Chapter 6
Heralds of a New Dawn
The PC's and Karl, after securing the temple and taking the Necklace of Unfailing Loyalty (Rolf took this, due to his immunity to chaos) headed back to Keitchdorf to collect the Sam the donkey. Karl said he needed to go directly to Kislev, so they decided to head towards there, past Wolfenburg (where Gregor, now being played by Richard, came from) on on Eastwards into Kislev.
The week long trek back to Keitchdorf then over to Wolfenburg enabled the PC's to heal a little, so by the time they got close to the ruined City they were in much better health.
As they got closer to the City, they saw, from a small bluff at the forest’s edge, a chaotic jumble of tents, campsites, and ditches below their lofty position. The sprawling mass of humanity was arranged in a half mile wide semicircle around the broken walls of once-mighty Wolfenburg, where the ruins of this famous city still sent tendrils of smoke into the air from the few souls that still lived there.
Rising above the encampment was a sea of banners, snapping in the chill breeze, and beneath them tent awnings drooped miserably, beggared men and women wandered aimlessly, and carrion crows circled overhead.
A sudden gust of wind carried with it the stench of the unwashed, of open sewers and death.
As the PC's scanned the crowded mass below, they saw an enclosure encapsulating a gaggle of stained tents. The camp had been erected against a length of the city walls that seemed to have escaped the destruction. The interior of this enclosure was busy with figures constantly moving to and fro, and flying from a wooden mast attached to the largest tent was the banner of the Child.
The Crusade had come to Wolfenburg.
The sanitation of the camp was awful, resulting in a mire of filth underfoot and a ghastly odour permeating the air, attracting clouds of flies that are impossible to evade. Only the most organised campsites contain latrines. Most of the Crusaders spent a penny wherever they could, resulting in squatting men and women being a common sight whilst navigating through the throng.
Most of the Crusaders reflected the unkempt state of their camps: they were dirty, smelly and diseased. Close quarters and poor cleanliness had taken their toll on them, no doubt not helped by the large numbers of vermin scampering through the effluvia.
As they made their way through the press they were greeted withthe guarded looks, the strange heraldry, and the occasional scuffle between Crusaders wearing different badges, costumes, or even tattoos. The Crusade’s composition had changed somewhat since the last time the PCs were here. Many distinct groups now have their own banners flying above dingy tents.
As the PCs escorted Karl into the encampment, the change over the Crusaders was astounding. As the boy picked his way through the mire, arguments stopped, fights halted, and the bickering exchanges fall silent as one by one the Crusaders dropped to their knees at the boy’s approach. Like a rippling wave, the entirety of
the encampment stopped what they were doing and turned to face this otherwise ordinary young boy. The characters sensed this made Karl uncomfortable and he even paused in his march to look at the PCs and said, “so many faces… I recognise none of them… tell me… who are these people?”
Soon after, Helmut himself in the company of the other members of the inner circle along with an honour guard of a dozen armoured knights arrived. As with all the rest, they fell to the filthy ground, whispering prayers of relief.
Helmut, tears shining on his cheeks, reached forward to take Karl’s hand and kissed his soft skin before placing the hand on his wet face, smiling, his eyes bright with relief and joy. After a few awkward moments, Helmut stood, his blue robes smeared with green mud, and called out to the crowds “Sigmar has taken mercy on us all and has returned from his enemies. Rejoice friends for our destiny is at hand!”
Helmut and the rest of the Inner Council soon spirited the boy away towards the centre of the encampment, the high priest pausing only long enough to offer brief thanks to the PCs and inviting them to join the Council in an hour hence to give their reports. As the inner circle headed off through the crowds and mad cultists caper and dance and sing and play all around, the characters were left in the midst alone but for one familiar face: Nils.
In the month or so since they last saw him, Nils has aged terribly. Gone is the eager fresh-faced youth of the young acolyte of the Reaper’s Bounty, and standing before them was a haggard man, with haunted eyes, and pale features. Despite his obvious fatigue and worry, Nils smiled at the characters, revealing yellowed teeth and cracked lips that bleed with the gesture.
“Friends,” he said, “it is good to see you. Sigmar be praised that you have returned safely to us.”
He stepped a bit closer and whispered, eyes darting back and forth, “But it is not safe to talk here. Enemies surround us. Come, I know a place where we can talk before your audience with the Inner Circle.” The characters followed. They walked about 10 minutes or so, deftly avoiding the large puddles of slime, slipping past exuberant celebrants, and finally came to a large white tent, stained brown from use and the elements. The tent’s interior was dark and smoky, pregnant with the smell of incense. A small shrine to Sigmar stoods towards the back and damp rust-red rugs covered the floor.
Nils took a seat and gestured for the PCs to do the same.
“I fear that this is the one holy place left in this camp. Notice that it’s empty,” he says with a frown. “It is no matter. We must get down to business.”
He explained that he and Father Johann had fallen out, and that Johann was now on the inner council, having taken the place of Jan / Tobias. He went on to say,
“This business with the boy has never quite sat with me. Now I’m not denying that he may be Sigmar Reborn, oh no, I wouldn’t dare, but the lad doesn’t seem to have the same effect on me as he does others. Perhaps my faith isn’t strong enough… It doesn’t matter. If I cannot see it, I must strive harder to accept the revelation of my peers, and until then, I can work to save this boy from the evil that swirls about him.
“Friends, there are enemies everywhere. Just as Karl has drawn the pious, the mad, and the hopeful to his ranks, there are those who would use the boy for some foul end. We have already seen their efforts back in Altdorf, and whilst you were away, they have grown, spreading like a cancer through our ranks. All around us, the Crusaders, once united in their devotion to the boy, have now fractured, broken into different schisms built upon their own interpretations of Karl’s divinity. The division has allowed undesirable elements to slip inside the Crusade and work their wickedness from within. The signs are everywhere. Certainly, Karl’s return should smooth these troubles somewhat, but I fear the damage is done. The Inner Circle, the fools that they are, refuse to see the signs, refuse to listen to reason, and if they don’t act now, it will be too late. The matter is even more tenuous now that Karl is back, for… dare I say it… ? I fear someone or something wants to kill the Child.
“Proof? I have none except for a growing feeling of dread. You can see it in the faces, in the soiled rags of the plagued, in the very filth in which we wallow. His life is in danger. I ask you… no, I beg you, if you have any love for this boy, please seek out this darkness and destroy it before it is too late. Even if you deny the boy’s divinity, we must see this mad campaign to its end for Sigmar has opened this path before us and where it leads is divine will. I beg again, will you help me?”
They answered that yes, they would help.
They then went to their audience with the Inner Circle. The Compound was much more sanitary than the rest of the camp, it even had working latrines. They were taken to Karl's Tent, which was luxurious. The walls, decorated with gold and silver and hung with brilliant tapestries depicting key scenes from the Life of
Sigmar. A thick carpet covered the floor of this oval room and comfortable upholstered chairs ring the outer edge of the chamber. In the centre of the room stood a wooden platform covered in gold leaf and on it sits a throne sized for a child.
Karl was already seated on the throne, and six of the chairs were occupied by the councillors. There were chairs for the player characters and they were invited to sit. Karl smiled warmly at the PCs and offered them a word of welcome.
The Council now comprised of:
- Helmut - still the Leader.
- Lord Wilhelm Eisenbach - still there.
- Father Johannes Seibolt - fatter than ever
- Koller - a Veteran of the war against Chaos, from Wolfenburg. He has 20 men at arms in the Inner Circle.
“You have proved yourselves true champions of Sigmar and you are living examples of dutiful servants of our God. I, on behalf of this esteemed council, thank you. In recompense for your bravery and your great deeds, I name each of you Templars of the Child.”
He gave them each a black tabard to show their rank, and said,
“Friends, I fear this title also carries some responsibility, for you see, whilst you did achieve much against the filthy cult that had infiltrated our ranks, I fear that these villains remain in our encampment, working against our holy cause and interfering with our progress. I ask that you walk amongst the people, watch and listen for any sign of corruption and wherever you find the agents of Chaos, you have the authority of this Council, nay of this Child, to cleanse these villains with holy flame. What say you?”
They agreed. Seibolt, Koller and Eisenback did not seem overly pleased, Eisenbach in particular stating that they had no proof that Karl was indeed their Karl, which caused the PC's to immediately challenge their authority - but Helmut was adamant that the inner Cuncil could be trusted, and that the PC's now needed to check the rest of the camp for traitors.
As the characters left the chambers of the inner circle, they encountered a pair of men waiting for their turn to speak with the Helmut and the boy. The men were dandies, clearly, wearing fine, if threadbare, attire, large floppy hats with wilted feathers, and armed with slim foils.
Upon seeing the PCs, one bowed deeply and said, directly to Mormocar,
“Sigmar’s breath! Why, you are a natural, do you know? Why Rory, would you not agree?”
The other man stepped forward, shaking his head. “Indubitably! He seems made for the role!”
The first man said, “My friend, we are putting on a grand performance in a few days to welcome the Child back and I must say that you would be perfect for the part of the Lass! My name is Wilhelm Schumacher, have you heard of me? I see. Well, if you are interested in participating in the greatest show in the lands, seek me out at the stage. I trust you are trained in theatre? No? No matter. Yes. You are perfect! Please, now that I have met you, I can’t imagine the show without you!”
Mormocar declined.
The hung around the camp, on the lookout for anything suspicious. Ahmed showed up and they asked him to report back anything funny, too. The camp had split into lots of factions - people worshiping Karl in different ways, even some people who clearly were not worshiping Karl at al but who were there to make money and rip people off. The PC's spend time doing various things, like rescuing a midwife from an angry mob because she had delivered a baby that looked like it might grow up to be a beast man (covered in light hair, small lumps on scalp that might be normal or might grow into horns...) - they let the midwife and baby share their tent in the Inner Compound...
The next thing they knew, Ahmed's father, Ali the Striganay, staggers up to them choking. He drops dead in front of them, clearly poisoned. He is clutching a leather wineskin. The wineskin has a stylised coiled serpent motif embossed upon its surface, and a maker's mark.
They managed to read the maker's mark as "Saddlemakers and Leatherworker's Guild of Wolfenstein", and decided to go and have a word. Gregor, being from Wolfenstein, knew where the Guild building was.
In order to progress in their investigation, the adventurers must face the ruins of Wolfenburg. The city was a mess. Hit hard during the Chaos Incursion, few of the original structures remained, being a mass of broken
masonry, rubble, charred wood, and the bones of those who died here.
Some reconstruction had begun, but since Ostland was never a wealthy province in the first place, it’s slow going. The once-mighty walls encircling the city have all but toppled and those that still stand bear the dimples of impacts from stone tossed by catapults.
Luckily, the PCs didn’t have to dig too deeply into the city to find the Leatherworkers Guild House. The converted tavern was located just inside the walls of the city and the PCs ad Gregor, who knew the area well. Inside, they found a bound leather ledger with a coiled serpent embossed on the cover. Success! The ledger revealed the serpent motif as the makers’ mark of one Burgher Felix Vendt, a tradesman down on his luck, if the bills of sale in the ledger are anything to go by. A little bit of detective work revealed that wineskins were not his main line of business, however, each sale is listed. The PCs have half a dozen names to investigate.
The Suspects
- Widow Curst - 12b Flay Court - 3 wineskins bought
- Bernt Hessler - Brewers Guild house, Hops Market - 20 wineskins bought
- Boris Leichgart - Smithy, Lower Wall Walk - 10 wineskins bought
- Captain Yeller - Officers’ Quarters, Imperial Barracks - 10 wineskins bought
- Ernst Krantz - The Fiddlers Inn - 5 wineskins bought
- Ollo Veorhoven - Ollo’s Panoramas - 5 wineskins bought
Info From Boris
- The wineskin they had got from Ali contained Chokeweed extract. This poison must be drunk, and is lethal if the victim does not receive healing. Victims usually exhibit a swollen and black tongue.
- Chokeweed Extract can be used for purposes other than murder. If one part of the poison is diluted with ten parts of water, the resultant solution can be used to remove warts, hair and general skin blemishes. Diluted with twenty parts of water, it makes a very good dye.
- Three people from the Crusade have been in to buy chokeweed extract, which Boris had put into the wineskins.
- A man calling himself Brother Marcus purchased one wineskin of the poison from him.
- A mean-looking man named Karl purchased three wineskins of the poison from him. The man wore a distinctive blue belt.
- A distinguished-looking gentleman who named himself Dieter van Dorf from an organisation called the Heralds of the New Dawn bought three wineskins of the poison from him.
- Boris has other things to sell, including Healing Poultices, Healing Draughts, and antitoxin kits - this could be a useful shop while they are stuck out here so far from civilisation.
been using diluted Chokeweed Extract to touch up the Veil, ensuring the markings remain clear. All their wineskins are accounted for,
Brother Marcus they could not find, but he does so a service at Noon every day outside the entrance to Karls Compound, so they could see him tomorrow.
Investigating Dieter van Dorf, camp gossip told them that he and his companions had a big green pavilion tucked away from prying eyes amongst the rubble of the wall up north. The PC's easily found this, though the entrance was protected by a maze of loose rock and rubble. The PC's decided to smash straight throug it and challenge the men directly.
they were greeted by Dieter himself, and saw the top third of a wineskin poking out of Dieter’s wide belt. A stylised serpent motif can be seen embossed onto the leather. When challenged about the wineskin, Dieter and his mate called for help and their comrades emerged from the tent and there was a fight, which the PC's won by killing everyone there.
In the tent, the PC's found that cushioned chairs and feathered mattresses filled the interior of the pavilion, revealing the relatively rich accommodations.
It was clear from the number of beds that any Heralds the PCs had already encountered were but a fraction of the larger numbers and there must be many more in the encampment.
On a wooden table in the centre of the pavilion is a pamphlet for the passion play, which is to be performed one day hence in Karl’s honour.
Two sheaves of parchment containing lines to the play were also discovered, upon which two parts have been underlined.
A quick search of the Heralds’ possessions turns up two elaborate actors’ costumes and some less richly appointed extras apparel. There is also a vial of a viscous black fluid.
The PC's took this information back to Helmut, who said, “Friends, it is clear the Heralds you have already encountered are but a few and that this plot is already well underway. This situation is troubling, indeed, for it was my hope that this play would lift the spirits of the Crusaders and remind them of their united purpose. If only there was a way that the show could go on and for us to be able to catch the killers. The Crusade needs the play and Karl needs to catch whomever it is that’s behind this plot. What if one or more of you participated in this drama, taking a role in the performance. I realise that this gives you little time to prepare, but it would give you access behind the stage as well as give you a commanding view of the audience! What do you say?”
As Mormocar had already been offered the role of the lass in the play, it was decided he should take the role and be fitted for his pink dress straight away...
End of session.
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