S5E4 tHR- Questioning the Sewer Jacks’ Loyalty

From the Beginning: https://rigglewwh.blogspot.com/2021/06/s0e1-introductions.html

PCs: Agnes (Duane), Katja (Geoff), Venegrall (Tony), Rega (absent), Gary (Matt), Ymath (absent)

“Heroes of Middenheim” and members of ‘KITUM’ (Kommission for Inquiries into Threats Unknown to Middenheim).

3-Deaths: Schutzmann activated the KITUM group to look into the mysterious deaths of 3 sewer workers. All with a triangular wound-mark at the base of their skull. Anston Kron was a Civil Engineer who could afford burial. His body being excavated for further inspection. But news from his widow how he’d been mapping the sewers. His maps stolen. And discovery the infamous Gelb (who’d abducted Gotthard) was Anston’s intern (along with a burly but silent henchman). As for the sewer-jack, Haludan Gerg, little is known. But another victim, Yiva, a burglar, was found inside the Labourer’s Hospice building. With a note from Half-Nose as the hospice the place to secure Renault’s Delight.

Investigating the assassinations, the party went to see Alfric “Half-Nose” Anvilbreaker.  The dwarf was in his usual booth with some empty pints surrounding him.  Vinegrall felt they should just bring him in for questioning as paying for info is contrary to the Empire’s interest.  The others disagreed so Vinegrall agreed to sit at the bar rather than be involved in such unsavory business.

Alfric told them (for a fee of course) that Yiva (the body found in the hospice) was needing Ranald’s Delight as he was trying to work up the courage to blackmail the sewer jacks about something he saw one of them doing.  Yiva was always short on money and felt this was his chance for a big break.

After some more questions, Agnes mentioned the name Gelb.  This got Alfric’s attention and he indicated he had some info on Gelb for a decent price.  It seems Gelb visited Alfric and was asking questions about Yiva also.  Particularly about Yiva’s planned movements around town.  Alfric described Gelb as a rather too talkative a fellow that he didn’t trust but that he had good coin.  Alfric did mention that Gelb was accompanied by a large fellow with a pipe that never spoke.

The group headed to the Square of Martials where the sewer jacks’ offices were.  The sewer jacks are the police force for the sewers.  They mostly try to keep thieves from using the sewers as much as possible.  The group went to the main office and were greeted by Raina MÜs, a female sewer jack.  She explained she was the secretary of the sewer jack chief, Jacko Warble.  The group explained they were looking into the killing of Haludan Gerg (the 3^rd body) and to discuss what they knew about Yiva.  Much back and forth in discussion with Raina stating that the sewer jacks are beyond reproach in their loyalty to Middenheim. 

Vinegrall countered that they believed that there are some traitors and that one of them may be named Gelb.  Agnes grew tired of this and showed the badge authorizing them to investigate.  They walked past Raina and Vinegrall noticed her making a note in Queekish (the skaven language).  Raina was quickly subdued unconscious by a blow to the back of her head.  The note stated that Gelb is getting sloppy.

With Raina dealt with the group entered Jacko’s office.  The halfling was busy finishing up a meat pie.  He had a wicked scar on his left side of his face that had turned his left eye blind.  The group obviously suspicious after Raina but Jacko seemed true to Middenheim, he even got angry when it was revealed Raina was a traitor for the skaven.  He broke her nose while she was still knocked out.  Jacko explained that Hauldin was stabbed multiple times.

He was found in the sewers and underneath him was a map drawn on rat skin.  The map showed an outline of the sewers and had X’d out symbols corresponding with the place the bodies were found.  There was one symbol not X’d out.  After some map study the group realized it was the college where Professor Eunice Hasche was at preparing the skaven body for dissection!

The group went to the college and found the Professor in her office but now she had 3 barrels instead of the one left behind.  She informed them that her student helpers had acquired the 2 extra barrels for her so she could store the skaven in them in pieces after the demonstration.  Agnes pried open the barrel and found a stuffed beastman body with a large rat head crudely sewn onto it.

Then the window burst open and a skaven assassin charged in.  It threw 2 shuriken into the Professor but she was still alive.  The group attacked with the assassin dodging and strangely not being where the group swung at (think similar to a displacer beast in D&D).  [However, the GM’s dice went ice cold.  The skaven could not roll less than an 85 for 5 straight rounds.]  As he leapt to the window to flee, the office door burst in, and the student assistants came running in.  Karl (who the group correctly concluded was Gelb) stunned Katja with his blather talent, while the large man charged Agnes.  [Poor dice rolls by the GM ended that combat quickly.]

The group planned to head west to harvest ingredients for the desired magic items.  Rumor was that there was a Dark Pegasus in the swamp land that would be perfect for the creation of items.  Marshall Schutzmann asked them to look into some places while in the area.  “The mining town of Obeurmaur had stopped producing iron; could you find out why?”  Also, they had not heard the weekly report from the Jaegar Keep (the keep to the West of Middenheim on the edge of the Schadensumpf). “Could you make sure that they are okay? Maybe the messenger suffered an accident.”

6 days travel to the village of Obeurmaur, the group heard rumors from the locals how excited they were that a few weeks ago Law Lord Karl-Heinz Wasmeier had recently passed by.

Next Session: https://rigglewwh.blogspot.com/2022/08/s5e5-thr-brood-over-this.html