The Enemy Within Revisited Cast: Gustav Myrthenbaum the Bounty Hunter (Davy White) Falco the Apothecary (Michael Morgan) Hargrin the Troll Slayer (Kevin Bronakoski) Bran the Amber Wizard (David Crapper) Rutger Horstmann the Zealot (Chris Taylor) Having just killed a troll and being surrounded by disturbingly starving beggars, the team was ready to continue on their way to castle Wittgenstein. A regal looking woman accompanied by guards appeared on a nearby hill. Her guards grabbed one of the unconscious beggars lying on the ground and took him away. Bran was certain he recognized this woman, determining that she was probably a member of the Wittgenstein family. Bran shared his revelation with the rest of the team, and informed them that she lords over the villagers. While doing so, he starts experiencing an intolerable itch all over his body. Falco inspects him and noticed that he has lice. While this was going on, Rutger looked down on a nearby village, which looked dilapidated and impoverished. A Sigmarite temple in a profound state of disrepair caught his eye. The mere sight of the temple upsets him, and he became driven to find the priest in charge and confront him. He wants to ensure that funds are not being misappropriated. The group entered to the village and stopped at the Shooting Star Inn before proceeding to the temple. Deciding to eat dinner and have a drink first, the group was about to go inside the inn when they noticed a nearby man teasing a dog by dangling a piece of meat over him. Bran attempted to intervene in defense of the dog when the dog suddenly bit the man and ran off. The dog inflicted significant damage, leaving the man in a bad way. Falco performed first-aid to save him. Afterwards, the group left the man where he was and proceeded into the inn. The bar tender welcomed them, while viciously coughing. Gustav inquired on what kind of food they served, and the bar tender informed them that they had 3-legged chickens. Understanding that the inn is serving a mutant chicken, the team decided against eating it and just booked a room. Gustav and Falco shared a room, while Bran took his own room with a window. Hargrin and Rutger also shared a room. Having a drink at the bar, Gustav shared his knowledge of a malady called “Chicken Lung” with Bran. They deduced that the three-legged chickens have been the cause of the nasty cough they noticed with the bar tender, as well as around the village. The team decided to rest before going to the temple. The night was uneventful, and everyone headed downstairs to meet for breakfast. The innkeeper served a double-yoked egg. Gustav and Bran bravely ate the eggs, while the rest of the party ordered oats. Over breakfast, Bran asked the innkeeper about the temple. He informed them that the priest is dead, as a part of the temple collapsed and fell on him. Regardless, the team decided to go see the temple before carrying on to the Wittgensteins. En-route to the temple a woman cozied up to Falco and tried to hand him a baby. Bran took a look and saw that it was not human, but rather a giant spider. The party wished to destroy the monstrosity, which prompted Bran to become protective. In the end, Falco distracted him while Hargrin dispatched the spider. In this moment a two-headed sheep appeared, and was being chased by a group of hungry villagers. Bran lost interest in the spider, and became hell-bent on protecting the sheep. Bran spoke to the sheep, befriended it, and hid it from the group of villagers. The party carried onto the temple. Inside the room is dark with light streaming in through a hole in the roof. There’s a large altar in the room with a Sigmarite statue behind it. Bran detected a magical presence while inspecting a leather-bound book on the altar. Stay tuned for what happens next week. by Michael Morgan (aka Falco)
3 Comments
Photocredit [email protected] http://gido.deviantart.com/art/Troll-Bridge-pencils-363490889
The Enemy Within Revisited Cast:
Gustav Myrthenbaum the Bounty Hunter (Davy White) Falco the Apothecary (Michael Morgan) Hargrin the Troll Slayer (Kevin Bronakoski) Bran the Amber Wizard (David Crapper) On River Trolls and Their Slayers We continued our pursuit of the Troll and pulled into the small town. A frantic Halfling was trying to wave us down on the run-down pier. As we closed, we could see it was that nefarious skid mark’s sister, Dumpling. We tossed her a rope and she loosely secured the boat. There was a huge explosion of wood and a massive water plume. The dreaded River Troll, our Dwarf’s quarry erupted from the jetty and Dumpling was thrown far into the river. As the rest of us recoiled, dove for cover, or simply fell back, Hargrin leapt from the heaving boat to the destroyed dock, both axes flashing out. With a roar the troll brought down its massive paw, destroying more of the jetty. Hagrin was in a tumble roll, one of the axes disappearing through the side of the troll. The cry was ear splitting. Little Gustav frantically raced back and forth barking, but thankfully could not get to the dock. I watched in horror as the arm I had raised to shield myself began sprouting horrid thick hair. I could feel it all over my body. Sprouting and bristling. This is it I thought, the final transmutation of my very physical self, succumbing to the ruinous power that had already marked me as damned. Enraged, I was up and the crossbow loosed it’s bolt. It flew true, despite the noise and chaos and I saw it disappear into the gut of the fell beast. Only then did I hear Bran’s voice over the din, letting us know that Ghur’s power was with each of us and we could draw on the very reserves of the earth’s power. The troll swung again and again, this time with an old anchor that it must have found ages ago, lost in the muck. The slayer, preternaturally rolling away from each and every blow, somehow finding an undamaged piece of the jetty to get to. A flash and the unmistakable draw of power. The sudden smell of fresh cut wood and a stake of wood or bone or both struck the beast in the shoulder, pluming with dark ichor. If it noticed it was hard to tell. More of the wizard’s conjuring. Thinking I saw an opportunity, I dove in but the enraged beast was fury incarnate and it was impossible to get close enough to land a blow. I lacked the dwarf’s skill and fearlessness and could only try and distract it. Falco, beside me at this time, cried out and pointed. The slayer appeared on the back of the monster, and there is no other way to describe it, was climbing the back of the thing with his axes, as though climbing an ice wall with picks. The troll, mad with anger tried, but could not reach the dwarf with his gruesome purchase and position. There was a terrible exaltation and with three mighty whacks, the slayer was through the neck and the head tumbled to the ground. The body flailing for far too long to be natural. There was a sudden stillness and we all sat in silence, not sure what had exactly happened and how Hargrin had managed to survive this one-sided encounter. He looked lost, in that moment. Like a failure, strangely. Wet, chest heaving. It is impossible to say but I swear I saw tears on his cheeks, though I never did broach the subject with him. I mean him no shame. It was Bran that was the first to collect himself, examining the troll. The beast had another ear with a stone set in it, clasped in its claw. Bran took the ear, interested in the stone work. I stumbled forward and noted that the fat itself was a prize but the others did not believe the well documented fact that troll fat makes one impervious to disease. It was at this point we realized Dumpling was in the water, and Falco dove into to save her. I saw real concern on his face and to this date I am unsure of that relationship. Bran as well jumped in, after disrobing, looking more like a beast. A hairy comet with a pig’s bladder flotation device. With some shouting and flailing Bran was able to find her. We hauled the pair back. Looking at her face, so similar to that of her dastardly brother filled me with the darkest thoughts. Before she expired she told us that Gerhard had collected her brother and my heart leapt. Now I would have a chance to exact some bloody revenge for the outrage I had suffered because of him. Falco now swam back with the body of some poor soul whose very body had revolted against him. I can sympathize with this poor fellow now. Clearly these bodies had floated down from Castle Wittgenstein. Seeing this, Bran turned into his Raven form. Watching him transform his own body back and forth without any ill effects and drawing on this energy so freely disturbs me more than it clearly ever did him. He flew off and was back quick enough with news that a small group of starving locals was coming towards us. This dreadful lot approached us and they pawed and mewed for food. Falco gave the wretches some of his rats and they devoured these in the most appalling manner. Hagrin issued the darkest threats but these barely got through to them in their state. We had to resort to near violence to get them to back off just a little. We had however, arrived close to the dreaded castle Wittgenstein, and we headed towards the village, set there under the oppressive shadow of the fortress…. by Gustav (aka Davy White) |
Noely Been a fan of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay since the 80's. The Enemy Within always stood out as a classic and at the time, and arguably since there was nothing like it. And these pages are my homage to it. Welcome!Enter adventurers! Leave your weapon at the door, grab an ale and make yourself at home. And don't forget to subscribe while you're here. Archives
January 2018
Categories |
RSS Feed