Hi guys, I really enjoy reading other GM's play session reports, so I wanted to return the favour and share my own now that we have started out.

We began with the demo scenario, Day Late Shilling Short. This served as a rules primer and introduction. Vaerun's box contained a letter, the contents of which was not revealed, but which bore the personal seal of Lord Teclis. We ended with that cliffhanger, and then rolled up characters.

Azgrim Stonefist - Dwarf Agent

Ivor Graeson - Bretonnian Scribe

Argyistin Shanaar - High Elf Soldier

Lotte Schneider - Rat-catcher from Averland

They all have excellent and detailed backgrounds, which I will not post here! Maybe later into the campaign.

Session 1 - Dog Tired: A Night in Nuln

Nachexen 2, 2522

The adventurers find themselves in a cheap deck seat on a cargo boat heading into Nuln. They discover that they are all heading south to Ubersreik, though Lotte the Ratcatcher, Azgrim the Dwarf agent, Ivor the Bretonnian scribe and Argy the High Elf soldier mostly keep their purposes to themselves. Knowing the perils of travelling in the Empire alone they at least find common cause to stick together for now, though Ivor and Argy seem to know each other already.

The other passengers on the boat seem to all be merchants, who mostly keep to themselves. The party do find out that there is a siege parade in Nuln in a few days time, and the place will be very busy with the celebrations and influx of merchants.

They arrive in Nuln in the evening; the stenches, belching pollution and majestic wonder of the old city greet their eyes and nostrils. As the passengers disembark, a long line is formed to wait for inspection by the customs official. After waiting nearly an hour they are each interrogated by the ageing official, who picks on the wealthier looking of the group and rifles through their belongings. He takes a particular dislike to the elf, and finally gets what he wants – a bribe. The group is finally let past, but by now the previously busy streets were almost empty, and they are faced with having to find an inn for the night.

The party searches the waterfront, trying various inns. At The Laughing Bear Azgrim strikes up conversation with a dwarf-friendly Kislevite, who begins to tell him that he lost ownership of the inn to someone, but abruptly changes the subject. He apologises that he has no room left. After searching some more, a patron of the inn approaches the group, introducing himself as Grolsch, and offers to lead them to an inn that he is sure will have vacancies (and argues that they will get lost without a guide). Lotte forks up 5 brass, and they follow him (after searching the rest of the waterfront).

The party is suspicious of Grolsch, but he seems outwardly very charming and genuine. Ivor finally intimidates him with his formidable intellect, and Grolsh gives back the 5 brass, saying he was just trying to help, and wouldn’t try anything. After all, he is outnumbered four to one. He eventually leads them down a narrow alley with a doorway at the end, and a thug steps out of the door and hands him a club. Two more appear from the end of the alley, and ask the group to drop their weapons and their money.

Azgrim instead draws his hammer and approaches Grolsch. A crossbow bolt flies from the alley entrance and pierces his arm. In the ensuing fight, Grolsch is savagely picked on and goes down before he can react, with a hammer blow, an arrow shot from Igor, and an arrow from Argy, which hits him in the eye socket. Argy moves towards to support Azgrim. This is too much for one of the thugs who runs away, but the one with the crossbow barges through, and assisted by his friend by the door, gives Argy a good bash in the face with his crossbow, gouging at his eye and severely injuring the elf.

The thug by the door attempts to flee back through the door he came out from, but Lotte’s quick wits prevented his escape, as she nimbly wedged herself in the door and pushed it open. The thug with the crossbow gets an intimidating barrage of baffling insults by the Bretonnian, drops his weapon and bolts back down the alley. Lotte unsheathes her pronged rat-catching stick and mercilessly disfigures the remaining thugs nether regions, insulting him as she does so. He dies with much pain and indignity.

Ivor tends to Argy’s mangled eye, and uses all his ability to dress it properly. He does such a good job that Argy seems to be able to manage fine, for now. Argy then tends to Azgrim’s arm, pulling free the bolt. Ivor claims the fallen crossbow. They eye up the cellar behind the door, but Ivor knows that street thugs have friends, and the key they found has some kind of emblem on it. It could be a hideout. They search the cellar nonetheless, and find a secret passage. They follow its twists and turns but it just leads out into another alley. Argy pulls out a faintly glowing stone, and attempts to search the tunnel. His bung eye seems to have affected his depth perception and he instead walks into a wall. Ivor does spot a hidden alcove and finds a rat eaten money pouch, now half empty, containing about 100 silver.

After searching the streets for another hour they stumble upon a run-down inn called The Reaver’s Return. After a brief exchange involving a broken door, they are offered some late dinner by the Grassners. They all partake of the stringy meat and are shown up the creaky stairs to the attic room, which reeks of the canal outside. Exhausted they all fall asleep.

Sometime during the night, Argy wakes up, and struggling with sleepiness, senses something else in the room with them. Pulling out his faintly glowing stone, the shadow bolts for the window and climbs through. With a shout, Argy gives chase. The others wake, and also pursue. After a brief chase of jumping from roof to roof, Ivor makes a flukey shot form the window with the crossbow bolt (which had previously been lodged in Azgrim’s arm), and knocks the thief down. Argy lands on top of him, and they force him back to the room.

The thief is a young Tilean boy named Bertoldo. Argy finds two coin-purses on him. He earns a small amount of favour from Azgrim by returning his money, and that of the rat-catcher. Rudolf Grassner arrives to see what the fuss is, and recognises Bertoldo as a regular thief in the neighbourhood. Kayla has called the watch, but the party decide to let Bertoldo run for it. He bolts down the stairs. Argy hears a commotion however – it seems the watch arrived in time to catch him. Concerned, he goes downstairs and witnesses the ‘justice’ of Nuln’s night watch – the boy is beaten, and accidentally killed. The guards threaten to pin the murder on Argy if he tells anyone, and walk off. Azgrim advises Lotte to dump the body in the canal, which she does. On-lookers don’t seem to care that much, and slam their shutters against the night.

In the morning Argy comes down with a bad case of diarrhoea from the food the night before. Kayla prepares breakfast – she brings a small dog from the back room (sibling to dinner the night before) and is about to chop a limb off when Lotte dives forward, catching the cleaver in mid-air with her rat prong. She trades Kayla one of her fattest rats for the dog, and names it Fido.

Rudolf recommends they see about travel south sooner rather than later, as the parade will no doubt disrupt normal travel. They investigate the Cannonball Lines, and Freidrich agrees to take them south providing they leave that day, giving him enough time to be back in Nuln to reap the benefits of wealthy merchants leaving to nearer locales.

With the time they have left, the group head to town to see the sights. Azgrim purchases some brigandine armour and a shield from the Dwarfen traders. Argy investigates some bows, finding a superbly made one, but finding it out of his price-range. Desperate to end his rampaging trots he seeks an apothecary, finding only a run down shack under a bridge, with a man offering nothing but leeches for his ailments. He then finds a shooting range and practices. Ivor buys some ammo for his crossbow and sells his short bow. Lotte talks to some sewer-jacks for dog training advice and is not happy with their methods. She spends some time bonding with her dog.

At about midday they reconvene and load up the coach, heading through the South Gate and out of Nuln. Out of sight of the city, Freidrich pulls the coach to a stop, seeing a log blocking the road. Behind some trees steps a finely dressed man in leather armour, bearing a crossbow. He introduces himself as Marco Vasari of the Valantina Gang, father of Bertoldo, vowing to kill them for the murder of his son. They hear shouts from behind the road banks, and the Valantina goons break cover and charge the coach…

Good depth and action!

Yes nice, I also like seeing how earlier edition adventures like this get adapted/transformed into 3rd.

Couple of questions ~ was the trots a Disease check failure for exposure etc.? Are the players familiar with warhammer background (e.g., the elf and dwarf get along/don't as odd couple?)

Cheers!

The elf being sick was the result of a failed disease check form having eaten 3 week old dog meat, served to him for dinner. I decided when planning the session not to give out a proper disease, so he is now hanging on to the Weakened condition card until further notice.

Adapting to 3rd mechanics, the chase scene used a tracker, and I used actions and cards from the Creatures Vault for the ruffians and townsfolk. Am using the Criminal Empire nemesis card as a kind of morale tracker, and the agenda being the Valantina gang's attempt to get money from the group after they first entered the Laughing Bear (their cover for thier base of operations). The death of Bertoldo was not in their plan! So now it's all out vengeance (even though it seems to be a big misunderstanding).

The only player who does not play at least two games of Warhammer tabletop every week, and has not for the past 15 years, is the rat-catcher. So yes, there is a fair bit of animosity between the Dwarf/Elf, though the Elf is fairly concilatory and idealistic, trying to make a good impression. The only thing that hasn't just served to annoy the Dwarf further is to give him his coin purse back!

It's been fun to roleplay the Empire citizens' mild suspicions towards the Bretonnian too. Though Bretonnia are allies, high diplomacy doesn't really hold much sway to the slummers in Nuln!

Session 2 - Rought Night at The Three Feathers

Nachexen 3, 2522 IC

After quickly assessing their options, the party make a move. Azgrim rolls off his seat onto the ground, drawing his shield and hammer. Ivor surveys the attackers as he readies his crossbow – about a dozen ruffians, with Marco leading them. Lotte gets out of the coach. Marco demands Friedrich drop his weapon, and the blunderbuss falls next to the coach. Argy gets out and walks towards Marco, doing his best to explain the misunderstanding.

This only serves to enrage Marco further, and he looses a bolt at Argy, hitting him and poisoning him with whatever poison he applied to his bolt. Things happen fast after this. Lotte is attacked by one group, who beat her up for a bit, but when assisted by Azgrim, nimbly ducks amongst them and stabs a couple in the back. Argy dives for cover under the coach, and Friedrich follows him. Ivor shoots out of the coach, killing a few ruffians as they surround the coach. Azgrim works his way around the coach, cracking skulls.

Lotte picks up the fallen blunderbuss and approaches Marco, firing and showering him with debris. Ivor also shoots him, but even wounded as he was, Marco cries his son’s name and continues to fire his crossbow, wounding and poisoning Lotte.

The party’s skill at arms and bow, along with Ivor and Azgrim’s intimidation and taunting, break the morale of some of the ruffians, who flee down the road. The last few are dispatched, and Friedrich gets out from under the coach to pick up the blunderbuss. As the nearest target, Marco aims for him and Friedrich collapses with a bolt through his stomach. Ivor’s last bolt pierces Marco’s chest and he sinks to his knees bleeding, and dies with tears on his face and Bertoldo’s name on his lips.

After a brief recovery, the party sees about removing the log from the road, but it takes most of the afternoon. Ivor and Lotte drive the coach into the nearest town, and once there they find a Temple of Shallya to aid in their healing. Konigsdorf has a small but serviceable temple, and after donating to the Shallyans, they are admitted for the night. Argy’s gauged eye is still not fully healed, however. Friedrich recovers enough to drive the next day, and insists they head off at first light to make up for time lost.

It is a long day’s travel, with the wounded Friedrich doing his best to avoid potholes and travel at a modest pace. They approach the last coaching inn on their journey to Ubersreik at about 8:30pm that evening. It is an unusually bustling place, with the sign of the Three Feathers above the door. The landlord apologises for the delay in serving them, and as Friedrich pays for their rooms, they are assigned two double rooms between them (f , taken by Lotte and Azgrim, and g, taken by Ivor and Argy). The party recognise the emblem of the von Liebowitz house on the coaches, and the innkeeper confirms that the Gravin Maria-Ulrike von Liebowitz of Ambosstein (niece of Elector Countess Emmanuelle) is his guest this evening.

9:00pm
A very big man named Bruno sits at a table in the centre of the bar-room, challenging some of the men-at-arms to an arm-wrestling competition. Argy approaches and challenges him, for a reduced stake. He attempts some sneaky elf techniques, which baffle Bruno, but Bruno eventually wins. Confused as to why it was so difficult, he lets Argy keep his wager.

Meanwhile, Azgrim has hit the bar and is knocking back manling ale. Lotte and Ivor sit down next to a gambling Bretonnian named Phillippe, who opens up a game of cards. Ivor attempts to cheat, but still loses as Lotte and Philippe win an equal amount from the pool. Philippe spots Ivor’s cheating attempts and is very angry.

9:10pm
Three travellers in grey robes come in from the rain, and book a room. The innkeep enters them into his ledger, and they take some drinks to the table in the corner. Argy pretends to be drunk and tries to drum up conversation, but they ignore him, seeming to want no other company.

9:20pm
A servant of the Gravin comes down the stairs and tells Bruno that the Gravin wants him to stop arm wrestling in case he injures himself. Bruno tells the servant, in no uncertain terms, to bugger off. Meals are then served. The party discover that the Gravin is headed to Kemperbad to settle a legal matter, relating to a death that occurred at one of Countess Emmanuelle famous parties. No-one in the party seems to recall the details, and they do not press the Gravin’s staff further.

Many of the servants and coachmen take their meals into a room off the bar-room, which turns out to be the dormitory. Azgrim goes with them, and regales them with tales of thwarting the infamous Valantina gang of Nuln.

9:30pm
Serving staff scuttle to the rear of the inn as a small boat arrives, carrying four people. Two boatmen buy drinks and stand leaning against a wall near the back of the bar-room. A well-dressed couple in their early twenties book a single room under the name “Mr and Mrs. Johann Schmidt”. The pair have eyes only for each other, and head upstairs without taking drink or food. Argy attempts conversation with the Boatmen, but as soon as he asks about their passengers, they clam up and change the subject, talking instead of the rough boat-ride, and how a lock upstream is jammed due to another boat scraping it, making the trip much longer than anticipated.

Lotte tries to chat up Phillippe, but as she offers to sell him some vintage antique rat corpse, he seems to be slightly less interested now than he was. She tries to explain that she was just kidding about the rats, but her dog pokes his head out of her pack with an ageing rat in his mouth.

9:35pm
Yet more bustle outside the inn. Some new coach men enter bearing the emblem of the Cartak coachlines from Altdof. A tall man dressed entirely in black, identifiable as a Priest of Morr (priests who guard the dead) enters and talks quietly to the innkeeper. Ivor manages to overhear some of the conversation, and sees coin changing hands. He beckons two other men in black inside, and they enter carrying a coffin. As they go up the stairs the first man tells the innkeeper not to worry if he hears any noises from their room – they are required to pray and stand vigil this night, from midnight until dawn. Ivor notes their glance at the inn noticeboard, and when he investigates, sees only two items of relative interest; a wanted sign for an agitator in Altdorf, which has scribbles on it saying he had been found, and a ‘looking for work’ notice. Ivor grabs the work notice.

Ivor attempts an arm-wrestling match with Bruno, and uses some poison found on Marco Vasari to drug him. Despite this, and Lotte’s dog Fido nipping at Bruno’s heels, Bruno overpowers the Bretonnian, and claims the pool.

9:50pm
A horse arrives at the stables, and a woman enters the inn. Argy recognises the bearing of someone military trained. She approaches the bar, and orders a single room and a drink. Argy approaches, and strikes up conversation. She tells him that she is travelling from Kemperbad on behalf of the town council, carrying a note to Nuln. Argy notices that she is not fully engrossed in conversation, her eyes scanning the room, and the noticeboard. Argy asks Ursula about other people in the inn. She does not recognise the grey robed people in the corner, and laughs when she hears of Johann Schmidt (think ‘John Smith’).

One of the Gravin’s men-at-arms approaches the woman and makes a pass. The woman floors him with one punch and continues her drink as if nothing had happened.

Ivor takes the opportunity to sneak a peak at the inn’s ledger. He quickly makes a note of the names, and who is staying in each room, deducing those whose names he does not know;

Azgrim & Lotte: f
Ivor & Argy: g
Mr & Mrs Johann Schmidt: j
Gravin Maria-Ulrike and entourage: a-e
Priests of Morr: i
Men in grey robes: h
Ursula Kopfeldt: r

Unfortunately as he checks the ledger he slips and the book falls behind the bar. The innkeeper suspiciously picks it up and places it under the counter.

Argy and Lotte head upstairs and listen at a few doors. They hear the sounds of lovemaking coming from room j. One of the Gravin’s servants walks past on her way downstairs and gives them a dirty look. They follow the servant back down.

10:00pm
The liveried servant of the Gravin comes downstairs and orders all her party to retire for the night, since they will be starting at first light tomorrow. Reluctantly, the various servants and men-at-arms, as well as Bruno, finish their drinks and meals and start to move upstairs or into the dormitory.

About this time, Schmidt comes downstairs, looking dishevelled and rosy-cheeked. He orders a bottle of wine, and heads back up. Argy observes one of the servants approach Schmidt, followed by an inaudible exchange, during which Schmidt gets very angry and storms upstairs, slamming the door. The servant heads into the dormitory and Argy follows. He tries to get more info from the servant, but fails, despite handing over a bribe.

10:10pm
Bruno comes back downstairs, grinning broadly, and looking around with exaggerated caution before clapping his hands and sitting down next to the two boatmen, ordering a steady stream of ale, and starting the arm-wrestling up again.

Ursula approaches the table and throws down 5 gold crowns in a challenge. Bruno demurs for a moment, then agrees. A small crowd gathers. Azgrim puts money on Ursula. After an intense showdown, Ursula is defeated, but Bruno looks on her with a new-found respect. The two of them spend some time chatting, and there are no more arm-wrestles.

A tray of fresh ale is brought to Bruno, and he tells everyone to help themselves. Azgrim, Ivor and Argy do so, but Azgrim suddenly feels very drowsy. His hardy Dwarf constitution prevents him from completely passing out, but he is very addled. Bruno makes a crack about Dwarfs not handling their booze, and this sets alarm bells ringing for the party (Dwarfs are infamous for the volume of booze they consume without effect, particularly human ales). Argy looks up and catches a glimpse of one of the staff behind the bar leaving. He motions to Ivor and they make chase.

Ivor heads through the kitchen, being slowed slightly, then through a store-room, sparking protests from the cooking staff, then into a passage way. Argy runs through the dormitory and outside. He does not see or hear anything unusual in the rain and wind, and so heads into the passageway to meet Ivor. Ivor enters the innkeeper’s room, and Argy enters the staff accommodation. Both of them startle everyone inside, and are ushered back to the bar-room by the angry innkeeper.

10:15pm
One of the Priests of Morr comes downstairs as Ivor enters the bar-room, and he overhears yet more money changing hands. The priest is expecting a boat to arrive some time during the night, and wishes to be notified as soon as it does. When he leaves to go upstairs, Ursula approaches the innkeeper. Ivor notices even more money changing hands, and hears Ursula asking about the priest, but they see him eavesdropping and look at Ivor angrily. Ursula goes back to Bruno’s table.

10:25pm
One of the Gravin’s servants comes down again and orders Bruno to bed, saying that the Gravin has checked his room and found him missing. He goes sheepishly to his room.

TBC