S3E2: Death on the Reik - Kalegan to Altdorf

Weissbruck: Henryk carried the severed skull of the beaked birdman into a taxidermist, “I need you to craft a bird hat for me, topped with my Henin hat of course. And integrate my mail coif if possible.” Henryk mused how the beaked hat and a copy of the emperor’s decree could amplify his intimidation when confronting others. Even the lie, “You dare threaten to harm mutants against the emperor’s orders?!”

Henryk (Bill) noble, Ranger/Witch-Hunter (Intimidator)

Brandiwyn (Tony) RiverWarden

Mallorhan (Brian) wood-elf Messenger…absent

Gary (Matt) Warrior/Cavalryman

Sister Agnes (Duane) noble, Warrior Priestess of Shallya

Katja (Geoff) noble, Entertainer/Bounty Hunter

 

Next stop, Kalegan: Once more, they pushed off from the docks and sailed north along the river Bogen. Agnes stood mid-deck testing her new hammer, getting the feel of it. Until Katja in the crows-nest called down sighting of horned beasts just inside the treeline, portside, “Left side.” But whatever she saw quickly melted into the forest. Which led to an uneventful passage. Kalegan proved to be a bygone city. Bypassed once the canal was cut between Weissbruck and Altdorf. Huffers eagerly helped nudge the lone barge against the dock. For all his blustering “I’m the captain”, Gary conveniently acted distracted when it came time to pay the docking fees.

The bar was full of out-of-work patrons who spent their days gossiping. “I hear the grand duke blames the prince for the death of his son.” “Was that the same prince who hired those adventurers for that mission in the Grey Mountains?” “Wasn’t the prince also killed along with most of those warriors?” As the group listened to the gossip, they teased Gary, “A true captain would be more like Joseph and buy the first round.” Their playful conversation interrupted by an outdoorsman, wearing a pin in the shape of a crown with a red stone embedded in the center, who approached Gary, “Herr Liebrung, so good of you to appear. Care to accompany me to another bar where we can talk in more privacy? Your nun and witch-hunter are not welcomed to join us.” Gary, aka Kastor, complied, “You two idiots stay.”

Magister Impedimentae: Katja and Brandiwyn assumed their role, “Herr Kastor, who is this man? Dettman? Is he after your inheritance too?” The trio followed Dettman to another bar, and down the stairs to a private room to sit at a table. Gary gasped [failed Cool] when they found 4 beastmen waiting inside. Dettman’s voice changed to a less pleasant tone as he threw a letter across the table to Gary, “Magister Impedimentae, care to explain this?! Is the truce broken?” [It was humorous that the two members who COULD read were left behind.] Brandi interrupted the awkward silence as Gary held the crumpled paper, “Do not play games with Herr Liebrung. Say what you have to say.”

Dettman grabbed the letter and unfolded it, “We thought there was no way the purple-hands would betray us. Yet this report from Boganhafen blames YOU for interrupting Gideon’s plans. We put a lot of work into the scheme. Why have you returned empty handed?” Gary puffed his chest in defiance, “WHO accuses me?! Ernst? The same man who led us into a trap?!” Dettman raised his hand to stifle the anxious beastmen, “You purple-hands have always been poor liars. But all can be forgiven. We only ask you to sacrifice a purple-hand; which one will it be?” Gary thought quickly, “That is no witch-hunter outside. Only a disguise to get us into places the rest of us are denied.” Dettman laughed, “But you misunderstand. Not who do you offer, but which of YOUR hands.”

Katja sensed the outdoorsman was reaching for something under the table (possibly a pistol mounted underneath). Brandi’s 6^th sense was also blaring in his skull. Thus, Brandi was first to draw his pistol and fire, bloodying Dettman’s face. Katja quick-fired a crossbow bolt at the beasts. They all jumped in unison and ran for the door as the beastmen howled in rage. Gary tried (and failed) to topple the table to slow their pursuit. He gave up when a claw raked across the tabletop, inches from his face. The chase short-lived, just outside the door at the foot of the stairs, as the 2-legged beasts were faster and confronted them.

Brandi defended against one beast who tried to claw and gore him. Same for Gary and Katja. The 4^th beast was unable to gain position in the narrow area. The humans drew blood first while managing to avoid claws and horns once more. In fact, Katja got in a blade under the 4^th beast’s wild swing… that smashed his ribcage. Fortune the earlier pistol shots could be heard above. Henryk and Agnes finally arrived. Henryk tried and failed to intimidate with his stern voice and beaked hat. [Only now learning beastmen are immune to psychological attacks.] Agnes was more direct: she charged the wounded 4^th beast and crushed him with her hammer. She spun into the next beast with another killing blow. And another and another.

In one enraged charge, 4 beastman lay at the feet of sister Agnes. “DAMN! Warrior Priestess indeed. That was a lot of pent-up anger, sister.” As Henryk collected beastmen horns as evidence, Brandi rushed back into the room to face the outdoorsman. Maybe the river-warden didn’t expect a fight from a man almost blinded with blood covering his face. Brandi got in a killing stab but Dettman’s own blind swing [critical] would have torn muscles had Brandi’s leather-jack not slowed the blade [lose armor instead of critical result]. As Brandi emptied the man’s pockets, Gary handed Agnes the crumpled letter. She read, “From Kastor to a Herr Lorbeer in Kemperbad. Names Etelka Hertzen as a rival to their plans. Says she ‘played’ them with the story of the false inheritance.”

Gary spun out of control, “False inheritance?! Bullshit! That money is rightfully mine. I don’t get it. Kastor wrote the letter yet nowhere does it say the purple-hand are to blame. Rather, their rival Etelka is to blame.” He blathered on as the others wondered if he truly planned to cut them out of the inheritance.

Henryk picked up the letter and read more, “Letter says Etelka lives in the Black Peaks near Grissenwald, not far from Nuln. So, we take the river Reik southeast to Kemperbad to check in on this Herr Lorbeer. Continue to Grissenwald to face Etelka. Then make our way to Nuln and the lair of all those purple-hand conspirators who signed the affidavit proclaiming Kastor the true inheritor. Simple and straight forward.”

Back to the Barge: They climbed the stairs and exited the bar. Gary flipped a silver coin to the barkeep, “Cleanup downstairs.” Aboard the barge, they sat watch. Gary wondered, “He mentioned Ernst. Who the hell is he?” Agnes remembered, “Wasn’t he the kid studying anatomy for his Physical College exams in Altdorf? Rode the coach along with that pompous daughter of Herr Von Strudeldorf of Altdorf. And that card-shark who called himself Phillip Descartes.” Gary scoffed, “A kid ratted us out?!” Henryk just had to add, “Unless the kid was Gideon in one of his disguises.”

Morning breakfast was quickly devoured before they cast off. Brandi had to tack into the strong crosswinds. The pace slower since the river was shallower due to the diverted water feeding the canal to Altdorf. Which explained the riverman stepping out of a hut along the river, “One silver to help you ford the shallows.” Again, it was Brandi digging into his coin purse. The riverman Otto bit the coin then offered 2 waders, “I’ll need help in the water to steer the bow.” Gary cursed when he found his waders leaked.

Gary and Henryk grabbed the docking rope as they waded in the water just to the front-left of the bow. Otto took another rope as he waded front-right, closer to the bank. Katja took lookout duty in the crows-nest. Slow going. Almost thru the shallows when Katja sung out, “Holy Shit! Snake, eel ahead.” Gary immediately thought of the large river-pike he’d speared oh so many months ago. Till the eel reared its head out of the water, “Holy Shit! I left my sword aboard ship.” He was talking to himself as Henryk [failed Cool] was already climbing the rope to get back aboard ship. And Otto had climbed the bank, leaving Gary all alone.

But that is when Brandi showed up at the bow. He fixed eyes on the huge eel, “Aren’t you a beauty. And here we have invaded your territory. If only you would forgive us and let us pass.” Now, I don’t believe for one second that monstrous eel understood the river-warden. [Charm Animal, Animal Affinity] Maybe it was his peaceful tone and demeanor that caused the calming influence. But as Gary scrambled up the rope, the eel slipped beneath the water and left the barge alone.

Carroburg: The large city sat across the river tributary where the river Bogen flowed into the river Reik. Brandi was caught off-guard by the conflicting currents of the river confluence, as the Reik flowed west against the Bogen dumping into it, stirring up mud. Stevedores along the docks immediately recognized an inexperienced boat captain and took wages against the barge spinning out of control and dumping its ware. But Brandi fought the tiller as he commanded, “Hoist the jib sail to cut across the river.”

Moans and groans of losers greeted the barge as it tied up at an empty pier. As taught by Joseph, they waved docking fees, preferring to eat and drink at the dock bar called Confound-Confluence Inn. Gossip flowed as fast as the beer tap. “Tell those Middenland refugees to keep moving south. We don’t need more urchin and homeless. I thought Sigmar followers had more backbone than to be run off their lands by the wolf worshippers of Ulric.” “Ya hear about that village south of Altdorf? My sister’s cousin and step-brother says the villagers were horribly mutated. That’s why that witch-hunter hustled in there to burn them out, before the emperor’s decree was posted.” “Hell, I heard the villagers sang songs of the god Taal. Isn’t he a peaceful god of the changing seasons and the wild?”

Morning: Agnes became the spokesperson looking for a buyer of the wool supply. Both she and Katja haggled over the selling price: 250 gold for the 225 encumbrance of goods. Gary tried to influence the price by mentioning Joseph. “Gold? The man aughta just dicker for a lifetime supply of ale. He drinks all his profits.” Brandi joined the haggle, “Now that we’ve cleared our deck, what do you have to sale that we could ship to Altdorf?” Brandi had to dig into his own coin purse to pay the difference. “300 encumbrance of grain for 270 gold? What kind of profit should we expect?”

It took almost 2 days for the stevedores to transfer the cargo off before loading the grain. Meanwhile, Agnes secured the manifest paperwork. During that time, Henryk enter the local Temple to Sigmar to display evidence and words about the growth of chaos across the land. The evil temple in Boganhafen, the beastmen in Kalegan, the plots of the purple-hands, and the sighting of Gideon transforming into a deamon of Tzeentch. “There are unsettling plans along the river Reik, stretching from Altdorf to Nuln. If not further and wider.”

River Bound for Altdorf: Gary arrived at the docks wearing a fancy ship captains’ hat. Brandi ignored him as he focused on the 6-day sail against the current, east-southeast to Altdorf. At least this section of the river was well protected as they passed skiff after skiff of river-wardens keeping watch. Dawn of the 6^th day cast crimson highlights to the line of ships queued for docking. Hours till they were finally signaled to approach. And that’s when a skiff pulled alongside and two river-wardens boarded, “Ship manifest and crew list.” One handed Brandi a docking ticket while the other seemed to stare at Gary in his captains’ hat. Gary stared back and noticed the mans’ purple earring. Gary pulled out the red-stone lapel (retrieved from the Kalegan outdoorsman Dettman) and nodded. Once the barged threw ropes for the poorer section of docks, both river-wardens just walked off the barge and disappeared into the crowd of stevedores.

Once more the arrival in Altdorf resulted in Katja’s hair changing color: to blonde. Which uneased Agnes, “Is your hair bewitched and need to be burnt off?” As Agnes and Katja departed to find a buyer for the grain, the others entered the bar where they were given tickets, “You’ll need 2 stamps each to qualify for docking fee coverage.” Hours later the girls entered the bar to report, “Sold the grain as expected. It’ll take a couple of days to offload. But we also bought metal and wool to sell upriver. Merchant suggested Kemperbad as the better market for a 5% profit. We also registered the barge as ‘The LostnFound’ and bought a license. That left 120 gold we can spend for barge upgrades.”

As they discussed possible purchases (“muskets and mounts to repel boarders and two swivel cannons to cripple pirate ships.”), Henryk happened to notice coaches lining up along a distant road. “That man holding a skull. Doesn’t he look a lot like that Ernst fella you were talking about? You know, the kid studying anatomy.” Yet when the others looked, they only saw the back of a man entering the coach that soon pulled away as the coachman cracked his whip.

Gary was the first to suggest, “So other than river trade, what else can we do? I say we find the prince offering adventure in the Grey Mountains.” Agnes pulled out the flyer she carried to look up the name and address. It wasn’t long before they stood before a house boarded up. “I’m guessing that rumor we heard about the prince being killed alongside the adventurers was true. Any other bright ideas for employment?” Henryk suggested, “If we’re to modify the barge, I say Gary and I take lessons firing the cannons we plan to install. And the girls can study with Brandi about river sailing so they can back him up in case…Well, it’s always good to have backup.”

Next Session: https://rigglewwh.blogspot.com/2021/10/s3e3-enemy-withindeath-on-reik.html