A debt to repay
The voice of Gottfried echoes over the water: "Abel, my good friend, the time has come for us to settle your debt." Before the adventurers can object, he continues with his charismatic tone: "I believe you are in the possession of an lead chest, formerly of the Von Wittgenstein's? Such a thing will wipe our slate clean. Give it to me and your debt to me is payed in full."
A heated discussion follows but it is soon concluded they have no choice and after some more bickering on who crosses over first they give the warpstone chest to two surly looking dwarfs in a sloop. After the transaction, Gottfried says his farewell to Abel "Until we meet again."
Afterwards, a lot of resentment toward Abel ruins the remainder of the trip until the crew reaches Kemperbad.
Kemperbad Revisited
He introduces himself as Matthias Blucher, a local merchant and he seems friendly and inretested — a potential patron or client, in other words - and ends the conversation by suggesting that their captain should talk to Max Wagner, upstairs in the warehouse. “Tell him," he adds, "that I said you‘re just the sort of people we‘ve been looking for. He'll reward you well."
The heroes head up to the office above the warehouse. It is large and airless, with two clerks sitting at desks, writing entries in large leather-bound ledgers. Max Wagner, the older man from the dockside, is sitting and studying a thick sheaf of papers with heavy wax seals hanging from them. He is about twenty years older than Matthias and about ten inches taller, and where Matthias was informal and friendly, Max is self-important and businesslike.
Max explains that his business is eager to get hold of the PCs‘ cargo, and after sending one of the other clerks down to give it a cursory examination to check its quality, he agrees to buy it. He then offers to hire them and their barge to transport a valuable cargo to Marienburg. “All our own barges are otherwise assigned,“ he explains, “and all the independent contractors seem to already he under other contracts. But you‘re defnitely available? Good! Good!“
After the contract gets signed, the heroes are invited to a party the next evening, at Matthias Blucher’s townhouse, in honour of the 1st anniversary of his wedding to his wife Karoline Steinhager.
The next morning starts unexpectedly early, as the PCs are woken by sounds of banging outside their cabin. A moments investigation shows that dockers are unloading the boat’s cargo, moving it into one of the Bluchers‘ warehouses. The new cargo arrives by cart in the late afternoon and loading starts immediately — with care, as all the crates are marked ‘Cathayware: fragile‘,
That evening the heroes make their way to the Blucher mansion. Names are checked against a list, and the guests are shown through an ornately decorated hallway into the reception area. Their names are announced by a servant as they enter. By nine o‘clock there are about a hundred guests in the room, and at least twenty servants with trays of food and wine. Musicians play courtly dances from a gallery. Everybody is dressed to the nines.
The adventurers recognise nobody except Matthias Blucher. The finely attired young woman next to him is surely his wife.
The party continues until shortly before midnight, when coaches are called for and everyone leaves. The heroes had quite a boring evening and some of them wonder why they, lowly rivermerchants, were invited in the first place.
People are clustered around it, using buckets and stirrup-pumps to douse the blaze.
After the fire is extinghuished they assess the damage. The boat is afloat but the damage is considerable: the main hold and the cargo are burnt out, and the mast is so badly damaged it must be replaced. Flames have ripped through the living quarters at the front of the boat, and many of the PCs’ personal items stored there are ashes, cinders or melted, twisted metal. The dockers and loaders are confused about what happened. Someone knocked over an oil lamp, they say, but nobody knows who it was — or nobody will admit it. Klaus the crew boss is around, his face blackened by smoke, asking the same questions as the heroe and getting no better answers.
Matthias Blucher arrives at the docks. He surveys the damage with horror. He starts apologizing. It is a tragedy. Yes, nothing short of it. No, they should stay the night at the Swan’s Neck and tell the innkeeper to send him the bill. And they must come to his offce tomorrow morning. He will make arrangements.
The Swan's Neck is still open, and the PCs are able to get rooms without trouble.
The Road To Middenheim
Accordingly, there is another mission he would like them to undertake. He had been waiting for a trusted agent of the family to do it, but given the circumstances... lt‘s an overland job to Middenheim, carrying and guarding a small cargo.
He will pay them 500 GCs, half now and half on their return. As for their boat, he‘s very sorry but it‘s not his responsibility.
At this point Lothar remembers the small print in the contract that their boat is insured by the Blucher family while in their employ. Blucher seems taken aback, calls for a copy of the contract, and studies it carefully. “Yes,” he says after a minute or so. “Yes. I had forgotten that. Very well. I will see to it that your boat is repaired. The work will take at least a month. Spend some time in Middenheim, enjoy the carnival, and it will he ready by the time you return."
The mission to Middenheim is straightforward; they are to transport a single crate and a letter to a house in the city. The crate must be delivered before the carnival begins. Blucher makes it clear that the contents of the crate are confidential.
Back in Altdorf: The Crate
The letter is addressed to ‘Herr Scharlach, Hoffen Strasse, sign of the Crossed Keys, Middenheim‘ and is in Matthias Blucher's handwriting. lt reads:
“Gentlemen, I am sending you the six items which were described some months ago by a member of your society to my brother-in-law Albrecht Steinharger of Nuln, which your society was said to be most desirous of recovering, and which have fallen by chance into my hands. There is no charge. but please remember this service my family has done you. With most sincere greetings,
Matthias Blucher"
After examining its contents, Mandred thinks the strange assortment of items could be used in some kind of ritual. But research done reveals nothing of use. On top of that, there are more than 6 items in the crate, depite what the letter says.
Otfried reports to his superior and learns of the various troubles that beset the empire, border skirmishes in the east between several provinces, the continuation of the war in the north, increasing conflict between zealots on both sides of what becomes known as the Sigmar Heresy and various sightings of the twin tailed comet. With a heavy heart, this news sits ill with the young priest and he expresses his wish to join the Order of the Flame. The priest agrees and informs him to return the next day. Upon hearing this news, both Mandredd & Gotrak are eager to join as well and in a secret meeting in the tunnels between the great temple and the Witch Hunters offices a ceremony is held to swear in the three. A quite large burn mak of the twin tailed comet commemorates their membership. Abel asks the thieves guild if he can do something for them and he is given a small iron scrollcase to deliver in Middenheim.
Mandred receives another letter from the Cult of the Purple hand:
Hell bent on revenge he tries to convince his companions to stage a raid. However, after much discussion, the hair brained scheme is put aside, perhaps to be picked up later.
And so the heroes continue their journey to the north, to Middenheim.
The Shrine
Half a mile down the turning is an open area, an acre or two across. In the middle of it is a simple yet elegant building. It is larger than a normal wayside shrine, and in fact not unlike the temples typically found in larger villages: about forty feet long, and rising at one end to a low tower. A river runs along one side of the area, and beyond it the forest continues. On the edge ofthe clearing, next to the river and about seventy yards from the shrine itself. is an- other building: smaller, lower and more functional, with shuttered windows.
The area is not empty. Six men and seven horses stand around, as if waiting for something or someone. Both men and mounts are armoured, and wear the insignia of Knights of the Order of the Fiery Heart, Sigmarite Templars. As the heroes approach, they come to attention warily. One steps forward and asks them what their business is. Their leader explains that a private ceremony is presently going on in the shrine and that the adventurers should wait. They refuse to discuss anything else.
Abel joins him an together they force the closed shutters open. Inside, the single large room of the house is carnage. Its sim- ple furniture has been turned upside-down or smashed. Two bodies wearing the robes of Sigmarite priests lie on the floor, skulls smashed. Two more figures, Ulrican priests by their clothes, are tied to the remains of beds, gagged and struggling.
But they have only a second to observe this. As soon as Lothar enters the building, four figures leap from the places where they have been hiding out of sight, and attack. There is only a moment to see that they wear wolfskin cloaks and have wildly painted faces before battle begins.
These fanatics are the Sons of Ulric, a millitant group of Ulricians, some of them are magic-wielding clerics, who charge from the edge of the forest fifty yards away, where they have lain concealed, waiting for a signal. The Ulricans fight like men possessed, snarling and yelping.
Their blessings protect them from harm and induced a bestial rage and unnatural speed. The fight is brutal and swift. The heroes combined tactics and teamwork is no match for the wild and rash attacks from the Sons. By the time some templars arrive the battle is won.
The Templars are here as the escort of the Grand Theogonist, Yorri XV, the most senior priest of Sigmar in the world and an Elector Count. The whole thing was a trap by the Sons of Ulric. Working on information that the Grand Theogonist (to them, the Great Heretic) would be visiting the shrine, they were attempting to kill him. It is only once the last of bushwhackers are dead that the adventurers learn whose life it is that they have helped to save.
The Grand Theogonist is very grateful, shaking each of the heroes hands and asking their names. Judging by this attack, the Sons of Ulric are trying to provoke an all-out war between the cults of Ulric and Sigmar, although it's possible they will only create hostility between themselves and all other Ulricans. “Still, it's a bad business," he says. "Outside of Middenheim, ,this is not a good place for Southerners right now." He asks them to deliver a letter to the hands of the High Priest of Ulric and to visit the temple of Sigmar in Middenheim, and warn them about what has happened. As he is about to mount his horse, he turns back to the group. "I will not forget your help,“ he says. “If you need aid, get word to me in Altdorf and I will do what I can for you."