The Enemy Within - Session 127

14/11/25

The Will

The reading of the Will provides no surprises - Ada is to inherit the Barony and assume the title on her 14th birthday, Steward Meyer is to rule in her stead until then and provide her with a tutor in the meantime. 

Meyer says he is willing to speak with any of those present at the Merchant's Hall in an hour and implores them to come together, saying the Baron's death should not be in vain and that Ada's heritage is not in question. 

Count Ludenhof announces that he will pay a 50 gold crown reward for the head of Gazrin One-horn, that his friend should be avenged. Baron Todbringer says he must leave for Middenheim and Kepler Karzburdger acuses him of fleeing as he had Renault Scheffers murdered! Suddenly everyone is talking at at once. 

Magdalena takes Ada and Gilbert back to the house with Jean Saunier, agreeing to bring them to the meeting at the Merchants Hall shortly.

Amos manages to get the clock in the temple of Verena working for 1pm, then heads out to The Pit, but a commotion on the other side of the gates has led to the guards preventing entry or exit, so he makes his way to the Roamer's Pint to join Farfordda and Norgrim. He arrives shortly after Taciana Petraska, who having spotted Farfordda sitting at the window has dropped by to tell him the Strigany are breaking camp and intend to leave Holzbek by sunset. From the window they see Baron Todbringer leaving the town.

The various noble parties convene at the Merchants hall to argue their cases. Lady Eisenhal that Ada should stay with them in Sohk as Dunfurter is no place to raise a young Baroness, Elector Count Ludenhof that she should be raised at his castle in Hergig for the same reasons, plus she can get to know her betrothed then too. Magdalena weighs in with what turns out to be a seemingly acceptable compromise; Ada should be raised at Dunfurter but the Eisenhal's will provide her with a tutor and the Ludenhofs a troop of soldiers to protect her. 

The Duke of Immelscheid is called away during the debate - the east gate has been locked down as men of his were in a scuffle with the Freelancers and a sergeant was killed. Meyer manages to have a brief chat with Magdalena, asking that she comes with them and stays close to Ada until they reach Dunfurter. The plan is to leave at dawn tomorrow.

Farfordda and the Dwarves leave the confines of the town walls for the Oststrasse, Amos picking up a copy of the Holzbek Herald on route - its piece on the Baron's Will prints the details and Meyer's speech verbatim with almost nothing in the way of commentary or opinion. 

As the Dwarves go for a drink in The Pit, Farfordda visits the Strigany camp, which is in the process of packing up. Petru Uriah tells him things are getting too fractious here, they are moving on before they start getting the blame for all the ills of the town. Farfordda presents him with his share of the Oberholzbek glimmer-lead as a gift and asks that he pass word back to Farfordda's kin via his Strigany confreres of old who know them; that he has spent the past while fighting the forces of chaos and that should he survive this coming Grunsnacht he can be found at the Eonir settlement near Altdorf. Taking a not-so-subtle subtle hint Uriah gifts Farfordda a bottle of Dreamwine and then they haggle over potions. 2 Sun stones (Farfordda & Norgrims) and a few gold crowns are exchanged for a Panacea Universalis and a Draft of Forms. They say their goodbyes and Uriah gifts Farfordda a lucky charm as they part.

When they return to the town Amos drops by the print works, he found another copy of the seditious pamphlet at The Pit and comparing it with the type on the Holzbek Herald is not entirely sure if it was printed here. The printer claims he would never let such a thing be printed, it looks like a Middenheim job to him. Amos tries to pass on some engineering tips about the machinery before he leaves.

It is time for the funeral rites of Baron Holzbek. Magdalena attends the service at the temple of Sigmar with Elena and Ada, while the others join the crowds in the town square outside. Fog gathers as the sermon reaches its climax and the Baron's body is carried out by Von Reiter and his household guard to the chanting of a Sigmarite dirge. 

Brother Holsenheimer speaks on behalf of Morr, then Sister Garner on behalf of Verena and finally Wolf-born Heinlein on behalf of Ulric. Steward Meyer lights the Pyre and the body burns as the sun sets. Farfordda with his Second Sight and Amos with his glasses can see the twisting colours of Dhar rise up in the smoke as the corruption burns.

 Once back at Holzbek Manor Magdalena takes up position in Ada's room - after asking Elena where is Sir Vaksman, he's been sorting out travel arrangements all afternoon apparently. Magdalena stresses to Ada that even though Dunfurter might not be as fancy as some castle in Sohk it will be an easier life than growing up on a farm in the shadow of the Middle Mountains. She then jams the door shut and settles down for the evening.

Norgrim and Farfordda make for The Pit, time for Norgrim Reaper vs Jolly Joss Volker - well it will be after the first fight, where Tyson Eisenmenger absolutely destroys Waldron Jaekel. Farfordda turns a few heads by putting down 1 GC on Norgrim, the odds are even.

Amos turns up just in time for the starting bell - he dropped by the temple of Verena to receive Sister Garner's thanks for fixing the clock and borrows a book on engineering saying he'll leave it at Dunfurter.

Its 9pm, Festag, 3rd Nachgeheim, damp and foggy outside, but hot and sweaty in The Pit, packed to the gunnels and heaving with chanting and stamping as the starting bell rings... 

The Enemy Within - Session 126

7/11/25

A Word to the Wise

Farfordda pauses before leaving Karwel's room - saying that there is more he would say if he knew he could trust him and that he really needs to speak to Baron Todbringer. He descends the stairs to the bar but all is quiet, no one is about. He sits and waits, the innkeeper surfaces to lock the place up. Farfordda asks him about the drunks who were sat at the table in the corner - apparently they left a while ago.

On the way back to Holzbek Manor he hears the Holzbek troops moving into the town and approaches two watchmen warming themselves at a brazier. This was found in The Pit earlier he tells them and hands over the seditious pamphlet, but a poor reaction roll combined with illiteracy results in the pamphlet being dropped in the flames and being told to make himself scarce.

He arrives back shortly before Von Reiter, who tells Farfordda and Amos (who's standing guard) that the plan is to prevent anyone in uniform, or anyone bearing arms entry to the town for the next 24 hours. Magdalena takes the second guard shift and Farfordda the last, waking to remember Mariposa finding him in his dreams.

By 8am the house and yard are full of the sounds of servants preparing breakfasts and hot water and Elena shouting for the tailor and where is Jean Saunier. Magdalena sits in the dining hall and greets Ada when she arrives. The girl has no idea of what is to happen today - Magdalena tries to explain but Ada gets upset, her father died a week ago, killed by bandits... Magdalena speaks with Lady Eisenhal in her room, she explains that she will accompany them to the reading of the will, Elena does not contradict her, saying the carriage will take them just before 12. Amos chats briefly with Ada and her cousin in the yard before they get chased up to get ready. Amos asks Gilbert does he not resent losing his inheritance, perhaps he can be Ada's advisor?

Farfordda and Magdalena head to the Roamer's Pint to speak with Baron Todbringer. They are shown up to his room, Magdalena does the introductions and Farfordda relates to him their fears about Middenheim. 

He tells them the Purple Hand (who he has heard of) have infiltrated the aristocracy, he believes they have some way of mimicking faces (which they acquired from Wittgenstein, the castle that collapsed into the Reik), that some sort of 'doppelganger' has replaced his father and others. That Rallane and other faithful members of the court have been murdered. 

Todbringer mentions that this new Inquisition has caught some conspirators, that they are on the case. Farfordda says not to trust them, the chief inspector is some sort of fraud. The Baron says come to Middenheim with me and we can deal with this evil together, no we are wanted in Middenheim, we are known enemies, wanted for 'consorting with dark powers' - also we have an even more serious and urgent threat. The Baron is incredulous that anything could be more important. 

He asks who do they trust in Middenheim - Allavandrel the huntsman and Jana Ebenauer the wizard. He intends to ride for Middenheim after the reading of the will and thanks them for their warning.

They head back to Holzbek Manor, with a hungover, breakfasted Norgrim in tow. Although still foggy the main square is filling, people gather at the temple of Sigmar to pay their last respects to Baron Holzbek while a pyre is being built in the center of the square.

Amos goes to the Temple of Verena to see about fixing the clock - a young acolyte tells him Sister Garner cannot see him, everyone is busy preparing for the reading of the will. He enters anyway, climbs the tower stairs and sets about the repair.

Back at the house Magdalena gets ready, they hear the Duke of Immelsheid has recently been by, complaining that his troops are being denied entry. Where is Von Reiter! Where is that tailor! Ada, now clad in mourning black is upset - she's starting to understand what is happening. She tells Magdalena she doesn't want to be separated from her cousin and her aunt, she doesn't want to be stuck in a tower like a fairy story princess. Magdalena tells her that as a knight-to-be she must often do things she doesn't want, that she must perform her duty. Somehow this gets through to her, at least for now.

Norgrim and Farfordda visit the Temple of Sigmar, the Baron's body is laid out in an open coffin. Sir Vaksman and many locals huddle in around the coffin, crying and praying. Brother Holsenheimer oversees impassively from an alcove. They retire to the Roamers' Pint, planning to take up window seats so that they can survey the square - Ernst the promoter from The Pit spies Norgrim and enthusiastically tells him to come to The Pit for 7, everyone is eager to see the saviour of Lady Holzbek take on Jolly Joss Volker!

Magdalena travels to the Temple of Verenna in the carriage along with Ada, Gilbert, Lady Eisenhal and Sir Vaksman. Nobles and local dignitaries gather around the great Statue of Verena where Frau Allman and Sister Garner will present the will. Baron Todbringer is here dressed for travel, then there is Elector Count Ludenhoff who Magdalena sees for the first time, draped in regal finery and accompanied his guards and a crooked woman in green. 

Elena scowls when she sees Meyer who simply nods at her. At the last minute Kepler Karzburdger enters - he manages to push his way through to Magdalena who ignores him and whispers supporting words to Ada as he spits out, 'if anything should happen to me everyone will know who you are!' The tolling bell stops for the first time since dawn and Frau Allman begins to read the will. It is midday on the 3rd Nachgeheim and the fog has almost lifted... 

The Enemy Within - Session 125

 31/10/2025

Lockdown

 No sooner do the dwarves and Farfordda enter The Pit than Thindra barfs - tonight's drinking has finally got too much for her and the contents of her guts are now all over the floor. Amos decides the smartest thing to do is shepherd her home. The vomiting has somewhat alerted the bar to their presence though - Domu Toma Petraska says - ah these must be the crew who rescued the wee Holzbek girl. Farfordda greets him in Strigany and Toma buys them drinks. Farfordda says he has a wise Pertu and that he will drop by to see them tomorrow with a gift for the Petraska family. 

Toma's companion at the bar is the fight promoter, he asks if this be Norgrim the pitfighter, aye I used to be. How about you come fight our champ tomorrow - 8pm, 4 shillings for a win plus free entry for you and your friends. Ok says Norgrim but free drinks for me now - 5 Taalwaters. Coming right up. 10 minutes later Norgrim is hammered and disappears into the crowds of the bar while Farfordda turns to Jean Saunier the tutor, and his female companions. He recognises Farfordda from the castle. Farfordda says you must be teaching young Ada, not so far he claims, Farfordda, with some menace impresses upon him that she should be treated well. Then having lost Norgrim heads back to Holzbek house.

Magdalena before leaving the Meissen house chats with the merchant and his family - they ask her how the meal went, who was there, what do they think of the girl? Magdalena essentially says we need to hear the Will and see what Steward Meyer thinks before determining Ada's fate. Anneliese Meissen says she met Lady Eisenhal at a soiree the other night, before the Baron died. Magdalena aks her what was Lady Eisenhal saying about her niece then? Oh she didn't mention her, it was all about Gilbert her son. Aniliese says Holzbek is no place for the girl if the town is allying with Hochland - they are such crude people. Dieter her husband begs to differ, the Baron knew what he was doing and the brother thinks the town could do fine on its own, what with that glimmerlead being found in Oberholzbek.

Finally she heads out into the foggy night with the watchman. She gets to the barracks to hear that Von Reiter is expecting her in the Temple of Verena, so she heads there. She is ushered in by a young girl in a grey gown and shortly after finds Von Reiter eating in a small room off the main hall with Sister Garner and Steward Meyer. 

The Steward thanks Magdalena for all she did at Oberholzbek, Ullman the hunter told him about the giant rat. She plays it down saying the dwarves are prone to exaggerate. Meyer asks her about the situation at Holzbek Manor - she says most of the diners favoured taking Ada to Sohk, but she does not seem in immediate danger. She also mentions that Elena asked the Duke of Immelsheid to bring his troops within the town in case there were any trouble at the reading of the Will. 

Meyer tells Von Reiter bring your men within the walls and seal off the town for the next 24 hours. Magdalena says he should speak with Frau Allman the magistrate before taking such predictably controversial action. He asks her to fetch the magistrate then return to Holzbek Manor and stay close to Ada and make sure she is at the reading of the Will tomorrow. He intends to stay here incognito until the reading. This she does, Frau Allman is clearly exhausted, but gathers herself and is lead to the temple.

Meanwhile back at Holzbek Manor Amos puts Thindra to bed and chats with the guards. A member of the watch shows up - some seditious literature has been found in the taverns of the town, inciting the people to rise up against the aristocracy. Amos tells them that this likely came from a mummer he saw in The Pit - she was part of a troupe ran out of Lindenheim just before Ada's sigmarite disguised abductors were ambushed close by. The guards say they cannot leave their posts, they'll need to wait till Von Reiter returns - but he could always go tell. Amos thinks it wiser to wait here. 

Shortly after Magdalena and Farfordda return. They compare notes and Farfordda heads off to the Roamers pint to find Karwel.

He arrives to find a drunk Norgrim with a couple of Lubrecht thugs trying to cause trouble. Farfordda scoops Norgrim from the situation, and steers him out the room. A thin faced guy in a rush brushes past them glancing at Farfordda as he does so. They reach they courtyard to see Baron Todbringer at the foot of the stairs, deep in clearly troubled thought. As soon as he heads upstairs Farfordda casts Sleep on Norgrim and deposits him in the hayloft. 

He returns to the bar to find the owner beset by the thugs and helps chase them off. The owner introduces himself as Baltzer, and excitedly tells him the inn was reputedly built by a wood elf over 200 years ago. He goes to pour him a wine and Farfordda asks for the bottle and 2 glasses then makes for the stairs. 

This time as he leaves the room he hears a somehow projected whisper in his ear 'we should talk when you're done'. He follows the subtle wisps of magic hanging in the air to face what he took to be 2 drunks in the corner, one is slumped over the table, but the other, a filthy woman wearing an eye patch nods to him. He nods back, tells Baltzer not to throw these two out, then climbs the stairs. 

Soon he is sharing the wine with Karwel Eyrich, a grey wizard from the Altdorf schools of magic. Did you find your Blitzen? No he and another Blitzen knew at the Collegium were captured by enemies, taken underground. Farfordda is evasive and asks Karwel what he has been doing - he was in the north investigating Nordland separatist plots. Farfordda tells him a woman they knew in Middenheim was involved, and arrested. Karwel asks what do you mean by underground? They were taken by human skaven cultists - to Karak Skygg, now they go to rescue them. Karwel says you claim this cult has an operation in Middenheim? Also why would humans consort with Skaven? The woman arrested (Olinda Ketternich) was holding letters for Blitzen, she exposed one of her tavern colleagues as in league with this cult. One of them turned into a skaven - they were attacked by them.

Karwel claims things are improving in Middenheim, this new Inquisition is hunting down all such, the plot against the Graf and the like. In fact he helped out while he was there - he identified the abductor of Rehya Ehrlich as a grey wizard who had been expelled from the Grey Order years ago. He doesn't entirely agree with the mutant stonings, but things are in hand. 

Farfordda says a chaos cult called the Purple Hand have infiltrated the authorities. He is skeptical and starts to get wary and suspicious. Farfordda asks him what he is doing now. He won't say anything specific. His job is fighting to hold the empire together. Just this night a noble was killed in this town - he was a Nordlander envoy from the Gaussers, the people behind the separatist movement. Farfordda tells him if he has any influence with Baron Todbringer to warn him of what he might run into in Middenheim. And you - are you really going to infiltrate some Skaven stronghold? That's suicide. Yes, so if you have any good ideas or help please do let us know. Karwel says he'll send word before he leaves. Its midnight on the 2nd of Nachgeheim and foggy out. 24 hours have passed since Baron Holzbek died...