Session 1 - Winds of Change

Standing on the road towards Ubersreich, in pursuit of the vile chaos cultist Karla Wagner and her companion Josef Vachmark, the four adventurers remembered. Karla... had been in Altdorf - almost two months ago. Johan Bödker looked at his companions. For some reason they had picked him as the natural leader. It felt strange and he wasn't sure that he would ever get used to the idea of leading this band of friends. Grudgerik the dwarf would have been a more obvious choice with his stubborn resolve and cool nerves. Vasiljev, a big brute of a man from Kislev, even more stubborn than most dwarves, could have been a suitable leader - Or Gretchen, the fragile but powerful girl. He assumed a wizard would know what to do even in the most desperate situations. But perhaps he was the rope that tied them all together. Grudgerik was a bit of a thug, but after they met his anger was channeled into fighting chaos instead of beating up poor citizens for some rich money lender. Perhaps he found a new purpose in this band of unlikely friends. The kislevite, Vasiljev expressed a desire to become a knight. He was a good fighter, but not noble looking. He did carry himself with honour however and he seemed almost like a noble trapped in a peasant life. Gretchen - a really strange girl. No doubt she was wise and learned, but in social situations she was awkward like a fish driving a wagon. Only when invoking her powerful magic did her stutter go away and she changed from this fragile little girl to a confident woman fully aware of everything around her and how to handle it. Perhaps they all needed him - some more than others, because he got the impression that Gretchen was somewhat infatuated with him. They were all more proficient at their field than he could ever dream of. But he had his charm and his intuition and that seemed like the perfect counter balance to the other skills in the party of friends. It still felt quite intimidating when Grudgerik looked at him, with the question in his eyes... "What now?" They would all look at him, awaiting his answer. He would give them one and so far it had turned out to be just the right answers. He was one lucky man.

It all started in The Noble Mug in Altdorf - a fairly ordinary tavern. But nothing was ordinary about the place that day. Johan, Vasiljev and Grudgerik were sitting at a table waiting for Gretchen who had some business at the College of Magic. They noticed her right away, much too fine a woman to be sitting in a place like The Mug, although considering the full name of the Tavern it was a bit ironic. Her henchmen looked at them from time to time and it seemed the three were the topic around their table. Was she a noblewoman? What had they done to deserve her attention? None of them said anything, but Grudgerik released a thundering burp and just at that time one of the womans henchmen got up and started walking straight towards their table. Curse that dwarf and his manners - now they had to answer for whatever misdeed they had done. The man looked at them, his piercing grey eyes sizing them up as if wondering whether he could handle them all in combat. "Gravin Maria-Ulrike von Holzenauer requests your presence at her table". As if slapped awake they all jumped up from their chair and started to walk towards the Gravin's table - more curious than anxious now. They sat down as the henchmen pulled out chairs form them all. "I understand that the...", the Gravin looked them all straight in the eyes, "You have a companion - a wizard - isn't that right". Grudgerik answered with a mix of coarse Karak dialect and a belching sound "Aye... she's at the book worms to... no idea really, but she said it was important". The Gravin smiled, "I see... But I understand that the four of you are willing and capable of handling matters most others would rather leave alone." Johan looked up from his mug of ale, "Yes Gravin, we're always looking for work." "Aye, if it pays well and isn't too much work in the first place", Grudgerik interrupted just as Vasiljev was about to comment on the matter. "Yes we do tough jobs and trust is certain with us", Vasiljev nodded. "Then you're going to like the offer I have for you, as it pays well and is quite simple. My brother lost an old family heirloom in a game of cards. Fat willy a halfling in the Oggasse district cheated him and he decided to part with an old piece of art. One of our ancestors riding his warhorse. A small bronze statue mounted on a wooden base. I want it back. I do not want you to buy it or steal it however. I want you to get even for me and con the fat bastard, so he thinks you did him a favor by taking it from him. Fat Willy has a little shop in Smutzenplatz, but as I understand it, he's just using it as a front for his smuggling business." Grudgerik looked slightly confused, "wouldn't it be easier to just slap the little lump of fat in the face and tell him to hand the silly thing over?" Johan put his hand on the dwarfs rock hard shoulder, "The point is to cheat him so the Gravin can get even." Vasiljev shook his head, "not sure this is honourable job". Grudgerik gave Vasiljev an elbow in his ribs that would have made most men flinch in pain, "Oh get off your high horse Vasiljev... oh, that's right... you don't even have a horse", Grudgerik laughed loudly and took a swig of ale, "We'll do it woman, I'm sure Johan will come up with a plan, but what's in it for us?" And there she was. Karla, the filthy and evil chaos cultist. If only they had known so they could have cut her wicked head clean off. But back in Altdorf she was just serving the Gravin, seemingly innocent and ordinary. The Gravin offered the four friends 10 silver each, but Johan managed to charm his way to 15 silver a head. "What would we do without you manling" Grudgerik laughed. "Drink less ale perhaps", Vasiljev answered. "We'd be doomed", Grudgerik got up and walked to the bar ordering a new mug of ale.

It was the first time she had been summoned unexpectedly by the Senior Vant of the Jade Order. She had waited for quite some time here and even those soft chairs had been quite uncomfortable. Most wizards of the Jade Order were women, but Senior Wizard Macarius Vant was one of the few men in the order, and Gretchen had heard the stories of his power. "Gretchen Grünbaun, Macarius Vant will see you now", the initiate serving the senior wizard said. She got up and felt almost out of place here, wishing she had the soothing touch of the ground against her bare feet. When she entered the room Vant was reading and didn't seem to notice her, or he made her think he didn't perhaps. Macarius Vant looked up, almost surprised to see her there, "Ahh well then, you're here. Now then, listen here. We need a small favour. The matter is quite straight forward. We have... misplaced an apprentice. Rather embarrassing; if it were to get out... So we're relying on you to find him quietly. Now the apprentice, Hanna Gratz, was not the sort to turn renegade and discover the joys of Dhar. Er... I don't think so, anyway. He was on a simple errand for the College and just vanished. He went down to Smutzenplatz in Oggasse, to the south of the city proper, just to have a look round for us. It was just a rund of the mill enquiry. And he never came back. So we'd appreciate it if you'd get yourself down there and look for him. Of course, get whomever you need to help you out, provided you can trust them. But you will be on your own as far as the College is concerned. You must now rely on your own faculties, like a baby bird leaving the next to fly for the first time." Gretchen was stunned - the Order had actually given her an assignment, "Of course Senior Vant, I'll find her... I mean I'll do my best and go look for her... I'll... do I need to know what she was doing there?" Macarius Vant looked at her and smiled, "No you don't, but should you discover anything while down there, then investigate and give a full report to me personally. Now you better be on your way. And remember it's Geheimnisnacht soon, so keep your eyes open."

As Gretchen entered The Noble Mug, she noticed Grudgerik standing at the bar shouting for more ale. Cursing the human ale and asking if a pund of gunpowder might help spice it up a bit. She loved her friends. She had never been very comfortable around others, but this group didn't seem to notice her awkwardness. And Johan Bödker, he was so charming and confident, yet so gentle with her. She always felt more at ease around those three. With the dwarf shouting and drinking, the kislevite arguing with whomever he met and Johan charming everyone around him - no one noticed her. Just the way she preferred it. "Oi Gretch, about time, I can't stand any more of this watery piss they serve here. I swear I could pass me mug around and let everyone piss in it and it would taste better than this sewer water", Grudgerik yelled at her when she entered. The four of them sat down around their table and discussed their new job. Gretchen didn't mention that she also had business in Smutzenplatz. It wasn't that she didn't trust them, she just wasn't sure what details she was allowed to share with her companions. After Johan had presented his plan to cheat Fat Willy, Grudgerik and Vasiljev went outside to have a natural break from drinking. "Johan I also have someone in Smutzenplatz... Er, I need to find someone in Smutzenplatz. She's gone missing and the College asked me to find her", Gretchen looked at Johan and tried to smile. Johan looked back at her and could read her face like an open book. This was important to her, but being on a missions for the College of Magic could be dangerous. "We'll help you of course Gretchen". She told him the story and when their two companions were done with their business and sat down at the table Johan explained the others that they had to look for Hanna Gratz in Smutzenplatz. He didn't mention that Gratz was a College apprentice.

Smutzenplatz. None of them had ever been down here before. The market was in full swing, but business didn't seem to be good. Apparently money didn't flow freely there. A rather big building, painted while with the dove of Shallya, seemed busy though. A queue was forming outside the big double doors. It seemed quite a few people spilled out from the tavern next door and joined the queue. A huge man and his two friends pushed their way to the front of the line. No one argued with him. He was sporting a big wild mustache and had tattoos all over his arms and face. One building was different thant the rest. Painted in bright colours, with windows of stained glass and an impressive wooden door with detailed carvings. The big wooden door opened and a filthy looking man was thrown out by a big thug, "Magpie says don't come back until you've had a wash!" The man yelled a few insults back before skulking away towards the tavern. "Look here, there's a wanted poster", Gretchen said. Being the only one among the friends able to read she starting reading the notice out loud: "REWARD! The burghers of Oggasse hereby give notice that through their devout trust in the word of Sigmar and their own personal generosity that they have made available to the person (or persons) able to present before the duty officer of the Oggasse watchhouse on klammeringstrasse, to his satisfaction the deceased remains of the hideous beast dubbed "Monster of Ogasse known to be terrorising this good borough, a reward of a sum of no less than 20 (twenty) silver shillings for their efforts. Captain Steik, Ogasse watch." Next to Gretchen stood a stout dwarf reading the notice to others, but with an accent so thick that half the words were in his own tongue instead of reikspiel. The dwarf turned, crossed the street and entered his shop, where a sign proclaimed that: "Wrods read and wrote. No wrod too long." The youths who had been listening to the dwarf started a heated debate about whom would find and kill the monster to claim the reward, but Grudgerik commented that if the monster was any bigger than a sewer rat, then they would most likely be the ones ending up dead. As the four were taking it all in they saw a crippled man with no legs push his way across the square on a little cart. A few children were chasing him, yelling insults and Sigmarite sogans at the poor man, "Mutant, go and die somewhere else". The man tried to escape and yelled back: "You should show more respect for a war veteran. I fought for the Empire." Vasiljev stepped forward, put a hand on his sword and stopped the kids with a look that would have intimidated even the toughest of grown men, "Don't make me, you small brats." The children turned and ran as fast as they could from the tower of a man. "Where did Grudgerik go off to now", asked Johan. They soon spotted him, pushing his way through the line at the Dove of Love - a free meal, meant more ale.

The four of them sat down at a table in The Eagle of Luccini, the Smutzenplatz tavern. It was the last free table and Johan was glad that he didn't have to persuade Gruderik to make a free table for them. The big man with the tattoos was at a table as well, drinking with two rough looking men. It looked like he was paying them some silver, but they didn't look too happy about the amount. Johan went to the bar to order some drink and a bit of bread, while at the same time asking the barkeep about Gratz and Fat Willy. The halfling had a little shop next to The Owl's Quill, the dwarven scribe, but the barkeep hadn't seen or heard of Gratz. Suddenly the barkeep stormed out from behind the bar and chased an young man out of the tavers, "Selling his **** pies everywhere on Smutzplatz. An honest man can hardly make enough coin as it is for his daily bread. But Thomas knows a lot of what goes on around here, so you could try asking him about the woman you seek." While drinking their ale, Johan presented his plan to con Fat Willy, a simple plan involving a bit of magic. Foolproof surely - he hoped. As they left the tavern they saw Thomas the pie seller and decided to hire him for a few pennies a day if he kept his ears and eyes open and reported back to Johan. The little shop across the street was nothing more than a door - no sign outside.

As they entered the store Gretchen could feel her trembling quiet down as she started to focus on the little spell she would use to trick the halfling. "Hello how can I help you gentlemen", the halfling said while folding his hands over his big belly. "We need a gift for a friend of ours. Something with horses, some kind of art perhaps.". The halfling opened a book on his counter and flipped a page, "Ahh yes, I may have just the item you're looking for. Wait a moment, the item is stored in the back." The halfling went into the back room, while Gretchen placed herself behind some store shelves full of different junk, trying to look interested. She needed a bit of privacy, so the halfling wouldn't notice the subtle hand movement she needed for this spell to work When the halfling reentered the store proper he was carrying a big piece of art, a bronze horse and rider. He placed it on the counter and looked at Johan with a smile, "Surely this is perfect, so shall we settle on a fair price for such a rare piece of art?" Johan and Vasiljev looked shocked, while Grudgerik was busy picking his nose. "It can't be, not that cursed artifact", Johan said with genuine fear in his voice. "It does look like it", Vasiljev added. The halfling looked at the two with a lifted eyebrow, "What's this all about... I don't know what kind of trick you're trying to pull, but gold is the only thing that will work." Johan looked at the halfling and smiled, "You don't know then, that this particular piece of art is cursed and the last owner died a horrible death. At first he it started to glow and vibrate it is said and then he became terribly ill and died after a week. The horse and rider disappeared from his house without a trace." The halfling laughed, "Cursed you say. So I better get rid of it before I get hit by this terrible curse... haha, that's a goo...", the halfling jumped back a step as the figurine started to glow slightly green and vibrate gently, "TAKE IT, 50 shillings and it's yours, 20, oh by the love of all pies". The halfling threw a piece of cloth over the figurine, grabbed it and threw it out the door, "Get out of my shop, I need to rest... get out!". The group left the small shop chuckling inside. Job done, now they just had to deliver the figurine to the Gravin for their handsome reward. Vasiljev picked up the figurine lying in the street, "It's not heavy, I think the wooden base is hollow", He gently tapped the wooden box with his armored hand, "Yes it is hollow." Johan had a look of curiosity in his eyes, "Let's take it to our room, so we can examine it". Vasiljev shook his head, "Not an honourable thing to do Johan, I'm not happy about it". "Are you ever you big oaf", Grudgerik growled, "let's find out what's inside, there must be a reason the woman wants that ugly thing." It turned out that getting inside the box wasn't that easy. After a heated debate about Grudgerik's axe and smash plan, Johan remembered he knew a carpenter living nearby who might be able to help them. He was usually drunk by this time of day, but still an excellent craftsman, so he should be able to help them for a pint or two.

"A piece of paper... we went through all this trouble for a damned piece of paper", Grudgerik snarled. Johan picked up the piece of paper and had Gretchen examine it. She read out loud to the others: "Note of hand. Gregor von Saponatheim hereby declare to owe 45 gold crowns to Prince Albert Von Holzenauer. The debt will be paid no later than Geheimnistag 2452. Should the indebted fail to deliver true on his promise to pay said amount in time, the debt will increase to 100 gold crowns. Gregor von Saponatheim."

*** Unfortunately I lost the rest of my notes and we’re currently taking a break from WFRP and doing a Requem for Rome campaign, but I’ll continue the write ups once we continue the campaign. The rest of the Winds of Change story will be lost forever***

Gallows said:

That's a shame! I was enjoying that! Can't you write a brief summary from memory?

Angelic Despot said:

Yeah I'll try and then continue when we go on with the campaign. I'll patch up the little hole between the first session (this one), that we had just before the break and then the next one when we're done with rome.

Please do! Fun to read and interesting to see personalization of story etc.

One thing, more paragraph breaks would probably make it a bit easier to read, but breaks or no, please keep on posting.

Hey - great writeup !

Reading it makes me look even more forward to us continuing the story. I really think we have some interesting characters and good roleplaying going.... - btw Im the player behind Johan Bödker ....

Boehm said:

Hey mate, Yeah I look forward to continuing our adventures in the Old World Cya

How about posting our update ??

That is if anyone is interested in following our ongoing adventure ....

Looking to give this a go after wrapup of the Witch's Song next session, so I'm always looking for what happened to other groups before "us".
If you've the time, please post it

Session 2 - Horror of Hugeldal

Part I

The adventurers was on their way to Hugeldal when they suddenly spotted a group of Shallyan priests in distress – being robbed by highwaymen? Why? The priests were very unlikely to carry any valuables.

“be quiet” , Johan whispered to the others. Gretched instantly froze in place, Vasiljev put his hand on his sword hilt and halted. Grudgerik whistled and continued forward. “Grudgerik do you mind not making such a commotion?” Grudgerik turned sligtly towards Johan, “Commotion ye say, manling… this is no commotion.” Grudgerik turned towards the direction of the thugs “OI YOU STINKING DUNG COLLECTORS, WHY DON’T YA FIGHT SOMEONE YER OWN SIZE” , Grudgerik roared so the echo thundered back at them, “that’s a commotion”. “Ahh here we go again” Vasiljev sighed and drew his sword. The thugs stopped their misdeeds for a second and faced the four adventurers. Grudgerik charged forward, Johan drew his rapier and pistol and followed right behind him. Vasiljev checked on Gretchen to see if the fragile girl was alright, but she just moved gracefully forward, focused on the group ahead. Vasiljev charged, raising his shield to deflect the arrows whistling by. He didn’t make it to the enemies however as an arrow went through his thigh and getting stuck on a visible root from a nearby oak tree. The fight was brutal. The thugs fled throught the woods. Not the leader of the band though, he just refused to give up fighting. Gretchen had cast a spell on the big man. Roots shot from the ground and curled up around his right leg and arm. He screamed in pain as the roots had a firm grip on him, pulling and stretching his body until, in a shower of blood, his leg and arm was torn right out of their sockets and flesh ripped like paper. Gretchen watched in horror as her magic ripped the man apart. But still then, crawling on the ground, like a wild insane beast, he refused to give up – until exhaustion overcame him and he passed out. “Haha, yer slow for such a long legged manling Vas” , Grudgerik grinned. “I was stuck, got hit by..:” , valsiljev tried to defend himself as Grudgerik interrupted him “Riiight, ya were charging and then ya got an arrow in the knee… got it.”

When the adventurers arrived in hugeldal they were shocked that the local noble, Lady Agnetha von Jungfreud, had banned Shallyas miracles in town. Instead the town physician was in charge of all medical care and treatment in town. After some investigating, the party discovered a sinister plot involving the local head Doctor Verfullen. Apparently he had gotten rich by infecting the locals and then giving them medicine. The medicine also made the imbiber very open to suggestion and in this fashion Dr. Verfullen had influenced the local noble until she had banned his biggest competitor – the Temple of Shallya. They found a note detailing a carnival led by the Doctors accomplice, that should be arriving in Hugeldal soon.

The party was sitting in the local tavers, The Bucket of Blood, when they saw the Doctor descend the stairs only to stop and hurry back up as he noticed them. They had been following him earlier that day and had snooped around his office, uncovering incriminating evidence. Johan suddenly jumped from his chair and stormed up the stairs, as if madness had struck him. Grudgerik spilled his beer on the table, his head turned red, “ JOOOHAAAANNN, me ale ya crazy snotling herder” . While the others stormed up the stairs after Johan, Grudgerik lifted up the table, opened his mouth and swallowed as much of the beer as he could, “comming… no need to waste this thin piss after all” . The Doctor had fled down the back stairs and the adventurers followed him, running through the streets. Finally in a desserted back alley they caught up with Dr. Verfullen as Gretchens magic grabbed him and held him in place. “So you filthy chaos cultist, you have anything to add before we execute you for your sins” Johan whispered like a snake hovering over it’s prey. The Doctor was shaking, his eye darting left and right, looking for help. He was all alone with this group of thugs, and that thin fellow, was he a witch hunter? Johan drew his pistol and pressed it hard against the doctors face, pressed it right against the eye ball. “Oi manling, what’s gotten into ya…”, Grudgerik asked. Vasiljev had his sword in hand, letting it rest on the doctors shoulder, “You better stay quiet, I’ve never seen Johan this upset before”. Gretchen moved towards the Doctor, “You better tell me everything you know, and perhaps I can persuade Johan not to kill you” . The Doctor looked around and started talking. “So you’ve earned a lot of money on this business, dear Doctor – how about sharing” , Johan said. The doctor looked puzzled at the young man, pondering if this sudden turn of events was a trick… greed he could cope with, that was controlable. “ Yes of course, I need men like you – and I pay very well indeed.” Johan took a step backwards, resting the pistol casually against his shoulder, “Alright good Sir, but then tell us everything, so we know what we’re dealing with and how best to prepare” . The Doctor started talking and in his bowels Vasiljev could feel the urge to take a step forward and thrust his sword through this filthy vermins throat just to make him stop talking, “Enough of this filth” he finally said. Johan turned towards Vasiljev “Relax now, the good Doctor is being very reasonable, and we should reward him for that” . “Yes listen to the good Sir Johan” The doctor stammered. “OI put a cork in it, or I’ll shove me axe into that pig hole of a mouth” , Grudgerik sneered. Gretchen was very quiet through this exchange of words… what was Johan doing, was he really going to make a deal with this disgustingly evil man? Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted as Johan turned quickly around towards the Doctor, “Were were we… ahh yes… your death, Doctor” , with a quick flick of the wrist the handgun touched the temple of the doctor and the blast blew a big hole through his skull

(written by Gallows - To be continued)

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Comments or feedaback?

Great Read!

Especially the Imperial Justice at the end. That's why there are black powder pistols made for.

Glorian Underhill said:

Glad you liked it ... the next part is actually my contribution as seen from Johans side of things ....

On a sidenote, If anyone is curious all the info can be found here www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/edge-of-the-storm

our party consists of:

Johan Bödtker www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/edge-of-the-storm/characters/johan-bodtker

Gretchen Grünbaum www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/edge-of-the-storm/characters/gretchen-grunbaum

Grudgerik (in danish though) www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/edge-of-the-storm/characters/grudgerik-daraz

Vasiljev Vasejev www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/edge-of-the-storm/characters/vasiljev-vasejev

Horror of Hugeldal, part 2 - Something rotten ...

With the blast from his pistol putting an end to the Doctors stream of words, Johan’s thoughts turned to pondering what he had learned ‘… my Masters servant shall arrive any day now with further instructions’ …. Who? How would he recognize who this servant was? It seemed as if this madness could infect anyone, nobody could truly be trusted. For a second Johan eyed his companions contemplating if even they could be trusted, how well did he truly know them? A dwarf, an alien creature, who was to know which desires lurked behind that stony face …and Vasiljev another alien, from the cold north, who was to know what had driven him here … or why? And Gretchen, this seemingly innocent girl harboring so much power … Eyeing her from out of the corner of his eye, then remembering the horror on her face as she flung the Doctors gold away when she realized it was earned utilizing black arts, Johan shook his head – No, she was innocent …and to tell the truth Grudgerik and Vasiljev’s only vice seemed to be a thirst for beer, gold and bodily harm … plain (and mostly) honest folk …

Having disposed of the doctor’s body and taken steps to leave town obfuscating their true destination being a campsite right outside – Just as the companions were passing through the town gates a colourful procession of wagons pulled up on a small hill not too distant. From the wagons streamed colourful pennants, music blared and from down the wagons, down the hill came a procession of clowns and jugglers throwing leaflets to the quickly growing crowd announcing the arrival of The Most Amazing Theatrical Troupe … Eyeing his companions, Johan shook his head Why Not? ‘Let’s go have a look…’

Atop the hill, the theatrical troupe’s wagons had been drawn in a tight circle, music streaming seemingly from inside one, others being unloaded of planks and curtains and whatnot for what looked like a makeshift stage, while a big brute of a tattooed man and an equally barbarian looking woman was giving a show of their martial prowess, throwing axes and breaking wooden beams think as a leg, the man challenging anyone to beat him in his feats of strength. Vasiljev immediately jumped at the chance to lighten both his purse and his pride in arm-wrestling. Meanwhile Gretchen and Johan was taking in the scenery, Gretchen hanging on Johan’s arm eyeing the Jugglers with amazement chattering about how nice it was that this troupe wasn’t infected with either halflings or other wile gypse travelers and Johan trying to determine if their prey … this Servant of The Master was within …

Heading back towards town, collecting Grudgerik who much to Vasiljevs chagrin had just managed to best the Throupe’s strongman where Vasiljev could not, making way through the throng of curious citizens heading up towards the hill, Johan comes to a snap decision. Quickly grabbing one of the leaflets still flying around, borrowing a pen from Gretchen and scribbling a few words in his still shaky recently learned handwriting upon it, Johan stops a boy and …A penny for you, if you will take this up the hill and deliver it – just call out ‘Message from Doctor Verfullen’ – The boy quickly skimpered up the hill with Johan and the the others trailing him, hearing the boy call out his message a couple of times before being approached by one of the jugglers taking him by his arm and leading him into one of the wagons. His companions suddenly eyeing him – Johan what did you write? Johan suddenly not feeling quite so certain about the merits of his idea mumbles … Just ‘Meet me at the old Shallya temple’ hesitating for a second then adding Im sure he is ok …he’s just a boy… A few long moments later, having discussed the merits of breaking the door down the companions draw a collective sigh of relief as the boy leaves looking quite hale and happy, skimpering back to town, shortly after which a group of the jugglers lead by the barbarian woman makes to depart from the hill towards town. Having quickly regained their self-assuredness the companies readily mix in with the crowd of curious onlookers trailing after the artists.

Inside town, the jugglers proceed to perform their tricks all the while calling out their advertisements of ‘The Most Amazing Theatrical Troupe: Grand Opening tonight …Free Entrance!!’ after a while the troupe splits up, Johan and Gretchen staying with the barbarian woman with Grudgerik and Vasiljev tailing the other. After yet a while of juggling, somersaulting and handing out yet more flyers for their performance the barbarian woman splits off from the jugglers and head towards the town center, on a hunch Johan tells Gretchen to come along and leave the jugglers be … on entering the town square, approaching the well in front of the Bucket of Blood tavern, Johan notices the woman scanning her surroundings, thinking fast on his feet Johan turns around embracing Gretchen, making a show of being a young couple out enjoying a kiss, in the process bumbling into a stout dwarf onlooker who retorts with a dry chuckling …Mens’lings get a room …

Johan quickly turning his attention back towards the well …Gretchen, did you see that – I could have sworn she dumped something in it … with a look over her shoulder, the barbarian woman departs and Johan quickly rushes up to the well, poking his head over the side seeing that the water isn’t too far below and just beneath its surface something half submerged is slowly sinking … ‘Gretchen …Gretchen ..Come lend me a hand’ … Feeling in his gut, that this is bad …Johan quickly tries to hook whatever-it-is with the bucket and fish it up, failing, realizing that he hasn’t got much time Johan eyes up his options ‘Gretchen!’ What in the …what’s she doing?!? Spotting the dwarf from before, Johan quickly calls him over ‘My letters … I..I dropped them, (fumbling for words) … I only just returned ..its our letters of love … they mean so much to her … 5 silvers if you give me a hand ..’ With the dwarf holding him by his legs, Johan crawls headfirst over the lip of the well, his head almost hitting the slimy stone side but after a couple of tries manages to get hold of the ‘thing’ in the water and after an alarmingly close call of being dumped headfirst down the well, manages to be pulled out by the dwarf …holding a leather bag leaking some slimy yellowy stinking liquid … What in Sigmar’s name is this???

(End of my part - To be continued ....)

Session 2: Horror of Hugeldal (continued)

Fear, Loathing and… making out in Hugeldal?

It… it couldn’t actually have happened, could it? Surely she must have been dreaming, been made a hapless victim of a most cruel jest of Morr himself, because the alternative, well that was just too mind-boggling for her to accept as fact and reality!

Gretchen’s mind was still reeling, all sense and sensibility drowned in a sea of cloying pink clouds and cotton-candy, her heart racing along at a million miles a minute while blood pounded in her ears and an invisible choir of Shallyan doves chirped above her head. Too afraid to open her eyes lest that would somehow shatter the illusion she kept them firmly closed as she, more out of instinct than anything else, tilted one leg up to lean further into the sweet, tender and so-very-longed-for kiss that Johan had suddenly pressed against her lips!

Any and all thoughts of mysterious carnivals, shifty Strigany travellers, corrupted doctors and grief-maddened noblewomen had long since fled her skull, as had her awareness of the prancing harlequin they were supposed to tail. Even the gruff laughter and grumbled protests of the dwarf passer-by that Johan was pressing her against failed to pierce her complete and utter stupor.

However, all things must fade in time and so, with the same cruel and merciless inevitability that Lord Morr pulls back his nightly gifts before the face of the rising sun, Johan eventually broke the kiss as he turned all of his attention back towards something that wasn’t her, leaving Gretchen, still with her eyes firmly closed, hesitantly moving her lips at the empty air for a few moments before she began to realise what had happened.

Even then, she was still too far gone by far in her rose-tinted dreams and impossible fantasies to make any sense or indeed pay any heed to what Johan was suddenly shouting about, and not even when he, for some reason, had a dwarf grab him by the ankles and dunk him head-first in the town well did she snap from her dreamy reverie of romance!

Being presented with the sack of utter, unnatural foulness that Johan had managed to pull from the well, however, did at least chip away at her daze enough for her to at least function partially, but for much of what was to come, she was still staggering like a sleepwalker, her thoughts lost in dreams that she finally dared to believe could come true and her senses focused on savouring every last fading sensation of the touch of Johan’s lips against hers.

Even when the pair entered the old, and now supposedly abandoned, Shallya temple on Johan’s insistence and they were set upon by a horrifically mutated abomination of filth and sickness in the basement beneath, half her mind was still on far more pleasing thoughts than a life-and-death struggle against the terrifying ruin of a beast that had once been a man.

Fortunately for her and Johan indeed, she did not need even half a mind for that fight, however, as, in an uncanny twist of fate that could only have been a boon of the Gods themselves, Grudgerik appeared almost out of nowhere to slay the gibbering horror with his mighty axe. The short tempered dwarf had apparently grown bored trying to follow a clown through the gawking crowds of humans, and besides, how was he supposed to keep track of it anyways when all humans look the same!

Thus re-united with their fellows, they made their way back to the main camp of the travelling carnival to confront the wrongness that surely lurked within it, with Gretchen trailing along in tow, still far more focused on kicking herself for not having thought or dared to use her tongue more than on an imminent fight with worshippers of the Unspeakable Powers!

It was only the fearsome revelation that the carnival had been playing host not only to a tainted warlock of the most awful corruption but also to a putrescent horror of horrors, a being carved wholesale from the very cloth of corruption itself, that she was finally snapped fully back to reality by the sheer scope of the pestilent peril they all faced!

Silly and girlish dreams of stormy romance, sweet kisses and secret trysts where swept away by a storm of outrage on behalf of Mother Rhya who was made to suffer the presence of such abominations given form and function and as the Wind of Life swelled within her slight frame with impossible power and promise she prepared herself for the task she knew would be at hand, to purge the corrupting blights from the face of the Earth like a cleansing tidal wave!

(End of Gretchen's part)

Epilogue

… Then having exposed the carnival as dark followers of chaos a desperate battle was fought against cultists and mutants and a diseased creature of chaos. Finally the town watch showed up and helped them slay every last dark creature. The players was rewarded by the von Jundfreuds in exchange for their silence – a mysterious fort west of Ubersreich. Just one catch. To actually claim official ownership of the fort and surrounding land they had to be sponsored by a local noble.