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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Goonalan" data-source="post: 9558598" data-attributes="member: 16069">LETTERS FROM THE OLD WORLD.The continuing adventures of the usual bunch of miscreants this time playing Warhammer Fantasy Role-Play 4th edition, and The Enemy Within Campaign, of course.SESSION #10a Everyone is go Schaffenfest!The PCsFergus McClean, Dwarf Scout (Guide) played by Bear.Looks Like: Rough and ready-for-anything Dawi- a bit unkempt; constantly muttering and grumbling at Seamus his imaginary dog.Sounds Like: Northern 'I wur down t' mine', although taciturn, and always grumpy.[spoiler= Backstory]Fergus is a short embittered (divorced) Dawi from the mining village of Schwartzstein in the foothills of the Grey Mountains. That is until he discovered his best friend Seamus with his wife Cherrie. Fergus left his village and his old life behind and set off in search of adventure, eventually taking up Scouting as a living. He has business in Altdorf and is at present journeying with three Manlings he has come to trust who are also on their way to the capital.[/spoiler]Frederich Hass, Human Witch Hunter (Interrogator) played by Jim.Looks Like: Thick-set, tall with a resting angry face, never too far away from a snarl, otherwise well turned out.Sounds Like: Whispering menace, accusatory- probing, but charming when he wants to be. Accent is brooding (intelligent) cod-Russian (like a clever but menacing Daktari). Note he sees the hand of the Ruinous Powers behind every untoward event.[spoiler= Backstory]Frederich and his brother Olek watched their parents burned alive, prior to this anormal childhood was in progress. The Cult of Sigmar (with the help of the state) who burned Ma & Pa Hass then took the newly orphaned pair in and raised them to be model citizens. The orphans are Sigmarite through-and-through, Frederich the crusader, he likes the power that it brings; Olek the instrument (or else Prophet) of Sigmar. They're not zealots, not warped and broken inside, no... not at all.[/spoiler]Lothar Jurgen Muller, Human Witch Hunter (Interrogator) played by Kev.Looks Like: Neat, tidy, clean-cut, perhaps even a little dashing- the boy next door, but doable- and always with a smile on his face, and often in his eyes. Lothar carries his own embroidered place mat with matching knife and fork. Manners and civility are so important.Sounds Like: Civil, polite, formal, caring- and entirely without menace. He's a Paladin doing Witch Hunter, which may yet prove amusing.[spoiler= Backstory]Lothar is a baker's son from Ubersreik that just happened to become a Witch Hunter, he didn't just drift into it, he has a plan (perhaps). Lothar however came to Witch Hunting with the thought that he could perhaps be of help- to the Empire, to his family, to the poor wretches that have fallen into corruption, and possibly to help himself (a little) along the way. He is resolutely nice in a world full of fetid stink and terror.[/spoiler]Olek Hass, Human Artisan- Blacksmith (Apprentice) played by George.Looks Like: Seven (plus) feet tall, and not too skinny with it- lithe and muscled, he's a giant- with wild eyes.Sounds Like: A camp Nazi constantly unfolding, expounding, and explaining the mystery of ongoing events, and seeing the presence of Sigmar everywhere.[spoiler= Backstory]Olek and his brother Frederich watched their parents burned alive, prior to this a normal childhood was in progress. The Cult of Sigmar (with the help of the state) who burned Ma & Pa Hass then took the newly orphaned pair in and raised them to be model citizens. The orphans are Sigmarite through and-through- Frederich the crusader, he likes the power that it brings; Olek the instrument (or else Prophet) of Sigmar. They're not zealots, not warped and broken inside, no... not at all.[/spoiler]Players, please read this-The first part of the adventure/story is over, it was resolved in the last session- the tutorial is done.To make absolutely clear- this is the start of a new adventure, from the moment you walked into the Schaffenfest we are into it. What follows then is mostly exposition, the set-up.Got it.See the to do list below, which we didn't get a chance to have a look at in this last session, anyway- it needs updating. The inheritance was a ruse, the bounty hunter (Adolphus) is dead, and trying to catch up with Crown Prince Hergard von Tasseninck is proving to be a bust.Although, there are a few loose ends- like the bones of Johann Baumann which Olek is carrying in his pack, also... who or what killed Adolphus and why? Is it something to do with the Purple Hand cultists? Are they protecting the Magical Pickleman, known to his friends as Lothar?These, and many other questions, will inevitably not get answered in this weeks episode of whatever we're calling this.The to do list- it needs fixing.<ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Wanted Bold Adventurers, the guys are still trying to catch up with Crown Prince Hergard von Tasseninck to get hired. The two (now one) Witch Hunters were sent to Altdorf specifically to take up this task by their master Fabergus Heinzdork. The Crown Prince (and his flotilla) were last seen sailing towards Bogenhafen.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">The bones of Johann Baumann, found on the road to Ubersreik, now carried by Oleg, need to be interred within the precincts of Morr.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">An inheritance and an estate for Kastor Lieberung- who looks a lot like Lothar Jurgen Muller who also possess an affidavit to say that he is Kastor Lieberung (he took it from the cold dead body of... Kastor Lieberung). For twenty thousand gold crowns and a castle, see the lawyers- Lock, Stock & Barl, in Bogenhafen. Simple as.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">The bounty hunter Adolphus Kuftsos, he thinks Kastor/Lothar is a cultist, he's a very tough man is Adolphus, and he's coming for you (Kastor/Lothar).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">The Purple Hand cultists, why did they want to speak to Kastor/Lothar, well... see above.   </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">SCHAFFENFEST! Tax free SHEEP!</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Get a job or make some money.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Find somewhere to stay.</li> </ol>Oh, and mostly atm it's just about numbers 7 and 8 (and 6, of course- SCHAFFENFEST!) on the list above.To summarize- get a job you worthless bums, and find somewhere to kip.And so what better place to start their quest for gainful paid employment (and a bunk-up), than...Here we go again.MITTERFRUHL (Spring Equinox), 2512.Bogenhafen.SCENE 1. Everyone is go Schaffenfest!It's about 11-ish in the morning.[ATTACH=full]393319[/ATTACH]Take in the scene(s). The flap of canvas, the twirl and flick of coloured cloth- tents, and tarps, skirts and shirts. The cough and crow of the crowd, the bark and bite of drunks and scamps, Burghers bluster and comport, while rag-tag-panted peasants goggle and honk- most of them into their cups.Or something less flowery. So, lots of pictures of the Schaffenfest, although the one in the module handbook, bottom left, is a much more dark and stormy scene- well, I'm not going for that.The sun is out- sure, it's a watery light, but there's nary a sign of rain, and most folk are smiling.All is well with the world, or at least the tiny plot of it called Bogenhafen.There has to be a before for there to be an after.But the thing that caught the PCs eye-[ATTACH=full]393320[/ATTACH]They oh so want to go to the Zoocopeia. Even stick up his arse Freddy.Best whispering death sardonic voice please, and make it go real slow.“Hmm... Zoocopeia, this will be both an education [pause] and an entertainment, [pause] to see foul and corrupt beasts paraded for our delight, [pause] shackled and thralled [pause] so that we may taunt them. [long pause] It sounds like a hoot.”So, what happens next?The adventurers have paraded into the Schaffenfest, I've described the place- the stalls, the people etc. and then...“Stop thief”Someone is shouting but they're either out-of-breath, or else a long way off because the effort is minimal.Several of the adventurers attempt to spot where the action is at, Lothar even finds a barrel to stand on.There are thick crowds here, this is the opening day of the extravaganza.Frederich ignores the noise and walks on.Keep in mind Fergus (and others) shouted those same words, 'stop thief', in the crowd in Altdorf, mostly he got laughed at. When someone shouts 'stop thief' the crowd begin to dither, and look about, because something entertaining might come to pass, even if its only a victim to be ridiculed.And so it proves.[ATTACH=full]393321[/ATTACH]Middle bottom, that's Copious Grope, he's a merchant- he's the one who shouted 'stop thief', and was then spotted barreling (or else wheezing and tumbling) his way through the crowd by Olek and Lothar.Freddy is oblivious, and therefore surprised when Grope thumps into the back of him and grabs the Witch Hunter (from behind).“Stop thief!” Grope wheezes.Frederich is not happy, to say the least- but he recovers very quickly, however the crowd have got in on the deal already, and a circle is formed around Grope and Frederich, they're quickly locked into the scene.Frederich breaks free of the fat man's grasp and then turns to face, stalks closer to the now retreating Grope, and goes straight for Intimidation- making all manner of whispered threats- torture and the inquisition, pyres etc. and...Grope, very soon after is a broken man- pretty much immediately because Fred started spending Fortune Points from the get-go to get real mean, real soon. Only the crowd wont let Grope out of the circle and so... eventually (after a lot of stuttering and sobbing, and half-sentences) he stands his ground, while cowering and through tears- he accuses Frederich again.“Yer a thief! And a bully!”We go around the above twice more- Freddy is not backing down, Intimidate follows Intimidate, three turns = one minute of forthright menace and whispered terror- with always the same result. So, then the Watch gets called- initially by Grope, but the crowd soon get into it too.The Schaffenfest has started.That's the Watch pictured in the image above, led by Sgt. Dicky Trubshaw.But before the Watch get here.While the above confrontation is going on Fergus makes his way through the crowd, eventually- he struggles with some bad rolls here, and then gets behind Copious and sticks a dagger in the fat man's side, pressed hard against the flesh, but hidden from casual sight, and he too starts making threats.Keep in mind that Grope atm is a sniveling wreck.Lothar meantime is gossiping to the crowd, letting onlookers know that the Burner over there- “He's a crazy man! Yer better take care”, a very bad man indeed (and he's telling no lies).Lothar is very persuasive, or else folk are getting warier, a space opens, at last, around the pair- the towering hectoring Witch Hunter, and the now kneeling, pleading merchant.Then, just as the Watch are sighted (they're not here yet) Olek, at last, gets to the scene-and he knows how to play this game.“Merchant, stand straight- answer me, I am Olek Hass, Priest of Sigmar. What did this fellow steal from you?”“A gravy boat, Lord.” Grope answers, and then when just gently prodded, he adds-“A vintage Bretonnian Giant Gravy Boat made by Bernardo Pompidou, it's glorious to behold your highness, sir, a beautiful piece, I'm a collector of Ob J. Dart, yersee.”And then Grope, now babbling and enthused, further adds (he was primed to do so).“Oh. It's quite a size your reverence, eighteen inches high, two-and-a-half feet wide, it holds twelve pints of gravy. It must weight thirty pounds, un-gravy-laden, he was mad ol' Pompidou.”And suddenly Copious Grope seems like less of a threat. To anyone. More of a joke.Although he never was a threat to anyone, so perhaps that's for the best.Olek, of course, then asks Copious Grope to search Frederich, who has now got the joke- and is therefore happy to comply.There is no Giant Bretonnian Gravy Boat on Frederich.To make clear, as soon as Grope bumped into Freddy, Freddy (or else Jim, playing Fred) was convinced that he'd just had something planted on him (or else stolen)- he didn't check this, of course, he just presumed as much. From there, and with lots of help from some of his friends, sprang all manner of darker thoughts- robbery, a con, terror, and...And so Freddy went all in- but at least he didn't draw his weapon.Like Fergus.Olek's genius boiled down to this- he asked one question.Then the scene took shape.Back to the action-Grope is a broken man.He repeats the following line, which he has been repeating throughout all of the above-“He looked just like you!”I sometimes repeated the above phrase one word at a time. It was also the last thing that Copious said to you, after paying a schilling each to all, including several of the Watchmen, in order to escape the crowd and his own embarrassment, which was made worse when someone calls over (from Grope's market stall) to say that the giant gravy boat is 'right here'.Anyone could have looked at Grope's stall by the way.Copious is, as stated previously, a broken man.We had a little chat after this scene, mainly because I wanted to impress upon Jim (playing Frederich) that he is getting very nasty, having spent three turns Intimidating Copious, reducing the merchant to a sobbing tormented wreck, there might have been a rethink. I even suggested this at the time.I asked the players later what the scene was for- apart from to start the above discussion, George (playing Olek) suggested that it was to introduce the PCs to the members of the Watch, and he's right (I told him so at the time) but, you missed it.So, I'll say it again- although Grope said it a lot, and I mean a lot- at least six times, I ticked them off in a notebook I use to write lines for the script here. He said it every time he spoke in fact, the same five words over and over again.It's not easy to spot, and in context it just works, but- here are the five words again that Grope most oft repeated-“He looked just like you!”You might want to have a think about the meaning of the above five words.You thought that Grope was the threat and menace of the Olde Worlde- the terror that some of you seem to see everywhere, he wasn't, he was just the messenger.It's a bit cleverer than that.Apologies to my players (and any one reading this) if I sound a bit pompous (or whatever) the chat we had at the time in-game was convivial and entirely without malice.And then what do you know, everyone gets into it...SCENE 2. To Stay Well.The adventurers extricate themselves from the last scene and then wander into a tutorial about... Healing Potions, and the like, in WFRP 4e.[ATTACH=full]393322[/ATTACH]Their tutor is Elvyra, or at least she's the apothecarist and that's her stall. After a little more chatter the adventurers also learn that Elvyra is based in Weissbruck, just down the river. The adventurers were only just in Weissbruck, a lovely place, Adolphus tried to fire bomb the Berebeli there.Anyway, lots of looking up things in the rule book, how this stuff works, and then some spending.Towards the end of the tutorial Elvyra lets it be known that she's an apt and able teacher- for the right price, and for the right kind of student (dedicated, gsoh, smokers welcome), she can teach folk all about Herbs, or else induct them into the apothecarist's world. They can look her up in Weissbruck, if they're ever interested.That's nice.Oh, and the PCs figured out why I was doing this tutorial right now in exactly three seconds- George, playing Olek, said- 'stock up, he's planning to hurt us.'He's a very clever feller.SCENE 3. Shop till you drop.As the old adage states- once a PC starts shopping...[ATTACH=full]393323[/ATTACH]Well, there's much more shopping to be done- I thought I'd try and get it all over with at the start, and keep in mind the adventurers just got paid by Josef, and some of them have still got money left over from the mutants they killed on the road to Altdorf.This is also a chance for me to let the PCs know that they need to have at least fifteen schillings between them to pay for somewhere to sleep tonight, also... they might want to think about money for food.The adventurers work out their budgets, and then spend any excess- of course they do.SCENE 4. Drink till you drop.And then head straight into a beer tent.[ATTACH=full]393324[/ATTACH]In which scurrilous, or otherwise, rumours are wont to fly.All PCs can make a check to earn some gossip here, their chances increase if they spend some time either buying drinks for themselves (and consuming them), or for others.The adventurers, what do you know, pretty much all try to make a few new friends, and all of them get the pints in.The players also know that they have a new set of rumours to go at- fifteen shiny new ones. They're also aware that each rumour earns them one XP. If the PCs get all fifteen rumours then they get an extra one XP each. Keep in mind I am very stingy with the XP.Fred and Fergus alas struggle with the friend-making/gossiping side of the deal, they do however emerge from the beer tent thirty-or-so minutes later a little tipsy both, which isn't bad for Fergus because he was drinking with both hands.Lothar and Olek however each acquire temporary drinking buddies, and both learn some new and interesting gossip, which they later report back to their companions.The three new pieces of info are-“Don’t buy any horses from the Schaffenfest. The Watch stopped a drover from Averland trying to sell a mare with nine eyes blistered in her mouth! She’s now hanging from the East Gate.” As told to Olek, by Gurney Tuffock, drover.Noted.“If you see a crow, you take it down and nail it to a crow post! Crows are the eyes of the Dark Gods, don’t you know. But don’t get them mixed up with ravens. You don’t want to attract Morr’s attention!” As told to Lothar by a rough looking fellow called 'Gardenmouth', or something similar- he mumbled a lot, he also had wild-eyes and looked to have had quite a lot to drink.Again, noted.And...“The Emperor has issued a new edict declaring that there are no Mutants in the Empire. The practice of exiling or slaughtering those unfortunate enough to carry some sort of physical deformity purely because of their appearance is henceforth illegal and punishable by death.”The above is heard by Lothar first, and then later also told to Olek- it seems everyone is talking about it.Lothar and Olek, as stated above, repeat what they have learned to Fergus and Frederich, the last new rumour is regurgitated (to Freddy) with something akin to glee, by Lothar.Who adds a little something about getting out of the Burner business just in time.Freddy is...Frederich feels...Fred...“Hold me, brother. I feel wibbly-wobbly, like I used to when I was a child.” Olek is quickly to the unsteady Freddy's side.Freddy is...Confused.How can this be true?His life's work?To repeat- mutants do not exist, therefore the killing of those poor unfortunates with mutations is... punishable by death. Verboten!Freddy is in a blue funk.Can the Schaffenfest save him?Give him fresh hope?Let's see.Lothar is very smiley, and just to say- Lothar (Kev) and Olek (George) have got this part of their game pretty much sorted, you just have to be able to talk to people (in between the fighting and/or investigating).Lothar has got his patter down-“Hello chaps, ladies! Lothar Muller, out of Ubi- lovely place you have here, tell me the what-to-do-and-where, and maybe who's-doing-it, get my drift.”That kind of thing, and with his hand not too far from his pocket.Olek is just the right side of weird with added (in his new Priest of Sigmar robes) authority, he's also very good at calming things right down. He's nice. He explains things. He asks questions. He always calls people something like- 'good fellow'. He's very likeable (but odd) and very believable (but odd).What's not to admire.SCENE 5. Grab It!We're moving fast here, I'm getting a lot in, and so straight after the beer tent and the PCs stumble across the Zoocopeia, which amounts to a couple of roped-off flatbed carts (with tarps covering... odd-shaped stuff on the back) parked up against the town wall.The show, alas, doesn't start for an hour, and when a few of the PCs decide to try and have a sneaky peek, well...[ATTACH=full]393325[/ATTACH]Grunni, the dwarf- bottom left, starts shouting at the adventurers.“Oi! We ain't bluddy started yet!”That is until Grunni spots Olek, all seven feet of him.The dwarf scurries over and then attempts to cajole the big man into carrying a sign around the Schaffenfest. The sign reads “I've seen the bottomless maw at the Zoocopeia!”, he'll pay Olek a schilling to do so- for the whole day. Olek is very polite but not for hire.Lothar on the other hand, and after a little more haggling and the handing over of a free ticket to the show, is more than happy to tote a sign around the Schaffenfest. His sign reads- “I've seen the Horrendous Hairy Ape of Hochland!”, and on the reverse, “You can too- at Dr. Malthusius' Zoocopeia!”Lothar is loving life by the way.Then the ringmaster arrives and completes the scene- Dr. Malthusius exits a nearby painted caravan and does his spiel, drumming up trade, it goes a bit like this-‘Roll up, roll up,’ he cries, ‘ln just one hour you will witness the most original and astounding display of zoological curiosities ever placed on exhibition in the entire length and breadth of our glorious Empire!’‘Welcome to Doctor Malthusius’s Zoocopeia! Gathered together for your education, entertainment, and edification from the far corners of the known world at incalculable expense!'And finally...'The unusual! The bizarre! Yes, even the faintly disgusting! You will never see its like again, my friends, not if you live to see a thousand years!’Frederich is delighted.But then, from one of the cages beneath the tarps on the flatbeds, a three-legged mutant Goblin slithers between the bars and drops free... it escapes.Or at least attempts to.Note, in the image above Dr. M is on the right, and the mutant Goblin top-center.The crowd, gathered in by Dr. Malthusius' blather, spot the escaping Goblin and start screaming “It's behind you!”It is therefore incredibly fortunate then that we have some brave adventurers on point.Fergus is at, and then on, the mutant Goblin in an instant, pulling and tumbling the three-legged would-be escapee to the floor, Fred is to the spot moments later, sword drawn and already pricking at the Goblin's chest.“You are going nowhere mutant Goblin scum!” Frederich snarls, his joie de vivre returning.Note, Fergus' check here, after a Fortune Point spent, was magnificent, something like six success levels. Fergus' dice are on fire from this point on.Grunni is to the scene moments later, the mutant Goblin is quickly manacled and lead back to its cage.The crowd roar their approval, as does Dr. M. who is more than happy to distribute a few schillings each to the two brave heroes who re-captured his prize exhibit, and to also distribute a few free tickets for the forthcoming shows.Note, throughout the capture and clamour above Lothar hits overdrive- he is waving his advertising sign furiously, while stridently declaiming-“A demonstration only of the foul abominations that can be witnessed for just one schilling at Dr. Malthusius' Zoocopeia. This was just a demonstration-everything is under control! Come and see the mutants at Dr. Malthusius' Zoocopeia.”He's a team player, or so it seems, and Lothar also generates six degrees of success with that last roll (he had a few bonuses of course) but the crowds flock in, and a little later Dr. M. shows his appreciation to Lothar too.The adventurers, after a few more bows and/or curtain calls- head deeper into the Schaffenfest, they may even be enjoying themselves, some of them.Lothar is toting his sign.Oh, but they'll be back to see the show at the Zoocopeia- it's on repeat every hour, but the DM has let them know it will be the last thing that they do today.Is that enough of a hint?We move on, briefly, to this...SCENE 6. Spare Leg!Olek, followed soon after by the other PCs- everyone joins in, is drawn into a charade, or else a show, or skit- certainly a performance.[ATTACH=full]393330[/ATTACH]One-legged Wally is the first to Olek. Olek, according to Wally is 'very tall', tall enough to get himself noticed. By Wally. Can Olek spare a leg? Wally asks.“Spare a leg, guv'nor?”Only Wally is short a leg.Sympathy is in abundance, as are pennies- the PCs appreciate Wally's humour, patter, and his can-do attitude, and so...Next into the scene is Scooter, to repeat the 'spare a leg' routine.And when this also pays.Finally to the action is Shufflebottom, who even has a sad story to tell- he was cleaning the canon when it went off (or else sleeping off a drink inside of it in Scooter's version), Altdorf Bombardier's- back in the day was Beggar Shufflebottom.His follow up line.“Thirty-six feet it was. Thirty-six feet, sir, I was blown out of that bloody big canon. Thirty-nine feet if you count where my legs landed.” He's very proud of his achievement.The adventurers are in such a good mood that everyone gets paid again- it's only pennies being handed out here but the PCs are definitely having a better time of it.We don't even get to the punchline for this scene.The punchline involved a play on two words that sound almost the same- alms and arms. The rest is up to you.We move on again, or else very suddenly a gypsy-esque lady steps out in front of the rag-tag-and-bobtail procession of adventurers and says...“Come in, come in-we've been waiting for you.”But that's the first half of the session, and enough writing for one go, back with the second half in a few days, jobs to do in the meantime.I'll do the XP for this session in the second half.Stay safe and well.Cheers goonalan et al.</blockquote>

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