by Gustav
The Enemy Within Revisited Cast: Gustav the Minstrel (Davy White) Athos the Wood Elf Hunter (Shane Martin) Grimmir the Dwarf Runesmith (Dan) Smof the Ogre Maneater (Sedrick Galamonte) We were woken early in the morning by our captain and my good friend Josef Quartin. It would seem that the rakes having their “run in the slums” met with a most unfortunate (though not undeserving) end. Talk on the streets was that one of them had his head done in by a most terrible blow. Josef and Grimmir both fearing we had been framed and that the murders were staged to look like they had been committed by our ogre, Smof, we fled for Josef's boat, evading the Watch at every turn. Once stowed below we made off down the Weissbruck Canal to Bogenhofen. Smof played a dock hand to a tee, his cover impeccable. He'd have done fine as a mummer in some of Nuln's playhouses. His mustachio was a marvel and I wear my own in his style these days to remember him... The Weissbruck Canal Altdorf is both the Heart and the Bowels of the Empire. One does not miss the stink of that city when on the open water and it takes hours to spit the last taste of the filth from ones lungs. The trip to Weissbruck was quiet enough and there was plenty of time for observing and note taking. The ogre tried his hand at fishing, literally. Throwing punches and trying to scoop the fish from the river. Athos was inscrutable,but had a hard time ignoring the spectacle. Grimmir was encouraging, I think it was mostly to take his mind off being in the boat. Dwarfs, being made partly from stone make very poor swimmers and tend to sink when placed in water. Weissbruck We pulled into Weissbruck and unfortunately Smof lent a heavy hand causing the boat to rock and cracking the railing. As we worked on lashing the boat to the mooring Athos recognized a tough observing us. The same shadowy figure that was approached by a couple of odd toad-lickers making weird motions at my own person back in the Capital. This thug disappeared into a dockside tavern and Grimor decided to see what he might be up to. The rest of our group waited for the all safe signal and joined our companion for dinner. Athos kept guard, as it is known, though perhaps not commonly, that the Fey Folke can see through wood. See my chapter “On Elfs Seeing Through Wood but Not Grasses. The Benefits of Thatch” After our dinner in the inn we retired to the Berebelli fed and drunk. Always a wonderful state of being, and as close to the gods as I've ever been. I had a wonderful dream. The air was filled with the smells of cooking goose and roast boar. Suddenly the boar was on fire and the great hall's laughter turned to the screams of panic. I awoke to a sleeping berth filled with wood smoke and ogre. A nightmare from a child's bedtime story. I miss goose immensely... Smof, hauled me from the boat. Two men were lobbing canisters of oil onto the boat from behind some crates, clearly determined to do us in. Athos was hit and frantically trying to smother a fire that had caught his leg aflame. Grimmir, as well was hit and the crude missile caught fire. I was luckier, being doused with the oil but the flame was extinguished before the missile's deadly brew soaked me. Smof, with a roar hurdled himself over the railing and onto the dock. The crates offered no protection from his mighty hammer and one of the men was thrown into the far wall. The other thug dropped his oil and set himself alight. Yelling, I followed Smof, emboldened by his absolute dismissal of, and risk to, his own person. I grabbed the burning man and pitched him into the canal. A bolt whistled through the air and I felt a terrible burning on my neck. Smof had pulled me to him and had I remained in my previous spot I would have shared Kastor's fate, a bolt buried in my neck. His massive form shifted and shielded me completely from our rooftop assailant. It was at that time I noticed Athos had put out his flaming leggings and stood steady. His arrow loosed, was followed by a shout and the skidding of slate shingles. There was the sickening sound of a body falling from a height. Exhausted, we took in the bloody scene.
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(Translated from the journal of Grimmir Lokrison) – by Dan
by Dan
The Enemy Within Revisited Cast: Gustav the Minstrel (Davy White) Athos the Wood Elf Hunter (Shane Martin) Grimmir the Dwarf Runesmith (Dan) Smof the Ogre Maneater (Sedrick Galamonte) Here I begin my journey into the realms of Man so it is fitting that I enter my thoughts and experiences upon the Mannish medium of paper with ink instead of on honest lasting stone or metal. I have been sent forth to start my journeyman’s travel to gain more experience of alternate Dwarven craftings and runic techniques. I travelled from my home to Altdorf and I start these writings when almost having reached the city. The journey prior to these writings was uneventful and little struck me as worth recollecting, merely long and tedious walking that provided no inspiration. It was at an Inn that things changed. I met a man of civilised appetites and who had even grown a beard as best he could for one not of dwarven folk. His name was Gustav Myrthenbaum. When I asked about the note from Crown Prince Hergard von Tassenick of Ostland he grew very excited. He pointed out that the title of “Wanted! Bold Adventurers” meant that a band was needed. Before I had fully comprehended we had a small band (or party) wherein he had added a beardless elf named Athos Reil Lorne. I thought that since this task required travel to Altdorf that little was to be lost and perhaps a lot to be gained as there seemed to be a reward of good gold for good effort. At least now I was upon a carriage, rather than wading through the mud that normally plagued the roads at this time of year, and out of the hellish rain that berated us more than the nobles inside. The carriage was then rudely halted at the sight of a single male being attacked. As it dropped the corpse it was feeding on we all realised that this was some dark chaos spawn that had crept from the woods. With surprising speed it charged forth and was upon us before two missiles flew at it. One of my crossbow bolts missed and flew into the woods. Though it pains me to be outdone by an elf in any situation I must honestly record that the Wood Elf Athos’ arrow shot was straight and true. Speaking of pain as I looked down at my side I noticed the arrow had nicked me on the way to its target. Or was I the target? It was only a flesh wound and he claimed I jumped in his line of sight which may well have been the case in the heat of the battle. But I can see I will need to watch this elf. After this distraction, we were reminded of the trouble ahead by screams from the woods where our horses bolted dragged off a coachman. We investigated further up from our stranded carriage and found that further mutants had waylaid yet another carriage. Determined to play to my own strengths this time I resorted to ‘banging my shield and yelling’ at the enemy. My armour allowing me to draw the mutant attacks and act as the anvil to the hammer of Athos’ bow. Gustuv was of quicker eye to spot the manner of some of his fallen countrymen after the foul creatures had fallen. He found a himself a doppelganger who had inherited a fortune and he took up the mantle of the unfortunate fellow, one Kastor Lieberung. After a brief dialogue with road wardens who turned up too late to be of help we proceeded onward and things even improved when half the Empiric ‘nobles’ decided not to accompany our carriage. We at last found ourselves arriving in Altdorf where we found a compatriot of Kastor. A jovial ogre, named Smof. Gustuv and the huge creature seemed to hit it off and I wonder still if fate had some joke in mind as each member of our band made it more outlandish and strange than the previous one. A Man is a fine companion for a dwarf in a strange place, but I find the presence of these others particularly strange for a journeying. All of this strangeness had turned my mind to other ways of crafting things in unusual ways. I sought out some fellow smiths where I found some honest toil to focus things in my mind even further. In the red glory of a forge a new glimmer of rune knowledge that I knew but hadn’t understood prior became clearer to me thanks to Grungni. I returned to find Gustav enjoying the presence of more of his fellows in a tavern. Having negotiated a way to travel to Bogenhafen swiftly we drank heartily to a fine beginning of many travels. A WFRP tale of Mutant Mayhem and Body Doubles
by Noely
The Enemy Within Revisited Cast: Gustav the Minstrel (Davy White) Athos the Wood Elf Hunter (Shane Martin) Grimmir the Dwarf Runesmith (Dan) As suspected our encounter with the mutant was just the beginning of the horrors. No sooner did we round the corner to search for the horses, than we were met with a gruesome sight more blood churning than the last. An overturned coach lay across the road and while the horses struggled desperately to free themselves there was no such chance for the coach occupants whose bodies lay scattered across the road and were currently being dismembered or devoured by a quite grotesque bunch of mutant creatures. Before any of us could react the Wood Elf had loosed an arrow and dropped a strange Siamese Twin-like, multi-headed mutant and it was dead before it hit the floor, and more importantly before it could warn it’s companions. According to Gustav “Those Elves talk to their bows, and tell them exactly where they should fly”. Having witnessed Athos in action I can well believe it. With him down and the rest of the mutants not yet alerted we took the opportunity to charge these hideous parodies of once human beings. The pitfighter is a blur as he cuts through the mutant flesh of even the scaly skinned leader, like butter. Remind me not to argue with this fellow. Nor for that matter the Dwarf Grimmir, who wields his hammer with an almost gleeful enthusiasm for enemy blood as he sets about bursting several of the eyes of this Multi-Eyed Mutant. Even Gustav the chunky chap with the beard is it seems no pushover when it comes to handling a blade as he splits the head of an already Cleaved Headed Mutant in twain. Anyway it seems the mutants were already somewhat injured (particularly a grotesque Pointy Headed mutant whose leg is pumping blood from a huge open wound on it’s leg. It seems the coach occupants did not go down entirely without a fight. With the creatures now despatched we surveyed the full horror of the scene. Half a dozen humans had been slaughtered by the mutants most of them in the most horrific manner. The half eaten remains of a small child lying splayed across the ground in a cruelly contorted doll-like manner was enough to send a chill through the bones of all but the most bloodthirsty of our party. I noticed that the Pitfighter fellowAlbrecht didn’t even flinch. Speaking of blood the Elf’s keen eyes spotted a trail of blood that lead off into the brush. It lead to another body who had dragged itself away from the carnage before succumbing to it’s wounds. When he returned the usually placid features of the Elf had been replaced with a look of confusion and concern. He insisted we should come and look at this body and when we got there and inspected the body it soon became apparent why the Elf was perplexed. On the ground, and having been punctured by a couple of crossbow bolts lay a portly bearded corpse that looked like the spitting image of our very own portly, bearded comrade Gustav. Curiouser still Gustav claims no such twin sibling to his knowledge. A check of his person reveals documents identifying him as one Kastor Leiberung, the only heir to a small fortune. 2,000GC no less is the princely sum awaiting collection by this man in Bogenhafen. And since he (being dead) will have little use for such a fortune it’s not long before our party form a plan to travel to Bogenhafen and allow Gustav posing as Kastor to collect this inheritance. Motivated as much by the well stocked wine cellar mentioned in the letter as much as the coin Gustav is happpy to make sure that such finery doesn’t go unused. Waste not want not and all that. Just as we were preparing to dispose of the bodies. It was deemed prudent to torch the mutants as soon as possible. However before we could do so we suddenly saw a gang of roadwardens approaching us. Though suspicious of us at first (and given the sight of bodies all around us who could blame them?) Gustav’s winning smile and gift of the gab were enough to convince the Roadwardens that we were innocent of any wrongdoing. With that settled they decided to remove the bodies and what’s more they even assisted us in our search for our missing mounts. So before long, and with our horses recovered and hitched to the stagecoach (and the complaining whines of Lady Isolde ringing out in complaint about the delays) we are back on the road, heading for Altdorf and thereafter Bogenhafen. As the coach speed up to a slow canter, Gustav goes over the plan with the party once more: “We go to Bogenhafen, claim the inheritance and then fake Kastor’s death. What could possibly go wrong?” What indeed…
by Noely
The Enemy Within Revisited Cast: Gustav the Minstrel (Davy White) Athos the Wood Elf Hunter (Jim Hauber) Grimmir the Dwarf Runesmith (Dan) Albrecht Vogelkopf the Pitfighter (Davy White) See the world they said. Earn your fortune they said. Well, if my first impressions of this adventuring lark are anything to go by it’s really not all it’s cracked up to be. So here we are, travelling on a coach, ridden at a snail’s pace (by a couple of drunken incompetents) bound for Altdorf. I say snails pace because I do believe that I could outpace our carriage on foot had I the mind. And I say ‘on the coach’ because with most of the comfortable seats being taken up by that whining noble Lady Isolde and her fawning entourage, here ‘we’ are on the roof of said coach. And no sooner did we clamber up onto the roof, with barely enough room to get comfortable between the hatboxes and trunks of who knows what finery than the heavens opened. Oh great! And as the cold rain coming down in buckets, I’m sure I wasn’t the only one of our party who began thinking. Could this day get any worse? Me and my big mouth. As our carriage rounds the bend there appears to be something…no someone in the road. But what’s he or it doing? And why’s he bent over the body of that man? Is he injured? No sooner has the question become a thought than we get our answer. The figure turns and reveals a severed human hand hanging out of the creatures disgusting mouth. A limb which plainly belongs to the now deceased male on the road. Though human (at least in part) this creature is abhorrent to behold. Its flesh hangs in shreds from its face and hands, and a green foul substance seeps from its eyes. Having spotted a tastier feast in the form of my adventuring party and I, it’s spits out the hand and rushes headlong towards our coach, menacingly brandishing a ferocious looking dagger as it charges. The horses, having seen enough of this mutant creature to decide they don’t want to stick around, suddenly rear up in panic and bolt, snapping the traces as they do so, taking the unfortunate driver Holtz with them. The screams from the ladies within are only drowned out by the even louder howls from the poor driver as he’s dragged off the path and into the surrounding forest of trees. There goes our driver, not to mention our horses. Yes it would seem that this day just got a whole lot worse… Sigh! |
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