THE OLDENHALLER CONTRACT

An interlude game as some "The Enemy Within" players vacationing...

Erich Massenbach (Brian), human Artist. Son of a wealthy merchant from Tahme. Core Secret: A true pacifist, generally abhors violence (talk or bribe your way out of fights if possible). If forced to fight, you will defend yourself and nearby innocents, but you will not attack.

Jorunn Gromsdottir (Bill), dwarf Apothecarist. An unexpected betrayal by a trusted friend left her untrusting of those who call themselves friends. Core Secret: You conceal a terrible disease: a small, but growing spot above your heart has turned to stone and traces of crystalline structures can be found in your bloodstream.

Lynathryn ‘Lynat’ Nightsong (Dave), wood-elf Hunter. Lynathryn has been a scout and hunter for the Eonir of Laurelorn for centuries of warfare that softens his attitude toward non-elves, even thou it sometimes comes off as condescension. Core Secret: The belief the world is doomed fills you with anguish that occasionally overwhelms you. You gain the Malaise Symptom for 1d10 hours if you fail a Willpower Test.

Vasya Ghorshkov (Geoff), human Pit Fighter. Vasya was born in a desolate area of Ostermark, where his parents were slain by ‘things’ from the Dead Wood when he was a teen and he only survived by destroying one with a rock. Thus, a Pit Fighter borne from ground up. Core Secret: A veiled women regularly appears in your dream, whispering of the glories you will one day achieve. Some have already come true. You are certain she is a god, but you don’t know which one and that frightens you.

Kistiane ‘Kis’ Brockdorf (Matt), human Jade Wizard. Daughter of a successful Altdorf family, Kistiane is tall for a human, with a joyous smile and an enthusiastic personality that people find either quite pleasant or extremely exhausting. After a horrible accident involving experiments with a Bloodsedge specimen, Kistiane was 'encouraged' to go on a ‘sabbatical’ away from Altdorf. Core Secret: You have Animosity towards nobles. [Spells: Animal Friend, Bearings, Drain, Light, Forest of Thorns. Grimoire: Life-bloom, Regenerate, and Blast.]

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We find the unlikely collection of misfits on a riverboat sailing south to Nuln. Once the captain docks at the jetty, he kicks them off his boat, “I’ve cargo to unload.” The river front is a jumble of bars and brothels. They leave the smells of the foul river behind as they walk into the city itself. Where they are soon approached by a Wastelander offering cheap rooms for rent. They are about to follow when Kis realizes the man's true intention of leading them into an alley ambush of thugs. Instead, she casts ‘Animal Friend’ to command rats to attack the man and his men in hiding.

Vasya tires of walking and leads them into the Weaver's Return tavern where he quickly gets drunk. [Geoff’s uncanny ability to roll 80s+ when it comes to ‘Consume Alcohol’.] The barkeep Rudolf and his wife "Peggy Leg" (considering she missing one) rent them room on the third floor where they settle for the night. Vasya passed out drunk.

It’s past midnight when Erich awakes to the sound of the window opening. He screams in fright at the intruder which scares away the would-be thief. Lynat gives chase, jumping from rooftop to rooftop until he and the thief fail a long jump over the canal. The thief quickly uses Lynat as his life preserver. Lynat wakes later, washed ashore like a drowned rat and penniless since he was robbed.

Come morning, they walk the streets looking for work. [No, not like prostitutes!] At least some of them can read the bulletin board postings. “Here’s one. Fiedel Borenborg offers 5 shillings just to find a missing girl, named Brigid.” But Kis is drawn to another posting, “Counsiller Oldenhaller has a rich sound to his title. He seeks experienced folks to find a missing item. His offer sounds more promising in monetary reward.”

They arrive at the mansion and are let in by the butler who tells them to take off their boots before they walk into the study. Obvious wealth considering the imported rugs and expensive paintings. (Lynat rolled 000) "Crash!" The elf bumps the table which topples a vase. 

Oldenhaller soon enters to offer them the job as he casually cleans his fingernails with an expensive jeweled knife. "I hired others to retrieve a rare gem, but they have failed to deliver it. I need you to find the Schatzenheimer gang and retrieve the green tinted gem for me. Kurt Holger is their leader; they hold up at the asylum. Here is a box to place the gem in once you collect it. Is 8 gold each enough?" Kris senses a magical aura about the box and haggles, "5 of us so 40 gold total to divide by those of us who return." Jorunn is already feeling distrustful of his accomplices.

They return to the streets to find gossip about the gang. Jorunn shops for nightshade poison while Lynat shops for arrows with the haggling aid of Kis. Kis calls forth befriended rats to pay back the merchant who was unwilling to haggle. When they regroup, Erich tells them about the three gangs: The Schatzenheimer who were contracted, the Valentina- Talayian immigrants reputed to be most dangerous, and the Huydermann- river thugs.

They wait till dusk to call upon the Schatzenheimer at the asylum, knocking per instructions. Silence before Vasya knocks again and finally breaks the door to reveal a ransacked room. An obvious struggle with table knocked over and lockers broken open. Candles in the walls sconces long burnt out. Six bodies impaled with crossbow bolts litter the next room. A middle-aged man strapped in a chair, dead... obviously tortured. A note pinned to his chest, "Kind regards from the Valentinas." Rival gang turf war?

Jorunn inspects the eastern room:  opulence to suggest the Shatz leader's quarter. Kurt dead on the floor, minus an arm. When Jorunn rolls the body over for further inspection, he is bitten by mouths erupting from pustular sores on the body. The dwarf quickly retreats in fright and pain.

The northern room proves to be sleeping quarters littered with more bodies. A trail of retreat eastward by the Valentina gang. One body stirs... a survivor Kis heals to interrogate. As expected, he confirms, "Our leader, Kurt, kept it for himself and wouldn't let others see it. Amelio and his Valentina gang violated our truce and stole the gem for themselves."

They follow the trail through connecting passages to the Valentina hang out. They hear laughter and talking on the other side of the door. They enter to surprise the 3 thugs playing cards who are quickly killed. Jorunn now more suspicious considering Erich stayed out of the fight. What is he plotting?

They could hear sounds of labor on the other side of a connecting door. They enter only to be put to work, "You must be more Talayian hired help. Don't just stand there, load the barrels on the carts." Kis comments, "This must be the good stuff you stole from the Schatz gang." In reply, "No, the boss told us to pack up everything as we are moving out."

Kis tries to talk with the boss but is stopped by his bodyguard, Sebastian, "Boss busy praying. You ready to pack stuff from his room? I'll knock to ask if he ready. "They find Amelio dead. A headless body and a blood trail that stops at the eastern wall of the room. Erich retrieves the green gem from the pocket of the headless body and quickly places it in the box. Meanwhile, Lynat searches the wall, "Must be a secret door. " Vasya steps forward to bust it open to the displeasure of the new godfather, Sebastian, "You'll have to pay for that!"

They follow the blood trail through the sewers beneath the city. Erich adds his puke to the flow of filth. They move along the walkways and side tunnels following the blood trail. Loud squeaking announces a swarm of rats that Kis stops by casting a patch of thorns to block them. They precariously cross a board laid across the sewer canal to enter a cavern. They soon come upon rail-tracks and a mine cart. Where inside, the find the severed head and the body of the woman who carried it. Death by rat swarm! Loud squeaking announces their return. "Climb in the cart and let's get out of here."

Vasya and Lynat push to get the cart rolling. Lynat hangs on the outside as not enough room inside. He injured when his foot slips but holds on as the cart quickly picks up speed as the cavern slopes downwards yet the rat swarm keep pace. Kis cast more thorns to obstruct them. And that’s when they see the end of the line ahead. "Break!" The rotten brake handle breaks off. Lynat braces his feet on the wheels to slow the cart. Not enough. Jorunn braces inside the cart as the others jump before impact. 

Witj the rats still on their trail, Kit tries (but fumbles) to cast more thorns. They run thru more tunnels till they come to a passage with men barricaded in a side cavern. It’s the river thug Huydermann gang who warn, "Stay where you are and show us your necks. Prove you are clean, unlike those cultists who just passed thru."

The two groups join ranks to confront the cultists, entering the next cavern where canoes line an underground riverbank. They find the cultists gathered in a circle, completing their ritual chanting.

Within their inner circle, the ground opens as a Plague-Bearer climbs out of the conjured portal. Most Huydermann men run for the canoes (which is Erich's destination considering he has the box with the gem inside. His task is complete; confronting cultists and their unholy summoning wasn't part of the contract).

Lynat twangs arrows one after another at the PB while Jorunn fires crossbow bolts till engaged in melee by the cultists. Kis channels and cast, only to fail in his attempts. Vasya charges the cultists and slaughters a few before the PB advances to take their place. Kis realizes Erich has the right idea as she too runs for the boats while calling for the others to retreat. But Lynat too proud an elf to give up the fight and leave Vasya. Jorunn fires another bolt... at Erich, "You spineless bastard! Leaving us high and dry while you collect the gold for yourself!”

Somehow, Vasya survives repeated lashings from the PB's 6 tentacles. And manages to inflict wounds against the abomination. There is hope... except both the elf and dwarf now outnumbered by cultists in melee, and Erich and Kis already in a canoe and paddling away. Jorunn breaks for the last boats herself. Two steps away from her own canoe when she hears the elf call out, "Guy's, come back." Pride forces the dwarf to return to the fight.

Too late as Vasya is killed by the last tentacle attack just before Lynat fires another arrow that fells the PB. Not much dwarven honor joining the elf cleaning up the last of the cultists before climbing into their own canoe. As they paddle away from the scene, Jorunn tries to convince the elf, "When in range, shoot the poisoned arrow bomb at the first deserters. Payback for leaving us for dead."

Death was but a year away for the dwarf, infected with Nurgle Rot from the bites of those mouths on the mutated body of Kurt Holger. A fowl, unholy plague death befitting the dwarf who also broke ranks in the fight.

CONVOLUTED BACKGROUND

Fiedel Borenborg was in love with Brigid Ballifonser, but she was using him for his money. She came to town as a hired assassin. Fiedel found out she went to the asylum [He did not know she went to assassinate Amelio Valentina]. When he arrived, the Valentina gang grabbed him as he was rich. They tortured him to learn why he was there. Meanwhile, Brigid was going back to the Huydermann gang to collect her reward for killing Amelio but got overwhelmed by the rats.

The Schatzenheimer gang was originally contracted to bring the gem to Nuln for Counsiller Oldenhaller. Their leader, Kurt Holger, became ensnared by the gem and did not want to get rid of it. Meanwhile, the Valentina learned of the gem and its potential worth and thus broke the truce to steal it for themselves. Rats in the sewers and tunnels were drawn to the presence of the Nurgle gem and its disease aura.

And all along, cultists were tracking the gem for a long time as it used to belong to their god.