The Enemy Within - Session 141

23/5/26

On the Doorstep

Farforrda returns wet and cold to the camp. He tells the party the results of his scouting trip and they discuss next steps before sleeping. There are further downpours during the night, but it passes peacefully. 

They decide to spend the day once more at their camp in this valley, Magdalena and the dwarves will forage for food while Farfordda tries to learn another spell before they make for Karak Skygg. They have settled upon an idea Amos had on the hike here, to use one enemy against another - they know that on Geheimnistag some undead horror will come for Farfordda, sent by Mariposa, if they are deep in the Skaven lair at that point it will surely have to fight its way through the vermin to reach the elf. At the very least it should cause a decent distraction. This being the case they will want to enter Karak Skygg on the 25th.

Farfordda climbs to the peak above their camp, taking him till midday, then spends the afternoon communing with the winds of magic. Once finished he stays up there, the view from here is not obscured by The Needle, in fact with the telescope he can see the main entrance to Karak Skygg, great stairs leading up to it. He can also see what is clearly a crane protruding from just below the caldera with chains hanging from it half way down the mountain, and the suggestion of eerie green light within its housing.

He determines to keep watch until the toll of the bell at sunset. He sees human slaves carrying logs driven up to the lair under the whip crack of their skaven masters, out from the river valley on the far side, then a patrol of skaven arriving shortly before the ringing from the closer river valley, another line of skaven, driven like the humans under the whip lash, carrying bundles of wood, and finally after the tolling ends a dozen strong company of armed skaven descend the great stairs and make for the eastern river valley.

The party break camp on the morning of the 24th and follow the valley north west. It is another chilly day punctuated by occasional downpours. They zig-zag their way over the ridge at the valley's end and see down into the river valley on the east side of Karak Skygg by late afternoon. They are less than three miles due east of the great broken peak, looking almost directly at the ornate entrance. 

They descend the slope as fast as possible and cross the river, finding as sheltered a spot as they can, hunkering down behind rocks to wait for nightfall and the changing of the patrols before making for a more hidden spot on the far side of the mountain to rest till dawn. Shortly after taking up position a bell rings out three times, not the great bell from the mountain itself, but one further down river to the south east. 

Magdalena crawls to a convenient spot and scans the valley with the telescope. She can see a skaven patrol arguing with one another, then moving away from the mountain down the valley. They return an hour or so later with four humans and a mule in their midst. By sunset the pack move close by and up the track to the mountain, less than half a  mile from the party's position. 

The humans are armed, and dressed for traveling, clearly not captives, one of them, a thin faced man with a wispy beard and pony tail converses with the skaven pack leader. Of the others she recognizes two - Karl, Eunice's other assistant, the one who helped them defend Otakus Siverstar's Orrery on the final night of the Middenheim carnival and Renata, the barmaid from the Templar's Arms, who denied having cleared out Blitzen's room, owned a skaven tooth and was later delivered to them bound and beaten in the Split Veil, sister of Raina the Sewer-jack Sergeant, who Magdalena slew in the attack that killed Uhtred.

The great bell tolls thirteen times, it is loud here this close to the mountain and echoes all around. 

They break cover several hours after darkness falls and move swiftly across the slopes between Karak Skygg and The Needle, in relays with Farfordda striking out on point. They are crossing the mouth of a narrow gully at the mountain's base when they hear exclamations ahead. 

A party of Skaven, larger than the patrols they have seen so far, are reacting to something else in the dark. Without pause they dart down into the gully to avoid detection. It is too dangerous to continue on their planned route so they follow the gully to its end - this is the outflow Ingrid mentioned. A grotesque carving of a goblin's head decorates this dark stinking entry, its vast open mouth a channel for effluent, reeds grow around the opening. 

It is big enough to accommodate a coach and horses and the rusted iron bars are far enough apart to easily squeeze through while wearing loaded packs. Far from hygienic, but it a more concealed spot they are not going to find. They will try rest here within the filthy maw before venturing deeper within. It is the early hours of Geheimnistag, the grimmest day of the year, when both moons will rise full, the skaven execute their awful plan and Mariposa's vengeance come for Farfordda...

The Enemy Within - Session 140

 26/4/26

Taal be with you

Having got a view of the eastern approach to Karak Skygg the party make a plan for tomorrow. Following the river would expose them to the Skaven guard post to the north of the the Needle, but Farforrda knows there is a valley which winds up behind that ridge due north of Ingrid's cave - if they make for that perhaps he can cast Lie of the Land again and find a route which avoids the obvious, easily monitored approach.

 They ask if they can leave Carnac with Ingrid, the dog is not best suited for clandestine journeys, and she happily consents. Farfordda asks if he might join her in prayer to Taal at the simple shrine she has constructed in the back cave, to which she also consents. 

It is now raining fiercely outside so they spend the evening in the cave, Magdalena also in prayer and even Norgrim, much to Thindra's surprise intoning half remembered invocations to Valaya.
Farfordda gifts Ingrid a glass of Dreamwine and sitting before the Taal shrine sets about consulting the Tarot. 

Are the Skaven trying to summon something? 

The hand he gets could not be clearer, no - they have built some terrible weapon, utilizing the huge lump of wierdstane acquired from Wittgenstein.

They wake after a night of unsettling dreams to the sounds of Ingrid boiling up some breakfast gruel. Farfordda has trouble shaking his nightmare - feeling like he spent all night running through forest to warn the people of Stust of the oncoming Beatsmen horde, passing those odd ale merchants they saw at Magnus Rest trading with Valeria Roth, to arrive and find the village empty, a table covered in butcher's implements, dripping with blood by the well in the square and a great gelatinous mound of eyeballs stacked nearby.

Ingrid tells them she has decided to make for Dunfurter today, as soon as the weather looks more settled, she'll take Carnac with her. It is not raining at this moment, but the sky is heavy and everything wet, a chilly morning with more rain on the way. 

They say their goodbyes - Farfordda grimly instructing her that should their dead bodies be here when she returns, to bury them and take nothing. Taal be with you.

They tramp back down into the valley, and follow it to the west, around the peak they climbed yesterday. It is close to midday when they cross the ridge and begin their descent to the river, getting a brief glimpse of Karak Skygg before they enter the deep river valley. 

They get soaked to the skin before the afternoon is out, fording the river, then its sibling just before sunset. It is after dark by the time they reach the mouth of the valley they were bound for. Too dark to find much of a camp, and little in the way of a firewood. The rain has stopped, yielding to a cold clear night with a waxing Mannsleib bright in the sky, it is a mere 4 nights till the full moon, till Morrsleib joins it on Geheimenistag. 

In the morning Farfordda breaks from the party to travel swiftly and reach a point to cast his spell. Magdalena and the dwarves make their way slowly up the valley, foraging and collecting firewood as they go. They find a sheltered spot, close to where the valley narrows steeply, dig a fire pit and rest. 

Farfordda follows the valley, it widens out with one arm running north east, the other north west, narrowing towards Karak Skygg. 

He wastes no time with channeling, using Herzen's wand he casts Lie of the Land once more. With his mind's eye he can see that if they scale the ridge at the north west end of this valley they can enter the river valley that cleaves the eastern flank of the old volcano, avoiding the guard post they spied yesterday completely. Furthermore he can see the narrow, low channel that likely marks the outflow, but it is west of the main entrance, meaning they will need to pass in front of the mountain's maw to gain access. 

There are at least two miles to cover between Karak Skygg and the Needle. The undulations of the mountainous landscape may provide cover, if approached carefully. Although the details are obscure, he can tell that there are five strata of dwarven halls from the base of the mountain to the caldera at its top. 

As soon as he finishes soaking up the folds of the land he heads back to the others. On route, as the sun sets he hears the sound of distant bell tolling 13 times, echoing down between the mountains from Karak Skygg. 

He reaches their camp after dark. It is the 22nd of Nachgeheim, a chilly overcast night, promising more rain soon... 

The Enemy Within - Session 139

18/4/26

Ingrid

Farfordda, reflecting on his magical scrying of the land realises that there is a potentially more concealed, if longer route to the cave near the ford, so after burying their unwanted gear they head north up the valley, away from the river Taub and trudge up into a long high valley running North East. 

A few hours into the trek, not long after the ground has turned damp and boggy Carnac starts barking - some 200 yards ahead of them, a slow lumbering mass that could easily be mistaken for a rocky landscape feature, turns towards them. It is a confused looking troll, which gets all the more confused as the party rush behind some handily nearby boulders and Farfordda casts Murmured Whisper to have a voice off to their right shout Troll!

He follows it up with Marsh Lights, creating glowing points against the leaden sky which succeed in distracting the dumb brute, and leads it off in a wide arc around them. They watch anxiously as it disappears down the way they came.

By late afternoon the sky clears, and it gets notably cooler. They are deep in the mountains now and their view restricted by close peaks and the flanks of great, rock strewn valleys. 

It is close to sunset when they find the valley of the cave. But their destination is nowhere to be seen, so the party rest under some wiry mountain trees as Farfordda attempts channeling the winds of magic to cast Lie of the Land again. His sing song enchantment comes to nothing and he's driven to use Etelka Herzen's wand once more (to the mocking accompaniment of the dwarves). The cave it turns out is not far above. 

They scramble up the slope, barely seeing the entrance in the low dusk light. Magdalena's twitching nose smells smoke. Farfordda approaches while the others hold back. Five yards out he hears a burst of dramatic coughing, and a wheezy voice trying hard to sound menacing, cries out to stay back.

'Ingrid is that you?'

The dirty haggard face of the hermit pokes out from the cave  mouth - ah elf, it is you!

The wide low entrance gives way to a steep slope down to this rocky chamber that Ingrid uses as her living room. Skins stretch on racks, pots, knives and working implements litter the floor. A small fire throws light across the space, and up another slope opposite the entrance they see furs hanging, obscuring the narrow openning to what Farfordda knows is another chamber.
 

They gather around the fire and catch up. 

How did they get on with the Holzbek's she asks? Did they get the little girl to Dunfurter? They tell her of Baron Holzbek's death from corrupted wound inflicted by the beastman Gazrin One-horn, that they never got to meet him and that Ada is actually his daughter. 

She tells them that she never got to drink that bottle of Eilhart they traded with her; a few days after they met she had a run in with some Orcs and had to abandon her cave. She has not long returned, after spending weeks hiding on the other side of the mountain - she was caught in that great storm at the start of the month and has been poorly ever since. 

Having been round the other side of the mountain though she has some intelligence on Zerlumptberg. On overcast nights, you can see the cloud above the ragged mountain peak bathed in a sickly green light, and twice at sunset she has heard a bell tolling, echoing down the valley. People too, she's seen a few small groups of humans, coming and going up along the river to the delta.
 

She asks them what they plan, and Farfordda in relating their struggle with the ratmen mentions Unterfraus, how the whole village was abducted, vanished. She becomes ashen faced, that's where she was born, where she grew up. Distraught she retires to her sleeping chamber.

In the morning she tells them that she left the village for the mountains when she was 12, to escape an arranged marriage. She had been planning to try hold out here for winter and search for another suitable cave next spring but now feels she must visit Unterfraus. 

They explain that it is abandoned, there will be no one there. Farfordda tells her she won't last winter if she stays here though, she should leave, go to Dunfurter. Magdalena offsets the menace of Farfordda's dark warnings by saying they have friends at Dunfurter. Speak to Von Reiter or the Steward and tell them 'she is here to do Verena's business', tell them that she knows Magdalena, saviour of Ada. The Holzbek's owe them much. Please speak with the girl Ada, tell her the tale of a Knight fighting Orcs and Trolls, always doing the right thing no matter how dangerous or difficult. Be like the knight.
Perhaps she'll go, for now Ingrid makes breakfast and tells them they're welcome to stay here as long as they need. 

It is a cold morning, but clear, so the party decide to take advantage of the weather and climb to the peak high above Ingrid's cave to get a better view. Taking minimal equipment they begin the ascent and reach the summit near midday. 

It is an almost perfect spot to see north west up the river valley, being higher than any ridge this side of the river. They can see the broken top of Karak Skygg, but its base is hidden behind the peak Ingrid calls the Needle. Amos inspecting carefully with their telescope spies what looks like a crane or metal structure protruding from the north east flank of the extinct volcano, near the top, and tendrils of smoke rising from within the caldera. The base might be obscured, but it is clear that there is a navigable route either side of the Needle. They can see signs of the logging camps mentioned previously by Ingrid. 

They spend a good hour up on the cold peak, and finally spot Skaven. There are a troop of 10 or so loitering at the tip of the forested delta, and a couple in a sort of fox hole or guard post, high up on a slope north east of the Needle - those Skaven will have a good view over the delta.

They make their way carefully back down to the cave. It is late afternoon on the 20th of Nachgeheim, 5 days before Geheimnistag...  

The Enemy Within - Session 138

 4/4/26

Taking No Chances

Carnac, Norgrim's dog starts to bark as Thindra and Amos release their crossbow bolts at the unsuspecting Orcs resting under a tree ahead. Farfordda takes cover behind a boulder, relinquishing first shot to the dwarves only as he pauses for thought - could they parlay rather than fight? Magdalena sends their horses back the way they came and Norgrim marches forwards with Carnac at his side. 

Two of the Orcs return fire with bows as the others charge. 

 

Soon Norgrim and Carnac are engaged in melee with the great axe wielding leader and another with a cleaver. Carnac wrests the shield from one and Magdalena charges in before Norgrim lands his first blow, disarming the hulking leader with a critical to the arm. 

The party soon have the upper hand. The first orc to fall (taken down by Amos and Thindra) shockingly coughs his way back to life and makes a run for it but is chased down to the riverbank and dispatched by Magdalena. The other Orc archer was the first to make a break for it, getting on a fierce sprint he would likely have escaped had not Farfordda cast Entangle all too well, and brought the Orc down in an eruption of  roots, though he paid the price in the form of further tainting from Corruption. The confused Orc pleads for mercy as Farfordda races up and delivers the killing blow. 

It was all over in minutes. 

Norgrim and Amos sustained injuries which Magdalena attended to before chasing after their horses. They dumped the Orc bodies in the river and considered next steps. 

Farfordda employed Etelka Herzen's wand to cast Lie of the Land, searching for some spot where they could make a secure camp. The only cave he sees is nearly 5 miles north, just over a mile west of the ford in a high valley behind the ridge on the west bank of the Taub. They cannot make it before dark, and not with the horses, so they elect to retrace their steps and make camp in another valley half way back towards where they started out this morning. 

It is well into night by the time they pitch up, digging a pit for their fire in the hopes of minimizing their visibility - they need its heat to dry their clothes and gear.

The following morning they decide to release the horses, ditch what they cannot carry and make for the cave. They split the rope between Thindra and Norgrim and dig a pit to bury their tents and the barrel of gunpowder. They send the horse and mules off packing in the direction of Dunfurter and return to the river, getting back on the trail a little after 10am on the heavily overcast morning of Nachgeheim 19th ... 

The Enemy Within - Session 137

21/3/26

A Knight's Tale

On their day of rest on the 15th the dwarven miners share with the party news that they learned on their way here - that the Graf issued an arrest warrant for his son Baron Toddbringer on the 8th, for crimes of treason and conspiring with the enemies of Middenheim. They also hear that Weissbruck, where they met Blitzen and stayed in his tower has fallen to the Guardians of the Empire and declared itself a free town.

After breakfast on the 16th they say their goodbyes and make for Dunfurter Castle. Farfordda apologizes to Gaffer Mulderbrook for alarming him, then impresses upon him that he must lead his people through the terrible challenges to come.

They arrive at Dunfurter in the afternoon. Meyer is still absent, and its not known when he'll return. Ada joins them in the feasting hall - she's glad to see Magdalena but she's doesn't like her governess, Frau Martinez has a low opinion of her aunt and smells apparently. She's become friends with the cook Beth who has taken her under her wing and excitedly shows Magdalena a mirror that belonged to her Aunt Elena when she was a child, inscribed with her initials.

They ask around the castle for news of Holzbek and hear from Captain Nietz that Steward Meyer has got things under control in the town but at the cost of hanging Ulrican zealots and firebrands from Middenheim. The captain has been sending egular patrols to Unterfraus ensure that nothing malignant takes root in the desolate village. Magdalena asks him to provide martial instruction to Ada, saying she had begun such and it's good for a growing girl to have the exercise. The Captain looks skeptical but does not outright contradict her.

Ullman the huntsman returns, Carny, Norgrim's dog is with his pack - Ada having abandoned her dog training duties. Ullman says she had been pestering him but he has no time for looking after a high born child - the party are dismayed, it would be good for Ada to spend time hunting for him. Its dangerous out there, the Holzbek heir cannot have her life risked in mountain hikes - he saw a giant yesterday, a 20' tall monstrosity, 10 miles NE of here in the Taubertaal! 

Since they were last here Ullman has been back to Unterfraus. He found barrel fragments in the demolished mine bearing the Karzburdger coat of arms, odd given that these are Holzbek lands...

Farfordda asks if he'd take him out hunting and the pair of them along with Amos head out to see what they can bag before dark. They manage to take down a stag which Ullman and Amos return with leaving Farfordda to spend the night trying to learn another spell and consulting the Tarot. 

Back at the castle, just after sunset Magdalena and Norgrim are sat in the kitchen chatting with Ada and the staff when the captain interrupts and bids Magdalena follow him. In the stables stands a pale and weary looking Von Reiter, uncharacteristically dressed in muted traveling clothes rather than his Holzbek livery. 

He is glad to see Magdalena but says Steward Meyer sent him incognito with difficult tidings - yesterday Meyer received a letter from the Graf of Middenheim saying that it was known Holzbek harboured a fugitive and enemy of the crown, that if Meyer did not arrive with Magdalena within the week to answer for this iniquity then this combined with the recent dynastic contestation would lead to conflict. Von Reiter stresses how much the whole Barony of Holzbelk owes Magdalena but they cannot confront the might of Middenheim, at least not yet. 

Meyer must remain in Holzbek while he waits to treat with various envoys bound there, ideally Magdalena should wait here till he returns, but he understands she may not wish to do that. This being the case they must make out as though she escaped from here, so Meyer can play for time with Middenheim. 

Magdalena confers with the dwarves and they decide they will resupply and leave in the morning, then she will seemingly flee the castle an hour later and join them on the trail. Von Reiter says they will sound the castle bell and make a show of her flight, Magdalena tells him to thank Meyer for his discretion and leaves a letter with him to be sent on to her family. She is doubtful that their mountain adventure would grant her the luxury to face Middenheim anyway.

She puts Ada down to bed, knowing this is likely the last time she'll see her and that tomorrow Ada will hear that Magdalena is a fugitive, a criminal feeling the Graf's retribution. She tells the girl a story about a Knight who spent her life fighting for good and justice, and kept on doing so even when others accused her of ill and spread lies about her. 

Shortly after dawn on the 17th the Dwarves leave the castle with 2 mules laden with tents, rope and their barrel of gunpowder. They meet Farfordda a mile or so out from the castle, and together they wait in the forest for Magdalena to join them, galloping from the castle to the sounds of alarm.

They begin their journey up the great valley of the Taubertaal. Farfordda tells them he consulted the Tarot last night; whatever the Skaven are up to does not involve the chaos gate, but if they are not stopped a terrible doom will befall the land, many will die. Hi ho, hi ho, they march on through a stormy day, it is not cold, but they are soaked several times before they make a fireless camp close by where they killed the goblins and rescued Ada. They mark the trees around with the sign of Taal in the hopes of meeting with Ingrid the hermit. 

On the morning of the 18th they reach the river Tauber, and begin to follow it up into the mountains. Farfordda remembers Ingrid telling him it is only navigable on the west bank as far as the ford which is close to both Karak Kazarak, home of the Red Tusk orcs and near her cave. The smart thing would be to break their travels early and find a concealed spot to camp and set as a base while they try find Ingrid and navigate Orc country. 

Mid afternoon, not far past the lake, just as they set about finding a camp-spot in earnest they happen upon a half dozen orcs. Farfordda spots them first, but as they are a mere 50 yards away and hiding with the mules, dog and horse would be a stretch at best, they bring their missile weapons to bear... 

The Enemy Within - Session 136

  

 8/3/26

Return to Oberholzbek

The decision is taken to head for Oberholzbek. They set off shortly after searching the brigands bodies, and critically after Norgrim imbibes their precious Panacea Universalis, which mends his fractured ribs and torn muscles, ensuring they no longer have to move at a snails pace. Belts are tightened though as other than a single apple found on the fallen they have no food. 

They trek south east, reaching the edge of the Sturmtaal shortly after sun rise. Another hour sees them on the banks of the Kleiflusch where they find a spot to camp and take some rest. After noon, following a fruitless attempt at fishing they push on. 

Propelled by hunger they cross the ford and manage to reach Oberholzbek by sunset - greeted at the newly constructed, almost finished wall by Holzbek liveried guards. There are ten of them, stationed since four days ago, they along with a posse of dwarves answering Norgrim's call to The Coppershiners made short work of what the locals had started.

Magdalena and Farfordda stay with the Mulderbrooks at their farmhouse - they are pleased to see the return of these heroes - especially as their two, ominously riderless ponies turned up here yesterday. 

The dwarves go straight to the Pit Prop - the village pub is heaving with dwarves, soldiers and locals and they receive an appropriately raucous welcome. The dwarves got here three days ago, and are happy with the prospects at the mine. Bardin Ironplough their burly leader explains he was sick of Middenheim anyway, they might have the right idea about mutants there but humans selling each other out turns his stomach. The gang tell tales of their exploits, everyone is eager to hear about the Two Fingers and the tale about the giant rat in the mine.

In the tamer setting of the Mulderbrook's homely hearth Farfordda answers the Gaffer's questions about the Two Fingers in a more guarded fashion - warning him of traps and ghosts and how the towers were built before the War of Vengeance. They learned that there is a great chaos gate beneath Karak Skygg, and it is this which lead to the dwarves abandoning Karaz Ghumzul, their kingdom of the Middle Mountains. 

They show him the scrawled map they found on Jakan's body - he suspects the location marked on it may be the dwarf temple he found in his youth. They conjecture that this is where the bandits who kidnapped Ada are camped, and why Jakan reacted so strongly to Amos mentioning that they were seeking an old dwarf temple in the mountains. Just as well we've built our wall says Johan, your wall's not likely to stop the horrors of the skaven says Farfordda, and lays on with menace connecting all the recent horrors, the skaven, the abomination in the mine, the abduction of Unterfraus and this recently learned of gate to hell beneath the mountains. Maybe mad auld Wullie wasn't so mad after all. Johan Mulderbrook will no doubt have a troubled sleep that night.

They spend the following day recovering in the village, planning to head on to Castle Dunfurter on the morning of the 15th, with a view to striking into the mountains towards Karak Skygg the day after 

The Enemy Within - Session 135

21/2/26

The Better Part of Valour

As the spectral form coalesces, howling in the shaft high above the room, the party makes the snap decision to bolt. Norgrim passes the ring he took from the filthy skeleton to Farfordda and stumbles, impeded by his injuries towards the stairs. Magdalena rushes down followed closely by Amos, Thindra waits crossbow in hand for Norgrim. 

Farfordda holds the ring aloft and shouts at the swirling currents of dhar above "Praise to the Sun, Asuryan! Praise to the Moon, Liliath! I am Farfordda of the Laurelorn, son of Faranna - veteran of the War of the Beard who fought alongside the lord and lady that built these towers. I have come to honour that alliance..". 

There is no immediate response. He slips on the ring and focuses, falling headlong into a corrupted world of Necromancy. This is a ring of Nagash, forged from forbidden knowledge in the 9 books of Nagash. The wearer can, by simply looking, raise and control the dead within their sight. At the cost of corruption to their soul. 

He opens his eyes as the ghostly horror swoops at him, a translucent female human in tattered robes, her features worn away, eye sockets empty, glowing, her mouth contorted in a pained howl. Her touch is icy cold, he recoils and makes use of the ring, raising the broken-backed, rotten corpse of an orc by the stairs. It shambles uselessly forwards as the thing swoops at Farforrda again. 

He manages to dodge, and lacking any other magical means of attack lunges at it, casting Sleep. He is injured again by the simple contact with the deathly cold, but after the briefest clash of wills the ghost fades away. The Orc cadaver drops to the floor as Farfordda turns and rushes down the stairs to join the others, now all the way down at the ground floor hall, eager to escape. They have no idea how long the effects of the spell will last, or even what it did. What does it mean for a ghost to sleep?

They gird themselves with their shields to protect against aerial attack and head out into the cold clear afternoon. As soon as dwarven feet touch the ground the tower emits it's pulse. Birds squawk and take flight from the forest all around. 

They go as fast as Norgrim can, which is barely walking speed. A swarm of tiny razor-beaked birds comes buzzing at them from the trees, catching them before they can leave the clearing. They peck at Norgrim, causing little actual damage but infecting him with poison. The swarm dissipates as soon as the party reach the cover of the trees. 

Both Farfordda and Magdalena try treat Norgrim's wounds, but in the end it is his natural toughness that saves him. They have neither food, nor transport and all are exhausted. The decision is quickly taken to camp beneath the overhang where they sheltered from the rain on the first night of their hunt to rescue Ada, that should be a mere few miles to the north-east. 

Traveling at Norgim's leaden pace they find the spot just before sunset, and build a fire with the wood collected on route. Farfordda pushes against his exhaustion and hunts, coming back a few hours later with a brace of hares. Not enough to feed them all but better than nothing.

The overhang is on the north east side of the Two Fingers hill, more or less facing Zerlumptberg, or Karak Skygg. To the north west runs the high valley which eventually deposits into the road north of Lindenheim.  

Thindra, on third watch in the wee small hours, hears something among the trees nearby. She wakes the others as two arrows clack into the rock face behind them. Then another three. They grab their weapons as four armed men come rushing out of the trees towards them. 

It is a brief and bloody fight. Magdalena fells one and Thindra two, the archers in the trees come charging in to support their comrades, but change their minds when they see their leader fall screaming to the ground, his arm is severed. 

The party catch their breath as the 3 remaining capable assailants flee into the trees. For the most part they have sustained only minor injuries, though Magdalena has lost her Myrmidian shield and Norgrim, having fumbled again has torn a muscle in his leg, how slow can you walk and still actually get anywhere? 

Amos checks the one fallen sword - it bears a Sigmarite symbol on the pommel in the same way as that carried by the trapper Jakan Trum and those of Ada's kidnappers. 

It is 4am on the 13th of Nachgeheim, cold and overcast, the party are tired and hungry... 

The Enemy Within - Session 134

 25/1/26

The Tower of the Sun

 The party decide to rest in this large chamber with the circular stone table. They set guard shifts but leave out Farfordda as he goes back down the vast spiral stair to meditate in the hall below. As the sun goes down and the dim light fades they place their 2 Sunstones in a lantern and set it on the table. Amos takes the first shift. Norgrim and Thindra moan and turn in their sleep, the sounds echoing around the tower. This is clearly no place for Dwarves to rest.

Norgrim is exhausted when it comes to his turn, he takes some valerian to wake him. An hour into his shift he hears shrieking echoing down from above and wakes the others, but the bestial noise fades away. 

As sunlight filters down through the tower they all rise. Thindra takes the last of the Valerian, and they breakfast on their final day's rations. They should fetch their horses from the forest, but the dwarves ought not to step outside until they must, so Magdalena goes down the stairs to fetch Farfordda. He is still sat on the bottom step, deep in a trance. She wakes him. He is exhausted as he emerges from a night of intense holy visions.

He tells them that this is the Tower of the Sun, it is dedicated to Asuryan, head of the Elven pantheon ('Emperor of the Heavens', 'Keeper of Balance', the creator god), it was built over 4000 years ago, before Farfordda's people became Wood Elves, before the High Elf exodus. It was built during the War of the Beard, to keep watch over the Dwarven Kingdom of Karaz Ghumzul, to send messages to Kor Vanaeth. It was built by a Dragon riding Elf couple, Eltharion Pyrehand a warrior and Bellepheron Windcall, a wizard.

Kor Vanaeth was an elven settlement on a great river, its towers constructed over a powerful Arcane Fulcrum, a site of magical research, where Altdorf now stands. He saw its glittering towers toppled by the dwarves after an awful siege and the Tower of the Sun was thus cut off. The couple build another tower, a sister to this, the Tower of the Moon, dedicated to Lileath, goddess of the moon, patron of prophets and wife of Asuryan. This tower could communicate with Ulthuan, home of the Elves. 

He is in the room above, a council chamber, there are elves all around the great stone table and a fierce argument is taking place. The Dwarves of Karaz Ghumzul have ceded from the Karaz Ankor, the dwarven hegemon of the Old World. Eltharion believes it is the combined power of their two holy towers and the great Lorelorn beyond which has cowed the dwarves into submission. Belephron disagrees, she has had a vision, which sears into Farfordda's soul - the dwarves of Karaz Ghumzul have discovered a Chaos Gate deep beneath their holds, they cannot fight a war on two fronts and choose to face the greater threat. We should declare a truce and make common cause with the dwarves. The argument culminates in Eltharion banishing Belephron from the tower of the sun. It is at this point Magdalena woke Farfordda...

The pair of them leave the tower, out into a cold clear morning, the broken shape of Karak Skygg distinct and looming over the forest in the sharp autumnal air. They left the horses tied a quarter mile back in the trees, but all that's left of them are the savaged remains of Farfordda's horse (the one they borrowed from Chaplain Lader to pursue Ada's abductors three weeks ago). Farfordda intones a valediction and they return empty handed.

The party let Farfordda sleep for 3 hours before recommencing their exploration of the tower, hearing the bestial shrieking from above more than once in that time.

Up the stairs they go. The room above is the same size as the council chamber, its ceiling 20' from the ground, with a glass panel allowing light from above. The walls of the room are like a honeycomb of stones boxes or shelves. A rusted metal ladder hangs from a track above them. The lower shelves, like the room itself contain nothing but dust and the vague mulch worn down by time of whatever was once stored here. Farfordda tries climbing the ladder to look into the higher shelves, but abandons this when one of the steps breaks away.

The next floor is similar, only there are 3 stone tables here, no ladder and the shelves are not empty. Bottles, retorts, rusted metal stands and tongs pepper the stone boxes. Norgrim identifies some ancient lens working tools. There is more evidence of damp here, a little moss on the floor and walls. They decide its worth searching the higher boxes so Farfordda gets climbing. An hour or two yields a mortar full of crushed black opal and 3 rubies.

It is mid afternoon by the time they enter the floor above, the 4th above the ground. Although also 20' from floor to ceiling this one is a little different. For one the stairs do not continue on directly ahead after a 15' break, but rather start a quarter way back around the chamber and rise along its circumference with no banister or wall. In the center of the room is a shallow pool of foul smelling stagnant water, flies buzz above it, chunks of moss covered glass break the surface, and a mess of organic matter rises in the middle. 

The ceiling is missing the glass panel they've seen in every other room and reveals a shaft rising to the sky overhead. There are several decayed bodies laying close to the stairs and on the other side of the room lies a grubby metal structure, a little like that found in the council chamber below. The walls themselves are covered in moss, it looks as though huge paintings or tapestries may once have hung here, around these empty patches are fine knot-work of some much tarnished and overgrown metal. 

Magdalena and Thindra keep an eye on the exits as the others search. The metal structure is a large, but delicately made cage, like a bird cage, as tall as a human. Some careful scraping by Amos reveals it to be made of white-gold. Of the bodies, 2 are human and the other orc. Farfordda reckons the most recent is from the past year. Around them lie rotten rope, a crowbar, dagger, some coins and other burglar's tools. He cannot tell how they died.

Norgrim investigates the pool in the center. The water has clearly dripped down from above. A ragged set of ribs and a moss encrusted skull poke out from the organic mass. He sees an ornate but tarnished dagger in the gunge and then a ring, pristine and miraculously free of filth among the bones. Scooping it up he touches the bones, and all five of them freeze as a blood curdling howl echoes down from the shaft above. It is mid-afternoon on the 12th of Nachgeheim as some spectral shape coalesces thirty foot above them, screaming as it forms...

The Enemy Within - Session 133

9/1/26 

The Ruins of the Two Fingers

 The party rush for the ruined tower, Farfordda gets there first and starts hacking his way through the overgrown doorway with his axe. Magdalena drops her spear and draws her Liuye Dao as she runs, it makes short work of the thorny vegetation and along with the dwarves they get inside the tower before the flying swarms reach them.

The doorway gives entry to a room the entire width of the tower, it is choked with vegetation, every surface covered in moss and creepers, debris litters the ground, a precarious looking spiral staircase laps around the internal wall disappearing through an archway high above. Everything is lit in a dim green lit filtering through from a vegetation throttled hole in the ceiling. In the center of the room stands a dilapidated fountain, a 12' high crumbling elf maid tips an empty amphora from her shoulder. Also webs. There are big thick webs everywhere.

Before fully comprehending this vista the party are enveloped in webs discharged by two giant spiders far above. Farfordda is caught, and tries to free himself. Thindra and Amos release their crossbow bolts into the nearest one doing it awful damage. Norgrim tries lashing out with his whip but fumbles and shrieks in pain as he undoes all the results of his recent convalescence. The spiders scuttle back up the walls and through the archway above.

As the party gathers their breath and Farfordda extracts himself from the web they can hear the bird things squawking round the outside of the tower for a minute or two then dissipate. Thindra and Amos train their crossbows on the archway above as Magdalena and Norgrim search through the detritus and Farforrda climbs the stairs to get a better view of the room as a whole. 

Skulls, human, orc and animal are found along with a few weapons, coins and a Sigmarite pendant. It looks as though the walls may be decorated in fine script beneath all the creepers and moss. The tower is clearly High Elven in design, Norgrim reckons it could be as old as The War of Vengeance.

They take a look back out the doorway. The swarms are gone, but mist has gathered, the other tower can be seen clear enough but the mountains in the background and even the trees fringing the clearing have disappeared into the white. 

Farfordda exams the door on the other tower with the telescope, he can make out delicate decorative swirls beneath the vines and creepers but no keyhole or handle. 

After much deliberation they decide to head up the stairs, Norgrim first. As he hacks his way through the web choked doorway he is smothered in web projected from above, binding him to the spot. One great spider drops down to take a bite at him, Farfordda manages to hit it with an arrow. There is more struggling and web discharged, Magdalena tries to cut Norgrim out, injuring him in the process, and one set of venomous mandibles manage to make contact before the party retreat back down the vertiginous spiral with a sticky, lightly wounded Norgrim. 

They rest some and think again. Time to try the door of the other tower. 

Farfordda sprints across the gap between the towers. There is no pulse, all is calm, though Magdalena can just about hear a high pitched screeching from high above. Farfordda clears the creepers from the door's surface, Detect Artifact reveals that the door is magical, and locked - but his Open Lock spell does the trick. It glides inwards, revealing a vast chamber like that in the ruined tower but in good condition. He motions to the others to follow and heads inside. 

Magdalena rushes across the empty space, but as soon as Amos' dwarven feet touch the ground he sees the sorcerous pulse emanate from the full tower once more. They all sprint, hearing the birds squawking and shrieking in the depths of the mist.

The atmosphere in the tower is still. Although there is some moss, and a little damp and detritus from once organic constructions, the interior is much like it would have been several thousand years ago. The walls are covered in fine eleven script of inlaid silver. There is no water in the fountain, but the statue is complete, and like its ruined sister all is bathed in a soft green light from above. Here it is easier to tell that there is a circular glass panel set into the highly polished pale stone ceiling.

They climb the stairs and enter a great web free chamber, this time with a crossbow bearing Amos on point. Like the floor below this is one vast chamber faintly lit by green light from above, though maybe half as high and with its spiral stairs sheathed behind a stone curtain. A great circular stone table is it's dominant feature, followed by a huge silver housing, like a giant lantern or vast bracket lying in the center of the room, presumably having fallen a long, long time ago from the ceiling above. The party take a breather. It is late afternoon on the 11th of Nachgeheim a few hours before sunset...

 

The Enemy Within - Session 132

 2/1/26

The Trail of Death

 The party push on up the trail. Going at Norgrim's belaboured pace they are confidant the orcs will stay ahead of them. The mist restricts visibility for the whole day and they camp, still some way behind the orcs, in the forested valley of the Sturmtaal. 

They wake to heavy rain, the mist has cleared to a stormy sky and they can see Karak Skygg in the distance behind them and catch occasional glimpses of the Two Fingers looming out of the forest ahead.
By mid morning they leave the valley of the Sturmtaal and embark on the trail over the hill which should eventually lead to Lindenheim, the route they took in reverse some 2 weeks ago. 

An hour or two up the trail and Amos spots faint, purple wisps of Shyish off to their left. He and Farfordda investigate, finding a sword among the undergrowth (the twin tailed comet carved in the pommel) and signs of a struggle which they follow to a tree, where a corpse slumps in the branches. 

Farfordda climbs up and pushes the corpse out. It is Jakan Trum, the filthy, suspicious trapper they met in Oberholzbek, the body bears hideous gashes to the torso and arms and looks like its been here for at least several days. They find a crude map and a telescope in his pockets, then moments later hear sounds from the trail ahead. 

They just manage to get the horses deeper into the forest in time, with Norgrim calming them as best he can as a party of Orcs come crashing down the hill. One of them shoulders a great beast's head on his back, all are heavily armed and thunder past oblivious to the party. 

They wait a while then leave the corpse and head on. The storm rages all day long. They are not far from the Two Fingers, and thinking to make camp soon when Amos once more spies traces of Shyish drifting through the trees, heavier this time. Once again he, Farfordda and Thindra investigate while the others look after the horses. 

In a clearing they find a shallow cave gouged from a rock face and a scene of carnage. There are signs of struggle all around and the cave contains a number of bodies. There's an orc, several humans and 2 skaven, not to mention the bones and remains of many animals. But the biggest corpse is that of a huge, decapitated and mutated Griffon. Its wings are horrifically seared, almosty burnt off and a gaping hole in its flank is ringed with tiny mouths, reminiscent of the wound on Baron Holzbek. It reeks of corruption, the body also displays corrupted musket shot wounds, as though shot with warpstone.

They leave the grisly scene and push on another mile or so to camp.

The storm eases off to be replaced once more by thick mist. Another fire-less camp. On his shift late in the night Norgrim hears distant drums from back the way they have come. The next morning is cold and clear.

They reach the clearing with the Two Fingers by mid morning, leaving the horses tied up a quarter mile back before they scrambled up the final steep slopes of ancient woodland. The two towers rise from a wide clearing, 100' of ground clear ground surrounds them, and they sit 100' apart. 

One tower is just over 200' tall, and the other partially ruined is about 3/4 of that. White stone covered in ivy and creepers over most of their height, with the lower parts sunk into brambles and bracken. 

They do a circuit of the clearing without leaving the shelter of the trees, inspecting the towers with Jakan's telescope. The ruined tower has an overgrown and empty doorway, the only windows on either tower start more than half way up, there are 3 floors with 2 groups of 2 windows oriented in different directions on each floor. The full tower although complete looks like it may be roofless with vegetation growing from the top, it also features 2 balconies on the top floor, one facing east, the other west, both with what appear to be ivy smothered statues on them. Subtle traces of the winds of magic eddy around the full tower.  

They break the treeline to better investigate and as they do so Farfordda and Amos see a pulse of magic emanate from the full tower. They hear the squawking of birds and shrieks of animals as it passes out into the forest around. As they close in on the towers they see that there is a door on the full tower, flush with the white walls and obscured by vines and brambles. 

Four swarms of tiny bird-things come bursting from the treeline and the party rush for the overgrown entrance to the ruined tower. It is late morning on the 11th of Nachgeheim, cold and clear and 13 days before Geheimnistag...

WFRP 4e House Rules

Opposed Rolls

Essentially a simplification on the 4e rules.

• If both parties succeed at the skill test, the party with the highest roll wins
• If both parties fail, the party with the lowest roll wins 
• If Success Level is required use the value of the tens die
• If both failed the winner's Success Level = 0

Example

Magdalena is locked in melee combat with Sir Vaksman. She is armed with a sword and has Melee(Basic) 69, Sir Vaksman is not quite so great, also armed with a sword he's got Melee(Basic) 54. Round 1 Magdalena gets a 52 and Sir Vaksman rolls a 17. Both have rolled under their respective skill values, but Magdalena's roll being higher means she wins, and as its a 52 that equals 5 Success Levels, meaning +5 Wounds damage. Brutal. Round 2 she gets a 71 and he a 58, both fail, but as Sir Vaksman's roll is lower he wins the round, though with no Success Levels, so no modifier to damage.

Rationale

Combat in WFRP involves way too much arithmetic for me, I find it can be overwhelming when there's a lot of combatants and slows everything down. This system is functionally the same as the rules as written, but does away with having to subtract dice roll from Skill value to determine Success Levels which then have to be compared before the SL is applied. Simply compare dice rolls, if both succeed the highest roll wins with the tens die being used for the SL. So fast and elegant.

My only reticence with this is that we've been playing percentile game systems for so long that our reactions to low dice rolls are virtually Pavlovian. I changed Criticals from being on doubles to rolls of 01-3 for that reason, and although we're sticking with that we'll just need see how we got on with any dissonance caused by this new change.

I came across this opposed resolution mechanic in an Idle Cartulary review of the Horror game Fear & Panic. I'd been planning to write and post this since making the change, then the other day I was watching Seth Skorkowsky's enticing review of Delta Green and he mentioned that it uses this mechanic too, with the added wrinkle that in the case of fails the lowest wins. This detail somehow feels more satisfying to me than Fear and Panic's highest fail wins. We'll see how it all feels after some proper usage, which hopefully the next few game sessions should provide...  

Melee Combat: Polearms

All Polearm weapons (except for Quarterstaff) can be used at a range of 1, i.e. they can be used to attack an opponent who is 2m (1 square) away and thus not in base-base contact.

Melee Combat: Reloading

Reloading a weapon while adjacent to an opponent automatically grants initiative to the opponent along with 1 point of Advantage should they wish to attack you immediately (which you can only oppose with Dodge). Note the opponent does not gain an extra attack from this, it simply alters the initiative order and gives them advantage.

 

 

The Enemy Within - Session 131

22/12/25

Into the Mountains

The party decide to stay at Dunfurter another day to give Norgrim more time to recover from his broken ribs. Mid morning a wagon, a carriage bearing the Karzburdger coat of arms, 4 mounted soldiers and a messenger arrive at the Castle. Kepler Karzburdger is here with his wife. Magdalena accosts them in the great hall, introducing herself to his wife, Lady Titia. Kepler is mostly cordial, there are no blackmail threats but he doesn't stay chatting for long. 

Farfordda meets with one of the other travelers in the castle garden - Imelda Van Haffner, Green Wizard of the Hochland College of Sorcery, she traveled to Holzbek with Count Von Ludenhof, they had seen though not spoken to her at the reading of the will. Apparently Kepler had brought her here along with the 4 soldiers to collect the hunting dogs bequeathed to the Count. She is eager to hear what Farfordda can tell her, obviously knowing that he and the gang rescued Ada and asks him about Middenheim where she hears they have been. 

Farfordda tells her of the ratmen, and their cult in the city - how they went there to track down their friend Blitzen, but he had been captured by them as was their friend Professor Eunice. The nearby village of Unterfaus was abducted by these ratmen just a few days ago and now the party intend to travel to an old dwarf hold in the mountains occupied by the ratmen to rescue their friends. It is likely the ratmen will threaten Hochland too before long. 

Imelda says she had intended to try employ their skills for her master, to slay Gazrin One-horn, but it sounds like they are busy enough. She can tell Farfordda little of Holzbek save that she knows Lady Eisenhal left and tensions in the town run high. She then inquires more directly after Middenheim having heard queer things about it lately. Farfordda tells her the aristocracy have been thoroughly infiltrated by a chaos cult, that the so called Inquisition is effectively an arm of it and that they murdered both the elfs at court, relating which detail upsets him. Once more in charge of himself he asks Imelda if she will help teach him some magic and she consents, so they spend the remainder of the day at work in the garden (learning Entangle). 

Amos spends his day in the library, vainly scouring books for useful information on the mountains and Norgrim takes it easy, attempting to train his dog in between resting. 

Magdalena seeks out Meyer - he tells her the latest from the town; Lady Eisenhal managed to turn the wealthy against Magistrate Allman, making out that it was her dereliction which endangered the lives of the Holzbeks - these agitators in her town that she had failed to deal with. Lady Eisenhal left for Sohk with Duke Immelscheid and his troops days ago. Von Reiter has managed to capture one of the arsonists - part of some revolutionary group from Middenheim. Tensions in the town are high. Meyer will leave for there as soon as he feels Ada is settled in here. Among those who arrived today is Frau Martinez the Estalian housekeeper of Holzbek Manor, until he can find Ada a tutor he will entrust her with Ada's care. 

Magdalena tells him she and her associates intend to head for the ruins of the Two Fingers, they plan to take on the ratmen who abducted the inhabitants of Unterfraus and seek useful intelligence to that end. Meyer warns her that his lack of knowledge regarding the Two Fingers is a reflection of how deadly it might be. He wishes she would stay and lead forces to help stabilize the region, he needs the Unterfraus mine producing ore again as soon as possible. Perhaps they could destroy the great Orc monument on their journey to the Two Fingers, that would boost the morale of the people? 

She warns him do not try resettle Unterfraus without serious military force, and that destroying a symbol would offer only false hope. They will return here after visiting the Two Fingers before heading for the ratmen stronghold. She asks him to have a note sent to Oberholzbek informing any dwarves who arrive there that Magdalena and her dwarves can be reached here at Dunfurter. As she makes to leave he tells her that he knows she is a wanted fugitive in Middenheim and while others might seek to use that fact against her there is nothing but gratitude and respect for her here in the Barony of Holzbek.

Finally they leave on the cold morning of the 8th Nachgeheim. Magdalena in parting from Ada sets her a task to train Norgrim's dog while she is gone, she expects to return in a week. Then they ride out. They make good time, following the long glen north east up into the mountains, then dismount to turn north west over the rough route that leads up behind what the Oberholzbekers call 'The Shoulder'. It is near dusk when they make camp at the shallow cave their goblin prey camped at a two weeks ago.

Next morning they head on, it is cold and damp and mist gathers thickly, obscuring all. They hope to reach the head of the Kleiflusch valley by dark and camp in the forest a few miles east of the Two Fingers. Mid morning they spy the route which curves off around the Shoulder to the Red Tusk monument, and although they can see neither that or the peaks around them Farfordda and Amos spy clear fresh tracks, coming from the direction of the monument and traveling in the same direction as they. Seven Orcs passed this way an hour or so ago... 

The Enemy Within - Session 130

 13/12/25

Deliberations

 We rewind to Magnus Rest at the start as Karwel got forgotten about last session. Farfordda says his goodbyes to him and they agree to leave messages for each other here at the inn (addressed to Thindra) and Coppershiners in Middenheim, just in case. Before heading on for Dunfurter they also hear from the other travelers present that the Graf's huntsman, the elf Allavandrel, was killed in a hunting accident - some say it wasn't an accident, that really he was a spy for Marrisith the Queen of Laurelorn.

We snap forwards to the morning of the 5th. The party awake at Dunfurter, Magdalena from disturbing dreams that rob her of a restful night. At breakfast Meyer tells them a rider arrived from the inn a short while ago, apparently a hunter arrived at Unterfraus yesterday to find the village empty, there were many signs of struggle but only a few corpses. As the party plan to weather out the next day or two here at the castle, recovering and planning, Meyer sends Ulman the hunstman and a posse of men-at-arms to Unterfraus to investigate, brother Holsenheimer goes with them to perform last rites.

Otherwise the party mostly rest, Magdalena plays with Ada a little and receives some healing (from the housekeeper), Amos studies his book on engineering and has the blacksmith alter a chain-mail hauberk to fit him, Thindra hangs with the blacksmith and Norgrim rests and moves as little as possible to speed recovery of his broken ribs. They weigh up their options, should they head straight up the Taub to try reach Karak Skygg, maybe trying to find Ingrid the hermit near the ford, or make for the ruins of the Two Fingers first? Farfordda consults the Tarot; is Mariposa at the Two Fingers? Maybe. 

The following afternoon Ulman and crew return from Unterfraus with some gruesome details. The body of the Ulrican priest was found tied to the altar, likely tortured to death. In a barn an upturned cart looked like it had been used as some kind of operating table, a gelatinous pile of eyes being found beneath it and 2 dead, eyeless villagers in a corner. 

From the tracks it looked like the villagers had been herded into the mine, then the main tunnel demolished with explosives. A bloodied skaven knife was found in one of the houses. Meyer knows little of the Skaven, to him they're just another brand of Beastmen and Unterfraus is just another problem on his teetering plate of troubles.

Farfordda consults the Tarot again, once more asking if Mariposa is at the Two Fingers. This time he gets what he considers to be a more conclusive answer - no. The party decide they will travel there regardless, perhaps they can find something to aid them with their infiltration of Karak Skygg. 

From the castle Farfordda manages to acquire a bear trap, 2 fighting nets and 3 flasks of oil. Tomorrow, 7th Nachgeheim they will head into the mountains...

The Enemy Within - Session 129

 6/12/25

Back on the Road 

Looking through the bedroom windows, back into the inner courtyard, Farfordda can see the fire is spreading throughout the ground floor. He leaves the room and drops down into the courtyard as one of the Eisenhal guards rushes in - where is sir Vaksman, where is Ada! 

Magdalena takes a sheet from the bed and uses it to lower Ada down to Farfordda. He carries her out into the yard where Lady Eisenhal calls out in apparent relief. Amos is up now and has entered the courtyard with his crossbow - Farfordda tells him look after Ada and goes back for Magdalena. Amos blocks Lady Eisenhal from getting to hug her niece. 

Another Eisenhal guard barks wheres Vaksman at Magdalena as she climbs down into the courtyard - up there she gestures. The building is well ablaze now, some of the dozen horses in the courtyard have panicked and fled. Bells ring out as townsfolk join the fight against the blaze - though shouts of burn the nobles are heard sporadically.

Magdalena tells Lady Eisenhal to go to the Meissen house - then heads to the temple of Verena with Ada and Amos,Von Reiter passes them on his way to the blaze - she gives him a quick summary of what actually happened. Farfordda takes the remaining horses to the stables at the Roaming Pint whilst a bleary eyed Norgrim and Thindra get their possessions out of the burning building.

At the temple of Verena Magdalena relates the story to Meyer, that she dispatched Sir Vaksman after he attempted to murder her and Ada. He says Sir Vaksman would never do anything without Lady Eisenhal's say so, maybe says Magdalena, but Elena seemed distressed on Ada's account. Farfordda arriving at the temple proposes that the key question is whether Vaksman started the fire or merely took advantage of it. Meyer thinks on balance that they should still leave the town first thing in the morning and get Ada to the safety of the castle. He heads out to the fire to find Von Reiter. 

Frau Allman arrives shortly after Meyer leaves - Amos had dropped by to get her on his way back to the fire. Magdalena tells her story of the night for the third time (once more leaving out the details of Farfordda's spellcasting), making no accusations. The implication of Lady Eisenhal's knight attempting to murder Ada could not be more serious. Farfordda asks who else at the meal the other night would have had reason to try murder Ada? Could Vaksman have been in league with another? Everyone at the meal would have backed Middenheim over Hochland. With Meyer and the party leaving in the morning it will all be left to Magistrate to deal with.

Amos returns to the temple with Norgrim, Thindra and their gear. Magdalena receives some first aid and crashes out. Norgrim and Thindra head back into the night to help fight the fire - the building burns to the ground, but the fire does not spread.

Before sleeping Farfordda consults the Tarot. Was Lady Eisenhal involved in the attempted murder? Maybe.

After a couple of hours sleep they are roused by the temple staff. A simple breakfast is laid out and a carriage and wagon have been prepped for the journey. Norgrim's injuries are attended by a temple acolyte while Farfordda drops by the Roamer's pint to speak with Karwel. He tells him about the attempted murder. Karwel is clearly concerned and tells Farfordda that he has learned the murder the other night, of Reinaut Scheffers, was almost certainly performed by a Middenheim spy, likely on orders from Baron Todbringer. Does this change his willingness to go help the Baron? He will still go given the severity of everything that has been relayed to him, but he is less sure and perhaps will not tarry for long. 

Shortly after sunrise the party leave for Dunfurter. Magdalena travels in the carriage with Ada, Meyer and Brother Holsenheimer, the Dwarves ride on the outside, a wagon brings supplies for the castle, 20 mounted men-at-arms accompany them and Farfordda scouts ahead. 

They reach Magnus Rest by late afternoon, the Inn has resupplied since last they were here and having been warned of the imminent arrival of Steward Meyer and Lady Ada's party food and drink await them. Farfordda takes the opportunity to speak with his compatriots in private, telling them what he learned from the Strigany, that something will be coming for him on Grunsnacht. 

The Innkeep accosts them at their table saying he suspected they were all together, so they rescued Lady Ada, eh? You kept that quiet - what happened with young Axel, did you find him? His father's funeral took place yesterday.

Norgrim is reunited with his dog Carnac, Thindra loads up their wagon and they all leave for Dunfurter, making good time they arrive an hour after dark on 4th Nachgeheim, its is cold and windy on the edge of the mountains... 

The Enemy Within - Session 128

23/11/25

Festag night's alright...

 Just before the starting bell rings a weasel faced thug leans down to Norgrim and whispers - there's half a crown in it if you throw the fight in the fifth, gesturing up to where a jowly woman, flanked by 2 related looking thugs, smiles down at him from the floor above. Luther the minstrel has the crowd worked up into a frenzy, Thindra well and truly hammered again sways in his corner as support. Norgrim, Norgim! ding ding, round 1... 

It is a close fight, he loses the first, suffering a cracked rib before Farfordda intervenes to call the round, then comes back in the second, concedes the third and fourth but KO's Jolly Joss to win in the fifth. Much cheering.

Farfordda collects his winnings, reluctantly paid out to him in the form of 20/240 and heads back to town, also carrying Amos' borrowed book on engineering to leave them unencumbered for the celebrations. His sixth sense tingles and he sprints for the gates to avoid a heavy local after his coins. He deposits the book at Holzbek Manor then pays a visit to The Roamers Pint where he manages to trade in many of the pennies for shillings before dropping in on Karwel the wizard. 

Karwel tells him he is intending on setting out for Altdorf tomorrow, Farfordda asks what came of uniting the north? There is more chaos at play than he can deal with alone, it is better to report in. He managed only the briefest of conversations with Baron Todbringer before he left for Middenheim, interestingly the Baron was not skeptical about the Skaven. 

Farfordda impresses on him that he should instead make for Middenheim to aid the Baron as he fears for his safety. Check in on the Baron and the Wizards Guild, and tell the Inquisition about the human, beastmen-with-rat-head cult, based in The Drowned Rat, with its kingdom of tunnels below the city. Turn enemy against enemy. 

Ok says Karwel, he will drop by Middenheim before heading south. What if you manage to rescue your friends, what then? We'll meet or send message to Coppershiners. Karwel tells him Janna, one of the only people Farfordda trusts in the city was heading for Altdorf too as far as he knows. He will travel north with them at dawn then - just as he leaves Farfordda mentions that the Skaven have some plan they intend to prosecute on Grunsnacht next- how do you know this? Because one of the cult who attacked them and murdered his companion Uhtred had a note saying so...

Back at The Pit the dwarves celebrate, Norgrim gets drunk, Thindra is already smashed and Amos buys some weirdroot... they manage to leave before getting into any more trouble, though not before Valeria the ale merchant buys them drinks - she had put 3/- down on Norgrim and has stocked up on Taalwater to drive south for Altdorf tomorrow. 

They arrive back at Holzbek Manor at the same time as Farfordda and shamble off to sleep in the coach house. Farfordda takes first watch with the guards. 

Magdalena wakes to the sounds of shouting and screams, someone is pounding on the door she has wedged shut and she can smell smoke. Stand back she shouts and opens the door - Sir Vaksman rushes in, Ada, Gilbert!  

Downstairs Farfordda hears shouting from within and opens the door - a servant comes running through the courtyard yelling Fire! He can feel the heat coming from behind the kitchen door and see the flicker of flames through the windows to the courtyard - he directs the guards to wake the dwarves and get water, and prevents the panicking housekeeper from opening the smoking door. 

Magdalena grabs a pillow to douse in water for Ada, then suffers a sword blow from behind - Sir Vaksman has pushed Gilbert out the door and lunges at her again. She lands a blow on his arm, then suffers another herself, to the face. 

Gilbert drops to the courtyard, followed by Lady Eisenhal who lands badly. Farfordda rushes forwards to help, more servants flee the building. Where are Ada and Magdalena? she looks up, shouting Ada! Farfordda takes out Herzen's wand and teleports into the children's room. Both Vaksman and Magdalena are shocked at his sudden appearance by her side, he reaches forward, casting sleep on Vaksman, and Magdalena runs the knight through as he falls...

Its not quite an hour into Nachgeheim 4, Farforrda, Magdalena and Ada are in the burning building and the dwarves are waking to the screams and cacophony through an alcohol induced haze in the coach house...

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...