Dance, Dance Wherever You May Be
The scene comes back into focus on three comrades in the printer’s cellar, as Magnus is following the bravo’s down into the cellar.
The printer-sorcerer calls upon Slaanesh’s graces as he moves in the Dance of Madness, catching up all three comrades in the cellar in the compulsion to move to the Lord of Seduction’s beckoning and making any actions costly to them in fatigue and stress (The Dwarf being unable to bear even the slightest more stress before he would collapse!).
The comrades are thus much less effective though still managing to try to attack him and dealing some damage. The bravos finish off the last cultist, before the Sorcerer now adds the Dance of Dreams further hindering his opponents. It proves fortune that Magnus was not in the cellar yet, for he enters to the bewildering sight of his wounded comrades gyrating like the performers in one of the artistic cafes he favours. He steadies his crossbow on a crate and puts a bolt through the sorcerer’s eye – and skull – pinning him to the wall.
(The three comrades are glad there are no smartphones and instagram to share this sight with the world - I was pleased the way the Slaaneshi actions allowed an encounter that was challenging and not all about traditional combat - with insanity and "let's not talk about what happened down there" stuff)
After a few more pirouettes, the comrades are themselves once more all catch their breath (Episode end, Wilhelm and Korhadriel both recover from temporary insanities).
A search turns up the crates of anti-Clothilde pamphlets, as well as an extensive selection of erotic publications (it appears the print shop has something of a speciality). There is a fireplace in the building and the comrades spend more than an hour gradually burning all the pamphlets. Magnus sees the other literature as a ‘gateway’ to sordid desires serving the Ruinous Powers and so burns all of it too. A written order from GvonL to distribute the pamplets about GvonA is found – Wilhelm takes and keeps this evidence.
40 shillings of cash is also found (this is later disbursed equally). When the burning of pamphlets is well along, Wilhelm rides for the watch. It is early predawn and the watch returns with him. He has presented his warrant and explains that while investigating an unrelated cult was uncovered. His noble leadership is quite successful in explaining this to the watch (they accept his story without probing etc. and are impressed by the brave noble’s actions on this ill-omened night).
While Wilhelm is off getting watch, Korhadriel reads a pamphlet before burning it - he is not very impressed with the allegations of sexual misconduct and relations with ruinous powers by ugly ducking Clothilde who blossomed into a beauty while here in the court as a teenager.
He does not mention the involvement of Gerhardt von Leitdorf or the pamphlets about Gravin Clothilde von Alptraum.
The 3 bravos leave with another 3 shillings each from Wilhelm, their leader Ruprecht saying they can be found in the Holy Hammer of Sigmar on the Street of a Hundred Taverns if Wilhelm has any further work for them.
The comrades then retire to their rented quarters and sleep till noon the next day, Festag, 1st of Nachgeheim. Before turning in Wilhelm sends a note to the Averland Electoral Palace to let Clothilde know all is well.
Rising after their rest (the dwarf in particular being a fast healer of critical wounds), they go to see Luminary Mauer as requested. At the Laurel’s Rest they are told he is at the Cathedral prayer service for the Emperor. They notice an ogre in Kaufman livery is standing guard at Mauer’s rented suite.
Wilhelm decides to go see Clothilde, his comrades in tow, though here too they are told, “The Gravin is at the prayer service for the Emperor’s health.” (each time they are told this it is with a look as if to say, “and you aren’t?”)
However, by this time the Cathedral bells start ringing the end of the service so they wait for Clothilde to arrive (her matronly nurse alongside). Wilhelm gives a fuller report including revealing Gerhardt von Leitdorf’s role.
Clothilde is surprised, both to learn of Gerhardt’s role (she knew he was in the city but didn’t suspect him of such a deed – however thinking of it, it is the sort of thing he would do). She is also alarmed to see the wounds the comrades still bear – Wilhelm is severely injured (3 criticals and his To is 3 so effectively near death if he risks many wounds in game terms, though one critical is suppressed by Korhadriel’s new Cauterize spell) and others bear more wounds than she anticipated the task would risk.
She gives the name of an apothecary and healer they can see (at von Alptraum expense), Saskia von Oort and it is clear her “generosity metre” in thinking of rewards has risen.
The first reward is an invitation to permit Wilhelm to escort her to the Great Ball at the Electoral Palace of Stirland the next evening. She offers him an out if he is worried about being seen with her, as the von D’s might disapprove and she is aware of the difficulty he may face if word of his killing Gerhardt spreads – so she would understand if he declined, but he happily accepts.
(He’s young, she’s beautiful)
The comrades now to go see Luminary Mauer, who has returned from the service with his two knightly bodyguards (Luminary Mauer seems to be getting more and more protection, first two knights, now an ogre).
They spend the rest of afternoon detailing what they can of Professor von Oppenheim’s ritual. Only Wilhelm and Magnus were close enough to see and hear it clearly. Wilhelm has little to offer, Magnus remembers a few bits and pieces but not enough to make significant contribution – beyond confirming it wasn’t a secret spell (e.g., von Oppenheim wasn’t secretly a wizard or sorcerer doing a spell).
Mauer secures a reluctant commitment from Korhadriel to turn over Oppenheim’s two key texts. Mauer believes the clapper has been purified to be the opposite of what the tainted artefact was, it suppresses corruption and taint, makes it less risky to be near daemons, in fact makes them more unstable and make it harder for them to remain in the materium. He is trying to ascertain whether it would be best used in temple or battlefield.
When asked, he says the Emperor has been doing better, he has been sitting up and able to meet with counsellors (apparently there is no embargo on good news of the Emperor’s health).
The comrades then go to the apothecary, with Wilhelm and Magnus going immediately under her care for 24 hours to receive the best enhancement to their recovery (-1 challenge +1 expertise to Resilience).
Korhadriel has escaped wounds, though it will be weeks before he even has the chance to recover from The Shakes, and spends the time seeing if there is anything in the books he is to turn over. He chooses Divine Mysteries, Hammer of the Gods being too mythologically oriented for his interest. The centuries old text speaks of the root of divine and sorcerous powers being the same and divine being the only safe channel, condemning sorcery, and promising that faith can accomplish all sorcery can safely.
The evening of Wellentag the 2nd, sees Wilhelm go to meet Gravin Clothilde von Alptraum to attend the party, while Korhadriel and The Dwarf rendezvous with Graf Friedrich von Kaufman to also attend. They are surprised to see Magnus there, among the Graf’s servants who are coming to assist at the party. While Magnus was off lurking in dark corners of the Black Velvet (even when feeling more withdrawn, he is still drawn to the extroverted arts community) he encountered Elke, the servant girl from the Kaufman household he had ‘chatted up’ to learn information about the Graf’s “confidential dinners” while staying at the household. She had drawn him into disguising himself as another servant to join them for some fun.
The comrades are all among those who arrive earlier (as the party fills up from the lower tiers of nobility and their entourages first). The Achenbecks are there along with various other nobles – von Bruner, von Saponatheim, Maria-Ulrike von Leibwitz, Lector Johann Esmer, Patriarch Balthazar Gelt, Preceptors, members of the imperial council, three electors including the last to arrive – Countess Emmanuelle von Leibwitz of Nuln, Elector of Wissenland, Chancellor the University of Nuln.
Graf von Kaufman, Korhadriel, and The Dwarf, speak with Patriarch Gelt and Korhadriel manages (just barely, by dint of his Academic background) to talk up the Southlands expedition findings successfully but not terribly insightfully.
Magnus among the servants is his charming self and gathers gossip that servants pick up from others, including in the palace. There is surprise Clothilde von Alptraum attended given the history of animosity between her and the Countess Emmanuelle (it is an older servant who says this). The palace servants are all fed up with the soldiers and their security – ruining linens by poking them, that Schaffer woman thinks testing food means eating half of it. He even manages to learn some gossip about Schaffer, the servants think she has eyes for Captain Baerfaust and is jealous of the time he spends with Gravin Clothilde von Alptraum.
Graf von Kaufman and the von Aschenbecks engage in some verbal jousting that sees Wolfgang von A. stomp off while his daughter matches the Graf’s taunts and when he tries to put her down with his superior business knowledge surprises him with her own. Over a scintillating duel of commodity price knowledge as each matches the other and ups stakes with more obscure references that are matched back, sparks fly and before long talk turns to mergers and flirting double-entendres.
The potential Aschenbeck-Kaufman commercial empire is born.
Count von Bitternach, the elderly keeper of secrets on the Council of State is lobbied by Clothilde about the plenipotentiary to resolve Averland electorship and makes an obscure reference to appreciating her tact and maturity.
Later, the Count interviews Korhadriel and The Dwarf asking about Wilhelm and whether he is trustworthy and honest. The elf gives a dissembling answer but The Dwarf speaks well of Wilhelm. The Count then speaks with Wilhelm – it turns out he knows Wilhelm was at Blackfire Pass and near the scene where Baerfaust either did or didn’t contribute to Marius von Leitdorf’s death – and he wants to know which it was. Wilhelm defends Captain Baerfaust against the rumours and Bitternach is satisfied.
(For some reason the Count is either investigating or vetting Captain Baerfaust?)
The climax of the evening comes when Countess Emmanuelle insults Clothilde, commenting on the rank of her escort being suitable for her, “oh I see your taste still runs to men good with a sword, perhaps you will have better luck with someone closer to your rank…”. Clothilde is taken aback and enraged to the point she may well say or do something damaging to herself.
Wilhelm, as her escort, intervenes to give Clothilde a chance to regain control of herself – engaging the Countess in a social engagement (Duel of Wits) [clearly understood to be “throwing himself on the grenade” as a social engagement with the Countess is rather much like a duel with a dragon – the Countess being “an epic social monster”].
Wilhelm is demolished by icy stares, invocation of rank, and belittling comments (Do You Know Who I am, Belittle etc.). He manages to score one “hit” by making himself seem unworthy of her barbs, the rustic nobleman from Averland, however she turns this against him with her belittling and he decides to withdraw as the outcome is inevitable and Clothilde has calmed.
[i need to double check consequence of withdrawal from social combat – there may be some mechanical consequences….]
Clothilde and Wilhelm leave the party not long after. Escorting her home he finds her very grateful (he has in the past two days suffered great physical injury saving her reputation and now he has staked his social reputation in a fight he could not win to save her from damaging herself. She thanks him for she was about to say something she should not, it would have damaged her and the Countess. Wilhelm wonders that the Countess would risk this and Clothilde replies the Countess Emmanuelle lives life with the absolute certainty that no one else really matters except the Countess Emmanuelle.
Wilhelm is charming enough that building on his cumulative service to her, Clothilde warms to him personally. She asks him to escort her to the opening of Cobweb Castle in two days, at the Temple of Drama.
We break.
GM Comment
The PC's were mostly passive in the ball except where encounters were pressed on them. I made clear they could intervene/involve themselves in things as they chose (while being clear at the risks of crossing social superiors - a chart of everyone present in rank order was on table), but they chose to "ride along" for most part.
I broke down into a serious laughing fit when trying to describe the Sorcerer's dance attacks, we settled on Michael Flatley as the model for him.