We don't have a choice now, I suppose. We'll have to trust him.
Landolf takes a seat across from Gellor.
"I spoke before of a 'similar matter'. That story began on our journey from Altdorf to Bogenhafen for the festival. Our barge was waylaid by a storm and we barely made it to a nearby dock. When we went to the inn, we found murderers had taken over. Everyone else there was already dead. Fortunately, we saw through their ruse and cut them down. When we followed one of their number into the basement, we found profane markings and an obsidian dagger. It was all so foul."
"We burned the inn to the ground. Best we could do to cleanse the taint. The dagger we brought with us to seek further guidance here. If I recall right, Father Klugmann sent the box we kept it in to you."
"We had hoped to be done with such foul things, but that brings us to our next story. We were visiting the bazaar at the fair, and some sot lost this freak of a goblin that he'd been showing off to the crowd. We had gained some small notoriety in town at this point, and Magistrate Richter offered us the task of tracking the goblin down in the sewers. We tracked it down to an underground temple of foul origins. What we found there...someone had summoned a demon. We dispatched the beast and it disappeared. The temple remains, however, and we lack the skills to dispose of it."
Valghaz waited pensively as the tale was told, worried about what the witch hunters might do. But the mine was opened, and there was no going back.
Adelaida waits to see the reaction of the Captain to the news, standing at attention.
Her face is thoughtful
Witch Hunter... I never gave it much thought, so far. But it might be a good way to defend the Empire from the growing threat of Chaos. Maybe I should consider that.
We don't have a choice now, I suppose. We'll have to trust him.
Landolf takes a seat across from Gellor.
"I spoke before of a 'similar matter'. That story began on our journey from Altdorf to Bogenhafen for the festival. Our barge was waylaid by a storm and we barely made it to a nearby dock. When we went to the inn, we found murderers had taken over. Everyone else there was already dead. Fortunately, we saw through their ruse and cut them down. When we followed one of their number into the basement, we found profane markings and an obsidian dagger. It was all so foul."
"We burned the inn to the ground. Best we could do to cleanse the taint. The dagger we brought with us to seek further guidance here. If I recall right, Father Klugmann sent the box we kept it in to you."
"We had hoped to be done with such foul things, but that brings us to our next story. We were visiting the bazaar at the fair, and some sot lost this freak of a goblin that he'd been showing off to the crowd. We had gained some small notoriety in town at this point, and Magistrate Richter offered us the task of tracking the goblin down in the sewers. We tracked it down to an underground temple of foul origins. What we found there...someone had summoned a demon. We dispatched the beast and it disappeared. The temple remains, however, and we lack the skills to dispose of it."
Gellor listens with rapt attention as Landolf speaks and as soon as he finishes, rises to his feet and dons a heavy leather jacket and a battered hat and grabs his silver Warhammer from the wall. Even as he arms himself he begins to issue orders to his men.
”Arnhold, ride for Altdorf immediately and take a message to Witch Hunter General Johann Van Hal asking for reinforcements be sent to Bogenhafen. Ride like a demon is chasing you boy because they may well be! Requisition fresh mounts when needed and if anyone refuses, shoot them as they are traitors to the Empire”
”Oliver, arm yourself, crossbow and sword and holy water. There’s a demonic temple under our feet. It’s just as we suspected, Bogenhafen is a target for Chaos. That stops now!”
”Volker, Volker, VOLKER! There you are man. Once the rest of us are out of the temple, wait 10 minutes and inform High Priest Teugen that we move to cleanse demonic forces from Bogenhafen. He’ll not impede us again!”
A flurry of rapid activity ensues from the gathered Witch-Hunters and after a surprisingly short time Gellor and his man Oliver are ready to go. ”Lead on Black Thorns! Suffer not those of Chaos to live!”
"Grimnir's axe!" Valghaz exclaimed at the sudden flurry of activity. Humans...taking the threat of chaos seriously enough for decisive action? He could barely believe it. "Aye, let's move out." He said, caught up in the commotion enough to not really register that they might be facing the horrors of a daemon again.
Adelaida springs into action
Let's cleanse the town from the taint of Chaos! For the Empire! To the fray, Black Thorns!
Landolf watched the witch hunters prepare with a mix of relief and trepidation. Captain Gellor hadn't seen fit to put them to the question, and that was welcome. The eagerness with which the man leapt into action and the obvious rift in the local Cult of Sigmar gave him pause, though. Was the man a sincere soldier held back too long by local politics or a heedless zealot waiting for any excuse to snap?
Finding a moment during the preparations, he gathered the Black Thorns together for a quick huddle. "Quickly: do we tell him about the Steinhägers?"
I think we should be honest with him, and tell him that we have no definitive proof, but the name of Steinhager came back more than once during our investigations. Maybe witholding the information would be detrimental to us, and it's better to be on the "good side", so to speak, of the Witch Hunters. Then, speaking of the Steinhagers could send them in a frenzy, and some innocents might die along the culprits.If we don't find more tangible proof of the involvement of the Steinhagers, we could speak to the Captain of our suspicions, and tell him we are ready to search for more information.
"Aye. He's nay puttin' our feet to the fire jus' yet. Might as well trust him to be competent in his job."
Ruprecht nods , "I agree, we must give him all the information we have..."
He gains the Captain's attention, "Captain Gellor, you must know something else...something of some delicacy. In our recent encounters with the Enemy, the name of the Steinhager family continues to appear. We do not wish to disparage such an important family, but thought it wise to inform you of the possibility that they had been corrupted; with all of the political ramifications that entails."
Gellor pauses his activities as Ruprecht confides the information learned to date about the Steinhagers. A look of frustration shows on his face as he curses and then adds, ”the bloody Steinhagers. They’re one of the families that run this city. I can’t move against such a family without solid proof so you need to find me something compelling. For now, let’s tackle this temple you’ve found and then decide what’s next.”
Taking the same route to the temple you’ve used before you make steady progress through the sewers...that is steady until the sewage in the channel suddenly heaves, and a nauseating stench assails the Characters’ nostrils as a phosphorescent, obscenely slimy tentacle bursts from beneath the surface and lashes out.
"Dawi goes first." Valghaz said, no accepting anyone to gainsay him. "Right and proper for a son of stone and steel and go first into the dark."
Watching your back as always, Brother.
Adelaida follows the dwarf, walking cautiously into the filthy, slippery mud
Landolf trailed behind Valghaz & Adelaida nervously. He still felt sick to his stomach after the encounter with the demon, and returning to the scene wasn't helping. He still wasn't sure about the Sigmarites at his back, but at least the reaction they had received was better than they had seen back in Ubersreik.
Hopefully they could lead the Witch Hunters to the site without incident and be done with it.
"Dawi goes first." Valghaz said, no accepting anyone to gainsay him. "Right and proper for a son of stone and steel and go first into the dark."
A huge slimy tentacle flashes out from a gelatinous body that slowly arises in the sewage. Luckily, the tentacle is not aimed at anyone, instead it hits the wall above the walkway where it sticks tight. As soon as the first tentacle attaches, another tentacle shoots upwards and anchors itself to the ceiling of the sewer. The enormous size of the creature is revealed as it pulls itself free of the sewage, its huge block completing blocking the passageway.
A twang sounds as Oliver releases a crossbow bolt at the creature. The bolt buries itself in the bulk in front of you but seems to have little to any effect on the beast as the hole made by the crossbow bolt soon disappears.
”Come on dawri!” Valghaz yelled out. Seeing the horror it was either fight or flight. He was in front, so there was no real way to flee. And even if he did, how far would he get against something so large? And even worse, how would he face his ancestors if he died so cowardly? Truly, there was only one option....
Grimacing at the memories of their last sojourn into the muck and smell of the sewers , Ruprecht followed Landolf glad to have the men of the Temple fast behind him.
-------
As the creature heaved itself out of the slimy muck, Ruprecht sighed, now only too used to such things. Drawing his sword, he waited until a tentacle came close...
SL+2, Str+3, sword+1=+6
Adelaida hacks at the tentacled monstruosity, holding her ground with tenacity, fighting side by side with Valghaz
Knowing that he would only hinder his hardier allies if he advanced, Landolf kept a close eye on the monster, searching for the right moment to strike.
[dice=Charge 70]1d100
”Come on dawri!” Valghaz yelled out. Seeing the horror it was either fight or flight. He was in front, so there was no real way to flee. And even if he did, how far would he get against something so large? And even worse, how would he face his ancestors if he died so cowardly? Truly, there was only one option....
Valghaz refuses to be cowed by a gigantic, quivering mass of gelatinous ooze. With a cry he buries his pick deeply in the mass. A bit of goo splatters out from the hole and for a moment Valghaz struggles to pull his pick out of his foe as the oozing mass seems to grab ahold of the pick before Valghaz manages to free it,
The hole that Valghaz had punctured quickly seals over, leaving no evidence that any damage had been inflicted on the monstrous thing.
"...fook. Fall back!" Valghaz yelled. "Our weapons can't do s%##e!"
[dice=attack 62]1d100 SL+2, Str+3, sword+1=+6
Adelaida hacks at the tentacled monstruosity, holding her ground with tenacity, fighting side by side with Valghaz
Grimacing at the memories of their last sojourn into the muck and smell of the sewers , Ruprecht followed Landolf glad to have the men of the Temple fast behind him.
-------
As the creature heaved itself out of the slimy muck, Ruprecht sighed, now only too used to such things. Drawing his sword, he waited until a tentacle came close...
[dice=Attack, WS:43]1d100
The good news for Ruprecht is that the quivering mass does nothing to defend itself from Ruprecht’s sword thrust, the bad news is that except for making a slice which immediately seals over, Ruprecht’s attack seems to accomplish little.
[dice=attack 62]1d100 SL+2, Str+3, sword+1=+6
Adelaida hacks at the tentacled monstruosity, holding her ground with tenacity, fighting side by side with Valghaz
Adelaida quickly discovers that a sword seems to have little to any effect when used on a huge gelatinous thing. The sword punches holes easily into the creature but those holes just as easily seal over.
Knowing that he would only hinder his hardier allies if he advanced, Landolf kept a close eye on the monster, searching for the right moment to strike.
[dice=Initiative (Intuition) 40 to gain Advantage]1d100
Landolf watches the fight carefully looking for an opening and see that weapons have little to any effect on the thing. An alternative approach is obviously needed...
”Stand aside, stand aside,” Witch-Hunter Captain Gellor says as he pushes his way to the fore, simultaneously striking a match and holding it to an unlit torch which he waves in front of himself once the torch catches fire.
”Useless to use weapons on these giant amoebas, but they are terrified of fire,” Gellor explains as he pokes at the massive form in front of him. ”Watch and learn,” Gellor says as he touches the creature with the lit torch. As soon as the fire makes the slightest contact with the surface of the amoeba it violently recoils, withdrawing its pseudopods and splashing back into the sewage channel. ”By Sigmar, these things are interesting, they consume any organic matter they come into contact with. Most cities seed their sewers with a few amoeba to control sewage. They’re mindless and fear fire so easy to control.”
Valghaz watched in awe as the man cleared the way. He muttered "...wonder if they'd eat grobi too..."
With the monstrous amoeba driven off, the way forward is clear. Valghaz leads the way back to the foul temple. The door stands closed and seems to be bolted from the inside...
With a few minutes effort and the acquisition of a few sore shoulders you’re able to bash the door open.
However, once inside you find the the room itself has been cleared out. The Witch-Hunter Captain looks around the room and then confronts you, ”what are you lot playing at? What’s your game?”
Adelaida doesn't see anything unusual
"Look here, Captain. There are paint flecks & copper all over. This is where the circle was. Whoever was using this place has cleaned up after themselves."
[dice=Initiative (Perception) 40]1d100
"Look here, Captain. There are paint flecks & copper all over. This is where the circle was. Whoever was using this place has cleaned up after themselves."
Gellor looks at the evidence that Landolf found and nods his agreement. ”Aye Sir Landolf, the signs are here indeed. Though this temple of heresy is abandoned, the vile cult still must be active since it was just last night that the poor Father was murdered.”
Gellor begins to pace back and forth across the room, rubbing his beard as he walks and speaking quietly to himself. His man just shakes his head and leans against a wall as if this is something he’s seen before. After a minute or two of pacing and muttering, Gellor stops and gestures for you all to gather around. ”This cult threatens all of Bogenhafen. If they’ve summoned a demon before they’ll likely to do so again. We must find the leaders of this cult and where they have relocated their temple. You shared your suspicions about the Steinhägers, you should investigate them further. My position is too prominent to be able to provide you any direct assistance. High Priest Teugen will be watching me like a hawk after this excursion and unfortunately there’s not enough evidence to overcome the inertia of his brain. But find me the heart of this cult and I shall rain down fire and vengeance on them.”
Valghaz chewed his lip at this announcement. To investigate a prominent house sounded like the type of political intrigue that he could do without. But then again, the Cult of Sigmar was rich, and this might well get their company future work. He looked to Landolf for direction on how to proceed.
Landolf frowned thoughtfully before responding. "I share your concern about these demon summoners, Captain Gellor. Otherwise we would not have brought this matter to your attention. Our zeal for Sigmar won't fill our bellies, though. If we are able to find the evidence you seek, can we count on you to see that the Black Thorns are suitably rewarded?"
Landolf frowned thoughtfully before responding. "I share your concern about these demon summoners, Captain Gellor. Otherwise we would not have brought this matter to your attention. Our zeal for Sigmar won't fill our bellies, though. If we are able to find the evidence you seek, can we count on you to see that the Black Thorns are suitably rewarded?"
Oliver smirks at you as you make your request for remuneration, ”I keep telling his high and mighty that faith don’t fill the belly...”
Gellor gives Oliver a look that makes it clear that this is an old argument between the two. Turning his attention to Landolf, Gellor holds out his hand and says, ”help me crush the cult and eliminate the danger to Bogenhafen and I swear by Sigmar that you will be well rewarded. There is no need to speak of the price of failure is there?”
Gellor makes ready to head back to the temple, ”we part here for now, push this investigation as fast as you can. Can you feel it? Doom comes rapidly to Bogenhafen. We have but little time.” Gellor pats the pockets of his leather coat for a moment and then pulls a small golden hammer from one of the pockets. ”Take this symbol of mighty Sigmar. It is the symbol also of my order of Witch-Hunters. Presenting this may open doors as it will be clear that you have the power of the Witch-Hunters behind you.”
Some common knowledge
The town lies within the boundaries of the Duchy of Saponatheim and falls under the jurisdiction of Graf Wilhelm von Saponatheim. However, the graf takes little interest in the town’s affairs, providing his share of the town’s taxes keeps flowing. He holds court at Castle Grauenberg, some 60 miles to the north, and rarely visits the town, not even maintaining any property within its walls. To all intents and purposes, Bögenhafen functions as a freistadt and the Town Council is the highest authority.
More common knowledge
There are four notable merchant houses in Bögenhafen: Haagen, Ruggbroder, Steinhäger, and Teugen. In addition, there are many smaller mercantile concerns struggling to eke out an existence, but nearly all long-distance trade is conducted by the four great families. All of the great houses have family homes in the ostentatious luxury of the Adel Ring with separate offices elsewhere in Bögenhafen.
Anything else would require a Lore check or at least a good explanation of why you may have the information.
Ruprecht internally puts aside his newer boatman's ways, and returns his brain to the more calculated ways of the advisor. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to recall anything of import that bears on their current situation...
Ruprecht internally puts aside his newer boatman's ways, and returns his brain to the more calculated ways of the advisor. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to recall anything of import that bears on their current situation...
[dice=Lore(Reiksland):35]1d100
The Teugen family had been suffering a sharp decline in its fortunes over the last 20 years or so, but this was drastically reversed by the arrival of Johannes Teugen from the university of Nuln. Johannes returned to Bögenhafen following the death of his older brother, Karl. He has remained in town as the head of the family, and has overseen his house’s dramatic return to its former glory. In addition to his numerous guards and staff, Johannes Teugen lives with his cousin, Gideon. Some say Gideon is a slender youth who returned with Teugen from Nuln, following the death of Teugen’s older brother, Karl. However, others believe Gideon must be a child as Teugen has recently been seen accompanied by a smaller figure. Whatever the truth, since Teugen’s return he has rekindled the success of his family, leading many in Bögenhafen to whisper that perhaps Karl’s death was a blessing from the gods.
The Steinhägers are one of Bögenhafen’s more prolific merchant families, led by Franz Steinhäger, assisted by his brother, Heinrich, and his son, Albrecht. Heinrich bitterly resents being two years younger than Franz. He is utterly convinced the family would be more successful were he the eldest. This frustration is only compounded by Franz’s increased reliance on Albrecht, who is only 17 years old. Heinrich suspects this isn’t an intentional slight, but knowing this doesn’t lessen its sting.
I didn't realise you were so knowledgeable in high society matters, Ruprecht. Good to know. What course of action do you recommend?
Valgahz scratched his head. He was, at heart, a miner. A commoner. Someone who never put any thought into the coming and goings of the upper classes. To have to investigate a powerful family felt like a death sentence. He wanted to suggest just breaking into the home of the nobles and forcefully finding the information, but feared that all it would do was lead to a bloodbath. He hoped that the smarter and more politically savvy members of the group would have a better idea.
Landolf moves to speak with the rest of the Black Thorns. "Nothing is going to happen down here in the sewers. Let's get back to the Berebeli and get washed up. I'll need to see to my visit with the Haagen family tomorrow. Maybe Yvonne will have turned up something new in the meantime, or something during the visit will give us some direction."
"While I'm away, you may want to scout out the Steinhager estate. Anyone at the taverns their servants frequent might know something we can use. You might want to see if you can find an expert on the sewers or at least a map of the place from the city as well. I'll try to get a meeting with the Steinhagers, but even if they meet with me they may not allow me to get anywhere near their secrets. If it doesn't work and we don't come up with any leads, going through these filth-ridden tunnels again may be our best bet."
Night falls and Morrslieb is again full and also significantly larger than normal. It almost appears to stop above the town, not orbiting like normal. As the night progresses, a grinning skull appears on the moon. It is indistinct at first, but has unmistakable features by dawn. To many inhabitants of Bögenhafen, the moon’s face seems odd but is of no great cause for concern — it’s certainly not the first time it’s happened. For others, it’s disturbing. Some refuse to leave their houses at night, whilst other take to the streets to claim the end is nigh!
Yvonne has a pleased look on her face when she spots Landolf. ”Good news Sir, I was able to arrange a meeting tomorrow morning with Herr Franz Steinhäger at the Steinhäger offices. Herr Steinhäger may be under the impression that you have a business venture to discuss with him. That small deception was necessary to get an appointment so quickly. Other than tomorrow morning, Herr Steinhäger is occupied the rest of the week.”
Valghaz was in a foul mood. He had went to the Steinhager offices and had watched for...something? He was no detective! The day had passed uneventfully with merchants the like going about their business. It was frustrating in the extreme to know that something was expected of him but being completely untrained.
As such, when the thugs came, he scowled and lifted his pick. First, he looked at them carefully, to see if they were the mysterious cultists they were after.
But, as per usual, he was about as perceptive as a cave troll.
SL4
However, he was also as intimidating. Pointing his heavy weapon at the men, he said in a loud and very angry voice "Oi! Ye know where else is nice this time of year? Morr's garden! And I'll bloody well send ye there if ye fookin' umgi try anything funny. Now how about ye tell me *who* sent ye 'fore I put me steelshod boot so far up ye arses that ye'll be tastin' me bootshine!"