Session Five

Sunday, 26th August 2012
(A long update covering just about everything that happened, so that Daniel can catch up on what he missed)

The Party headed through the Forest with the Elves and the Priest and his retinue.  Father Johannes constantly forcing Nils to carry all his stuff - especially his MASSIVE ceremonial gold and gem encrusted Hammer - much to Konrad's irritation.

Catching up with the Crusade who were camped just outside a small Farming village named Gotten, they saw Karl's power first hand when he spoke to a crowd of villagers (the Party did not want to get close enough to hear him speak), and most of the villagers instantly converted to worship Karl as the Son of Sigmar, and joined the Crusade.  Johannes asked the PC's to kidnap the boy, and the Elves asked them to help them kill him, as power like this was dangerous.  The PC's wanted to find out more, but the Elves did not want to enter the camp, feeling thirteen elves in one party (Lorianoc, Coriael as well as Mormocar) might draw too much attention in a mostly human crusade... The PC's were to find out what they could, and get as close to the boy as possible, and report back to the Elves so they could plan their attack.

The Crusaders camp was huge, lots of tents and so forth surrounding an inner Enclosure which was cordoned off by poles and sheets all the way around and guarded at the only entrance - they PC's travelled all the way around, but the area was too crowded to try to break into the Inner circle.  The PC's were stuck outside in the main camp - huge and filthy, shite everywhere, and thousands of Crusaders.

They met Groff, the Camp Butcher - complete with hideous purple boil on his lip, but they didn't want to buy any meat (especially as they had just seen other Crudaders arrive with cows they has  just stolen from the village and hand them over to Groff to kill).

They met a Strigany Gypsy boy named Ahmed, offering to sell them anything - they sent him away with a few shillings in his pocket, clearly thinking the boy may be a useful ally.

They met Rudi and Hannah Margelt, old owners of the Reaper's Bounty, now running an in-camp pub named Karl's Bounty (they has brought along some old Reaper's Bounty banners so the place was recognisable) - when he found out the PC's had visited his old place, he asked if they had found his old pipe... Mormocar was persuaded to hand it over and Rudi was so grateful he offered them free beer and told them about and empty tent (the old owners had died of the Yellow Fever (otherwise known as Pissing Disease) - other random people had also mentioned this as there was an epidemic of it around the camp - you have to drink and drink and drink non stop, but you could not pee, and you turned yellow and kept drinking till your bladder exploded and you died... not very nice.

They discovered that there were different ways people had of worshipping Karl - some just sang songs of praise to him, some believed they had to whip themselves and make sure they had constantly open wounds (these were known as The Brothers of the Unclosed Wound...)

Father Johannes had asked around and had found out a little about the four Crusade leaders:

• Helmut, the Sigmarite Priest from Marienburg who first proclaimed Karl Son of Sigmar after he killed the Chaos cultists with the hammer. Helmut started the Crusade.
• Jan Vanderpeer, a Merchant from Marienburg
• Krieger Brighalter, a Captain who had converted on meeting Karl
• Lord Wilhelm Eisenbach, a Nobleman

But they couldn't get into the Central Compound, so they sneaked all of the Elves into the tent they had taken over thanks to Rudi's information.

Then the ghouls and zombies attacked... hundreds of them.  The PC's were caught up in the fight, as were the elves - zombies got into the enclosure but were driven out by guards - but as soon as they could, the Elves disappeared from sight before any of the Crusade guards could spot them.  Then, one of the ghouls said, "The diversion is enough - let's signal the master..." and blew on a whistle (which made no sound the PC's could hear) - and then a bat flew into the Central compound and the PC's could hear shouts of "It's a vampire!" - and they ran in to confront it.

It was a huge 8 foot tall Strigoi, and it had gone into Karl's tent.

 
Suddenly, they saw the tent being ripped up and the Vampire was swinging the central pole as a weapon.   The PC's attacked (once they had all gotten over their Fear...) eventually killing it, but not without losing several Wounds each and, in Mormocar's case, a Fate Point (instead of dying, the Vampire smacked him with the tent pole and knocked him 15 foot into the air - luckily the GM was nice and he managed a soft landing in a big pile of poo).

The guards on the Inner Circle, and Karl himself, were grateful to the PC's for saving the day, and Karl himself spoke to them...

And all four of them immediately and completely realised he was indeed Sigmar's son and heir, and they needed to worship and protect him.  This also meant that they now hated those Elves who wanted to kill Karl...

They were given some healing, and jobs in the Camp as Guards, and were allocated a tent within Karl's Compound.

Then they were told that some idiot had bled all over the dead vampire, and it had turned into a bat and flown off.  (probably one of the Brothers of the Unclosed Wound, though I didn't point this out during the game ;P )

Father Johannes also recognised Karl as Sigmar reborn, and ordered Nils to present the boy with his Ceremonial Hammer - Nils said, "But... he's not the Son of Sigmar.. he's just a kid" which earned him a slap.  He did as Father Johannes asked.

Karl himself was interested in the PC's adventures - wanting to know if they had killed Orcs and Beastmen, and if they had loads of money from their adventuring.  He also asked them if they could tell Helmut that he didn't need any boring lessons:  Helmut insisted he did, though.

What was agreed after some arguing was that they would head straight to Altdorf and would not recruit at any more towns along the way.  Karl wanted to get there quickly so they could move on towards Kislev afterwards, to fight evil.

The next morning, as the Crusade marched towards Altdorf, they were approached seperately by Jan and by Helmut, both of whom thought that there was a Chaos spy in the camp - and as the PC's were new, they might be best to investigate who it might be.  Jan thinks it might be Krieger.

Ahmed appears again and the PC's give him some shillings to find out what he can about the Leaders.  As they talk to him, some of the other Crusaders accuse him and his father, Ali,  of being stinking Strigany Gippo's, who had probably brought the Vampire here!  Konrad sends them packing.

Later on, they spot that they are being spied upon by a straggly looking young woman with a huge boil on her lip, but she spotted Ralf when he pursued her and she disappeared into the crowd.  Throughout the day, they spotted other people with boils on their lips watching them, but they made no move.

Ahmed returned with camp gossip about the Leaders.

• Helmut: is a bit old to be leading them, but as it was him who started the Crusade and first declared Karl Son of Sigmar, everyone is loyal to him.
• Jan: A merchant from Marienburg - more interested in money than in Karl or Sigmar.
  
• Krieger: Bit of a loner. Was originally sent to kill Karl, but once he met the boy joined the Crusade instead, along with most of his men.  By all accounts a fine soldier.  Likes to go off alone at night to walk in the woods.
  
• Lord Wilhelm: More of a farmer than a soldier, and annoyed with Altdorf who he feels owe him money for using his land during the Chaos Incursion.

They camped for the night. They spotted Krieger leaving the enclosure and tried to follow, but as they were new and still on probation, they were prevented from leaving the enclosure.

The next day they overhear Krieger asking his guards if anyone had seen his glove - he lost it last night.  They also overhear two men talking about Krieger - how he had wandered off into the woods last night - and went right past the latrines - makes you wonder what he's up to.  The second man said he just has a lot on his mind and that he can go walkabout if he wants.

The PC's decided to investigate while everyone else was having breakfast.  They headed out past the latrines and saw a trail of heavy boot prints.  Following these,  they came to a clearing, marked with what looked like black runes (Mormocar did not recognise these runes, and did not have a writing kit to copy them down) - closer investigation found that these runes were covered in buzzing flies.  Mormocar pushed a hand in to find - the runes had been made out of slime and shit.  Mormocar has a thing about getting covered in poop.

Also in the clearing, they spotted a dead sheep - but it was unwounded.  It looked to have died from disease - its face covered in angry red and purple boils.  Instead of hooves, it has tiny shriveled baby hands - (Insanity Points handed out for failed WP tests here...)

They also found in the clearing a man's gloved covered in slime and shit.  Things were not looking good for Krieger.

Once they had reported back, Krieger pleaded his innocence but could not deny the glove was his.  Hew and all his men (who were guilty by association) were imprisoned in a large tent (number 2 on the map), under heavy guard.  The PC's were rewarded with 5 GC each and had their probation lifted - they were free now to leave the central compound if they liked.

That afternoon, Ahmed arrived with a fine sword, trying to get the PC's to buy it - but before he could make the sale, and angry Crusader saw him and shouted at him to give his sword back. Ahmed dropped the sword and ran off, the man cursed thieving striganay gippo scum, shouting that it was probably them that let the vampire in - Konrad stood up for Ahmed and the Crusader called him a stinking gippo lover, probably in league with them.  Konrad sent him on his way.

That night there is a massive commotion from the Tent where Kreiger and his men have been put under guard - they have hacked their was out - unarmed - and are attacking the guards!  The PC's rush in to fight them - they are covered in boils and are starting to sprout hideous mutations - the guards shout that here is proof of their being in league with chaos!  One by one they start dropping dead as the boils explose in fountains of blood and pus - the PC's continue fighting, their blows immediately killing an of the men that are touched at all, and even men not fighting were dropping to their knees and dying of the boils bursting.  Krieger himself shouting out, just before falling down dead, "A rat! A rat! Villainy!"

Rolf went into Kriegers tent, and there was indeed a rat in there - fleas jumping from it.  There was also a slash in the back wall of the tent.  As Rolf had to dodge the fleas, he used his sling to kill the rat and then they set the tent alight.  Jan said that the rat was probably Krieger's Familiar.

The next day the Crusade arrived at Altdorf.  Helmut, Eissenbach and Jan went to the gates along with several of their Knights, but they were sent away.  Altdorf are refusing to let the Crusade enter the City.  They pitch camp outside the City, setting up a stage for Karl and fairground type stalls for when any of the Altdorfers come to see what is going on.

That's when they overhear Butcher Groff talking to one of Jan's men.
"Tell Tobias the soup is ready. the Death has become the Plague - When should I make the meal?"
Jan's Guard replies, "I'll ask him and tell you when I come for the meat order."
Jan's guard goes directly to Jan's tent, then comes back immediately and says to Groff, "At the last rally before we leave Altdorf. And six lamb chops, please."

The PC's report this back to Helmut and Eissenbach, who give them permission to question Groff in any was they deem suitable.  Turns out Konrad's idea of suitable is pushing Groff's head into his own stew.  This gets him some information - Groff is under orders to feed tainted meat to Aldorfers, which will spread the Yellow Death (now stronger than ever) - but Karl will then heal them (well, not Karl, but someone named Rupecht will, and Karl will be given credit for curing the plague and will be accepted as Sigmar's son by the Emperor!)  The PC's decide it is time to confront Jan, and want to take Groff to him.  But Groff bites down on his boil on his lip, causing him to instantly start projectile vomiting blood and excreting pus from the eyes and nose, and dying.

They continued on to accuse Jan in any case, but as they had no proof, and Jan would not submit to being searched, they were a bit stuck.  Getting his guard in (the one who had been talking to Groff, and who had a huge purple boil on his lip) and questioning Jan and the Guard in front of Karl, had them both denying everything to Karl's face - the PC's are aware that they find it impossible to lie to Karl, and felt that Jan and his guard would also have to tell the truth to Karl.

Further questioning resulted in Jan's guard biting down on the boil and suffering the same fate as Groff.  Konrad's attempts to implicate Jan by association (as had happened with Krieger's men) did not work, and the PC's were arrested for accusing one of the leaders and put under guard for the night.  Karl argued for them to not be arrested, but he was overruled.

That night, under heavy guard in their tent, the PC's were awoken by the sound of tearing - someone has slashed their tent and had thrown in a flea-ridden rat!  They all had to roll for being bitten (they were told to roll a D10 , and that they did not want a 7) - they all passed this roll and then Konrad threw a heavy blanket over the rat and stuffed it into a bag, so it and its fleas could not escape.  The next morning they were released and told that Jan, some of his men, some of Karl's guards and Karl had gone into the City in disguise.  The PC's used this absence of Jan to search his tent, and found a book praising Lord Nurgle.  Oops.  Helmut and Eissenbach were mortified, and asked the PC's to go into the City and find Karl and Jan.

They head into Altdorf, (using their letter of introduction to Lord Frederick to get in as the City is not letting any crusaders in).  They soon run into a commotion  - a big fight is going on. They recognise some of Karl's bodyguard fighting Jan and his men - Jan is using magic!  They are too far away to intervene immediately, but they spot Jan kill one of Karl's guard, who grabs something tha looks like a piece of parchment from Jan's jacket as he dies - Jan escapes into some back streets, pulling a small coffin behind him - his men escape with him.

Arriving at the scene, it is clear that Karl had been snuck into the City inside the coffin, and Jan has escaped with him.  The PC's take the piece of parchment from the dead guard's hands.

We ended the session here, with the PC's stating they wanted to talk to Lord Frederick.

Session Four

Investigations into the missing chicken started off a little slowly.

Rolf borrowed the 30 GC for the book from Konrad, and after being aksed by a street kid if he had seen a missing pet rat, handed it over to Francine, who gave him a rat pie (causing all sorts of suspicion as to where she had got the rat... the butchers shop, but that is now closed as the butcher has gone off with the Crusade...) to give to Old Man Eisen, who had forgotten who the PC's were but ate it anyway.  He eventually - when shown the piece of cloth with the heraldic crest on it - told them where he had found it... on the bit of fence where they had already seen the purple fibres.

Konrad by this point had lost his patience with the others: wondering why they did all this finding the pie to get the book nonsense to find out a piece of information that was bloody obvious!  He was threatening to lock himself in the stocks if the others didn't grow a brain...

Next thing they did was talk to Frau Gertrudt again, who was demanding to know if there was any progress, and if they had questioned the Town Bailiff yet, because she was sure he had something to do with it as he was wandering about the night poor Greta was abducted.  He hung around in the Wet Whistle a lot.

Talking to the Bailiff was not easy - he refused to speak to strangers, but Francine gave them a tip: Challenge him to a card game, loser having to take a drink - when he is drunk he talks non-stop!  This done, he told the PC's that his Reeve (deputy) Walter Schmee was on duty the night the chicken went missing, and was seen near Frau Gertrudt's property around the time of the fowl abduction...

Shmee was a horrible snob, and told them a story that he had seen Lennhardt Von Spier - oldest Son of the Von Speer Family who basically own the Town - "Fowl in hand, perambulating in the opposite direction of Frau Gertrudt's abode" - the only problem was, the PC's could tell he was lying - but even under threat of violence Schmee stick to his story.  They tried to go to see the Von Spiers, but the guards would not let them pass - and the Scribe kept suggesting that they go back to Schmee and punch his lights out, which they eventually did.  Following an actual physical assault, Schmee told them the truth - he had seen Casper Schmidt close to the scene of the crime on the night in question - but they wouldn't get him to talk, on account of him having hanged himself three nights ago...

A trip to speak Schmidts house to investigate brought forth a big clue - Casper had been planning to leave Pfiefeldorf to follow the Crusade after having converted when he had seen the Child speak when they had passed through the town - but had instead hanged himself.

But, the crossbeam where he had been found hanging (by his wife) was splintered at the top, but the splinters were pointing upwards.  This could only mean that the rope had been pulled up with a body attached - so it could only be murder!  Scmidt's wife told them that the last person to see Casper on the day he dies was Lucas Von Spier - youngest Son of the Von Spier household, and when he arrived Casper had told her to leve them alone and to go out for the day.  When she returned hours later, Casper was hanging from the crossbeam...

The PC's asked to search the house, and after a very careful search they found the following documents...

The next step, now they had the name "Hollenbach" on the letter about Heraldic Research being done by the man who probably stole the chicken and lost the piece of cloth with the heeraldic design on it on Old Man Eissen's fence, wwas to return to Johannes Gephardt's Library and see if the name "Hollenbach" meant anything...

It did: Vampires...

Next step was to return to the Town Steward and demand an audience with the Von Spiers to find out what Lucas knows about vampires and why he killed Casper...

Off they went to the Von Spier Mansion, with permission this time, where Lucas did not bother to lie.  He and Casper had found a half dead vampire among a bunch of dead ones, and Lucas got the idea of bringin it home and feeding it up on whatever animals they could find, and using the missing animals in an attempt to frame Lucas's older brother Lennhardt as a member of a blood cult - well, that or feeding him to the vampire.  Lucas is angry that Lennhardt is going to inherit the whole family fortune as the oldest Son, especially as Lennhardt is such an evil git - he has Old Man Eisssen whipped for accidentally tripping up and knocking into him...

Anyhow - Lucas was forced to kill Casper when Casper decided he was leaving to join the Crusade of the Child - what if he decided to confess about the vampire plot?  Lucas currently has Lennhardt tied up and drugged (hence the receipt for the sleeping draught) and locked in the family mausoleum with the vamp... but he's feeling slightly guilty about that.

The PC's, now armed with silver daggers, and Lucas went to the Von Spier Mausoleum.

 
Sure enough, they found the Chicken (dead) and Lennhardt (dead) - and had to fight a load of zombies as well as the Vampire, who announced he was no ordinary Vampire but a Blood Dragon - but just as it was looking as if the whole party would be wiped out, (Konrad down a Fate Point, Lucas killed, Rolf down a Fate Point...) eight big hairy vampires turned up - (the Elf recognising them as Strigoi Clan vampires - probably from his Defense Against The Dark Arts lessons or something) and grabbed the Blood Dragon and flew off into the night with him without a word.

The PC's were given full pardons and went on their way towards Altdorf.

A day and a half's march from Pfiefeldorf brought them to a Coaching Inn - The Reaper's Bounty - but it was completely abandoned - no food or anything left, just pamphlets about the Crusade of the Child, and an old tobacco pipe (in very fine condition) which the Elf stole.

The did come across an injured Wood Elf named Lorianoc whose entire Kithband had been ambushed by Beastmen and killed - he had crawled here but had found the place empty and he had been resting here.

A coach turned up containing a Sigmarite Priest named Father Johann Seibolt, and his entourage consisting of six horses, two body guards named Klaus and Ernst, and a young initiate named Nils.  At first, Father Johann confuses the PC's for waiters and tries rudely ordering the about - the Elf actually brought in his case - before he understood that the inn was empty.  Luckily, Father Johann had some light snacks in his case...

They went to bed, but not before barricading the gate as it was clear the surrounding woods were full of Beastmen.

Around midnight, the PC's heard noises from downstairs - a bunch of mutants had broken in, and were whispering to each other to be quiet and look for food.  The PC's and bodyguards challenged them but did not fight them - they lived in a secret room which could be accessed halfway down the well in the courtyard, and only came into the Inn to scavenge for food.

Just then the Beastmen attacked.

It was a hard fight, the Beastmen were numerous and using grappling hooks as well as battering down the gates, and all of Johannes horses were killed as the stables were unguarded, broken up when the beastmen set the bar alight and the Mutants, the PC's and Johannes group finally managed to escape down the well as the Beastmen had left the burning Bounty and were regrouping outside.  Finally, a band of Wood Elves arrived and managed to drive the Beastmen off - this battle could be heard from the secret room.

There were ten Kithband Warrior Elves plus their Captain, Coriael.  He warns them that there are plenty more Beastmen around.

The session ended with Konrad asking that the lives of the mutants in the well be spared, which the Elves reluctantly agreed to for now - and the Elves saying they were headed to Altdorf and the PC's and Father Johannes retinue could travel with them.  Johannes also asked the PC's to please accompany him.

Session Three

Sunday 12th August 2012

Knowing Baer had been known to hang out in the Sewers beneath the Dookanaal District, and having his map, the Team decided to look for the Burndt Bakery...

Finding their way into the Sewers (by now a maze of sewer tunnels and sunken rooms as houses had started to collapse and sink into the ground) they fought their way through Ghouls and rescued battered wives locked in Cellars until they got to the "X" on the map - a doorway guarded by a giant slug monster thing, which they managed to defeat.

It had been guarding a series of three rooms, but the only thing in those rooms was a filthy, crazy old man eating a rat.  He was full of crazy talk:

"The streets fill with blood! Blood and pus! It could not wash down the sewer so the people looked down and laughed!  Beetle and fly had a race - how did beetle win?  Beetles cheat! I dreamed I had no bones and could not move and lay in filth and sores - glorious!" 

Asking him who he was, he declared himself to be Ruben, and that he was a professor at the University... when they asked hum about Baer, his eyes lit up and he said, "Jurgen!. Jurgen Baer - he did not kill me! He's my friend!" and then pushed a scrap of paper into the Elfs hands.

The team made their was back to Marienburg proper (after losing their way in the sewers slightly and falling through some rotten floorboards due to the Elf guiding them...) and met with Wilhelm Schmidt at his office, who sent them after the Crusade now that they know a Nurgle Cultist has infiltrated.  Because the team are all wanted criminals, Wilhelm gives them some documentation to keep them safe from arrest so long as they stay on the Altdorf Road.  The are to give the letter to a nobleman named Lord Frederick once they arrive in Altdorf.

On the way to Alltdorf, the team notice plenty of Wanted posters with their pictures on them, and not three days out of Marienburg they are surrounded by a militia of noblemen with crossbows from a town named Pfiefeldorf.  They cannot accept the letter the team have from Wilhelm without having it checked out, and want the team to allow one of their members, a very depressed nobleman named Wendell Ott, to arrest them and bring them to the town - which the team sort of agree to (the town is on their way anyway, they are horribly outnumbered - but they won't be tied up or surrender their weapons or be polite to any of these people). Wendell is a moaning git, and the rest of the militia (who call themselves the Blauesblut, and are all younger sons of nobles who are pissed off that the oldest sons inherit everything while the younger siblings get nowt - they are, in fact, obsessed with how unfair this is!)

Arriving in the town, they are told that the paperwork will have to be checked for authenticity, and that would take a couple of days (by pigeon!) - but the Town steward, one Zecharius Lauer, makes them an offer - they can either be put in the town stocks until their credentials are checked out, or they can do him a favour and investigate a heinous crime...

A chicken has gone missing and its owner, a "beautiful young woman" named Frau Gertrudt, has been demanding something be done - if the team could find the chicken thief he would be very grateful, and the team would be allowed the run of the town (the Blauesblut patrol the surrounding forests and any attempts to leave town will, of course, be met with lethal force...)

The team agree to investigate this shocking crime, and the Steward gives them a map of the town and a Dwarf scribe to follow them around reporting on everything they do.

The "Beautiful young woman" obviously turned out to be a huge ogre of a woman, demanding to know who the hell these strangers were.  When told that they were here to investigate the missing chicken, she's no more polite (Can you see her? Look! Gone! My Greta ain't bloody there!") so the team barely speak to her.

Examining the chicken coop reveals flies congregating around a blood stain, and a trail of blood from the coop ends at a fence leading to next door's garden, which belongs to Old Man Eysen.

On a jagged bit of fence there they notice some purple cloth fibres, but the trail does seem to end there.

Visiting Eysen is a little bit frustrating - he's practically blind and mostly deaf - ("Have you seen the chicken?" "Who wants lickin?", etc) - and there are whip scars on his back which are just beginning to heal - he seems vaguely insane (he's planting rocks, when asked about this he says he's not planting socks at all...) - the team do notice a piece of purple cloth in his pocket and steal it from him (some of the townsfolk spot this and complain), but he can't remember where he found it. It is a torn piece of purple cloth, looks quite good quality, with a gold Lion rampant print.  Clearly a heraldic crest, but none of the PC's were able to identify the crest.

Eysen declares that maybe he would be able to remember where he got the cloth from, if he had a pie from Francince Arouer's at the Wet Whistle...

The Halfling is sent on this mission.  Francine, complete with 'Allo 'Allo style Brettonian accent, basically agrees to give them some pie if they will do her a small favour...

She wants them to borrow a specific book on Empire History from Johannes Gephardt - a local scholar with a big library.  He won't let Francine borrow it.

The session ends with Johannes agreeing to lend the PC's the book, so long as they leave a deposit - anything worth about 30 Gold Crowns will do - to be returned to them when they return the book...

Session Two

 5th August 2012
 New PC:
Cassie: Grondi, a Dwarf - (troll-slayer, no less, and female.

Returning to report on what they had found from Osric, Willhelm Schmidt has a surprise in the shape of a female Dwarven Troll Slayer, also a prisoner arrested after pouring a pint of ale over the heads of two certain Nobles in a bar... she is to join the team!

They travel together through the Marshes to find the Swampers and hire a boat to take them to the ruined Temple.  The boatman they hire is an annoying little git, way too happy about absolutely everything ('Wow! We were so lucky to be attacked by a giant snake because now we have lots of food!') but he did get the job done and he did help out in fights.  The trip did involve a couple of fights - one with a living tree, one with said giant snake - but they arrived at the temple easily enough and found three people there - all Mutants.

Two of these were killed (not before the Elf fell into a pit of water they were using as a toilet and catching the Bloody Flux...) but one - a priest with the head of a shark, who kept asking them to praise Lord Stromfels - they kept alive to answer questions...

A boy was born to one of the Cult members seven years ago and was in the process of being baptised in their sacred pool (which bestows blessings in the form of mutations on all those who enter it...) when Witch Hunters attacked them, killing most of the Cult members and taking the Child with them.

Recently, a man named Jurgen Baer has been searching for a boy with powers like their lost child possessed.  The cult has found out that Baer is known to frequent a Tavern named The Jolly Boatman in the Doodkanaal District of Marienburg.

The team went to find Baer, eventually finding he had been killed by a gang of criminals known as The Hounds who ran a gambling racket from a bar named the Hounds Den.  They soon find the Hounds often kill people to take their purses to use in gambling games - two Gold Crowns against the unopened Purse.

The team did win the Purse in the end, after spending a few Gold Crowns...

Insde was a small amount of money, and what appeared to be a map...

Session One

The Thousand Thrones

Chapter 1

Session 1
The PC's
Big Al - Konrad, a human.
Little Al - Rolf, a halfling.  (Son of Harbull Furfoot from previous campaigns...)
Daniel - Mormocar, an Elf, and an Apprentice Wizard. The only one in the party who can read...


Sunday 29th July 2012

Two adventurers - a Human and a Halfling, were sat alone in the Winking Skaven pub in Marienburg when in walked an Elf...

Things were going sort of well, they had met some of the local police (Black Hats) who came in for a few lunchtime ales, and had booked rooms at the inn, when two Nobles walked in and basically picked a fight (when the PC's wouldn't accept several Gin n Tonics and unlimited rudeness from them), which our intrepid Adventurers won when Alan's character (haven't written down any names as yet...) cut one of the posh gits belt off, making his pants fall down when challenged to a Fencing Duel.

Naturally, the PC's were arrested!

Two years, they were given.  Two years! This was almost as harsh a sentence as when this lot play Judge Dredd.

Anyway, they were freed by a bloke named Wilhelm Schmidt, who works for the Empire's Embassy in Marienburg, (in the office next door to two certain Nobles, no less, who had been bragging about how they had bribed the Magistrate to lock up a gang of ruffians who had tried to murder them in a pub last night...) he tells them he can have them released provided they look into the matter of this so called Son of Sigmar who has just shown up...

They discovered that a seven year old boy named Karl had killed a couple of mutants who had tried to kidnap him fom the Shallyan Orphanage - he bore a mark of a twin-tailed comet on his chest and wielded a Hammer... he had been proclaimed 'Son of Sigmar' and half the City has gone off with him to Altdorf to claim the Throne of the Empire...

But is he all he seems?  Evidence points to a strange ability he has to make everyone love him - certainly the Sisters at the Orphanage were a little too besotted - but all the kids there couldn't stand him.

One of the Sisters, having fallen in love with the Elf PC (after he rolled a Fel of 01 trying to charm her) flirted outrageously and kept feeling his arse - he later discovered a note in his back pocket...

The original Abess, now arrested and chained up as a Witch (the other Sisters had finally reported her as a Witch - she had told them seven years ago to hand the baby over to the Witch Hunters as he was using some kind of mutant power to charm them - but they had clearly kept him hidden all these years and when he reappeared and was declared Son of Sigmar, they had reported her), told the Party the story of how the boy came to the orphanage - a Witch Hunter named Osric Falkenheim had left hime there - they needed to speak to him!

Stopping off briefly at the Embassy to call in on two Nobles, who clearly hold some sway with the courts, and telling them they had better ensure that the old Abess is not executed for a couple of years max, and that she should be locked up in the temple and not in a cage outside it - they tracked Osric down to a brothel / drug den called the Golden Lotus.

He had been beaten near to death by devotees of the Child when trying to claim him as a Mutant, and is now a broken man only interested in being miserable and smoking weed - the PC's tried hard to gee him up, eventually getting the story of how he had originally found the Child:

Seven years ago, acting on reports of strange goings on at the Temple by the Swampers who worked the area Marshes to the North of Marienburg, Osric and a group of Witch Hunters stormed a ruined old Temple, slaying several Chaos Cultists who they thought were about to sacrifice a human baby to some foul Chaos God by drowning it in a small pool on the floor of the Temple.

They rescued the baby, and took it to the Orphanage in the City.

Funny thing was, when it came time to hand the baby over, it was difficult - but Osric shook off the feeling and handed him over.

He did not see the boy again until just a couple of weeks ago - when a crowd was delaring him Son of Sigmar - the Witch Hunters had heard of this crowd gatheriing and had decided to check it out - Osric recognised the boy despite not having seen him since he was a baby!  He clearly has some kind of evil mutant power to draw people to him... the crowd, however, slightly disagreed with Osric's opinion and suggestions to destroy the evil mutant, and insted kicked crap out of him!

The only clue they have is the Temple somewhere in the Swamps north of the City - and the fact there are Swampers who know the area...