewhat sympathetic in the module.
And cut them some slack, not every lead needs to be a dead end.
If you have time search the strike to stun forum or rpgnet for threads about Bogenhafen or the Enemy Within. There are 5 parts total to the whole of Shadows over Bogenhafen. I have posted links to part 1 and 2 in prior posts. Here is the latest part 3 of the recordings. Part 4 and 5 to come.
Key points from part 3:
PC Walter's regulary performance at the tavern, The Vexed Pig, was interrupted by a group of thugs, whom he'd later learn were stevedores. They delivered a warning to get out of town.
'You had better leave town.' - Stevedores.
Anton, the warehouse guard the group had earlier interrogated about the crate falling on the 3 legged goblin, was re questioned late in the night. They learn that Gideon Tuegen supplied him with quality brandy in return for running with the goblin death by crate story. They also learned from Anton that the head of House Teugen died some years ago under mysterious circumstances.
Searching for information on the Tuegens the group made the acquaintance of a Ruggbroeder family merchant who had spent time attending the same university as Johannes Tuegan. <It was a pretty amazing gossip check so I ran with it>. They learnt Johannes studied philosophy and that Gideon is meant to be a distant relative. Gideon seems to give everyone bad vibes. This merchant also told them that he had heard there was a private party planned for the Tuegan's the following night.
Day three, the final day of the Bogenhafen Schaffenfest dawns. Word on the street is that two bodies were fished out of the river. Anton the warehouse guard and a itinerant dwarf whose heart had been cut out. The dwarf had been found washed up against a sewer grate.
The Vexed Pig's cook, a woman on friendly terms with Solomon thanks to his help in the kitchen, slips word to the group that the stevedores are waiting for them in the common room. The group ponder escaping out a window and across the roofs but instead head downstairs to try their luck.
Eight stevedores seemed too much to handle. After some round about banter and blathering from Walter the group convinced the thugs that their food had been poisoned earlier by Walter, who had indeed spent some time in the kitchen. The stevedores raced to the temple of Shallya stopping only to gag and vomit, ah the placebo effect. The hero's arranged through various contacts that the thugs be sent on a wild goose hunt through Bogenhafen so that they would not interfere with their plans.
The day earlier the group had managed to arrange a meeting with Franz Steinhager at his offices. Franz went on to explain that the whole demon in the basement affair was some great misunderstanding and that the Ordo Septenarius was in turn misunderstood. It was a secret consortium of merchants who use an element of harmless ritual to keep new recruits in line. They were on the whole a benefit to the town and did many charitable things.
During the conversation with Franz they managed to trick him into confirming the Tuegan's membership in the Ordo as well as the fact that there was a party at the Tuegan's that night, to which 7 others were invited.
Franz's hatred towards his brother Heinrich was also played upon with the group explaining how Heinrich had all but asked them to murder Franz. The Steinhager brothers had been set on a collision course.
Skrag the slaughterer is the last Jes Goodwin ogre I completed in 2013. He is almost all armour and didn't take long to finish. I used GW's new corrosion pain in the armour recesses. I think it turned out alright, I would probably do it again. The Secret Weapon blue black ink was used for the stubble. I was very hapy with the result. Finally I contemplated using the new GW blood paint on the axe but wimped out and left the slaughterer blood free. I sure he and his patron god Malal are displeased. One of these days I will have the courage to really bloody up a model.
Old sculpt Skrag is so much better than his current GW incarnation.
Group shot of the Jes Goodwin Ogres. I will buy 1 or 2 more in 2014 to round out the unit.
I painted these Perry Halflings to see if I had improved. I'd knocked out 16 last year. Sadly my painting is neater but not that much better when it comes to halflings.
Busy weekends mean we manage to game once a month. To make up for the gap between sessions we overcompensate on the time we game, around 7-8 hours. I've recorded the sessions for fun and to help me remember events. I break the long recordings into manageable, bloggable chunks. Here is a link to part 4 of our recorded play through of 'The Enemy Within' campaign. Part 5 is on its way. We left off with the adventurers aware that there's a wide ranging conspiracy within the trade town of Bogenhafen and that key conspirators would be attending an important party that night at the Teugan household. The PCs are: Walter the halfling raconteur, Joten the dwarf sewerjack, Esmerelda the reluctant hedge witch, Solomon the halfling smuggler and Herdan the odorous grave warden.
Key points from part 4
3:54 The group encounter the watch dragging away the crazy Lady Alexa. She gibbers doom laden nonsense that seems to relate to current odd events. On seeing Herdan she freaks out, claiming the grave warden was 'marked by chaos'. She implored the group to kill Herdan before its too late. She also claimed that Bogenhafen was going to be swallowed by chaos soon. The group assumed she had Herdan confused with his doppelganger from the very first adventure 'Mistaken identity'.
22:30 The band visit the watch barracks hoping to work out what happened during yesterdays fateful meeting between the now poisoned High Priest of Sigmar, the merchant Franz Steinhager and Watch Captain Reiner. The Watch Captain denied being at the meeting. The group took a chance and decided to trust him with the whole story starting with demons in the sewers and ending with Franz's revelations about the Ordo. The group speculate that magic was involved in the impersonation of the Watch Captain.
27:20 Watch Captain Reiner believes their story and orders the immediate arrest and questioning of Franz. He insisted that no lawyers be involved till they learn the 'truth'. Reiner seemed intent on establishing his authority and taking the merchants down a peg or two. The group witness Franz's arrest from a discrete distance and saw Franz angrily accuse his brother Heinrich of being behind his arrest.
Teugen's house. Scene of what can only be described as a debacle.
59:30 A party is clearly being held at the heavily guarded Tuegen estate. The group wait for it to be in full swing and then scale the townhouse wall and attempt a break in.
61:38 Mike demands a meal that isn't pizza. The table is shocked, roleplaying and pizza is the most sacred of combos, to have anything else would be un-Australian. We settle for kebabs which is awesome as well!
76:37 Tuegen's patrolling guards spot the rope the group used to scale the wall. An alarm is raised and combat breaks out in the estate's garden. During the conflict some of the party make it to the house and do a small amount of exploring while holding the kitchen staff at bay. As more guards arrive and the call for the watch echoes through the streets of Bogenhafen, the group determine it's time to run. Windows were smashed, guards crippled and an escape is made.
114:30 After the failed foray into the Tuegen estate our heroes contemplate leaving town. Their enemies know they stay at the Vexed Pig inn so they head to the bolt hole of the thieves guild, the Crossed Pikes. Feeling they can trust Franz Bauman, head of the thieves guild, the group tell him the whole story. He puts them up for the night while they ponder their next move.
And so to the conclusion of Shadows over Bogenhafen. This adventure takes a lot of prep prior to play. It's imperative that you take notes as you read it through. The note taking process helps you recall key facts, locations and plot points. By taking these notes you become familiar with the adventure, as if it was one of your own. The players shook the plot up, they came up with desperate plans and I scrambled to keep up. The adventure sort of followed the expected course... if you squint your eyes... maybe. The decisive assistance of the watch wasn't planned but was well earned through the players actions.
Here is a link to part 5 of our recorded play through of the classic campaign The Enemy Within. I have the initial recordings of the next chapter, Death on the Reik, and they are equally great. Links to the other recordings and write-ups are on this page here. We last left off with the adventurers holed up in a thieves guild safe house. They feared arrest by the watch after their failed raid on the Tuegen estate. They had identified the Tuegen's as key conspirators in a chaos plot to bring down the town of Bogenhafen. The PC's are Walter the halfling raconteur, Esmerelda the reluctant hedge mage, Solomon the halfling smuggler, Joten the dwarf sewerjack and Herdan the odorous grave warden.
Key Points from part 5
3:50 Herdan and Joten were identified during the scuffle at Tuegen's house and were wanted by the watch. This limited their movement within the town.
10:15 Leaving their easily identified companions behind, the group visit Franz Steinhager at the watch house. The watch sergeant tells them Franz broke when 'questioned' but he allows them to further interogate the merchant.
11:15 Franz admits some of the rituals the Ordo conducted involved the sacrifice of 'scum' that wouldn't be missed. He claimed that he didn't agree with the sacrifices but that Johannes insisted.
13:30 Franz tells them the location of his safe and in return begs the adventurers to deal with his brother Heinrich, who he is sure is behind his incarceration.
16:00 A remorseful Franz suggests a plan. They release him and he will wait for the Ordo to send him the location of the upcoming midnight ritual. He was told the ritual would bring great wealth to Bogenhafen but he now believes it will bring doom instead. Once he knows the rituals location he will inform the group.
22:00 Watch Captain Reiner agrees to the plan and releases Franz. Reporting the conspiracy to local ruler Baron Von Saponatheim and going through official 'legal' channels will take too long. Besides Reiner wants to do things the brutal old fashioned way.
23:00 Esmerelda insists they not kill Heinrich Steinhager despite Franz's request. Heinrich may be a shady character but he wasn't an Ordo cultist. The group is happy to take Franz Steinhager's gold from his safe, despite reneging on the deal to kill Heinrich.
25:00 the group realise that this adventure breaks the RPG cliche. Instead of the ritual occurring on the final night of the Shaffenfest, it occurs the following night once everyone has left. Nice one!
Its a trap!
33:02 Late that night the group receive a message telling them to visit Franz urgently. The message boy gives them a bad vibe. Everything screams trap but the group cautiously play along.
37:24 Walter suspects the message boy is Gideon disguised with magic. The whole "PCs are framed for the murder of Franz Steinhager"subplot unravels. Gideon escapes to the ethereal plane as the group find Franz's body.
47:14 Watch Captain Reiner and four watchmen arrive at the murder scene. They agree to accompany the group to warehouse 17. Franz's final act, prior to bleeding out, was to spell the ritual location in his own gore. It is not clear if he scrawled 'warehouse 13 or 17'. Three watchmen are sent to warehouse 13 just incase.
52:36 The heroes, Reiner and a single watchman plan a direct assault on warehouse 17. They quickly scatter the stevedore guards who had formed a ring around the warehouse. The sound of chanting force their hand before additional watchmen arrive.
61:10 Warehouse 17's doors are kicked in and the cultist's ritual disrupted. The villains unleash a barrage of sorcery momentarily seizing control of Watch Captain Reiner's actions and having him hack at his former allies. Joten is stunned by tormenting visions. The group quickly surround Johannes Tuegan.
"Hello, mighty Tzeentch? A little help here". - Johannes Tuegen.
79:54 Gideon drops his human guise and reveals his true demonic form. It dawns on the meta-gaming players that the demon's flameresque arm means dire news. They are right. Soon Joten, Walter and Reiner are human torches, writhing in multi-coloured flames. <On listening back to the recording I noticed that I was so keen to use the flamer ability that I forgot how it worked. You can't move and flame, its a full round action. The rules for being on fire were hard to parse in the main book so we used the Dark Heresy rules which are crippling.>
86:00 Johannes became desperate as his most dangerous spells fizzled. He contented himself with spitting burning blood at Esmerelda, who fell and began the long process of bleeding out. A fate point kept her alive despite Solomon's repeated frantic first aid attempts
92:35 The three Watchmen, who had been sent to investigate warehouse 13, arrived and began to smother any human torch they found. A fate point saves Walter from permanent paralysis caused by his horrific burns.
93:46 The group are confused as to why Gideon hasn't burnt the tempting group clustered around the embattled Johannes. Little do they know that Johannes is critical to Gideon's plans and must survive so the ritual can be completed.
105:00 The nameless watchman who had been with them since the battle was joined, lands a critical blow to Johannes' arm, severing it and slaying the wizard. Gideon became enraged having nothing left to lose.
116:00 Watch Captain Reiner had been set alight, had his mind controlled and been blasted by warping magics; he would have his revenge. Charging a battered Gideon, he dealt a savage blow knocking his foe to the ground. Herdan followed with a mighty slash which destroyed the demon's flamer arm. A final blow from the nameless watchman banished the demon to the realms of chaos. This watchman had slain both Johannes and Gideon Tuegen!
126:00 More watchmen arrived on the scene and arrested the remaining cultists huddled at the back of the warehouse. The group looted Johannes and found an incriminating note. They are now widely regarded as the hero's of Boganhafen.
A note plucked from the dead hand of Johannes Tuegen.
by Jim Bambra, Phil Gallagher & Graeme Davis GW and later republished by Hogshead Publishing Beginning characters.
WFRP finding its identity
As the first adventure for the fledgling Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay line Mistaken identity could have gone in any direction. It could mimic the big players like D&D or Runequest in presenting the safe and familiar. It looked to be doing just that as the adventure in the Rulebook was a dungeon/sewer crawl with a likely TPK at the end. Fortunately Mistaken Identity moved away from dungeons, but not sewers, with The Enemy Within campaign breathing life into Warhammer's Old World. Mistaken Identity is solid and my group had fun, later chapters are better but this sets the tone for the campaign and does a good job at setting up the world. It's a short railroad, but if your having fun you don't notice the tracks.
It's half sourcebook
Being half sourcebook is common for the adventures in The Enemy Within campaign. Each book explores a piece of the Empire. This source book touches on the history, politics and religions in the Empire. The Holy Roman Empire influence is there if you look for it. I see that as a positive. It's great that they based the Old World loosely on the real world. Its easier to run and find inspiration for. Useful parts in the sourcebook deal with movement along the Empire's roads and rivers as well as details on the soon to clash religions of Sigmar and Ulric. There's also two pages on herbs if that's your thing. I didn't find it useful in game. There's a map of the Empire. It's crap with little marked on it. That's OK though. There are plenty of good maps online.
A good map of the Reikland where most of The Enemy Within Campaign unfolds.
Watch out for pre-gens
The sourcebook has just the right level of detail and lays the ground work for the campaign to follow, but what about the adventure? We begin with pre-generated characters. This is a problem as your players will want to use characters they rolled themselves. Pre-gens are for tournaments and one shots, not a year long campaign. In order to link events the campaign assumes the use of pregens. Repurposing the pre-gen links to PCs is easy with the wizards apprentice potentially the trickiest to re-write.
What's great about it.
Things kick off in a coaching inn, an iconic Warhammer location. A map of the place would have been handy.The NPC's within are well developed and full of character. They are a cross section of Warhammer society and include Urnst the irritated student with his big book on leeches, snooty Lady Isolde refusing to mix with the common folk, Gunner and Holtz the hard drinking coachmen, an ingratiatingly friendly innkeep and finally Phillipe the larger than life Bretonnian gambler. Phillipe gives you a nice opportunity to ham it up with an 'outrageous accent!' Things get interesting when the disparate group gets thrown together on the coach to Altdorf. There are plenty of opportunities for roleplay with these well realised NPCs.
Adventure highlights
A well planned battle with mutants that encourages tactics.
A surprising double identity plot providing a strong hook for the opportunistic adventurer; a plot hook that is followed throughout the campaign.
An introduction to the asshattery of the nobles of Altdorf. Nobles are easy to hate and these guys are tools.
Amusing encounters with pantomiming cult members.
An attack on a burning boat by a Bounty Hunter and his friends. The set piece combat encounters sure are neat.
What's bad?
Its a short string of encounters set one after the other.
The NPCs are interesting but need the GM to roleplay them to the hilt. They are the crux of the adventure and if you dont bring them to life the adventure can feel flat and brief.
The cultists shadowing the adventures in Altdorf are done poorly with the players given no opportunity to catch a cultist alive as they are always killed just before they are captured. The Thousand Thrones campaign did this as well with Nurgle cultists biting down on a poison boil to avoid being taken alive. This cheap tactic is a crap idea and sadly the campaign continues to take this line with cultists swallowing poison pills to avoid enlightening the adventures as to the broader plot. Bad call.
The witnessed deaths of the cultists from a single crossbow bolt is rubbish in the context of the system. One Ulric's fury I can buy into, two in a row is stretching things too far. Such marksmanship raised an eyebrow or two at the table.
The adventure takes place momentarily in Altdorf and Weissbruck, unfortunately neither location is adequately described.
Finally Max Steiner, the protagonist picking the fight in Altdorf, didn't play out well at my table. You might want to ratchet up the insults to force a fight as this better sets up following chapters.
I like this adventure a lot. The Enemy Within campaign is a classic and it starts strongly with Mistaken Identity. It's worth picking up for your 1e, 2e or 3e Warhammer Fantasy Roleplaying game. Even if you don't intend to run it the adventure is full of lootable NPC's and ideas. As a nice bonus you can download a 2e conversion of the stats in the adventure at Winds of Chaos.
Death on the Reik, often considered the highpoint of The Enemy Within campaign, is lauded for its open approach. Cruise the Reik on your river boat trading as you go. An interesting premise that falls apart if your party heavily invest in a shiny new coach. Ah the joys of roleplaying. Here is a link to the recording of part 1 of Death on the Reik. Parts 2 and 3 will follow when ready and the other parts when we resume the game in February. I think there's about 3 x 9 hour sessions worth of play in Death on the Reik. We left the protagonists in Bogenhafen where they were treated as hero's having purged the leading merchant houses, Steinhager and Teugen, of chaos cultists. The PC's are Walter the halfling raconteur, Esmerelda the reluctant hedge mage, Solomon the halfling smuggler, Joten the dwarf sewerjack and Herdan the odorous gravewarden.
Key points in part 1
1:16 I'm shocked by the amount of gold the adventurers acquired during Shadows over Bogenhafen. Armour is bought and a coaching service launched.
4:30 Herdan spent time serving at the Garden of Morr. Heinz, the High Priest of Morr, warns him a Vampire known as Graf Orlock is plaguing the Reikland. Herdan considers a Vampire Hunting career.
6:30 Esmerelda donated her wealth to the Temple of Shallya. She also spends many days helping out in the soup kitchen, earning a career change to initiate.
17:07 Walter needed to complete two tasks to repay the groups debt to the thieves guild. The thieves guild provided them with plenty of help in the battle against the Bogenhafen cultists. The first task was to deliver a list to a Elvyra the pharmacist in Weissbruck. The second task was to deliver a small casket to 'Luigi' at the 'Cat and Fiddle Inn' in Kemperbad.
26:00 The group were summoned to an audience with the bed ridden Albrecht, High Priest of Sigmar, as he had all but recovered from his bout of Purple Brain Fever. In relating the tale of how they saved Bogenhafen the Priest seized on the name Etelka Herzan. He'd heard of her evil and encouraged the group to pursue the witch. On parting Albrecht gave the group a powerful ring forged by the dwarves and said to protect the wearer from the undead.
62:00 Peiter, a bored noble and his bodyguard Deiter are the first passengers of the hero's coach service. They're promised a journey full of adventure. The group head to Weissbruck and encounter a dying boatman.
The trading boat the group left adrift?!?
75:19 The boatman gurgled "Mutants" and gestured towards the river before perishing. The group split up. The fighters took a row boat and headed toward the drifting ship while the halflings remained with the coach. Esmerelda spotted a winged creature observing them from the trees, it flitted towards the coach.
89:00 The halflings mounted a spirited defense against the winged mutant, hiding around and under the coach, using their small size to their advantage. As their friends raced back to save them, Solomon managed to plug the flying mutant with his crossbow, driving it off.
Mutants!
107:00 Once again the fighters rowed toward the ship. Herdan boarded and was confronted by two mutants. Joten attempted to board next but failed to notice tentacles wrapped around his torso. He was pulled into the river where his fighting prowess was severely curtailed.
113:48 Herdan battled with a beaked mutant while the second mutant, a shaggy brute, leaped into the rowboat capsizing it and tipping Esmerlda into the river. The somewhat drunk nobleman Pieter offered support from the shore with his bow. We learn the drowning rules. Joten feels sad.
138:00 Herdan butchered beak face and dove into the river to rescue Joten. The shaggy mutant is felled by arrow fire from Peiter the noble. Dieter the bodyguard waded into the water and grabbed hold of the drowning dwarf to prevent him being dragged under. Herdan speared the tentacle mutant so badly that it retreated letting go of Joten. His companions rushed him to the shore where he vomited up half the river. He's alive, embarrassed and officially hates the river.
Renate: mutant attack survivor
155:00 The boat is searched and Renate, a gypsy woman, is found hiding amongst the cargo. Despite the laws of salvage applying the group decide to leave the cargo laden vessel and continue to Weissbruck by coach. They buried the bodies of the boats former crew, took the row boat strapping it to the roof of their coach, and offered Renate a lift to the nearest town.
I first encountered Talisman when I was in after school care around about grade 4. I had already had a go at reading Fighting Fantasy books and my parents had raised me on board games so Talisman was an easy sell.
As I got older I fell out of love with the game, frustrated with how long it took to finish. Recently I became re-enthused after playing a game of the 40k variant 'Relic'. Given my eagerness for all things role-playing I thought I'd bolt the Talisman archetypes onto B/X D&D and create a unique quick play game. That stuff is still kicking around in my head and on a google doc. If it looks neat enough I might have a go at running it or at least putting it up on the blog.
Games Workshop released mini's to replace the card cut out characters that came in the Talisman box. I am currently trying to collect the initial set of 14 with the intent of playing a game when my birthday rolls around.
Minstrel, Wizard and Elf
Monk (almost as broken as the Prophetess), Troll and Ghoul
Here's the link to part 2 of our groups Death on the Reik playthrough. We left the protagonists carting a noble passenger to Altdorf on their 'coach' service. A day or so earlier they had survived a river encounter with mutants where Joten the dwarf was nearly drowned by a tentacled monstrosity. The PC's are Walter the halfling raconteur, Esmerelda the reluctant hedge mage, Solomon the halfling smuggler, Joten the dwarf sewerjack and Herdan the odorous gravewarden.
Key Points in part 2
2:14 Esmerelda deployed her secret mutant detection plan organising a communal bath at the first town they come across while on the road to Altdorf. During the bath she did her best to check her companions and fellow coach passengers for signs of mutation.
3:50 Local gossip was that Crown Prince Von Tessernick of Ostland and his expedition were killed in the Grey Mountains.
17:00 Upon arriving in Weissbruck Joten and the group contemplated turning their wagon into a war wagon complete with blunderbuss array and small road clearing cannon. Sadly they did not have the funds to make Joten's dream a reality.
22:14 The thieves guild of Bogenhafen had tasked Solomon with delivering a list to Weissbruck's pharmacist Elvyra. Solomon and Walter set off to met her only to find her cottage had been broken into. There were signs of a struggle within. The watch was called.
31:00 Herdan had remained in the tavern. While finishing his breakfast he was accosted by two peddlers. One attempted to sell him pots while the second made odd signs. Herdan realised the signs identified the peddlers as part of a secret society. Herdan contemplated killing them but instead insisted that they had him confused with someone else.
39:00 Searching the cottage Walter and Solomon discovered a 'secret door' behind a cupboard. They waited for their companions to arrive and heaved the cupboard aside. Beyond was a young girl called Liza who desperately tried to escape. Esmerelda calmed her down and they learnt the girl had heard a scuffle but nothing of real use. A thorough search of the house turned up a note that mentioned a 'red barn'.
79:30 The group learnt the location of the 'red barn' from the locals and Solomon gave it a reconnoitre. Walter and Esmerelda hid in the woods at the back of the barn in case Elyvra's kidnappers fled.
87:30 Herdan and Jotun forced the barn doors open. They confronted a guard whose "I am a simple farmer" story fooled no one. The guard bolted for the ladder to the loft with the group in cautious pursuit.
The thugs who took Elvyra
92:45 Elvyra's kidnappers threatened to slit the pharmacist's throat unless the group left. Negotiations broke down and just as the lead ruffian motioned to do the deed he was struck on the shoulder by a sling stone courtesy of Solomon. Elvyra twisted free and leapt from the loft towards Herdan's outstretched arms. Herdan misjudged the distance and Elvyra landed awkwardly.
107:30 The sour faced leader fled, jumping from the loft out the back of the barn. Unfortunately for him Walter was waiting for just such a move and a sling stone to the cranium was his reward. The thugs head exploded like a rotten sausage. In the ensuing melee a single thug escaped into the woods.
118:30 Esmerelda tried desperately to save a crippled ruffian whose arm had been severed by the dwarf Joten. Alas, she failed to staunch the bleeding in time.
122:00 Elvyra explained that she was mixed up with a villain in Altdorf who had pressured her into supplying alchemical reagents for foul purposes. The kidnappers had been sent by this evil doer. The pharmacist offered them stock at a hefty discount as a reward. Solomon cleared her out of 'medicinal' black lotus with an eye towards turning a profit in Altdorf.
130:00 A search of the dead thugs uncovered 2 silver pendants in the shape of rats heads. Another secret society!
133:45 While shopping in Weissbruck Solomon exploited the haggling rules, selling the parties row boat for 150% its normal value. By way of justification it was pointed out that the row boat was the scene of the signing of an important treaty between the Elector of Ostland and the Elector of Middenland. It was no mere row boat but part of Imperial history!
Welcome to the Imperial Capital Altdorf. The group didn't stay long.
Here's the link to part 3 of our groups Death on the Reik playthrough. We left the protagonists in Weissbruck having saved Elvyra the pharmacist from abductors. The group had haggled up a storm and were laden with gold. The PC's are Walter the halfling raconteur, Esmerelda the reluctant hedge mage, Solomon the halfling smuggler, Joten the dwarf sewerjack and Herdan the odorous gravewarden.
Key Points in part 3
1:50 the group came across wanted posters on the outskirts Altdorf and noticed that Herdan, Esmerelda, Joten and Walter were wanted for the murder of Lord Ewer of Altdorf. There were some sketches of the group along with vague details of the supposed crime. Esmerelda suspected a set-up and the group kept a low profile, avoiding towns and camping in the forest.
Who did we murder?
11:00 Walter used his disguise skill to conceal their identities and the group split up in order to enter Altdorf without raising undue attention. Solomon smuggled in his pharmaceutical contraband successfully despite a cursory search of his wagon by the gate guards. The guards extorted 5 gold in 'gun tax' for allowing the groups blunderbuss into the city. Only the halfings are thoroughly searched which we put down to racial profiling. Another sign of the oppression halflings must suffer. More grist for Walter's antagonist mill.
22:00 Solomon got in touch with the thieves guild in Altdorf. He sold his pharmaceutical stash and his smuggling wagon at a huge mark-up. I hate you haggle rules!
29:00 Walter went shopping and loaded his dwarven friend Joten up with armour. A disguised Esmerelda chanced discovery as she helped at the great Hospice of Shallya, an act that further cemented her future role as initiate.
31:00 Herdan followed up on leads concerning the hunting of vampires. He picks up a fancy repeater crossbow.
38:30 having purchased plenty of new gear the group struggled to find enough coin to book passage on a ship to Kemperbad. They hoped to acquire more gold through 'adventure' and set sail with Captain Connor's crew on the ship Belladona leaving Altdorf behind.
Castle Reiksguard
47:00 to pass the time on the boat trip Walter taught Soloman to read and write and Herdan practised with his repeater crossbow, slowly puzzling the contraption out. The group passed Castle Reiksguard but didn't stop.
50:30 the group gossipped with the crew and learnt that the Emperor, Karl Franz, is feared to be dieing. His son, Prince Wolfgang is unlikely to be crowned his successor as he is considered either an imbecile or a mutant. With no clear successor the Empire may well fall into civil war.
The Emperor's own signal tower.
56:30 the band spotted a partly constructed signal tower. Two dwarves waved the ship down and begged passage on the vessel. Before business could be concluded they were interrupted by a dwarven foreman who labelled the absconding dwarves wetbacks and shamed them into returning to the work site.
60:00 the dwarf foreman, Anjel, moaned at the misfortune the site had experienced with a string of illnesses and missing workmen. Walter and Solomon suggested not getting involved but Esmerelda couldn't help but offer her assistance, Shallya bless her! As way of compensation, and to sooth the mercenary halflings, Anjul offered 50 gold if they were able to resolve the mystery plaguing the site.
69:15 Esmeralda examined an ill dwarf and spotted bite marks on his neck. She partly revived the dwarf and a chat confirmed her suspicion. Vampires!
78:30 The group suspected the ruin on which the signal tower was being built as the site of something insidious. Finding no way in they enlisted the aid of the dwarven engineers and their heavy machinery. Together they tried to crack their way in to the signal towers foundation. Unfortunately night fell before they had gained access to the inner ruins.
80:30 Disappointed that they couldn't force a battle during the day the group made camp and waited for a vampire. They were not disappointed. A secret entrance opened within the towers foundation and Graf Orlock assaulted them.
Graf Orlock. Recipient of Ulric's fury.
90:30 Esmerelda fainted at the sight of Graf Orlock. Joten landed an Ulric's Fury all but felling the vampire early in the battle. The Graf struck out in a flurry of blows bringing the upstart dwarf to his knees. Joten rose and struck off the vampires arm. Graf Orlock turned into mist and fled back into the towers base.
100:30 the group gave chase. Within the tower appeared to be a laboratory/observatory. While searching they were assaulted by zombies which were dispatched and some metal rods retrieved. The rods looked like keys and promised access to a sealed hexagonal vault where the group were convinced the vampire hid. They lacked the proper number of keys to access the vault, missing one which they couldn't find despite a thorough search.
120:00 the group discovered a magic tome, maps, start charts, text books and a notebook. The notebook was written in a spidery hand they couldn't make sense of. It's astrological gibberish only hurt their heads. The important notes that they could decipher are in the image below.
130:30 Anjul offered to use Engineering to crack the hexagonal vault wide open. He and his fellow engineers began work immediately.
Dwarven engineers teach a magic seal a lesson.
136:00 The engineering equipment broke through the hexagonal seal revealing a library and a large trunk beneath. The trunk was hauled into the morning light and flung open causing the combustion of a crippled Graf Orlock. The group was victorious! Within the secret library further handouts were obtained including notes in an arcane script they cannot decipher.
Could one of our heroes become the Kemperbad Champion?
Here's a link to part 4 of our groups Death on the Reik play through. We left the protagonists on the Reik's bank a few days from Altdorf having slain a vampire that had terrorised the region. They had booked passage on a swift sail boat to Kemperbad. The PC's are Walter the halfling raconteur, Esmerelda the reluctant hedge mage, Solomon the halfling smuggler, Joten the dwarf sewerjack and Herdan the odorous gravewarden.
Key Points in part 4
5:50 Esmerelda attempted to improvise a poultice for Joten. The vampire they had encountered last session had heavily wounded the dwarf. An expedition to the road was arranged in the hope of locating poultice friendly horse dung.
Cameo appearance by Ernst
11:15 While searching the roadside for horse manure a Four Seasons coach rattled past. Leaning from the coach to get a better look at the group was the suspicious and incompetent physicians student Ernst. The group had shared a coach with the odd gent way back in their first misadventure.
19:15 While stopping at the small town of Deisdorf, Walter arranged to perform that night at a parochial and exclusive Reiklander inn known as The Good Table. (Inn randomly generated thanks to this most excellent generator). Both Walter and the inn's bouncer complemented each other on their hats feathers for, as all right thinking men know, 'A mans worth shall be judged by the length of his feather.'
24:15 Esmerelda's sixth sense let her know something was amiss. Her attention was drawn to a scuffle at the entrance of The Good Table where two scruffy looking men were refused entry. Their garish purple garments did not meet the inns strict dress code. Esmerelda's sixth sense coupled with the colour purple set alarm bells ringing.
Worst cultists ever?
32:45 An awkward conversation was struck up with the scruffy out of towners. They were invited to watch Walter's performance, an offer they accepted only to become the punchline of his routine. They are labelled 'worst cultists ever' for their implausible cover story; they claimed to be labourers and crop pickers when their fine dress told a different story.
Could Kemperbad be the first town to rebel against Imperial rule?
47:45 Arriving at the cliff side town of Kemperbad the group find a cluster of townsfolk around a message board. The mob are agitated at an Imperial edict announcing that there are no such things as mutants and all those afflicted should be treated with the same respect as any other citizen of the Empire.
The Imperial edict that turned Kemperbad into a powder keg.
54:47 The group head to the local Temple of Sigmar to offload the dark necromantic items they had seized from beneath last sessions signal tower. There they met the hellfire and brimstone priest Father Eckhart who was incensed at the edict. They learn the town is seething with rebellion.
Count Otto Boorman, not Von Schnitzel
66:45 Reikland troops clearing the streets for the passage of an important noble set-off a near riot as Herdan leaps to the conclusion that the escorted noble is non other than Von Schnitzel the author of the mutant loving edict. Walter used his public speaking to attribute blame for the edict from Von Schnitzel to the Emperor which somewhat diffused the situation. As it transpired the beleaguered noble was not Von Schnitzel, but instead the Imperial Plenipotentiary, Count Otto Boorman. Otto offered the services of his personal doctor to attend to the heavily wounded Joten as well as a dinner invitation to the well spoken Walter as thanks for his rescue from the mob.
Cat fan Dr Maximillian
86:45 Otto's Dr the spindly cat fancier Maximillian attended to Joten's wounds using fancy Elven herbs. They worked splendidly and Joten was ready for action after a good long nap.
Luigi Belladona will make you an offer you can't refuse
92:15 Solomon contacted Luigi Belladona, local crime lord and owner of the Cat and Fiddle Inn. He delivered a sealed box and in doing so repaid his debt to the thieves of Bogenhafen. Luigi appraised the group's warriors and offered to sponsor them in the upcoming pit fights. He assured the naive Herdan that the fights were safe and 'above board.'
107:30 Esmerelda completed her Shallyan initiation by serving 2 days and 1 night attending the sick and injured in the Temple courtyard. During her time she broke her oath of silence twice but was not heard by the priestesses.
110:10 Walter attended a spartan dinner with the rulers of Kemperbad as a guest of Count Otto. During the meal he swayed the council towards rebellion, encouraging them to flout the Imperial edict. That night anti Imperial feeling ran strong and several Reiklander businesses were burned. There was talk of rebellion and Kemperbad asserting its independence.
What's your game Kastor?
122:45 Herdan was accosted by a flustered looking man with a purple feather in his hat. The stranger insisted Herdan was Kastor and that his 'imbecile' act wasn't fooling anyone. He added that Herdan was supposed to deliver his windfall to the inner circle in Middenheim. Herdan got understandably annoyed and the belligerent cultist hurried off.
128:15 A pit fighting tournament was held at the Cosy Snug inn, a seedy tavern in the wrong part of town. A troupe of warrior women drawn from across the Old World added to the novelty of the tournament. Joten was defeated by a warrior woman and former milkmaid Grechen. Herdan emerged the surprise winner and was hailed Champion of Kemperbad. He won fame and no small amount of fortune having backed himself to win at long odds from the beginning. In addition Herdan nearly scored the affections of Isla, an Ulrican warrior woman from Middenheim, who he faced in the final round and who he defeated with the Peoples Elbow. Alas he does not win her affections despite the best efforts of his wingman Walter.
Grissenwald. Home town of Etelka Herzan, known witch and consort of chaos.
Here's a link to part 4 of our groups Death on the Reik play through. We left the protagonists in Kemperbad where they had encouraged the local independence movement in reaction to a pro mutant Imperial proclamation. After stirring the pot they planned to head south to Grissenwald in search of the witch, Etelka Herzan. The hero Herdan had also won a pit fight tournament becoming the Champion of Kemperbad. Heroes present were Walter the halfling agitator, Esmerelda the Shallyan initiate, Solomon the halfling smuggler, Joten the dwarven veteranand Herdan the vampire hunter. Key points from part 5
2:40 Herdan woke from a long night celebrating his win in the pit fights. A patch of hair on the back of his head was missing. He feared voodoo in his future.
4:25 Esmerellda was presented with a conundrum while fulfilling her Shallyan initiation at the Kemperbad temple. During her nightly vigil she was visited by a woman about to give birth. Helping as best she could she had the misfortune of delivering a mutant child. She surrendered the babe to the Shallyan priestesses to do what they though best. Shirking responsibility ensured Esmerelda's conscience remained clear.
13:35 Crime lord Luigi offered Solomon a job smuggling stolen Kislevian silver. Solomon turned him down as the goods were too bulky for him to manage without owning his own boat.
20:05 Taking a river barge south to Grissenwald the group were hailed by a river patrol. The river wardens warned the heroes to steer clear of the plague struck, cursed town of Wittgendorf along with its castle. The river patrol showed the group a mutant corpse they had fished from the river close to the wretched town. It was an unsettling sight as the tentacle covered corpse had been badly tortured.
44:45 The group arrived in Grissenwald. While at a local tavern they were accosted by two drunken dwarves who proceeded to hurl abuse at the halflings. "Bake us a cake ya wee pansies!"was their general line of insult. They could not be talked down, not even the offer of free beer could placate them. A fight broke out. The drunks were soundly thrashed and once the watch arrived, were thrown into a cell.
Dwarves can be pricks sometimes.
63:05 Discussions with the locals discovered that the Dwarf mine in the Black Peaks had been purchased by Etelka, the witch they sought. The dwarves now lived in a shanty town Khazad Slumbol and caused grief for the good people of Grissenwald. The locals blamed the dwarves for everything including recent attacks on farmsteads. All this despite having no proof whatsoever.
66:40 A beer map of the farms surrounding the nearby Black Peaks was scrawled across a tavern table and the party determined the farm most likely to be struck next. The raiders were due to attack that night.
Gorim Greathammer - gold obsessed drunkard and leader of the dwarves.
72:00 The party paid a visit to Gorim, leader of the dwarves of Khazad Slumbol. Jotun encouraged them to regain the trust of the locals by heading out to defend the farms from attack. He called on dwarven pride and Gorim responded well. The dwarves headed out with purpose, they had nothing left to lose.
79:30 The dwarves went to help one farm that could potentially be attacked while the heroes manned the defenses of another. They planned as best they could, organising buckets to fight fires and determined the best vantage points for the coming onslaught.
Crooked Maw goblins. Poor bastards never stood a chance.
86:50 Just past the witching hour a half dozen goblins mounted on wolves charged the farm house. They hurled burning torches at the buildings but what little fire they caused was swiftly extinguished by the halfling bucket brigade. Wolves leaped the farm fence and surrounded Herdan and Joten in the yard. A group of goblins broke down the farm house door but were met by a wall of pitchforks and spears wielded by determined farmers. Despite being horribly outnumbered the warriors held their ground, Jotun in particular seemed impervious to damage in his plate mail. Together Joten and Herdan slew enough goblins to cause a rout. More goblins were slain as they attempted to flee. The farm house was saved.
131:20 Becoming the Champion of Kemperbad had done wonders for Joten's confidence. Thanks to the assistance of his wing man Walter her won the affections of the farmers daughter.
136:10 Late the following morning the group met up with Gorim and his dwarves. The stout folk became furious when they learned that there were goblins in their mines. They marched with the heroes to Etelka's tower.
137:45 On the approach to the mine the group came across an injured dwarf prospector surrounded by goblin bodies. It was Shane's second character Magnus, who joined the party in the assault on Etelka's tower.
I frequent the Oldhammer Forums soaking in the old Citadel goodness and posting pics of my "little mans". Out of the blue I received a PM from fellow forumite LeadAsbestos asking if I would like to paint some minis in return for some 1980's Lord of the Rings lead. I agreed to paint some Fir Bolg as the chance to stock up on minis without delving into Ebay was appealing. These ugly bastards are Alternate Armies sculpts. Their rough charm grew on me and by the end of the project it was sad to see them go.
The models have a Celtic/Aztec vibe which had me try my hand at painting woad. All those swirls and whorls annoyed me and I went with Woodland Indian war paint about mid way through the project.
Test model
All fifteen Fir Bolg prior to their flight to the USA.
The Twisted Maw tribe, allies of the witch Etelka, were about to have a very bad day.
Here's a link to part 6 of our groups Death on the Reik play through. We left the protagonists at a farmstead on the outskirts of the Imperial town of Grissenwald. They had just defeated a raiding party of wolf mounted goblins from the Twisted Maw tribe. Etelka's tower in the Black Peaks was their next stop and they intended to arrive on her door step with an angry mob of slightly inebriated dwarves led by a warrior called Gorim Greathammer. Heroes present were Walter Cinder Corbit the halfling agitator, Esmerelda the Shallyan initiate, Solomon the halfling smuggler, Joten the dwarf veteran, Herdan Van Helsing the vampire hunter and Magnus the dwarven miner. Key points from part 6
8:05 The assault on Etelka's tower was planned. The tower had no windows so a frontal attack was deemed best. The halflings were awful climbers so scaling the roof to descend via the skylight was ruled out. Much to the DM's chagrin the group had the assistance of ten dwarves from Khazad Slumbol. They split their force into four groups. Two groups would flank the main attack and focus on clearing the side rooms, Gorim would take point and a few dwarves would act as a rearguard.
The dwarves gave the group the layout of Etelka's tower.
10:35 The goblins noticed the large group approach and slammed the tower entrance shut while shrieking for assistance. Doors are no match for dwarven axes and soon Gorim and friends had barged in.
Gutbag Stoat-throttler!
14:15 Gutbag Stoat-throttler led the goblins in the defence of the tower. The greenskins let loose a hail of arrows from the towers balcony to little effect. Combat was joined and it became apparent that the goblins were outnumber and outclassed. All except the oddly attired Gutbag Stoat-throttler who began a deadly duel with Herdan. Gutbag wore a fine tiara and exquisite red dress that was much too long for the goblin. The bottom of the garment had been trampled and ripped.
31:15 The assault on the tower had not gone unnoticed as a band of goblins mounted on great wolves sped from the neighbouring coal mines. The mines had once belonged to the dwarves of Khazad Slumbol but had been 'stolen by the witch Etelka!' The wolf riders peppered the rear guard with arrows slaying an unfortunate dwarf. Solomon, who had been with the rearguard, was left dangerously exposed and fled into the tower.
Wolf riders barely lasted a round.
39:15 While Gutbag and a pair of goblins held the balcony the wolf riders sped into the towers foyer and were ambushed by the dwarves who had hastily prepared for them. Despite being surprised, one of the wolves unleashed an Ulric's Fury on Magnus. It appeared as if the dwarfs entrails had been torn from his belly though later it would be revealed that he had merely suffered a flesh wound and fainted [Fate point spent].
53:20 The ambushed wolf riders were slaughtered and fled, leaving the parties dwarven allies free to break out their crossbows and assist Herdan and Joten. The heroic pair continued to battle the goblin champion Gutbag on the balcony. The dwarves of Khazad Slumbol unleashed nine aimed crossbow bolts in the greenskins direction though they either missed or were deflected by Gutbag's shield.
63:00 Gutbag made a heroic stand. He fended off the heroes Herdan and Joten while landing telling blows on both. In the end he suffered the ignominy of being shot twice in the gonads by dwarven crossbow bolts before a final shot ruptured his internal organs. The brave goblin had left such an impression that the players demanded I somehow have Gutbag mysteriously escape death. We shall see.
Etelka and her cat. Hardly the ugliest of villains.
71:20 Etelka's tower was searched and everything of value taken; cutlery, ruined finery, loose earrings, the lot. A painting of Etelka was found. It's the groups first glimpse of the witch.
75:30 Etelka's personal chest was searched and a false bottom revealed. If there is one thing D&D taught us it's that important chests always have a false bottom. Inside they discovered a signet ring with cult markings. It was at this moment that Esmerelda got a 'magic' vibe from the dwarven shield Gutbag had used to great effect. The shield was emblazoned with magic dwarven runes of defence.
83:20 Etelka's study was ransacked. Solomon was disappointed at the destruction of a number of stuffed animals as his fellows insisted they be torn asunder in the hope of discovering a secret cache. A stuffed alligator and bear were ruined and a good source of coin wasted. Important correspondence was discovered in Etelka's desk which went some way to soothing Solomon's disappointment at their financial vandalism.
Dumpling, Etelka's personal chef.
91:35 While the heroes searched the top level and secured all the good loot, their dwarven allies searched the ground floor. The dwarves discovered Etelka's personal halfling cook, Dumpling Hayfoot. Dumpling shared a similar accent to Esmerelda and the ensuing conversation took a confusing turn. The halfling lass confirmed that Etelka and a weaselly looking man had left the tower weeks ago leaving the cook alone with the goblins, who subsequently ran riot. The group confirmed their suspicion that Etelka was looking for Morsleib's spittle up north in the Barren Hills. Given her head start, she'd probably already found it. They would need to come up with a plan to find and stop her.
The characters were Esmerelda the Shallyan initiate, Herdan the vampire hunter, Joten the dwarf veteran, Walter the halfling agitator, Solomon the halfling smuggler and Magnus the dwarven prospector.
We left the hero's victorious in the foyer of the witch Etelka's tower. The witch herself was long gone. With the help of dwarfs from the shanty town of Khazad Slumbol they had purged the tower of goblins and looted plenty of valuables in the process.
Key Points from Episode 12.
(1:16) We reminisced about Gutbag the goblin hero from last episode and his missed 'surrender lines' wherein he blamed society for his evils. We discussed ways that Gutbag could have survived and agreed to grant the plucky goblin a second chance. (2:39) Herdan and Joten explored the possibility of recruiting the ex-farmers and former captives of the goblins Hans and Gretl. Herdan uncharacteristically asked 'Can they take an arrow?' A quick reminder of "What would Shallya think?" stopped this line of thinking. Which was for the best because, despite the manic gleam in their eyes, the farmers were poor warriors. (5:12) Magnus broke with his clan citing irreconcilable differences. He turned his back on Gorim Greathammer and his clans drunken ways. While exiled it was considered a minor exile; no need to shave his head and hunt trolls, much to Joten's disappointment. (8:25) The group returned to Grissenwald to hock Etelka's jewellery and silverware at Luigi and Salvatore's. There they haggled with Boris. For once their stories of the 'Emperor's own silverware' didn't work and they were comprehensively out-haggled much to their chagrin. (14:15) Lucky charms were purchased. These took the form of pieces of a mast from a wrecked ship, sanctified by priests of Sigmar as well as blessed river pebbles that if you look at them from the correct angle seem to contain the visage of Sigmar. Brother Hertzis supplied these charms for a suitable donation. They came with his blessing and small passages of scripture which were tacked to the heroes armour. (17:23) The group contemplated turning in Etelka's heretical books to Brother Hertzis but saved them for their favourite book burning priest in Kemperbad. (18:10) Grissenwald's dilapidated and vacant Shallyan temple was discovered much to Esmerelda's shock. She and the warriors settled into the ruin for the night in order to pursue tales of ghosts. The halflings returned to the luxurious Pfiefferroucher hotel, where Walter had arranged to perform. (21:15) Joten and Herdan did ghost impressions to scare off locals looking for a late night thrill at the abandoned temple. After an uneventful night Magnus, an expert miner, skillfully moved the rubble from the temple stairs. (21:48) The temple's cellar was uncovered and the group were attacked by four skeletal skaven who laired within. One landed a lucky blow on Magnus but otherwise the skeletons were trounced. A mysterious glowing orb full of swirling mist (Poison wind globe) was discovered along with the gnawed bones of a child. (34:20) The watch, known as the Pfieffers and the local Sigmarites were alerted. Esmerelda declared the temple could be reconsecrated but unfortunately as an initiate she wasn't qualified to do it. Alas she needed to move on but promised to tell the temple at Kemperbad to send a Shallyan priestess urgently. (36:30) The party pooled their coin to purchase a boat. The man to see to buy a vessel was Gerlich Fuchs, the racist and misogynistic head of the Fisherman's mission. The un-savvy Herdan was coached on what to say and then sent to negotiate on his own. He hefted the boat funds, a sack of 480 crowns, through the rough streets of Grissemwald's Altdstadt all the while trailed by his anxious companions. Esmerelda contributed 90 crowns to the purchase of the vessel and Walter and Joten 40 crowns between them. Solomon had the largest stake in the vessel and was declared the captain.
The group now proudly own of 'The Hammer'.
(37:48) Gerlich Fuchs sold them a boat called 'The Hammer'. A small fast sailed vessel with little cargo room. Before the purchase the group had hired an expert called Ulric to assess the vessel. When questioned on the vessels worthiness Ulric replied 'Why yes Master Gerlich you have kept this ship in tip top shape'. The sailed vessel was 12m long and could house 30 people in the hold if they all stood. Herdan was assured the rot on the vessel was cosmetic 'Surface rot, cleans right up that does.' (42:40) Two crew, Ulric and Sigfried were hired. The group took it upon themselves to form the remainder of the six crew required to sail the ship. Passengers were booked by the halflings who acted as touts. The boat wasn't kitted out as a passenger vessel yet so they could only comfortably take on four passengers. This made for tight profit margins. (45:08) Ulric and Sigfried harnessed the power of a localised storm, avoided mishap on the river and made excellent time to Kemperbad. They arrived in two days instead of three, which allowed for a profit from the passenger fares. On the way they passed accursed Castle Wittgenstein. The crew warned the heroes that they wanted nothing to do with the location. (48:44) The group were waved through Kemperbad's gates as Herdan was recognised as the local champion. Solomon explained that the poison wind globe was being kept in a box beneath their boats waterline. (49:35) The group visited Father Erkhart who spoke of Kemperbad's growing independence movement, the recruitment of militia and the general sense of excitement in town. He told them other provinces have defied the mutant loving edict but none had done so as aggressively as Kemperbad. They surrendered Etelka's heretical texts and a potion that part time apothecary Esemeralda couldn't identify. (51:41) The halflings worked their contacts looking for a sanctioned wizard to explain the significance of a ring they had liberated from Etelka's tower. Its crown and beast design intrigued and confused them. They learnt of the presence of Herionymous Blitzen, an astrologer of the Celestial College who was in town. The wizard told them a wealth of information on cults. He also informed them about the stars last night 'the hammer constellation is looking a bit sad right now and is not in its dominant position. While the stars above Kislev, the northern stars, have gone dark.' Finally he identified the purple hand as a likely cult symbol. (60:18) Etelka arrived at the Cat and Fiddle inn while Walter was performing his routine. She was intrigued by Herdan's Champion of Kemperbad status and as a result Herdan had an awkward job interview. (65:15) Herdan infiltrated the witches band and learnt Etelka's plans. She intended to head to Castle Wittgenstein to acquire a meteorite. No doubt for nefarious purposes. (74:27) Walter eloquently introduced himself to Etelka and promised to arrange a meeting with a discrete ship captain who could sail her south. Etelka agreed to meet the captain in the morning. (76:28) Etelka's group, along with Herdan, settled in to their rooms for the night. Herdan had first watch and announced it loudly in the common room so his companions could hear. The party feverishly plotted Etelka's downfall.
This Episode took place in and around the Cat and Fiddle Inn. An inn a bit bigger than this.
This is an actual play recording of Death on the Reik, a chapter in Games Workshops classic Warhammer Fantasy Roleplaying campaign: The Enemy Within.
Download Episode from Google Drive (20MB) Heroes present were Esmerelda the Shallyan initiate, Herdan the vampire hunter, Joten the dwarf veteran, Walter the halfling agitator, Solomon the halfling smuggler and Magnus the dwarven prospector.
We left the hero's at Kemperbad's Cat and Fiddle Inn. An inn run by crime lord Luigi Belladona. Luigi is Solomon's smuggling contact. Etelka, the witch they had been seeking, had entered the inn with her entourage. She sought a strong warrior to accompany her south to Castle Wittgenstein and so hired on Herdan. As a result Herdan had learnt some of her plans and now the group plotted her downfall. Key Points from Episode 13.
Villainous Witch Etelka and her suspicious cat.
(01:04) The planning began with a discussion of lobbing a poison wind globe, found last session, into Etelka's room and holding the door shut. The idea was discarded as the group didn't know what the gas would do or if it might hurt others staying in the inn. There was some discussion about taking Etelka alive in order to learn more about the broader conspiracy but they decide not to risk it. There was conjecture that her pet cat was a disguised demon along with concern over Luigi's reaction should they kill someone in his inn. (13:10) The heroes settled on the following plan. Solomon would pretend to be a crusty river captain plan who would offer to take Etelka's party south; no questions asked. Once Etelka left the inn the ambush would be sprung. The town watch would also be informed to ensure no miscreants escaped. Herdan, Joten and Magnus were expected to do all the killing. As an undercover member of Etelka's entourage Herdan is not informed of the plan. He spends a restless night guarding Etelka's chambers waiting for his companions to act. (14:28) The watch are visited during the night and just like the law in the town of Bogenhafen they are surprising accommodating. This could well be the result of Herdan's town wide popularity having become the Kemperbad Champion. The Watch Captain agreed to clear the streets and be present in case things got out of hand. (19:32) The plan swings into motion with Etelka heading downstairs the following morning for a meeting with Solomon the Ships Captain. Prior to this meeting a note was left under the door to Walter's room. It was addressed to Kastor Leiberung (Herdan's look alike). The note promised to further complicate things.
(24:08) Solomon's negotiations with Etelka were interrupted by a Purple Hand cultist who cast something at Herdan, which the warrior resisted. Everyone including Etelka looked bemused as the robed figure then dashed for the kitchens. Not wishing to complicate their ambush plans the group let the cultist escape. (29:05) Solomon extorted an exorbitant sum of coin from Etelka for the hire of his boat. They left the Cat and Fiddle Inn and the ambush was sprung. (30:45) In the plan Walter had one task to do, bring out the warrant for Etelka's execution and announce it loudly for all to hear in the hope that her guards would back off. He neglected to do this so he could focus on breakfast. With Walter's inaction it was up to Magnus to start things. The dwarf stood casually from his position near the inn's door and followed the witch and her group outside. Once on the street he hefted his two handed pick and swung for Etelka's back. Thus mission 'gank the mage' began. A surprise round left Etelka on death's door. (34.49) Walter remembered his lines, drew out the warrant and scared off Etelka's guards. Walter's words were backed by a volley of crossbow bolts fired by the town watch. Etelka's weedy looking assistant Urnst was struck by a quarrel. He weighed up his options and promptly professed to also be after Etelka and that he would aid the hereos in their effortst. Etelka remained defiant. (38:06) Magnus' initial swing of his pick had embedded itself in Etelka's back. He withdrew his weapon and struck again ripping straight through the witches left arm, leaving it so much pulped meat. Etelka swigged a potion in response levitating ever so slightly off the ground before her kneecap was blown asunder by a well aimed sling stone from Solomon. Etelka was no more.
Urnst knew the game was up but could do little to extract himself from the mess.
(41:05) No one believed Urnst's terrible 'Undercover Imperial agent' story. He was roughly handed over to the Sigmarites for trial. Etelka's cat hissed and spat at the group; guarding her dead mistress as best she could until Jotan cut it in twain with his blade. Harsh but to be expected in the cruel Old World.
The heroes would soon visit the unpleasant town of Wittgendorf.
This is an actual play recording of Death on the Reik, a chapter in Games Workshop's classic campaign The Enemy Within.
Download Episode from Google Drive (28MB) Heroes present were Esmerelda the Shallayan initiate, Herdan the vampire hunter, Joten the dwarf veteran, Walter the halfling agitator, Solomon the halfling smuggler and Magnus the dwarven prospector.
We left the heroes standing victorious over the corpse of Etelka, a witch they had hunted for some time before stumbling across her path at Kemperbad's Cat and Fiddle inn. Before her death Etelka had revealed some of her plans to Herdan. She had intended to travel to Castle Wittgenstein where she believed the Wittgenstein family held a meteorite of corrupting chaos magic. Key Points from Episode 14 (0:52) The party discussed how best to deal with Etelka's apprentice Urnst. The scrawny mage had surrendered rather than suffer his mistresses fate. The group bound and gagged the wretch and turned him over to the watch to interrogate. The watch, who had been on hand at Etelka's arrest, helped the group loot Etelka's still warm body and in the process kept half her wealth for themselves. Much coin was liberated and Etelka's dangerous artifacts turned over to the Sigmarite priests for burning. (4:20) At the watch house Urnst was interrogated under the supervision of a cheerful Joten and a squeamish Solomon. Meanwhile Walter mixed with the gawking crowd and spread word that the Champion of Kemperbad had slain a witch. The mob were suitably impressed by the actions of their local hero. Before becoming a broken blubbering mess Urnst revealed that Etelka belonged to the Red Crown Cult, that he intended to betray Etelka and that they had intended to visit Castle Wittgenstein in pursuit of a sizable chunk of warpstone; a meteorite that had devastated the Barren Hills many years ago. In the end Urnst's cover story moved from undercover sanctioned wizard to independent hedge wizard on a mission of vengeance against Etelka. While Joten and Solomon believed the cultist, his motivation didn't matter as he was destined to burn in the fires of Sigmar regardless. (10:25) Haggling ensued and Etelka's jewelry and perfume collection was sold off. Once again the party were rich. Magnus donated a generous 10 crowns to the Temple of Shallya to finance the rebuilding of their temple at Grissenwald. Esmerelda one-upped the dwarf by donating 100 crowns to the same cause. The warriors kitted themselves out in plate mail and Solomon pondered upgrading their boat with a deck sweeping blunderbuss. (12:03) The group discussed the note that had been left pinned to their door the night prior. This note was intended for Herdan's body double Kastor Leiberung. Herdan became understandably worried that Purple Hand cultists were watching him and insisted they leave town. (17:45) Solomon invested his wealth in cargo. In order to trade he purchased a 'legitimate' traders licence from his criminal contacts under the name Axle Schnitzel. He would have to use this false name when conducting business. The halfling smuggler went on to buy discount lumber that he planned to sell in the ship building town of Grissenwald. [The trading rules proved a complex time sink which I thankfully edited out of the podcast.] In the end 10 trade units of wood was purchased at the bargain price of 160 gold crowns. (22:28) The group talked about leaving Kemperbad in a hurry but instead spent time shopping, haggling and taking on lumber. As this dragged on Herdan was constantly looking over their shoulder in case the Purple Hand struck. Walter re-assured the group that they had plenty of time before the cultists came calling as the warning note had given them at least a week to deliver a large sum of gold to Middenheim. Finally they set sail. Favourable winds meant it wasn't long before they arrived at the miserable town of Wittgendorf. (24:30) Their ships crew were promised a bonus to assuage their fears of approaching the infamous Wittgendorf. They chose not to use the towns docks, instead they anchored out of sight. The group made their way through the forest towards the town and on the way noticed a foul corruption had gripped the land. Trees were twisted and overgrown with fungi while bloated beetles and grubs swarmed across the forest floor.
Lady Magritte Von Wittgenstein loves harassing peasants.
(30:34) The group hid on the outskirts of Wittgendorf and kept watch. Some distance off Solomon spotted an noblewoman atop a horse, surrounded by heavily armoured guards. She seemed to be conversing with a mob of ragged peasants. Given the distance they could hear only indistinct shouting before witnessing a villager struck down and hauled off in the direction of the castle.
(35:17) The group decided to explore the abandoned temple to Sigmar on the village edge. They did so stealthily with Solomon sneaking in and then throwing a rope through a back window so his companions could clamber in. The temple was rundown its floor scattered with bones, rats, rubble, ashes and detritus. Miraculously the altar room remained undefiled. (41:38) Walter read the classic script illuminating the domed ceiling of the altar room. It told the tale of the founding of the temple, for it was here that there had been a key battle between the armies of Sigmar and the forces of Chaos. On this site a Templar of Sigmar, Siegfried Von Kesselring, had slain a Chaos Warlord, an act that shattered a chaotic horde. Alas in victory the Templar had been fatally wounded and upon passing, Siegfried was buried, along with his blade Barakul, in the crypts of this very temple.
Walter read the passage and received a vision from Sigmar.
(43:20) Walter read aloud a passage concerning the dwarves relationship with Sigmar and as he did so the statue of Sigmar that stood watch over the altar spoke to him. Only the halfling could hear Sigmar's words. The god asked if Walter would be ready to stand against chaos when the time came. The young agitator answered in the affirmative and was bade to find the source of chaos that afflicted Sigmar's lands. The halfling had received a vision from Sigmar!
Sigfried Von Kesselring. Templar of Sigmar.
(51:30) The heroes ventured into the temples crypts. The crypts themselves had been smashed open and, judging by the bones on the ground, their contents devoured. A glow visible only to Walter led the halfling to a niche marking the final resting place of Von Kesselring. Former grave warden Herdan said a prayer to Morr as the tomb was cracked open and Von Kesselring exhumed. Joten reverently took the long sword Barakul from the Templar's bony hands. The dwarf swore to put it to good use against Sigmar's foes.
Castle Wittgenstein looms over the decrepit town of Wittgendorf.
This is an actual play recording of Death on the Reik, a chapter in Games Workshop's classic campaign The Enemy Within.
Download Episode from Goggle Drive (32.5 MB) Heroes present were Esmeralda the Shallayan initiate, Herdan the vampire hunter, Joten the dwarf veteran, Walter the halfling agitator, Solomon the halfling smuggler and Magnus the dwarven prospector. We left the heroes in the crypts of an abandoned Sigmarite temple on the outskirts of the cursed town of Wittgendorf. They had discovered, through their interactions with Red Crown cultists, that Wittgendorf was the likely site of a sizable chunk of warpstone. The group intended to seize the stone to prevent it being used for foul and corrupting purposes.
Key points from Episode 15 (0:50) Ominous hand dug tunnels were discovered in the crypts beneath the abandoned Sigmarite temple. Magnus put his mining skills to work and collapsed them. (3:10) Further exploration uncovered the towns records in the temple's library. Walter, being the only literate party member, read through Wittgendorf's history. He learnt that the town had once been prosperous but two years ago a ferocious gale had enveloped the lands, the eye of the storm being the local castle. This was followed by a week of black rain. Since then the region had suffered from crop failures and increased mutations. The records also spoke of an expedition to the Barren Hills by the then Baron's son and known astronomer Dagmar Wittgenstein. The expedition had occurred three years ago and ended with Dagmar returning alone hauling a lead lined box. Finally the records provided a full lineage of the local nobles the Wittgenstein's.
Ghoulish villagers, when there's no food in Wittgendorf what do you eat?
(8:08) The band rested in the altar room feeling reassured by its holy presence. As they settled in they heard voices from the temple's foyer. Solomon crept as close as he dared to eavesdrop on a pair of dishevelled villagers who muttered in low tones about their hunger and complained about the collapsed tunnel into the crypt. As they spoke it became clear that they had turned to cannibalism to survive Wittgendorf's famine. (11:18) The heroes confronted the villagers about their cannibalism. The unfortunates protested their innocence all the while refusing to enter the altar room to discuss things. Even the promise of food could not get them to cross the boundary into the temple proper. Their apparent fear of Sigmar sealed their fate in the adventurers eyes and the party attacked. In the ensuing slaughter a wretch was allowed to flee into the night, the dwarves could hardly catch him.
Two headed sheep are much sought-after by the beggars of Wittgendorf.
(21:49) The following morning the group considered heading straight to the castle but instead chose to observe the village first. It wasn't long before they saw a cluster of crippled beggars chasing a two headed sheep in their general direction. As the group of unfortunates came closer it was clear that they were afflicted with an assortment of minor mutations. The group usually killed mutants on sight but they held off. Killing every mutant in Wittgendorf promised to be long and bloody work. They gave the beggars a wide berth. (24:42) Wittgendorf's local inn was called the Shooting Star. Despite the early hour is was crowded with locals. A word with the innkeeper let them know that many in the village wanted to leave but couldn't. The innkeeper explained that the commotion they had seen yesterday outside the inn was Lady Magritte Wittgenstein seizing the local Miller who she accused of being an outlaw collaborator. The inn keep also explained that these outlaws harassed the Wittgenstein soldiers from the dubious safety of the woods. The group formulated a plan to evacuate the entire town, all except the somewhat mutated beggars. Perhaps this act would provoke the Wittgenstein's into leaving the relative safety of their castle.
After seeing the locals is it any wonder the group didn't trust Wittgendorf's physician?
(32:27) The town physician Jean Rousseaux entered the inn, introduced himself and welcomed the group to town. He invited them to dinner that night and sang the praises of Magritte Von Wittgenstein. The group were non committal and the physician left. (37:41) Walter used his public speaking skills to tell those gathered in the inn that the heroes boat would arrive at dusk and that anyone who wanted to leave was welcome to board it. The villagers should tell their friends but avoid telling the physician at all costs. (40:51) As the group set off to get their boat Esmeralda the Shallyan initiate was approached by a distressed woman. It was the Miller's wife. Her baby was ill. She told Esmeralda that the town physician was useless and his aid had worsened her child's condition. Esmeralda agreed to help and examined the child in the safety of the abandoned temple. There she saw that the child was covered in fur and had taken many arachnid features. This was Esmeralda's second encounter with a mutant baby! The child was very ill and not long for this world. Esmeralda broke the news to the mother as best she could. Herdan put the child out of its misery. (49:34) While the halflings fetched the boat the warriors watched the town. Joten spotted Jean Rousseaux waddle his way to the Wittgentsteins castle. Soon after the physicians arrival three heavily armoured guards headed from the castle and made their way to the inn where they menaced the locals. The group raced to the rescue and after a long melee put the guards down.
"We will return for you beggars of Wittgendorf."<fingers crossed>
(62:39) That evening the locals gathered at the inn. As dusk approached the heroes boat arrived at the dock where Herdan ushered the villagers, and not the towns slightly mutated beggars, onto to the vessel. A days sailing later and the townsfolk were resettled in the slums of Grissenwald. (65:23) Now that she was a safe the grief stricken mother, whose baby was a mutant and whose husband was taken by Wittgenstein guards, confessed to aiding the outlaws. She offered to take the group to the outlaws as long as they tried their best to free her husband.
