After the Interlude above, the heroes go on a Hunting with Lord Aschaffenberg Episode.

On Nachgeheim 17 (Festag), Lord Aschaffenberg goes hunting with Ernst Maler (burgomeister he is trying to draw to his camp) and Captain Blucher (in his camp). He invites heroes along, they are going into the Zimmerman woods towards Messingen.

Named for their owner, guildmaster Zimmerman.

Act 1 – It’s a Party until the Peasants Show Up

This is a roleplay/social Act with no combat.

The heroes are furnished riding horses and, if they lack hunting weapons, crossbows by Lord A. (none take him up on the crossbow offer). Lord A. and Blucher are both good shots with a crossbow. Maler is hopeless but Lord A. is making it all enjoyable. There are two servants along with refreshments- the hunting party is “definitely a party”.

Heroes learn pretty quickly that Erwin Blucher, the captain of military garrison, is the brother of Anders Blucher who commands Lord Aschaffenberg’s guards at Grunewald Manor – part of the connection that may have drawn the Captain into Lord A’s camp.

This isn't in FFG material as far as I can see, but seeing two Captain Blucher's in the region I decided they would be related.

At Krieger’s urging the heroes leave the Lord Aschaffenberg to talk to Maler without prying and focus on “perimeter guarding” (correctly deducing their role aside from being shown off, Lord A. knew he was right about you).

Heroes vary in putting on a good show during the hunting. They learn from a slightly tipsy and very relaxed Captain Blucher that he’s depressed about Andrea Pfeffer, what does she see in that landless noble Holzenhauer?

Findulas shines “counting coup” on a deer by sneaking up on it in a show of wood elf abilities (‘Good show” says Lord A). Anselm shows off his pie eating abilities (cramming a whole one down while riding) much to the amusement of others. Not everyone shines and party tension increases a couple of points. Hans mostly demonstrates how wizards perspire while riding and Krieger tries some sort of riding trick that doesn't quite work.

Additional Patronage Benefit:
- Findulas can restock arrows for free at Aschaffenberg mansion

Players got to make check of any skill they choose to show how they impress Lord A, then a Resilience check to avoid intoxication because of the constant refreshments, then another check of another skill. The two skills must be one physical stat based and one mental stat based. Excelling and boons would get various rewards like keep the crossbow, keep the horse etc.

Krieger toasts Sigmar's health once too often with Lord A and gets Intoxicated, but nonetheless spots a group of armed peasants looking like they are “stealthily moving through the woods” (not sneaking up on hunters, on a different route), or at least as stealthily as peasants in the woods can be.

Act 2, Some Days You Get the Bear

Hearing that the peasants are hunting a “killer bear” the heroes decide, with Lord Aschaffenberg’s hearty approval, that this is a task they should take over. Burgomeister Maler is less enthused so Lord Rickard asks Captain Blucher to escort him and the servants back to the mansion while the heroes, Lord Rickard and young Maximilian take care of this bear.

Without further conversation with peasants, the heroes depart (what could peasants know anyway).

The peasants would have warned about "it's an unnatural bear mi'lord" etc.

Findulas finds it pretty easy to track the bear, but is so absorbed in this task he tracks it right to its nose (chaos star). A fight with the bear ensues which quickly reveals that this is a dead, zombie bear! (fear check) Maximilian panics (making the fear check 1 purple harder) and gets himself pawed at (his first of up to 4 criticals).

Lord Rickard is helpful, giving astute advice that adds 2 fortune dice to one hero’s actions each round. Krieger gives Maximilian some good advice (stay out of the bear’s reach!). The bear is finally put down, its dying attack giving Krieger a critical wound. Hans' Education is enough to tell him that someone must have animated this monstrosity. Magical Sight sees the dark energies of necromancy and further that they are fresh - the bear was animated within the last 24 hours.

Act 3. What Got the Bear First?

The bear hunt is now a necromancer hunt as the heroes decide to back-track the bear. This is a bit harder than tracking it and Findulas fails to find the trail, but Krieger manages to spot where the bear passed (oh the shame to the Woof Elf) and the heroes follow it back deeper into the Zimmerman Woods and an old abandoned settlement or outpost of some sort, long decayed, though one stone building recently blown up. Hans’ magical sight sees that magic of some sort is present (he doesn’t try to discern more, being prepared to assume this is necromancy).

The same site where Konrad Mahler took Anselm to test explosives during a previous Interlude; it had not been further investigated the day of the suprisingly large explosion.

Findulas creeps into the crumbling ruin to look about, making an Athletics check to move about the hazardous area and sees a basement blown open in which there are signs manacles were set in wall, bones of someone long ago chained there, runes carved all around this spot though disrupted by the blast that opened up the formerly sealed cellar. As he is taking this in, a ghostly figure begins to materialize – Fear and check to be surprised. Similarly the rest of the heroes must see if they are surprised by 3 zombie wolves creeping up on them {Anselm is and will add challenge die to initiative}.

The zombie wolves are essentially giant wolves with only 10 wounds and undead traits. The wraith is a combination of best stats of cairn wraith and lazarus mourn.

The heroes face the necromancer-wraith and zombie wolves and defeat them – the wraith’s destruction causing the remaining zombie wolves to collapse. However, Maximilian manages to get in the way of one of Krieger’s shots in the fight and finishes with 3 critical wounds, Hans Education check realizing the need for Blessed/Magic attacks/weapons to truly “put down” the spirit, he used his command of Hysh to make Findulas’ bow more deadly to the wraith.

I'm modeling earlier edition of Warhammer in that Folklore and Education reveal information about monsters - sometimes I lift if from earlier edition bestiary/current one plus technical aspects.

The heroes take their leave of the ruin (again without investigating it further).

There's a box of coins (treasure also showing age, 200 years old from the Great War era when cults almost overwhelmed Uberseik, a necromancer's ring and a book of dark lore to be found. Someone will now, Ubersreik has not seen the last of the lore of animating dead wildlife.

Lord Rickard is pleased, “good show”. Mentions he might have a something for the heroes to do in a couple of days. Maximilian has been badly injured (a gouged eye, an NPC gets the first Permanent Wound – this will only “take the gouged eye” out of the deck while he’s with heroes).

This was the first session with Omens of War permanent wound cards in the deck, no PC drew one but Maximilian drew 2 (with a high enough total severity that the Gouged Eye is permanent), the bear got one, even the wraith got one - I kept laughing insisting to players "it's not like there's that many of them in deck".

Episode Ends.

Interlude of 2 nights rest follows. Krieger returns to the dwarf smith Hargin Sternhelm and gets a superior dwarf-made warhammer (paying the 2 karls, 50 shillings). He tries to help Maximilian with Healing Hands but does not manage to alleviate any of the young man’s wounds. Hans also uses First Aid to help him. Maximilian does naturally recover one (severity 2) critical (his Toughness is 3, which is why 4 criticals kill him and means he rolls 3 dice for recovery). Findulas is not as fortunate, he spends the entire interlude resting (2 actions) at the Shallyan hospice and gets some tending from Hans (Hans 2nd action). He also uses herbs and a healing draught all in an effort to recovery from his critical wound (Severity 4). Alas despite the benefits of complete rest, first aid fortune dice on one check, a spiderleaf tea and apothecary (Hans) enhanced healing draught, he still has a critical when the Interlude ends. Hans did find it stressful giving care to these injured men and ends Interlude with 2 stress. Anselm doesn’t do anything this Interlude (he does tell Konrad Mahler about the “mishap” and suggests he be careful blowing up ruins).

On Nachgehim 19, Vern Hendrik asks the heroes to attend Lord Aschaffenberg at the manor (Interlude ends) as we move on to Horror at Hulgedal, or "Worse than the Disease".