Phtoto Credit: Ian Burt@Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/oddsock/3623474374 under creative Commons License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/
The Enemy Within Revisited Cast:
Falco the Apothecary (Michael Morgan) Hargrin the Dwarf Trollslayer (Kevin Bronakowski) Ripwise the Halfling Chef (David Crapper) So here we are looking for a witch in a tower and what do we find instead but a goblin in a dress. And I can tell you that it wasn’t a very pretty sight. My dreams may be forever haunted by some of the things i’ve witnessed in the company of this party but though less dangerous perhaps than facing the hordes of chaos, nevertheless looking up the skirt of a dress wearing goblin in knickers is not quite the picnic either and just as likely to make you revisit the contents of your stomach and most recent meal as said evil minions. But enough of the goblin. We’ve seen the last of him or her. And so it seems have we seen the last of Ripwise the halfling chef of ours. Admittedly he always seemed somewhat unhinged but the manner in which he completely lost his mind and plummeted out of the window was nothing short of the work of a madman. I can still hear his manic shriek as he bundled into the goblin with a tackle that wouldn’t have looked out of place on a snotball field. And speaking of madness, throughout all of these events Hargrin the Trollsslayer continues to cleave the goblins in twain with a reckless abandon that borders just the right side (or do I mean the wrong side) of insanity. And what was the crazy ratcatcher fella doing all this while? Well it later transpired that he was collecting mold. Yep you heard that right. He was collecting mold. As if there wasn't enough mold and fungus gathering on his clothes and permanently unbathed body he's now collecting his own. Madness! But what do I know of madness? Perhaps I'm the crazy one. I know not what to make of this Raven which appeared out of the blue and has begun to follow us. Does it sense our imminent deaths and has designs on picking over our carcasses? If so it would be more polite I think for it to wait. It has proved useful and aided us already beyond measure but even so I cannot bring myself to trust the bird like the others seem to. It has an intelligent gleam in it’s eye or perhaps we’re all descending into madness I can no longer tell which is true. Maybe both. by GM Noely
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The Enemy Within Revisited Cast:
Gustav Myrthenbaum the Dilettante (Davy White) Falco the Apothecary (Michael Morgan) Ripwise the Halfling Chef (Savage) Hargrin the Dwarf Trollslayer (Kevin Bronakowski) If the witch Etelka Herzen had once made this place her home it was doubtful whether she’d be keen to do so again in the future. Left in the hands of the goblins the place had swiftly fallen to rack and ruin. The place stunk of filth and urine. There were literally goblins everywhere. Having said that it didn't take the members of our party very long before they began reducing their numbers. We'd barely even crossed the threshold of this strange mage commissioned - dwarf built Tower before the Trollslayer had split the skull of a sleeping 'sentry' goblin as easily (and as dispassionately) as if he'd been chopping firewood. Now i'm not the biggest fan of goblins but the poor thing wasn't even given a fighting chance to defend himself. Not that I dared to mention my misgivings since the stocky mohican sporting fighting machine seemed to take the existence of goblins as a very personal matter and their removal from the land of the living as a welcome task that filled him with glee. In any case my fears about the goblins plight were swiftly dispelled upon entering the next room. The rank stench of urine that hit us we opened the door of this small dimly lit room perhaps once a storeroom but our assaulted noses indicated was clearly now used as a latrine. Tied up here we saw a man and woman Helmut and Hilda in quite an awful state. Both had been left in here perhaps for amusement and the manic look in their eyes as we freed them spoke of untold atrocities witnessed and suffered. In the next room we discovered the aptly named Dumpling, the sister of our halfling pie fiend. And before you ask no 'fiend' is not a typo for friend. Anyway Dumpling seemed a pleasant enough little thing with a round dumpling like figure and a pleasant enough smile that almost made her look female if you could look past the beard and the hairy feet which I profess to not being able to manage. She seemed scared out of her tiny mind (well she is Ripwise's sister after all) and so it was decided by Ripwise that it best she wait where we'd found her, cowering under her bed, until the coast was clear. Pressing on we walked straight into a room full of goblins, a whole room of them, seems they were sleeping in here and so the carnage began. Hargrin did what he did best, kill goblins and the others joined in as best they could. Never much of a brawler Gustav threw insults far more cutting than the blade he wielded while Falco waved his blunderbuss around in such a cavalier fashion that it was a miracle his blunderbuss sprayed shot missed us his comrades and found only the flesh of enemy targets. I wish I could say the same for the rat catchers dog though which in all the confusion seemed to latch on to the trolls layers loin cloth with a toothy grip and refused to let go. Ouch! Speaking of confusion, sure the scenes so far were carnage but all of my strange companions and the scenes I had so far witnessed paled in comparison to what my eyes were finally to spy in that tower. After a pitched battle on the spiral staircase we fought our way almost to the top to be greeted with the strangest sight indeed. A goblin, seemingly their leader was adorned in a bright frock and diamond accessories complete with tiara and such. I'm not sure whether this Etelka Herzen would have survived the shock of this Gutbag Throatstottler (as he proudly declared himself to be) wearing her frocks. It was certainly almost the death of me as the sight froze me to the spot long enough for a rusty gobbo sword to swish past my ear just close enough to shave a lock of hair but thankfully sparing my ear. To battle then. Tiara or no. This frock wearing greenskin freak needs to die even if it means spilling his vile blood on this pretty dress of his. by GM Noely Hi ho, hi ho! Off to the pub we go...The Enemy Within Revisited Cast: Gustav Myrthenbaum the Dilettante (Davy White) Ripwise the Halfling Chef (Savage) Hargrin the Dwarf Trollslayer (Kevin Bronakowski) Dwarfs! Bloody Dwarfs! Here we are on our way to see a witch in a god forsaken tower that’s been built next to an accursed mine and who’s to blame? Dwarfs. Yes a witches tower built by who? Dwarfs? A town that’s on edge and and looking for blood following a whole spate of farm attacks and who’s the chief suspects? Dwarfs. A mine that’s been by lost and who lost it and wants it back? That’s right you guessed it Dwarfs. A whole catalogue of disastrous events and at the root of it all bloody dwarfs. But I need to keep my thoughts to myself. For the sake of my relationship with our new companion Hargrin the dwarf trollslayer (and by relationship I mean ensure that he doesn’t tear me limb from limb) I shall be careful not to share my real thoughts on this dwarf created shitstorm that we find ourselves in. It wouldn’t be so bad if it was just the dwarfs in the party that I had to keep my eye on but, I am becoming increasingly unnerved by the actions of the other vertically challenged member of our party, namely the halfling who goes by the name of Ripwise Riverbank. As the chef in our party his cooking is second to none and I swear that his pies are simply ‘to die for’. But there’s something about this stunted little hairy footed fellow that disturbs me. I can’t quite put my finger on what it is but the fellow unnerves me and I usually have a good sense for these things. For one he most definitely has wandering hands. Oh he’s fairly adept and professionally sneaky about it but on more than the one occasion i’ve spotted his hands quickly dart into the pockets of those unfortunate souls whom he ‘helps’. Were it this alone then i’d be unlikely to be unduly concerned, but something about the way he sneaked off to do something to the dwarf that we found dying by the roadside (more on this later) gives me the creeps. I swear a heard a strangled cry and moments later he caught up to us with a beaming smile and no indication that anything was awry. But I know better. I shall certainly sleep with one eye on the shifty little stunty fellow tonight and all nights. But the problem with our party is who amongst them should I not watch like a hawk. I trust each and every one of them about as far as I could throw them. Which in the case of our jovial Dilettante cum minstrel wouldn’t be very far despite him seeming the most trustworthy of the bunch. But I wonder if his greed might pervade into more than just food. I swear if the man ate one of Ripwise’s pies he ate 20. And several for breakfast. The rat catcher cum apothecary fellow seems to eat little and bathe even less. A bit of a loose cannon that one (quite literally when he starts waving around his blunderbuss). And so it was this ragtag bunch that set off towards the Black Peaks in search of Etelka Herzen’s Tower newly built by dwarfs near the mouth of Black Peaks Mine. On the way we met the dwarf I mentioned earlier, Durak was his name and he lay punctured with goblin arrows and surrounded by several corpses of his green skinned attackers whose days of ambushing were over. So with goblins now confirmed in residence in and around this mine we headed first for Herzen’s Tower. There we found a slumbering horde in a bedroom (no doubt tired from their midnight massacring exertions) and were able to dispatch a couple of them before they had time to rouse from their slumber. Killing goblins while they sleep is this what I have been driven to? Sigmar save us all. But more of this next time, the carnage ensued next was grim and I do not wish to cloud my sleep with the nightmarish scenes that transpired next. Perhaps I will feel of stronger mind and constitution when I pen my next recollections. I do hope for both our sakes that is the case. by GM Noely A meaty tale of dwarven demise and halfling pies.
Photo credit: By Jeroen Kransen [CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons
The Enemy Within Revisited Cast:
Gustav Myrthenbaum the Dilettante (Davy White) Falco the Ratcatcher (Michael Morgan) Ripwise the Halfling Chef (Savage) Hargrin the Dwarf Trollslayer (Kevin Bronakowski) We traveled to Kemperbad with Badigon's freight of brandy. The journey was not kind to Smof and myself, the cool weather and the worsening Ghoul Pox leaving us both infirm. By the time we arrived in Kemperbad Smoff was so laid out that the loyal brute could only groan and lay prone. Falco, using the herbs he had collected on our journey tried his best to concoct something to aid us, but his broth was merely bitter and tepid. I'll have to teach him the benefits of proper note taking. I must say, I thought that finally arriving in Kemperbad would have done something to improve our notoriously surly captain's mood, but he remained completely unchanged. Barking his orders and telling us to be off to do our business and be back before dark. We loaded the Ogre onto a palette and had him moved to the local hospice of Shaylla where the kind ladies there applied plasters and administered their ministrations. Upon seeing me and my weakened state they also took sympathy on my poor soul and took me to bed. Our companions, seeing that we were well taken care of, went off to see to their own business. I rested hours and felt the better for it though I admit I did worry for my friends well being in the city. When I met back up with them, they had met with the most fascinating little folk with the most glorious, enlightening, and aged pies: Master Ripwise Riverbank. It would turn out he needed to travel up river in order to find his sister. Our luck was to change, for the better and the worst. Badigon, having unloaded his wares and his friends had abandoned us. Could have had the decency to leave his boat behind. I have some very mixed feelings about his departure. Perched on our gear was Ripwise's companion, Hargrin, the Troll Slayer. His tell-tale orange mohawk was shaped with rank fat and it's odor was detectable from more than a few yards. After some time we secured a barge to take us up the river towards Grissenwald and the Black Hills... In Grissenwald we encountered a sad lot. The local area, it would seem had been subject to raids to the surrounding farms. The dwarfs from a local mine had fallen into misery and drink. Shadows of their mighty selves. The Reiklanders of this remote place seemed convinced that the dwarfs were behind the dark work of torching the farms. We would learn that the dwarfs had sold their mine to Etelka and then spent the money on ale. Ripwise discovered that his sister, Dumpling, was indeed around, last being seen in the service of Etelka only weeks ago. There was absolutely no convincing these people that the sale of the mine and the recent attacks weren't related in the slightest and that this witch wasn't behind the grievous attacks. It would seem that the task of convincing them otherwise would fall upon our weary shoulders.... by Davy White and a keyhole too many
The Enemy Within Revisited Cast:
Gustav Myrthenbaum the Dilettante (Davy White) Falco the Ratcatcher (Michael Morgan) Badigon the Boatman (Shane) Nateery the Hunter (Nicole) With the undead foe vanquished the party surveyed the wreckage of this underground structure that lay hidden beneath the dwarves signal tower. This place was clearly the library and study of someone who had an interest in and fascination for Astronomy. Several notebooks and maps were found detailing planetary locations and in particular a focus on predicting the moons orbit. An old observatory perhaps? Amidst the dust and cobwebs several objects of note were discovered. An array of portraits of some unnamed family (though unlabelled the family resemblance was unmistakeable) , a magical tome of seemingly necromantic purpose, a long elegant staff of unknown function and a curious map which seemed to pinpoint a trio of places, chiefly an unknown remote location in a hilly barren region far off to the East of here. But even more curious was a hidden central chamber which revealed a pentagram, and closer inspection of this mystical symbol revealed several star shaped sockets or keyholes. Matching them to the ‘necklaces’ found around the necks of each of the slain undead it was clear that these were all keys. But after inserting them one by one it soon became clear that although these seemed to be keys our party were either a key too short or a keyhole too many. After much head scratching and hours of searching they eventually give up and head off up river. The broody silence is broken by possibly the worst sound of singing they’ve ever heard. Yes, even worse than Gustav and when he pleads his innocence on this occasion they press on to find a traveling troupe of river performers fronted by an insanely handsome but woefully inept singer and lutist. After a brief musical interlude they press on and are accosted by some mutant sympathizers called SAPPED. The party escape these insane ramblings as soon as they are able which isn't soon enough for their liking. With Badigon and Falco laying odds on the madmen from sapped being ripped limb from limb by the very mutants they are so keen to protect, our merry band press on amidst much shaking of heads. It’s been said before but is worth saying again these truly are the strangest and darkest of times. by GM Noely Why you should never, ever build on mysterious ruins...ever!
The Enemy Within Revisited Cast:
Gustav Myrthenbaum the Dilettante (Davy White) Falco the Ratcatcher (Michael Morgan) Badigon the Boatman (Shane) Nateery the Hunter (Nicole) I will never forget the terrifying sound of the bloodcurdling screams that broke the silence and my troubled dreams that night. Though few of us had heard the shriek of undead before that night (most of us have done so since) and all to a man (and to a woman since Nateery also concurred) would swear, till the end of their days that this was an altogether different sound. Neither male, nor quite female, neither dead nor seemingly alive. Sat around a campfire our party discussed this quasi human and seemingly womanlike, close to death (and almost fearful) voice for quite a while. before Gustav suddenly and rather rudely interrupted our deliberations in as deep a voice as he could muster to insist that we stop talking about such frivolous nonsense. He seemed unusually flushed in the cheeks about something but perhaps it was merely the wine to blame. But enough of this…back to that noise. Within seconds of the screams cutting the silence the room was filled with the sounds of fighting machines (well machine singular in Smof) jumping into action and as my eyes struggled to adjust to the light I could just make out the form of Smof as he brought his hammer up in a wide arc crashing into the skull of the ghoulish creature, but not before it’s teeth bit into Gustav who yelled out in a strangely familiar cry. When the light was brought forward the party surveyed the scene and found the creature had retreated into its lair leaving behind a badly injured Gustav and an angry Smof. The party decided somewhat hastily that there was nothing for it but to plunge into the darkness to discover ‘What Lies Beneath the Tower’ As Badigon and Falco fought over which of them would ‘not go first’ Smof shook his head and plunged into the darkness below. I swear if Smof hadn’t been there they’d have left it to the huntress to take point. Speaking of the huntress I guess I should take this moment to introduce her though her performance in battle would more suitably describe her. Like a lady knight in shining armor she arrived unannounced and came to the aid of our male ’damsels’ in distress when our combat shy bunch would have surely perished at the hands (nay rotting claws) of our undead assailants. She’d fortuitously been in the area and heard the commotion and rushed to see who might need her help. And help she damn well did…and how. She proceeded to despatch death to all who messed with her including nay especially to the ‘undead’ whom were all dispatched to the afterlife and a rest that they had been deprived of until now. The way she did so with a cool almost flippant manner had the rest of our party in unmistakeable awe of her. Gustav perhaps to make light of the fact that his and indeed the rest of the all male party members manliness was being called into question took to giving Nateery’s recently downed cadavers a sneaky stab with his sword ‘to finish them off’ as he put it insisting not wholly convincingly that at least one of the still lifeless forms was ‘not quite dead’. In any case, before long all the undead creatures had either fled or had been sent to their long overdue final resting places and the party had time to survey the scene. This place appeared to be a secret study of some sort and the discovery of books clarified that it was some sort of observatory. Charts predicting the course of the moons orbits were found along with a map pinpointing an as yet unknown barren almost mountainous region as worthy of note, though what part these Barren Hills were to play in our adventure would only later become apparent. In amongst all the items of interest was an obviously magical tome. It seemingly detailed the process of raising the undead and was duly pocketed by the huntress. If the party thought this strange non dared question her motives having seen her prowess with her bow even in pitch darkness. Also of interest was a rather fetching cane which Falco appropriated because he found the ornate carvings ‘purty’ as a picture. Speaking of pictures the place also had a number of painting of some unknown people with bushy eyebrows and aquiline faces, and though the name wasn’t written the family resemblance among all the paintings was clear to all. And that was pretty much that. It was all over in a flash but the memory of that dark place and the denizens beneath will haunt me until the end of my days. As it seems will the spectre of Nateery haunt Gustav. She didn’t stick around for very long, disappearing into the night at our next port of call, just as swiftly as she had arrived. But her memory it seems will live long in our memories and particularly Gustav’s who in the months and years after could be heard in fitful dreams (or perhaps they were nightmares) repeating the name over and over again. Nateery, Nateery, Dear Nateery. I'm coming... by GM Noely
The Enemy Within Revisited Cast
Gustav Myrthenbaum the Dilettante (Davy White) Falco the Ratcatcher (Michael Morgan) Badigon the Boatman (Shane) It was a grey and wet morning when we left the stink of Altdorf. I love the city I grew up in and it certainly is the greatest the Empire has to offer but for all it's treasures and wonders they are built a top a great midden heap and it's miasma is offset none by all the luster the capital offers. We traveled by way of Badigon's boat up the River Reik. His curses falling on on the gloom of the Reikwald as he tried to turn us into a workable crew. Hardly any wonder he has had troubles keeping a regular contingent of deckhands. The Sigmarite priest we left behind, his outrage at the new protection offered to mutants under Karl Franz's new writ consumed him wholly and we left him before he should cause us any more grief. As we came to the place where the Reik and the Tuefel join we laid eyes on the magnificence of the Castle Reikguard, home to the heir of the throne, Prince Wolfgang Holswig-Abenauer. A glorious place though it would be sometime before I was made an honoured guest there. More of that later, though. It was the next day that we would come upon the signaling tower, the dwarfs, and the mystery on that hillock that would change our live for the worse. When we first laid eyes on that tower, I mistook it for one of the great giant stones. The way the light silhouetted it's form and from the piss poor description on the History Book of Alfred the Mad I was convinced this was the case. I have since corrected the failings of that Hammer-Smacked-Toad-Licker so others won't make the potentially dangerous mistake themselves. Excepting this document one should not believe everything they read... As we came up on the tower two dwarves desperately flagged our ship down. We pulled up, but not soon enough for these frightened individuals. They splashed up to the boat frantically and Smof hauled them overboard, onto the deck. The Dwarfs wrung their clothes while making nervous glances over their shoulders. Within minutes it was clear as to why, their foreman came over to collect the two wretches who had been intent on using our boat to help them try to flee that place. Intrigued by what was causing them such concern, we enquired of their foreman. Master Isembeard would come to tell us about the recent problems he was experiencing with workers disappearing. He went on to tell us that half of his original twelve have vanished. Our captain quickly surmised that this could be very profitable, us having ale on board that these being dwarves that would need the soothing qualities of the alcohol. Upon agreeing to help for a reasonable compensation, Isembeard took us for a tour of the signaling tower. It turns out the tower was being built upon an older, unfinished site to which Falco took some umbrage with. We spent some considerable searching for any hidden entrances. During our search I found a pouch containing a locket with the portrait of two dwarfs, a wife and child of an undetermined sex. The master engineer determined the two dwarfs were taken in the night, and indeed did not run. We advised the dwarfs to abandon the tower but they were loath to as they would lose their profits if they abandon the project. Six more nights to finish the work and fulfill the contract is all they needed. With that in mind and a commitment made to pay made by the dwarfs we came up with a plan to lay the trap. I would be the bait while the others watch. I took the time to begin writing, by flickering candle light, in my journal and catching up on the observations made on our travels up the Reik. The night would have a couple of unfortunate turns. The first would be the case of some dwarf with more stones in his head than sense, who decided to relive himself without telling us. It was almost the end of that fellow and he was chastised terribly for his folly. After that draining encounter we tried a second time to establish a trap. So deep into my research I failed to notice that the others had fallen asleep and that a creeping horror was about to make me it's new meal. It pulled me towards a hole that had never been, a deep black pit that filled me with terror. As it screamed in it's horrible, high pitched keen I regained my courage and yelled to my sleeping fellows that danger was afoot. Smof was the first to get to my side and he drove the beast back into the dark. The others arrived, late I might add, and we decided on a course of action given the new threat and it's source. As we argued about our next course of action, the thing attacked again, pulling me down and dragging me into that nameless pit.... by Gustav (aka Davy White)
The Enemy Within Revisited Cast
Gustav Myrthenbaum the Dilettante (Davy White) Falco the Ratcatcher (Michael Morgan) Badigon the Boatman (Shane) With his boat now repaired Badigon, seems in such a good mood that he goes on a spending spree and treats everyone to new equipment. In all the euphoria, nobody seems to notice that it’s the groups communal money that he’s spending, and of course the smuggler isn’t about to tell them. As Gustav and Badigon return sporting a new suit of chainmail, Falco can’t help but wonder what happened to their old leather armor suits as he picks at the holes in his grubby ex rat catcher rags, and doubts their ability to protect him from a sharp quill, let alone a sword. “With friends like these…” he mutters to himself, with a heavy sigh. Not content with a cargo hold half full of illicit Bretonnian Brandy, Badigon loads up more slightly less illicit liquor. In for a penny and all that. The party have another meeting with Hieronymus Blitzen in which he tells them more about the nefarious witch known as Etelka Herzen. Their future course it seems lies South in pursuit of Miss Herzen (and her Elven accomplice) last seen headed towards Grissenwald, Black Peaks. Before leaving Altdorf, the party notice they’re being tailed (badly) as Falco sneaks around behind him to cut off his escape route, Badigon employs the tactic of yelling at your would be pursuer as though they are a naughty boy. Confused the man tries to make a grab for a weapon and then thinking better of it, a dash for safety. Falco and his friend the Blunderbuss have other other ideas though. Faced with the bad smell of an angry rat catcher and looking down the wrong end of a blunderbuss the strange fellow decides to quaff a pill thereby ending his own life. The lengths some people will go to, to avoid listening to one of Gustav’s tales. Well, that’s a suicide the party are responsible for to add to the already long list of murders. What time did Badigon say our boat leaves Altdorf? by GM Noely ...according to my scaly, horned, hairy friend with a tail
The Enemy Within Revisited Cast
Gustav Myrthenbaum the Dilettante (Davy White) Falco the Ratcatcher (Michael Morgan) Smof the Ogre Maneater (Sedrick Galamonte) Gerhard Berger (Tom Kissel) With Weissbruck a mere distant memory for all of us except Falco we pushed on towards Altdorf. For someone who is now wanted for murder in at least 3 major settlements in the Empire the ear to ear grin that Falco has been wearing seems wholly inappropriate. I thought at first it was perhaps his newfound profession that had him looking like the cat who got the cream. And while he has undoubtedly thrown himself into the business of herbs and potions with gusto, even this doesn’t seem to match the smug smile. If I didn’t know better I’d swear that healing potions weren’t the only fluids the two had exchanged. But no! This is the grubby rat catcher we’re talking about and the image of him and anyone naked is not an image I cared to dwell on. (Shudder!) After a couple of stops to accomodate Falco's herb gathering we arrived in Altdorf. No sooner did we disembark then Gustav was accosted by a pedlar (or what we thought to so). After a hokus attempt at selling pots he suddenly started making wild gestures with his hands. Left hand to right ear and so on. I’d have dismissed it as a party game except that it’s happened before but this time the fellow after gesturing to shake hands with Gustav, promptly disappeared. Gustav looked bewildered and even more so when he looked at his palm to find it was now a deep shade of purple and had been applied with ink of some kind. Is this a cult of some sort and why the interest in Gustav? And how in blue blazes is he supposed to remove this stain? Not the first stain on the man's character I might add. But that was a question that would have to wait. First things first. Some lubrication was called for. With Badigon off doing whatever it is sailors do when they're in dock (ahem!), the rest of us headed to the bar for some well earned grub and the obligatory amber liquid to accompany it. While there we had a chance encounter (or so it seemed at first) with a peculiar wizard named Hieronymus Blitzen and his disagreeable. apprentice Hans Schiller. It seems the schemes of Etelka Herzen are known to many and perhaps more dastardly than even we first imagined. And then the most unexpected of all happened. Our adventures have taken us over hills and down dales, up rivers and down streams, across miles and miles of adventure and excitement but nothing had prepared us for what happened in Altdorf. Most of us had previously dismissed Smof’s mutterings about Sigmar and the priesthood as being merely insane ramblings, though of course none of us would have dared tell him that to his face. But imagine our surprise when we pitched up in Altdorf only for Smof to declare. “I’m going to talk to my dad, anyone wanna come for dinner?” Putting aside our natural reservations about dining with Ogres (not to mention the early fear that WE might have been the main course) we decided to tag along and accompany him anyway. And Falco assures me that his insistence on packing his Blunderbuss and Ogre pellets were merely precautions. So we heads off to dinner but while some might have expected us to end up at a swamp somewhere or in some grotty slum, imagine our surprise when Smof marched straight up to the Temple of Sigmar and asked to be let in. The doormen recognizing him immediately duly obliged, and so it was that while relinquishing our weapons at the door someone quipped whether we were also relinquishing our minds grasp with this fools errand. Ogres living in the Temple of Sigmar in Altdorf? Meanwhile outside the locals were up in arms about the recent ‘No Such Things as Mutants’ edict. And who could blame them? This had the signature of the Emperor but the reasoning behind it had all the hallmarks of a madman. And yet who among our party was the most vocal in his claims that this edict amounted to heresy? Why Smof of course, our agreeable Ogre who once called the Temple of Sigmar his home. Oh the irony. You couldn’t make it up. by GM Noely 3 Found Dead at the Old Schroeder Barn (clippings from the Weissbruck Messenger)
Photo Credit: The Old Pueblo (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Big_Red_Barn_Little_Boquillas_Ranch_Arizona_2015.JPG
The Enemy Within Revisited Cast:
Falco the Ratcatcher (Michael Morgan) Badigon the Boatman (Shane) Gustav Myrthenbaum the Dilettante (temporarily played by Michael) Smof the Ogre Maneater (temporarily played by Shane) 3 Found Dead at the Old Schroeder Barn 9 Pflugzeit By Hanz Spieler Three men were brutally murdered at the abandoned barn on the edge of town, according to the local watch. "It was a grisly scene," said Captain Walter Berkel, who is leading the investigation. "One man was found outside, and he was choked so viciously that his neck resembled a prune. His attacker finished the job by crushing his skull. He must have been a big fellow." According to the official report, the other two bodies were found inside, having also been subjected to an intense battery. It was noted in the report that one man died from what appeared to be a fall from the second floor. The scene was discovered yesterday by some local teenagers roaming the woods. "We do not have any suspects at this time, but we are following a few leads," said Captain Berkel. Body Found Outside in the "Barn Brutality" Identified as Local Wool Trader 10 Pflugzeit By Hanz Spieler The body discovered outside has been identified as local wool trader Bill Hicks, according to Captain Walter Berkel of the watch. Hicks's wife reported him missing two days ago. The other two men remain unidentified. Upon further questioning, it was revealed that Hicks had become financially destitute after making a sizeable investment in a new wool delivery that went missing on the river Bogen. After defaulting on his delivery to the buyer, he had to repay the performance bond plus penalties and above market interest, according to officials. "When I asked him where he got the money to repay the buyer, he just kept muttering 'I signed a deal with the devil' or some nonsense," said Mrs. Hicks. "I don't know what happened; I just know he was a good man that fell in with a bad crowd." "It is not yet known why Hicks went to that barn or who the other men are, but our investigators are starting to form working theories based on the wool deal gone wrong," said Captain Berkel. The wife also told the watch that Mr. Hicks recently started making frequent trips to visit the local apothecary Elvira Kleinestun, which was out of character. "He was complaining about a sore knee, but he wasn't limping or anything. It felt odd to me. I thought maybe he was having an affair." The watch attempted to question Ms. Kleinestun, but she has reportedly gone missing. It is not clear whether the watch considers her a person of interest. Witness Comes Forward in the "Barn Brutality" 11 Pflugzeit By Hanz Spieler The watch announced today that a witness has come forward for the case of the murders at the old Schroeder barn. A homeless man going by the name of Weirdroot Stu has come forward and claimed to be in the woods nearby when the event occurred. Officials stated that Mr. Stu informed the watch that he saw one ogre and three men interrogating Bill Hicks in the woods outside the barn. Mr. Stu, who lay hidden beneath a shrub nearby, said Mr. Hicks's assailants were questioning him about the "Angel in the barn." Mr. Stu admitted to being under the influence of various narcotics at the time, according to Captain Berkel. "While inconclusive, it is feasible that the "Angel in the barn" is referring to Elvira Kleinestun, the missing apothecary," said Captain Walter Berkel. Mr. Stu told the watch that three perpetrators argued for a while about the next course of action, finally agreeing on a plan to pretend to draw the other men out of the building. At this moment one of the men left the group and covertly entered the barn. Mr. Stu heard one of the other men order the Ogre to kill Mr. Hicks before the group went down to the front of the barn and began yelling. At this point, according to Mr. Stu, he "started tripping real bad" and could not remember anything else. "We are attempting to corroborate his statements. There have been reports around town of a group of people travelling with an Ogre, but such a thing is common in this port town," according to Captain Berkel. "Nevertheless, there is a report of a recent incident at a bar that involved an ogre and a priest. We plan to investigate further." The watch declined to elaborate on the nature of the incident. Mr. Stu could not be reached for comment. Wool Sale Connected to "Barn Brutality" Victim 12 Pflugzeit By Hanz Spieler The watch has reportedly identified a recent wool sale to be the missing goods that belonged to Bill Hicks, the only identified victim of the recent "Barn Brutality" murders. The transaction occurred last week between an unknown man and local merchants, according to Captain Berkel. "The seller was definitely not a local, but I thought nothing of it," said Jeremy Eiger who bought the product. "Personal details are unimportant in such transactions. He looked shifty though." The wool was identified by its packaging, which is unique to the Vosser ranch up north. This ranch was recently appropriated by the empire and turned into a barracks. "Just about all raw wool on the market comes in bales wrapped in sisal and held together by wires, but these were wrapped in jute and held together with steel trapping," said local textile expert Joachim Aigner. "Upon seeing that, any imbecile could tell you that they came from the Vosser farm." "It was also well known on the market that Bill [Hicks] bought the last batch of Vosser wool at a serious premium, and it put him under. I told Captain Berkel immediately," Eiger further explained. Even with another break in the case, the suspects remain at large and unidentified aside from race and gender. "All we know is that the seller of the Vosser wool has most likely left town with his party," informed Captain Berkel. "At the moment the leads have gone cold." There are a number of rumours circulating, including one that has Mr Hicks and the others working for a demonologist and attempting to force Elvira Kleinestun to concoct some evil formulas. There is also speculation that the perpetrators were working for a crime syndicate out of Bogenhafen and that they effectively rescued Ms Kleinestun while delivering a package. When asked for comment, Captain Berkel categorized these rumours as "Utter bullshit." Suspects remain at large. by Falco (aka Michael Morgan) |
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January 2018
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