Delberz & old friends
Their last stop before reaching it is Delberz, a sleepy town and home to a wizard named Hieronymus Blitzen, who is perhaps the father of Mandred or Felix or both?
The Coach stops at an inn named the Dancing Chicken. Many carts, lorries and coaches are parked outside and the heroes recognize the odd assortment of vehicles with the words: "Doctor Malthusius Zoöcopeia" written on them (see sessions 6 & 7).
The doctor greets them enthusiastically and explains that, apart from the Middheim carnival, he is following information to capture a "rat-like beastman with horns". To help him, Dr. Malthusius has a contact within the temple of Verena who might know where to find such a creature and, if they are willing, if the adventurers want to help him capture this beast.
They respond that they will surely help him find it, but when found, they must kill it. After some discussion and philosophy about the merits of education and visual proof, the doctor decides he'll hire some mercenaries in Middenheim instead. But, on another note, another old friend of the crew is travelling with him. Josef Quartjin, captain of the Beribelli (see session 5) he is asleep now but will meet them in the morning.
At the breakfast table, Josef meets them and proposes a lucrative business opportunity: He left his boat in Altdorf and has with him a cart containing 10 barrels of Brettonian wine, without the proper legal papers. If the heroes manage to smuggle these into Middenheim, he'll pay them 300 crowns. Josef proposes to bribe the chairlift officers to get the cargo up the steep 500 ft cliffs.
The adventurers agree and meet Josef at the small village of Warrenburg at the foot of Mount Faushlag (the mountain where the city of the White Wolf is built). Gotrak, Abel and Lothar work together, disguising the barrels as Bugmans beer (since the Trollslayer has two of those) and hoping the massive dwarf, sleeping on top will dissuade any guardsman of investigating the cargo.
Meanwhile the two brothers, Mandredd and Felix make a visit to their (alleged) father, Celestial Wizard Hieronymus Blitzen.
Mr Blitzen is not coming to the carnival as he has much more important things to do, like study the skies and read the omens about the end of days. He says that it can still be stopped but it gets more difficult every day. Before they leave, he gives his son a scroll with a spell that might help in finding out about Felix's past. Despite that, Felix steals some gold out of spite from the old coot.
The Scroll & Dwarf taxes
Mandred is stopped first and asked if "You are, or ever have been a wizard, priest or alchemist?" On his positive reply he is asked to follow the guard. "You too sir!" he shouts at Gotrak, who is pretending to sleep. They follow the guard to a table with a clerk, a Golden wizard and several guards with halberds. The Clerks assesses their valuables and presents them with a hefty tax to pay. As declared by Graf Boris Totbringer, ruler of Middenheim, all dwarfs, priests and wizards are obliged to pay this tax, which seems excessive to the crew to say the least. No matter of arguments can dissuade the tax-keepers and they grudgingly pay the heavy sum.
On their way to the top the crew passes a second guardhouse where they are warned not to carry their weapons and armour in public and refrain from using magic and the like without proper authority.
As they continue their way up the causeway, the heroes pass a gibbet with a mutant in it. A sign underneath says in crude letters: "Not welcome!", which is a clear violation of the Law passed recently by The Emperor. The man inside the cage stirs as he recognizes Ottfried. "Ottfried, " he shouts, "it is me: Hans Wechselhaft!" (see episodes 2, 3 & 4). Ottfried tries to ignore him but Hans keeps shouting: "No, don't go! It is Ludovic, he is still alive, he needs help! Ottfrieeeeed!!!"
Ottfried learns that Ludovic is alive and can be found somewhere in the Wynd section of the Drakwald Forest.
The Templar's arms
Afterwards they ask their coachman if he knows a good place to stay. He leads them to The Templar's Arms, a large two storey hostelry of good reputation. The landlord is Uii Breitner, a cheerful and welcoming man who keeps a peaceful and happy establishment with his staff: Kurt Gruber, his barman; Konrad Alpiger, a barman/handyman; Renata Hoeflehner, the maid/ barmaid; and a Halfling cook, Tiasmara Flarett.
He asks room rent in advance and proposes the crew to open an account, which they do.
The inn is large and despite that it is quite full, still feels roomy. It is a plain but cheerful place, and opens from 8 a.m. to midnight. Over the door hangs a shield painted with a picture of an armoured Templar of the Order of the White Wolf on a fully caparisoned horse, charging with lance levelled, and the theme is continued inside the inn itself. A suit of plate armour hangs on a stand in the bar and various weapons - two-handed swords, flails and a gaudily-painted lance -hang on the walls.
Uli is a very helpful man and happily gives the heroes directions in the city but a guide or a map are very expensive. Otfried buys a map and the heroes start making plans.
The Mad Slayer
He goes over to meet him, he introduces himself as Dezur Darkforge, a slayer from Karak Norn. Dezur is here to look for a legendary horn, rumoured to be lost ages ago in the tunnels deep beneath the city. It doesn't take long for the two slayers to become friends and Gotrak decides to join Dezur. The two of them decide to leave for the Chapel of Grugni immediately and have their axes blessed. Mandred, feeling something might go wrong, decides to join them.
In front o the chapel, they encounter disgruntled dwarfs who are complaining about the dwarf taxes. Inside, the pair have their axes blessed and are guided to a backroom. Before they know it, the room starts to sink in the floor and the trio emerges in the tunnels deep beneath the city! Dezur is already marching into the darkness as Mandred manages to have the tunnel guards send a message to their companions. Deep into the tunnels, they encounter a gigantic, six-legged lizard, wearing some kind of collar. Since the beast is slow, they decide to leave it for now. The tunnels start to get precarious and some climbing is needed to go deeper. Mandredd marks they way they followed. After a wile they come into a chambre with several exits. From nowhere they overhear part of a conversation:
Voice 1: "We must hurry, if anyone finds out I'm down here, I'm done for. We must act with the utmost haste, now that everyone is busy with the carnival..."
Voice 2: "Nay-no sssstupid pinkskin! We-you must wait wait. There is too many manthings above now. Best we wait-hide. After carnival, pinkskins tired-sleepy, then we strike-kill!"
Voice 3: "Aye, I agree. There are too many city watch and Mercs right now. We must bide our time."
Voice 2: "Yesyes, the Horned one shall rise! Wait! What was that? SSsstupid pinkskin! You were followed!"
Voice 1: "Oh, no!"
At this point Gotrak and Dezur shout their battlecries and charge into thecorridor where they think the sound is coming from.
Mandred and Gotrak come upon a round cave, a shaft upwards reveals a twitching rope ladder, sounds of pittypatty feet com from the corridor in front and a shuffling, grunting sound is heard from the right. The decide to follow the pittypatty feet and soon catch up to a Skaven assassin.
By that time the others arrive but once more, the interrogation of the ting goes badly as Gotrak kills it too soon. Feeling they're a bit over their heads too soon, the crew decides to return to the surface. On their way up, the find a badly burnt Dezur, whom the leave in the care of the dwarf priests.
Exiting the fist shaped building, the crew disperses. Ottfried Visits the temples of Sigmar & Ulric to deliver the message and get a priest licence. In the temple of Sigmar he picks up Fritz, a young lawyer turned initiate, who will act as a guide to the city and student to Ottfried.
Mandred visits the Wizards and Alchemists guild to aquire his membership and retrieve some information. The others visit Little Kislev, to get their mercenary licenses which grant them the right to bear arms. Abel visits the poor quarter to deliver his message from Altdorf's Thieves guild. He meets up with his contact who explains that he works for The Man, one of Middenheim's two crime lords. His contact says the letter grants Abel a Luitenant position in their organisation and the right to execute missions againts their enemy, a Mr. Gouda, and prime targets for robbing. A meeting is settled for the next evening.
The Strange taxes.
- Graf Boris Totbringer is the ultimate ruler in all things but he uses an intricate system of advisors to help determine his policies.
- The Graf is not himself ever since the loss of his second wife two years ago.
- The Graf has two sons but only one is legitimate, unfortunately he is feebly of mind and health.
- Many blame Chancellor Sparsam for the taxes, he is in charge of the treasury.
- Many priests find it strange that Ar Ulric has supported the taxes, since his church is targeted as well.
- Ar Ulric acted strange and nervous when Otfried visited him.
- The dwarfs blame Rallane Lafarel, the court minstrel for the Dwarf Tax.
- Others blame Gotthard Goebbels, Chairman both of the City Komission on Commerce, Trade, and Taxation, and of the Governing Body of the Merchants' Guild.
- Still others blame the three Law Lords, as they are the only body who vote to present new laws to the Graf.
- Lothar learned that there are other Arabians in the city.
- With so many Dwarfs, Wizards & Priests leaving the city, its defenses will become weakened.
Also check out the new page about the city here