*** Spoiler Alert – if you intend playing the WFRP Starter there may be spoilers below ***
8th Ulriczeit 2511 (Konistag) – Bleary Eyes, Meeting Pfeffer, A Much-Needed Bath, Ferdinand’s Excursion, Sad News, Epic Sagas and Drunken Belligerence
After returning to the Red Moon Inn from the morgue, Gunnar slept poorly. The remnants of adrenaline and the strange feelings associated with the killing of the troll are causing a dull ache in his mind. Salundra’s sleep was uncharacteristically disturbed. “… no, no, please, don’t take her …”, he clearly hears her say as he struggles to find some sleep. Ferdinand heard her talking in her sleep too.
The party awoke with a small amount of time before the meeting arranged with Captain Pfeffer. They were tired and thoroughly disheveled, their clothes filthy with troll ichor, but there was no time to deal with that before their meeting with the Captain. They proceeded to the Watch Barracks through a dusting of snow, several bystanders nudging ribs and nodding towards them. It seems their exploits from the nights before had become common knowledge amongst at least some of the denizens around Teubrücke. As they neared the barracks there was an amount of hubbub on the streets with Altdorf-uniformed troops milling about.
Pfeffer’s adjutant admitted them upon their arrival. The tone of this meeting was different. Captain Pfeffer was more candid, sensing the party, through their good deeds, were kindred spirits. She opened by saying she believed they were responsible for a decapitated troll in the morgue, eyeing their dress as confirmation. She then relayed a couple of pieces of information: Sergeant Klupenklug had accused them of racketeering and that Anton Grimski had been given a lenient sentence. This gave her the opening to discuss the challenges in Ubersreik, a Watch populated with mostly unwilling Altdorfers, her suspicions about the corruption of Klupenklug and the possibility that he was a Jungfreud man, and the complicity of the judiciary in promoting a Jungfreud agenda. Captain Pfeffer said she stays out of the politics, but these actions destabilise the town.
She asked the party to figure out what Klupenklug has been up to, asking them to bring order in any way they could, and recommended the nearby Bridge House Inn as a place to wash and have clothes laundered. The party showed willingness to help. Before leaving Gunnar placed the Goblin Shaman’s staff on Pfeffer’s desk, stating there was a problem with greenskins in the sewers. The Captain wasn’t overly surprised, stating that the Ratchatchers’ Guild had reported issues in the northern (Magnussewers) and southern (Sigmarsewers) sewers. She said she’d try to have some of the Watch look into it. As the rose to leave, Pfeffer warned them to be careful who they talked to in the Watch, no one was to be trusted.
The party made their way to the Bridge House Inn, where they met Gunther Abend, the manager of the inn. They were treated well, offered nice private bathing rooms and their clothes were laundered. Luxurious robes were available to them, so following washing they proceeded to the bar to eat and drink. Gunther offered Gunner a drink, something that transported him back to Karak Azgaraz, a tankard of Kneecleaver Porter. The others joined him in one, just one, but nostalgia and sentimentality kept Gunnar drinking. Their clothes were ready by mid afternoon, the inn having a dedicated drying room heated by the kitchen ovens. Salundra and Ferdinand had some errands to run: they found places to dress, settled their tabs and said they’d return for Gunnar later in the day.
James and I played a through a solo-session for what Ferdinand got up to next…
Ferdinand proceeded to the Precinct area with a desire to check out the morgue. The morgue in the Watch Barracks of Ubersreik is located in the basement of the building. It’s accessed from outside (to the right and along a small alleyway from the main Barrack’s door) down a set of steps, with two narrow ramps built in, wide enough apart to accommodate a small cart. There are heavy double doors at the base of the steps, but they’re securely barred. Ferdinand looks for an alternative way in, but there is no obvious means of access from the outside, the only windows being both too small and are fitted with bars.
Ferdinand decides to try his luck with Captain Pfeffer’s adjutant and heads into the barracks. There he finds the adjutant in a good mood and asks him about the doctor. The adjutant explains that he works nights and won’t be around until later in the day, mentioning that he lodges at quite a poor hostel (Rugger’s Boarding House). Ferdinand then makes a somewhat unconvincing claim that he’d lost something in the morgue that night. The adjutant, however, buys the story and happily gives Ferdinand the keys to the inner door, pointing him down a couple of flights of stairs to the entrance to Dr. Lichtmann’s office.
Ferdinand unlocks the door and enters the office, conscious that he doesn’t want to dwell too long. He proceeds into the morgue with its four dissection tables, with room to work around them. There are small windows, close to the ceiling that seem to be there to bring light in from the street, but they’re very grimy and can’t be much use. The morgue is quite ordered, with many tools hanging on the walls. Built into the ceiling above each table are pulleys and ropes, presumably for helping to move bodies. There is a wheeled trolly in one corner and there appears to be cavities built into one of the walls to store bodies. The morgue is currently ‘home’ to two human bodies, one on a dissection table and one in a wall cavity. There’s also the troll’s headless corpse and and its stomach contents on two of the tables!
Ferdinand decides not to push his luck with the adjutant, and quickly unlatches the exterior double doors. He has a quick look in the doctor’s office, noticing nothing of particular note. He does, however, help himself to a few bandages, reasoning that they won’t be missed.
He returns the keys to the adjutant and leaves the building, only to immediately return to the double doors, and (after checking he’s not being watched) sneak back in to the morgue. Ferdinand manoeuvred the trolly to block the door into the office, making much more noise than he planned. Noises from upstairs gave him a moments pause before he believed they weren’t coming to investigate.
Ferdinand’s grimoire is his most prized possession. His master wrote some spells into it before Ferdinand left Altdorf. The spell that he finds most intriguing is Dying Words, an incantation he saw his master cast once during an investigation in the capital. It allows for one final conversation with the recently deceased. Mustering his will, Ferdinand set to intoning the spell. His first attempt fizzled out before it even began, the magick words feeling clumsy in his mouth. He steeled himself and tried again, hand touching the forehead of the corpse. This time feeling something before the magic wind deserted him. The fatigue of the fight against the troll was showing, but he prepared himself for one final try, but this time moving to the corpses housed in the wall cavity. Again placing his hand on a cold forehead he slowly spoke the words before him. They flowed smoothly and soon an amethyst glow emanated from the corpses eyes, ears and mouth. Although its mouth didn’t move he could hear a low sound from its throat…
Ferdinand asked the dead man what had happened to him. It was like speaking to someone who had just awoken from an all consuming dream. He was confused and disjointed, but in their brief exchange, Ferdinand managed to discover the man believed he had been killed by a hammer wielding man, one who was quite large. This sounded a lot like Anton Grimski’s muscle. The glow from the corpses head faded and that was it. Ferdinand had successfully cast Dying Words for the first time. Ferdinand wasn’t sure how he’d feel about this feat, but he was elated and relieved. These were not the feelings he’d expected…
Ferdinand looked for a way to exit the morgue, but leave its main door barred again. He spotted some tools that looked as if they had been discarded and grabbed one to lower the latch into place as he pulled the door closed. This required both strength and dexterity. He managed it skilfully and quietly.
He was drained from the exertion, but was content that he had achieved something very significant. Ferdinand returned to Salundra and Gunnar, having only been away from them for a couple of hours.
Meanwhile, Salundra returned to the Pechevogel home. There she presented the ring to Maglyn, who immediately broken down in tear filled convulsions, her husband’s wedding band clutched to her breast. Eugen hugged her, his face full with sadness, sensing what this meant. The other children, who on the previous visits had been all life and mischief, sat in stunned silence, their mother’s reaction stilling them. Salundra gave Maglyn some coins to support her family and vowed to do what she could to help the family.
While his comrades were away, Gunnar’s mood turned from nostalgia to melancholy. He broke into a low rumbling Dwarfen saga, part epic poem, part melodic chant. The other patrons of the Bridge inn mostly went about their business, but some paused to enjoy the Dwarf’s words, even if they didn’t understand them. Ferdinand and Salundra returned, but Gunnar’s melancholy turned to anger, the torments in his life coming to the surface. He was bristling for a fight, thumping the table and getting up into a swaying stand. Salundra tried to calm him, but he wasn’t registering her intervention, anger building. He raised his fists looking as though he was going to hit Salundra. Ferdinand reacted quickly, intoning a quick enchantment and reaching out to touch Gunnar on the shoulder. This magick, combined with Gunnar’s inebriated state (he had drunk 11 Kneecleavers!), staggered him instantly. Salundra and Ferdinand bustled Gunnar from the inn before he could make a further scene.
On the street, Gunnar began to regain some of his senses, but Ferdinand and Salundra reasoned it was worth working the magick on him again. This time, it put him into a deep sleep, sonorous and drunken snores emanating from him. They settled Gunnar’s bill, collected his items and apologised. Gunther said it was no problem. Drunken patrons were par for the course when running an inn. He said they were welcome back anytime.
Ferdinand and Salundra carried Gunnar to the Red Moon Inn, quite a tiring feat, and managed to get him to his bed. Before turning in herself, Salundra had a few words with Franz about Maglyn, reasoning that anyone with an ability to cook could do better than fish stew day in and day out. Franz said he had been considering making changes to the food served, in the hopes of attracting some lunchtime trade from the docks. Salundra said she’d bring Maglyn by in the morning. It had been a long day, and Salundra’s lack of sleep from the night before caught up on her. They had a much needed sleep.
9th Ulriczeit 2511 (Angestag): A Job, Axe-shaped Temptation, a Mini-Riot (again!) and a Visit to the Doctor
True to her word, the next morning, after predictably turning down yet another fish stew breakfast offering, Salundra went to fetch Maglyn Pechevogel. Franz was pleased to meet her and Salundra left them to it, conscious that she wanted to get to the Marktplatz to witness the sham punishment of Grimski.
In the meantime, Gunnar and Ferdinand went to the visit the Armourer and Weaponsmith Skornin Morkrisson, who has a forge in Dwaihaven beside a south-west section of the city’s perimeter wall. There they saw Morkrisson working while an apprentice, named Faralina Tharrikasniz greeted them. Gunnar expressed an interest in a double-handed axe and Faralina mentioned there were a couple of options ranging in the 5 to 6 GC range. Gunnar doesn’t have that kind of money, but he resolved there and then that he would soon… Faralina sharpened Gunnar’s axe, refusing payment, in anticipation of the future business he’d do with them. Ferdinand and Gunnar proceeded to Marktplatz to meet up with Salundra.
The party waited for Grimski to be escorted to the stocks. Soon enough he was brought into the square, escorted by two Watchmen. He didn’t seem like a man who had been chastened, rather appearing to know that his ‘punishment’ was at most a token rebuke. No sooner had he been placed in stocks that his large bodyguard with the hammer appeared to prevent anyone from mistreating the agitator.
The party proceeded over to the stocks, wishing to speak with Grimski, but ‘The Ox’ stepped in to bar their path. Salundra attempted to intimidate him as before, but he appeared unwavering this time. Gunnar was less subtle, swiftly placing the sharpened edge of his axe where The Ox would have rathered it not be placed. Lackeys began to appear from behind stalls and alleys around the Marktplatz. Salundra shoved The Ox, who reached for his hammer while Gunnar ran to intercept the incoming unfriendlies. The Ox swung at Salundra, but she sidestepped deftly, slicing her blade just below his right collarbone, lifting it quickly snapping the bone. The Ox dropped his axe and stumbled backwards, blood streaming for his wound. His whimpering didn’t deter to others, who engaged the party. Ferdinand and Gunnar, got stuck in, quickly getting the upper hand on the inexperienced foes. Salundra was not so fortunate…
Her assailant got a lucky strike as he closed, popping her left shoulder from its socket. The pain was excruciating, but she managed to keep her feet. Before she could respond he sliced out with a dagger, catching her on the forehead above her right eye. The wound wasn’t deep, but it started to bleed heavily. She lashed out, hitting him solidly, causing him to flee. Meanwhile, Ferdinand felled a lackey with a single swing and Gunnar nearly dispatched two before they fled.
The Watchmen reappeared, but were stayed by Salundra’s authority. Recognising she needed medical assistance, they had to leave Grimski. Ferdinand knew where Dr.Lichtmann could be found, and, having patched the forehead wound, he led them to Rugger’s Boarding House on the northern side of the river. The ‘Boarding House’ is one of the less salubrious establishments in the city and the sight of a bloody and injured soldier at her door did not phase Gram’ma Rugger. She ordered the doctor be fetched and he duly arrived. He was obviously the worse for wear, more than just fatigued from a night of work. Upon seeing Salundra, he led the party to his room (where he hurriedly tidied before they entered) and had her lie on the bed. Despite his condition he is a skilled healer and worked her shoulder joint back into place. It was very painful, but again Salundra touched it out.
… and we’ll pick things up from there the next time.
Until next time,
Owen