We find our adventurers deep in the twisted forest where the few refugees of Wittgendorf have banded together and live as outlaws. They are lead by Sigrid, former priest of Rhya turned bandit.
The group is gathered around the campfires and contemplate different plans of attack, Sigrid is very unwilling to put her survivors at risk and in the end the heroes decide to form an advance scout party and enter a secret tunnel underneath Castle Wittgenstein, from there the heroes will either try to open the main gate or failing that, throw ropes over the battlements. Sigrid and her twenty bandits will then attack the castle and hopefully secure victory.
Ottfried performs a speech, telling all that he has received visions of Sigmar and that the savior of mankind will protect them in their endeavors. His words are moving and bolster all who hear it;
Mandred request the aid of one of their trackers since Felix has fallen ill (perhaps from eating the three legged chicken?). Helga, the one who brought them here, agrees to join them on their scouting run.
The heroes depart, with Helga leading the way and trudge through the dark forest, followed at some distance by the band of outlaws. The gnarled, warped, twisted trees and undergrowth and the leering faces sometimes seen in luminescent mushrooms give the heroes the creeps.
After about an hour they spot a line of several torches coming at them. Helga and Abel sneak forwards and see a large group of castle guards, following a dog-headed beastman and led by Sergeant Kratz. They recognise Kratz as the rude, mean, heavily armoured guard that impounded their boat.
The adventurers set up an ambush but the Dogman sniffs them out. Intense, vicious fighting follows and some heroes get badly wounded but in the end, they are victorious once again.
Before the break of dawn, they stand before a gaping hole at the bottom of the rocks beneath Castle Wittgenstein. The Castle is built on two, 60 meter-tall, adjoining cliffs overlooking the river Reik. According to Hilda, theoretically, the tunnels underneath should reach all the way to the castle surface.
The cave is damp and dark, and slopes downwards into the earth.
After a while, the adventurers become aware of a deep grunting, bellowing sound coming from ahead. The sound grows progressively louder the further they advance. Some time later it is joined by a high-pitched squeaking noise which sets the adventurers' teeth on edge. The cave leads to a twisty maze of tunnels but thanks to Gotrak's dwarven senses they do not get lost and avoid any tunnel not going up.
They find strange oval slimy marks on the wall and at one time, Abel sees a floating, grinning face. Occasionally, blood-curdling screams echo around the caves or the sound of clattering stones.
Then, they find the skeleton of a Dwarf Slayer. Gotrak and Ottfried recognise him as Gundrim Stonesplitter a Slayer who traveled throughout the empire, looking for chaos and dissidents and mostly known for the destruction of a Beastman Herdstone deep in the Reikwald Forest. Seems he found his end here. Gotrak liberates his axe and the Torque of Heroes, both magical items which will surely help them in the coming struggle.
Venturing deeper into the caves, the adventurers are suddenly attacked by Lashworms, whose saw-toothed tentacles try to rip off their limbs. The worms are quickly dispatched and once more, Ottfried spends quite some time healing the wounds.
Avoiding more squeaking sounds the heroes come upon a long, winding staircase that leads all the way upward to a secret trapdoor, opening to the outer Bailey...
The group is gathered around the campfires and contemplate different plans of attack, Sigrid is very unwilling to put her survivors at risk and in the end the heroes decide to form an advance scout party and enter a secret tunnel underneath Castle Wittgenstein, from there the heroes will either try to open the main gate or failing that, throw ropes over the battlements. Sigrid and her twenty bandits will then attack the castle and hopefully secure victory.
Ottfried performs a speech, telling all that he has received visions of Sigmar and that the savior of mankind will protect them in their endeavors. His words are moving and bolster all who hear it;
Mandred request the aid of one of their trackers since Felix has fallen ill (perhaps from eating the three legged chicken?). Helga, the one who brought them here, agrees to join them on their scouting run.
The heroes depart, with Helga leading the way and trudge through the dark forest, followed at some distance by the band of outlaws. The gnarled, warped, twisted trees and undergrowth and the leering faces sometimes seen in luminescent mushrooms give the heroes the creeps.
After about an hour they spot a line of several torches coming at them. Helga and Abel sneak forwards and see a large group of castle guards, following a dog-headed beastman and led by Sergeant Kratz. They recognise Kratz as the rude, mean, heavily armoured guard that impounded their boat.
The adventurers set up an ambush but the Dogman sniffs them out. Intense, vicious fighting follows and some heroes get badly wounded but in the end, they are victorious once again.
Before the break of dawn, they stand before a gaping hole at the bottom of the rocks beneath Castle Wittgenstein. The Castle is built on two, 60 meter-tall, adjoining cliffs overlooking the river Reik. According to Hilda, theoretically, the tunnels underneath should reach all the way to the castle surface.
The cave is damp and dark, and slopes downwards into the earth.
After a while, the adventurers become aware of a deep grunting, bellowing sound coming from ahead. The sound grows progressively louder the further they advance. Some time later it is joined by a high-pitched squeaking noise which sets the adventurers' teeth on edge. The cave leads to a twisty maze of tunnels but thanks to Gotrak's dwarven senses they do not get lost and avoid any tunnel not going up.
They find strange oval slimy marks on the wall and at one time, Abel sees a floating, grinning face. Occasionally, blood-curdling screams echo around the caves or the sound of clattering stones.
Then, they find the skeleton of a Dwarf Slayer. Gotrak and Ottfried recognise him as Gundrim Stonesplitter a Slayer who traveled throughout the empire, looking for chaos and dissidents and mostly known for the destruction of a Beastman Herdstone deep in the Reikwald Forest. Seems he found his end here. Gotrak liberates his axe and the Torque of Heroes, both magical items which will surely help them in the coming struggle.
Venturing deeper into the caves, the adventurers are suddenly attacked by Lashworms, whose saw-toothed tentacles try to rip off their limbs. The worms are quickly dispatched and once more, Ottfried spends quite some time healing the wounds.
Avoiding more squeaking sounds the heroes come upon a long, winding staircase that leads all the way upward to a secret trapdoor, opening to the outer Bailey...