Friday, June 16, 2017

WFRP 2nd Edition - Terror in Talabheim (Rats in the Dark)

Hi All,

Sorry for the lack of posts, it's been busy here and I'm a tad stressed out. Below is some awesome art from J. Brisken and my attempt at converting the notes of B. Rees into a more prose form. I'm not sure it was necessary but it's done.



The caravan arrived in Breitblatt and everyone was in high spirits. The village guards came out to meet the party and accept transfer of the refugees. We informed them of the murderer we discovered and handed him over to them, saying that the possessions of the murderer and victim were “lost.”

Compared to Talagaad the village Inn is quite pleasant. They serve us mutton stew and watered down ale which is paid for as part of our contract. After our meal we go to the stables and haggle for a mule and it's kit and forage, Genaro is tired of carrying our excess. The party jokingly names the mule “Lorenzo.” When we get back from the stables the inn is filled with refugees, we eat dinner and sleep in our rooms.

As we prepare to leave town after breakfast the corporal of the guard tells us to return the way we came to avoid the continued greenskin attacks on the road. He stamps our letter of passage back to Talagaad. At the end of our first day of travel Genaro begins to cough and shiver, the first signs of the plague are upon him.

At the end of the second night, during Vincent's watch just before dawn, he sees twelve figures run across the road in the direction of the river. Vincent wakes up the group and, lead by Lukas, he and Leopold follow their tracks. When they discover they are giant rat tracks Lukas and Vincent continue while Leopold doubles back and gets Sally, Genaro and Lorenzo back on the road. When Lukas and Vincent make it to the river Talbec they find many more tracks and a silver powdery substance on the rocks along the bank. Thinking quickly, Vincent takes a sample and he and Lukas meet the rest of the group back on the road.

As the group approaches the town they decide the best course of action is to find some priestesses of Shallya and see if they can find a cure for Genaro, and if the silver powder will help in finding the cure. As we enter the town we see that only a few, tense people are out on the streets and many windows and doors are boarded up. We make it to the Eel Inn, but the bartender refuses to let us in with a visibly sick Genaro. He tells that the plague has gotten worse and is called the Gray Ague. He tells us that packs of flagellants roam the streets at night, beating people, and that rat swarms are attacking people in the night as well. He tells us that there is a Shallyan field hospital set up to tend to plague victims and if we want to get into Talabheim we'll have to go to the municipal entry office.

Tending to an ever sickening Genaro is our first priority, so we head for the Shallyan field hospital. The scene there is grim. It is more of a hospice for the dying and there is no cure to be found. The priestesses turn us away, as there is no room for Genaro. They tell us of an apothecary, Gotthart Widdenhoff, who lives near the wizards way and may be able to find a cure for the plague with our powder sample.

Outside the apothecary's home a sign bearing an eye covered with a grape vine hangs above the door. No one comes to the door after the group knocks and the door is locked. Leopold looks around and, seeing the street is empty, picks the lock. As they enter Sally calls out Gotthart's name, there is no reply. We find him in his workshop, slumped over his desk, with a crude triangular dagger in his neck. A further search of the area reveals that he was reading the book “Plague of the Principality” and has samples of the silvery substance and a vial of blue liquid which we take to be an antidote. In addition to notes in a classical language there is a letter addressed to Herr Widdendorf from a “R. Nierhaus.” Seeing nothing to further our investigations we leave for the municipal entry office.

When we arrive at the municipal entry office it is boarded up. In response to the groups calls clerks, armed with crossbows, appear on the rooftop. Their refusal to let us in foils our plan to look up the address of R. Nierhaus, so we get a two week pass into the city. The clerks are doubtful that anyone will let us in, even with a pass. We decide to head back to the field hospital with our new information.

The sun is setting as we make our way through the town. We see a young boy carrying a water bucket head into an alleyway. A large, menacing, dog appears to be stalking him. With out much thought the group races into the alley after them to defend the boy. Sally, Vincent and Leopold are quickly set upon by 2 giant rats each. Leopold kicks one away and kills the other with his club, Sally and Vincent each get bitten. The quarters are too close, so Sally drops his crossbow and pulls out his sword and club. Sally parries another bite, but is knocked unconscious as a rat jumps on him and impales itself on sword. [Sally was criticalled and had to use a fate point.] Leopold is charged by the rat he kicked and one of Sally's. He kills one and dodges from the other. Vincent skewers one of his rats. There is some back and forth, but Vincent and Leopold dispatch the remaining rats. It is too late for the young boy however. The battle has taken too long and the defenseless lad has been mauled and partially eaten.


Our weary warriors gather up their friend and trudge towards the field hospital.

I feel like we may have left Lukas and Genaro outside the field hospital, but I'm not totally sure.

Hopefully I will get these remaining convention battle reports out, as well as the next Oldhammer in the New World zine, and then I can talk about organizing my stuff and terrain projects.

Thanks for looking.

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