Thought I would post these in on the site as well as our game website for your enjoyment.
Journey with us now … into the grim the world of perilous adventures!
The scene is set the day after the wedding betwixt Kaspar Reinholt and Estelle Warren, clearly an arraigned marriage as both bride and groom had other romantic interest that very day. It was the night just before the dark of the moon, the rain fell hard and fast on this thirteenth day of Sigmarzeit in the year 2522 IC. Estelle fled the wedding reception in to cold, wet dangers of Averheim as she fled towards the Griffon Bridge along the Aver River. Several people went searching to no avail, her parents engaged Johannes Hengst , a local fop and good friend to the groom, and a dashing foreigner El Cuervo , having some close relationship with their daughter the bride offering each ten silver shillings.
The next day once the rains had cleared the enquiry into several disappearances began in earnest as a mercenary recently arrived in Averheim seeks out an old colleague. Thyrus Norrener had only just seen an old friend Ulster Traven then have him vanish so the Ulric warrior of Middenheim sought out Captain Marcus Baerfaust, now the defacto guardian of Averheim. Thyrus asks his old companion to look into the missing Ulster yet the captain is much too busy keeping the city from collapsing into anarchy given the current political chaos. But Baerfaust agrees to give the former solider some latitude into conducting his own investigation if he agrees to be the eyes and ears of captain.
An Initiate of Sigmar, one Alexius Wilhelm is sent by the Sun Society to the docks to seek out Rambrecht Delfholt and learn of his pamphlet decrying the nobility of Averheim, if he is circulating such propaganda to bring it to a stop.
A few days earlier Johannes had received word from an acquaintance and fellow gambler Tomas Radische to meet him at the Upright Pig Tavern [1] , a tavern along the Handel Weg off Brückburg Strasse near the Griffon Bridge. Reputed to be a center of less-than-legal dealing and dare one say criminal enterprises. Johannes suggested to El Cuervo to start their search there knowing Estelle was likely seen in her white wedding gown along the docks late last night.
En route El Cuervo befriends a casual social contact, Olga Klinkski who has been passing out leaflets regarding her missing husband, a well-liked fisherman. Unable to read Reikland El Cuervo holds on to the slip of paper for Johannes to read later, the Estalian does what he can to consol the woman and give her hope that her missing husband will return.
Wilhelm finds the wide-eyed, frazzled Delfholt ranting about the inequality of the social order and downtrodden populace perpetuated by the aristocrats, etc. The initiate tries to calm and quiet the diatribe of the societal zealot. The manic advocate for the brass-tier points to Johannes (believed to be gold-tier) calling him as the cause for societies’ woes. The fop buys a pamphlet while the Sigmarian attempts to get a free copy so he can better understand the plight of Rambrecht’s calling.
It is here the Sigmar Initiate meets El Cuervo and Johannes, all of these men stand out in this area of town; the servant of Sigmar tall with a shaved head and striking light blue eyes donning chain armour and a metal breastplate bearing the symbol of his faith and walking with an oversized hammer, the handle itself nearly six feet long. El Cuervo (aka der Rabe or Raven) a shade taller than the initiate with brown eyes and jet black hair (likely being the reason for the nom de guerre ) and stylised thin-moustache and beard wearing black leather clothes of foreign-make with a silken sash, possibly white once and at his hip a simple rapier. The dandy Hengst with his light brown hair and blue eyes attempting a beard and moustache dressed in fine clothes better suited to the silver- or gold-tiered regions of Averheim, a brocade doublet over a small-gauge mail shirt and silver owl necklace, he too with a rapier and matching dagger.
As they turn down Handel Weg and pass some stockyards, Johannes recognises another fellow. This man standing just over six feet tall fashioned in worn-leather armour from a far-off military detachment adored with small pelts of wolf fur, upon the shoulders and along the vambraces. The mercenary carrying a broadsword and long bow had once worked for the Kohlenstaub Raße Stallungen (Coal Dust Horse Stables) breeders of the famous Rathebur horses (Silver Dapple, black horse with silver-white mane). Johannes and Thyrus re-introduce themselves after a long time then Johannes introduces Initiate Alexius and El Cuervo (of Estalia).
Just as they approach the porch to the tavern, where Tomas with dark features stood in dark leather clothes and wide-brimmed hat (looking more like a witch-hunter than gambler), two men come rolling out. One stumbles off the porch and lands on El Cuervo sending both men to the muddy lane. Werner Kleb, leader of the Wharf Rats street gang, stands looking down on his opponent Gerd Knakk, leader of the Fish street gang. Their argument stems from another missing person, Rolf Haller. Ruffians from both gangs seem to have amassed outside the tavern from nowhere and small skirmish breaks out. In the fracas the Alexius, Thyrus and EL Cuervo all get hurt while gambler and fop move just inside the tavern. It only lasts a few moments before fists turn back to words and Kleb blames Knakk for Rolf going missing. The initiate uses his divine gifts to heal the Estalian, himself then finally his ‘rival’, the Ulric mercenary. Others injured turn to the power of Sigmar for healing but Alexius has to turn them away.
Inside Johannes buys a round of the local swill for himself and Tomas, his contact that had scheduled this meeting today, Backertag . The fop tries to engage the proprietor but Rosalie Freuhner is immune and slight put off by the young lad. She seems to have more in common with Tomas as he enquires about Rolf. Johannes doesn’t hear the quiet conversation per se but notices another person seems interested it, a shady man sitting a nearby table (later identified as Frederick Grosz, criminal); whatever the result of the tête-à-tête Radische slides a shilling to Freuhner.
Still outside Initiate Alexius gives a short homily and gains a devoted follower, a 10-year old boy named Stephan. The seemingly homeless lad is hungry and barely clothed missing his left shoe. Moving inside the Estalian grants the initiate ten pence to help feed the child before them. With that Stephan gets some soup, old bread and goat’s milk. Then Alexius gives his hanger-on two pence to go home.
El Cuervo, obviously a performer of some type attempts to encourage the few patrons within the Upright Pig to proffer information about any or all of the known Electors of Solland [2] : Estelle, Jurgen, or Rolf. Though of flowery words he is not a gifted orator, at least not to this crowd, but he does gain the grumbling attention of a regular local clank farmer [3] Kurt. The drunkard mumbles something about seeing a white dressed girl but doesn’t know anything about the missing people. She met up with some “friends” and was seen “hugging” one of them in a dark cowled cloak down by the river wall. The foreigner buys Kurt a drink or two hoping to learn more.
Tomas moves from the bar to the table occupied by Grosz. They too speak in whispered tones, mocking some of the inhabitants of the tavern; namely Johannes, El Cuervo and Alexius. Grosz has heard of someone in a black hood, someone new in town and since people have gone missing.
Johannes spies an attractive young maiden gambling at another table and joins her group of card players. He buys a round or two of drinks for everyone there and tries to chat up Beatrice Knox, a woman not in Ranald’s favour this morning. Johannes strikes out again; he is actually booted from the game after he inadvertently raised the stakes with Beatrice’s coin instead of his own. Soon Tomas joins the table and learns the young lass is in debt and not likely to come out ahead this day.
El Cuervo suggests engaging Thyrus to help look for Estelle whereupon Johannes says he will speak with the Warrens on the merc’s behalf. The observant fop notices a lad a year or two younger than himself watching even staring at him, the teenager appears to be sweating though it is not a particularly warm morning. Johannes has seen looks like this before from hat boys [4] . The boy leaves after being noticed by Johannes. Miss Knox agrees to meet up with Mister Radische later in the day.
Alexius Wilhelm, Johannes Hengst, Thyrus Norrener and El Cuervo all leave this tavern for the one on Geruch Weg , the White Horse (sometimes referred to as the Knackered Horse). Following a few strides behind his compatriots Johannes looks for and spots the boy from the Upright Tavern then moves to engage in him conversation but the lad dashes away making his motions quite obvious. Thyrus approaches a couple of men in the watch and asking if they know anything about missing people more notable Estelle Warren, a young bride who ran off last night in the heavy rain. They know nothing.
Outside the White Horse Tavern El Cuervo moves towards a plain maiden minstrel playing a hurdy-gurdy; Ute Herz, a mousy waif of a girl, seems to see or notice much of everything along this lane. Tomas knowing how to speak and get assistance from the locals along the Aver docks pays Ute for any information she can find on the missing Estelle. El Guapo , as Tomas diminutively refers to the Estalian raven, still tries to ply information from the unadorned lass. This time Thyrus buys a round of drinks for the party then notices something salient outside across the way. El Cuervo seemed to have noticed and fear for the worse thus ran outside. The others followed.
A pale figure was discovered behinds some large burlap sacks of grain. It is Johannes who bends down to turn over the body; thankfully it was not anyone the men were looking for. Rather someone in the crowd recognised him as Klaus Keller, underworld figure. Johannes pointed out the two Saratosa Needle [5] puncture marks on the back then the obvious lacerations on the front. The skin around the puncture holes seems to have gone to mush, fleshy consistency of grey cheese; Johannes seeks to have gotten something on his hand. Upon seeing the body Tomas makes his way back to the Upright Pig, Johannes declares he’ll scare up Old Wilhelm [6] .
After the Watch declare the will see to it the priests of Morr will received Keller, the Brash Young Fools head back to first tavern. Radische informs Grosz of Keller’s demise. The others arrive and decide to eat and drink as it has been a long morning.
Later that day still at the Upright Pig, Kaspar Reinhold (groom to the missing bride) and his best man Brion LeFluer enter drunk and looking for trouble. There was a time Johannes could have easily been with this pair of men instead of his new cadre of misfit adventurers. It isn’t long before Brion and El Cuervo exchange insults and temperaments leading to duel outside. Tomas is able to pickpocket Kaspar in the excitement of the rapier challenge.
Johannes falls into old habits betting on Brion, Alexius and Thyrus take the bet (7 bp for the initiate, 1 ss for the mercenary). Brion gets a well placed strike but then takes a minor wound, he begins to fall back. Johannes tries to prod him back into action without much success. Alexius moves to aid El Cuervo when it is discovered the Bretonnian did not disengage but rather outflanked the southern without his awareness. Sigmar’s follower is able to warn the Estalian in time to avert a craven blow, Johannes calls to the Templar of Shallya [7] . El Cuervo disarms the aristocratic foreigner as Johannes persuades Brion to leave or suffer the humiliation of his pusillanimous actions. Another street brawl ensues ending quickly with Alexius again healing others attracting the common folk to also seek his curative powers.
[1] The Upright Pig is built to fairly typical Empire standards, though it has an unusually large and soundproof cellar often used to host meetings between crime lords and racketeers. Until recently, this inn was used as a meeting place for members of Averheim’s criminal underworld. Regulars of the Upright Pig are only too aware of how nasty life can be for squealers – so they are tight-lipped and cautious when talking to strangers. The Upright Pig serves food and drink aimed at the brass and silver economic tiers. Whilst the inn has a number of bedrooms, they are rarely available for guests to hire.
[2] Colloquial term: A missing person, originally a watch term.
[3] Colloquial term: A beggar, clank is the popular term for pence or pennies.
[4] Colloquial term: Young male prostitute or sexual companion; comes from the battlefield tradition of electors and captains having young equerry standing by to hold their elaborate hats when fighting was joined.
[5] From “Stuck with a Saratosa Needle”; to be stabbed with a knife or stiletto, from Saratosa, city of pirates and cut-throats.
[6] Colloquial: Lower class term for a watchman, origins unknown.
[7] Colloquial term: A coward