Maybe a silly question but I can't figure out who killed Klaus Keller (p. 35) and Hermann Halheimer (p. 38). It is not the main antagonists in part one, but who is it? Can anyone point me in the right direction?

AM_Odin said:

SPOILERS

Actually I think it i s the main antagonists from part 1. At least that is what I gather from page 28 where it talks about their history and motivations. They are used by the BC to help facilitate his ascent in the criminal underworld as well as being responsible for the other troubles on the docks. The showdown with them at the end of part 1 mentions one of them weilding a weapon that would've caused the wounds on the victims.

Ah thanks, it was because of their let's say thirteen other activities that I was in doubt.

Now hold on a sec, because i'm consufed here too.

The two bodies which turn up in on days 1 and 3 have wounds that make them victims of the antagonist. However, when the PCs raid the lair of the antagonists, the victims have had their hearts taken out as part of the ritual 13 deaths, the two victims that are discovered do not have this.

So are the two discovered victems part of the 13? Why have their hearts not been removed?

Gitzman

There are two antagonists in the first part, and they each have a different reason for killing. From the PCs perspective it looks like it's one thing, but it's two.

1. The disappearances are the skaven. They kidnap people for their rituals. They aren't meant to be found and are stashed away.

2. The found bodies are the Black Cowl, making examples of those who don't fall in line. They ARE meant to be found, so that others will be cowed into submission (i.e. "follow me or you are next").

It's kind of confusing from a GM perspective, but from the rest of the adventure it seems that the authors are fans of red herrings and not having everything line up perfectly.

To be clear, I believe the Skaven are behind both (the poisoned wounds in the found bodies points to the knife found on the skaven), but one set is done for the BC and the other is their own side project/worship.

Doc, the Weasel said:

SPOILERS

Aye, I believe this is the case. I think it actually mentions something about how the BC doesn't mind the PCs being on the trail of the Skaven as he wants them "dealt with" now that his takeover of the criminal underworld is complete (thanks to them, some payback ).

It is a rather odd red herring to leave behind. The wounds are not enough to kill a person and weak signs of black magic about the bodies are certainly things my players will want to resolve. As a red herring it is almost as bad as Beatrice or going for the previous incarnation of TEW the people telling players to stay away from the castle because of the weird mutants. Don't these people read Pratchett? Don't go near the castle indeed.

I think the "in game" explanation of the odd wounds is that the skaven killer is using a warpstone-laced blade that leaves tellmark wounds.

Storywise that allows connecting to similar wound on demgryff later.

It also leads to meeting Mauer in his official role and is good for introducing one of the "trio" in a "good light" as investigator of sorcery etc.

Beatrice can be tied in if the money lender who kills her is part of the Black Cowl's criminal organization and this is part of "sending a message about the new regime's approach to not repaying loans on time". Between the merchant, Beatrice and other activities, the heroes actually have a chance to foul up the criminal organization's expansion and that can be a goal/achievement for them (once he has the clapper and events in north start, the BC's focus shifts).

I like using these things as the "red herrings that' aren't really red herring". Things not about the mystery that you are investigating but that are about the mystery of what's going on. Particularly as players may view "criminal group" and "disappearing people" as two different threads. A mundane one and a supernatural one.

Thanks, that is much clearer.

Oh and to answer Jessie/Glitzman's earlier question, as Doc the Weasel says, the criminals being killed are being killed as examples, to terrorize the underworld holdouts into joining the Black Cowl's organization. So as "examples" they have to be left to be found, no question what happened to them. That means they can't "do double duty" as sacrifices.

This is part of the fun of the mystery. What is killing and leaving bodies of cimrinals, is that responsible for disappearances of others? Everyone knows the BC is responsbile for the criminals' deaths (though no one is talking to the authorities about it!) but also assumes the BC has no interest in beggars and fishermen etc.

I also am changing the fate of the 13 in my version, less "hearts cut out" and more "life energy leached" a la Lovecraft's colour out of space - leaves much more horrific (stress inducing) remains to be found (which also then crumble leaving no evidence).

Thanks for the explanations Valvorik, it makes a lot more sense now. I missed the wound on the demigryff so that is a nice tie-in as well.