Übersreik erwacht zu dem Lärm von Soldaten, die die Stadt abschließen. Der Siegelring von @Actor[Jendrik von Dabernick]{General von Dabernick’s} wurde gestohlen. Als sich die Gruppe mit den neuen Beschränkungen abgefunden hat, wird Molrella von ihrer Zwillingsschwester Halamina (bekannt als Mi-mi) angesprochen. Sie ist vor Kurzem in Übersreik angekommen und es überrascht niemanden, dass sich der Ring in ihrem Besitz befindet."Es war nich meine Schuld! Ich wollt' 'n nich stehlen! Ich hab' 'n letzte Nacht von 'nem feschen Kerl geklaut; war dabei, als ich seinen Beutel aufgeschnitten hab, um 'n paar Münzen zu holen.“ Aber sie will ihn nicht hergeben. "Was is', wenn ihn 'n Zauberer in die Hände kriegt wie beim letzten Mal und Zauber wirkt, die zeigen, dass ich die Mauserei gemacht habe?" Glücklicherweise hat Mi-mi einen Plan: "Lasst uns ins Schlafzimmer des Generals schleichen und den Ring unter sein Bett werfen! Dann sieht's so aus als hätte er ihn selbst fallen lassen. Genial, ne? Ich weiß nur nich', wie ich da rein komme. Kannst du helfen, Molls? Biiiiidde! Das Haus ist fast leer, seit die von Jungfreude rausgeschmissen wurden. Es wird ein Kinderspiel!"
\nUnglücklicherweise (für Mi-mi) weiß der eigentliche Dieb, @Actor[Edmund Streissen], wer seinen Beutel aufgeschlitzt hat. Schlimmer noch, Streissen folgte ihr und plant nun, den nervigen Halbling zu töten, den Ring zurück zu holen und es den SCs in die Schuhe zu schieben. Schlimmer noch, Streissen ist ein Chaoszauberer von Slaanesh, dem Prinzen der Lust und der Schmerzen. Er wollte den Ring in einem Ritual verwenden, um von Dabernick zu kontrollieren, und er ist nicht glücklich, dass er gestohlen wurde.
\nUnglücklicherweise (für Streissen) ist ihm @Actor[Maglyn Blanck]{Maglyn ‘Maggie’ Blanck} auf den Fersen. Maggie ist eine Zauberin des Grauen Ordens und posiert als Dienerin in der @JournalEntry[Burg Schwarzfels]. Sie weiß, dass Streissen den Ring gestohlen hat, und vermutet, dass die SCs, die jetzt den Ring haben, auch Chaos-Kultisten sind. Glücklicherweise ist Maggie vernünftig und kann von den guten Absichten der Gruppe überzeugt werden, wenn sich eine Gelegenheit ergibt.
\nWährend Striessen die SCs verfolgt, stößt "Dienerin" Maggie "versehentlich" auf sie, während sie durch die Korridore von @JournalEntry[Burg Schwarzfels] kriechen. Sie ist gespannt auf ihre Ausrede, warum sie hier sind. Sie möchte sie nicht aufhalten und zieht es vor, sie später aufzuspüren, um ihre Komplizen zu finden. Streissen ist ihr Ziel.
\netzendlich wird von Dabernicks Kammer gefunden. Streissen greift die Gruppe beim Eintreten an. Daraufhin greift Maggie Streissen an. Unglücklicherweise für alle Beteiligten wird bei einer Verwundung von Streissen versehentlich eine @Compendium[wfrp4e-core.bestiary.8gG2Wim6wAlJWRax]{Dämonette} gerufen, wenn Blut auf seinen Nasenring spritzt (wodurch ein Ritual, das für eine Party an diesem Abend vorbereitet wurde, vorzeitig aktiviert wird). Die Daemonette streckt sich, kichert und schlägt dann mit entsetzlicher Wildheit aus. Angenommen, Streissen hat den Ring zu diesem Zeitpunkt noch nicht gefunden, stellt er fest, dass alles etwas schief gelaufen ist, und versucht zu fliehen. Dann wird der Alarm über Burg Schwarzfels ausgelöst.
\nSobald der Daemon gebannt ist und die SCs eindeutig nicht mit Streissen in Verbindung stehen, hilft Maggie ihnen bei der Flucht und fordert dafür einen Gefallen. Wenn die Charaktere Verbündete von Streissen zu sein scheinen, wird Maggie sie verlassen, während Altdorf-Hellebarde die Korridore füllen.
\nWenn alles gut wird, wird Mi-mi ihrer Schwester vielmals danken."Beim nächsten Mal helf' ich dir!" Aber natürlich ein paar Monate später: "Molls! Ich hab' versehentlich 'ne magische Tiara von 'ner cathayischen Zauberin gestohlen! Un ihre Frau is fuchsteufelswild! Aber ich kann's nicht abnehmen! Un' jetz' hat's 'nen diplomatischen Zwischenfall mit dem Imperator verursacht! Kannst du mir helfen, Molls? Biiiiidde!"
","img":"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/two-wrongs.webp "}, {"id":"0FrBSM6thtuiDkYn","name":"Mark des Passes der grauen Dame","description":"Tief in den Grauen Bergen, jenseits der Baronie Teufeltal, ist die Mark des Passes der grauen Dame die erste Verteidigungslinie des Reiklandes gegen das Königreich Bretonnia. Der von Gletschern umgebene Durchgang durch das Zentrum des befestigten Lehens ist in den Tiefen des Winters normalerweise unpassierbar. Obwohl seit dem letzten Konflikt mit Parravon Jahrzehnte vergangen sind, ist das in der Mark stationierte Regiment der Staatsarmee immer bereit, was angesichts der Anzahl der Grünhäuter-Stämme, die sich in den Bergen niederlassen, besonders umsichtig ist. Graumarkschloß, die größte Burg des Lehens, liegt hoch auf den Klippen nördlich der Straße mit Blick auf den Pass. Der Eintritt erfolgt über einen komplexen, mit Dampf betriebenen Aufzug. Der Pass ist übersät mit den Ruinen weniger gut befestigter Burgen, die in den vergangenen Jahrhunderten von Grünhäutern geplündert wurden. Jetzt beherbergen die geschwärzten Knochen dieser gefallenen Festungen nichts weiter als die unruhigen Schatten der Gefallenen. Die einzige andere Siedlung jeglicher Größe ist Teuquelle, ein gefrorenes Dorf, das stark mit Kanonen und Mörsern verteidigt wird.
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Markgraf Tobias Aschaffenberg, der älteste Sohn von Brynich Aschaffenberg, wurde der Herrscher der Mark, nachdem der vorherige Markgraf ohne Erben gestorben war. Obwohl er die Provinz mehrere Jahre lang regierte, hatte Tobias bis vor kurzem noch nie einen Fuß in die isolierte, eiskalte Baronie gesetzt. Als streitsüchtiger Prahler und erfahrener Duellant verbrachte er seine Zeit lieber im hellen Licht der schönsten Festivals von Reikland mit einem gelegentlichen Bad in Nulns Gewässern in der Schießpulver Woche. Aber als die Jungfreuds Übersreik verloren, schickte ihn Tobias' Vater nach Graumarkschloß, um sein Haus in Ordnung zu bringen. Um sicherzustellen, dass die Verteidigung unanfechtbar war, um den Namen Aschaffenberg in besseres Licht zu stellen und um sicherzustellen, dass der Pass der grauen Dame nicht unter die Herrschaft eines anderen Adelshauses fiel
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• Der Pass der grauen Dame beherbergt unsterbliche Gerüchte über die Graue Dame, einen unruhigen Geist, der als Omen des bevorstehenden Untergangs erscheint. Der Geist erscheint, wenn die Gruppe inmitten der Ruinen gestrandet ist, während der Aufzug repariert wird. Die graue Dame sagt das Ende der Welt voraus, bevor sie verschwindet, um nie wieder gesehen zu werden.
\n• Auf dem Weg durch die Mark entdeckt die Gruppe einen verwundeten Riesen, der aggressiv handelt. Sollten sie den Riesen besiegen und nicht fliehen, wird er sie mit seinem sterbenden Atem ansprechen. In gestelztem, kindlichem Reikspiel beklagt er die Grausamkeit des Schicksals und bittet die SCs, sich um sein Kind zu kümmern. Als sein sterbender Atem in seiner Kehle klappert, hören sie das laute Heulen eines sechs Fuß langen Babys.
","img":"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/grey-lady-pass.webp "}, {"id":"0K7dVr2625mqSpSt","name":"Die Kanalisation von Übersreik","description":"Die Abwasserkanäle von Übersreik sind umfangreich und eine Quelle des lokalen Stolzes. In der Tat hatten viele Besucher von Übersreik das Unglück, eine Führung zu erhalten, wenn sie nur höfliches Interesse vortäuschten!
\nEs gibt zwei unterschiedliche Netzwerke: eines im Norden der Stadt und eines im Süden. Beide Netze münden durch breite Durchlässe mit Stahlgitter in den Teufel. Das nördliche Abwassertor heißt Magnusschleuse und das südliche Sigmarschleuse. Beide werden routinemäßig überprüft, um sicherzustellen, dass keine unerwünschten Personen illegal Zugang zu Übersreik erhalten (oder dass diejenigen, die Zugang erhalten, die richtigen Personen bestochen haben). Da die Verantwortung für diese Aufgabe jedoch bei den Jungfreuds lag, wurde seit einiger Zeit keines der beiden Tore offiziell überprüft.
\nJedes Netzwerk besteht aus rund einem Dutzend großen arteriellen Abwasserkanälen, durch die ein vier Fuß breiter Kanal fließt, der von gleich breiten Gehwegen flankiert wird. Die Decken sind hoch, um schädliche Dämpfe und Abgase zu verteilen. Kleinere Tunnel verbinden diese arteriellen Abwasserkanäle. Diese haben eine niedrigere Decke und nur einen einzigen Gehweg auf einer Seite. Gewölbte Kammern mit einem Durchmesser von dreißig Metern sitzen an den Kreuzungen. Aufwändige Schnitzereien von Zwergengesichtern säumen die Säulen der Kammern, obwohl es nur wenige so empfinden, dass der herrlichen Anblick den entsetzlichen Gestank wett macht. Die meisten Abfälle gelangen über schmale Bleirohre in die Kanalisation, obwohl größere Häuser und Grundstücke breitere Rohre haben, die eher kleinen Tunneln ähneln. Auf den Straßen der wohlhabenderen Gebiete auf der Südseite, wie @JournalEntry[Morgenseite]{Hügel}, oder dem @JournalEntry[Handelsviertel] werden die Kanäle durch Kanalgitter geschützt.
\nAls Grünhäuter vor 200 Jahren die Stadt zerstörten, waren die Abwasserkanäle unversehrt, und viele versteckten sich dort unten, als Orks und Goblins über ihnen tobten. Später, als Magnus der Fromme ins Imperium zurückkehrte und marschierte, um Übersreik zurückzuerobern, betraten die Infiltratoren des Imperiums, angeführt von Zwergenspähern, die Stadt durch die Kanalgitter. Einmal drinnen, krochen sie durch die Straßen und öffneten die Stadttore. Sie überraschten die Besatzer der Grünhäuter-Streitkräfte, indem sie gleichzeitig von oben und unten angriffen. Diese Geschichte ist vor Ort bekannt, aber die eindringenden Altdorfer haben keine Ahnung, wie leicht die Stadtmauern umgangen werden können.
\nTrotz der besten Bemühungen der Rattenfänger, Kanalwächter und der Wache der Stadt beherbergen die Abwasserkanäle eine Reihe unerwünschter Kreaturen. Das südliche Netzwerk, das nach seinem Abwassertor, der Sigmarschleuse, als Sigmarkanal bekannt ist, ist vor allem in letzter Zeit angesichts der regelmäßigen Patrouillen der Rattenfänger besser instand gehalten. Trotzdem gab es zahlreiche Sichtungen von sich schnell bewegenden Tiermenschen mit rattenähnlichen Gesichtern und hohen, flüsternden Stimmen. Jeder, der in den Abwasserkanälen herumstolpert, besonders nach Einbruch der Dunkelheit, wird wahrscheinlich auf etwas stoßen, das er lieber vergessen würde.
\nDie Magnuskanäle liegen unter der nördlichen Hälfte der Stadt. Diese werden weniger regelmäßig überwacht, und seit die Jungfreuds aus Übersreik geworfen wurden, hat niemand aufgeräumt. Neben der allgegenwärtigen Bedrohung durch Rattenmenschen nennen auch andere Kreaturen die Kanalisation ihre Heimat.
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@Actor[Skaven Rinnen Renner]
\n@Actor[Brandt]
\n@Actor[Skaven riesiger Ratten Schwarm]
\n","img":"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/Übersreik-sewers.webp "}, {"id":"0WyuABVO5iGnhm8f","name":"Gilde der Flussschiffer","description":"
Die Boatmen's Guild trifft sich in einem umgebauten zweistöckigen Lagerhaus am Flussufer im Süden des Teufels. Im Untergeschoss ist eine subventionierte Taverne in denen fast alles ohne Gewinn verkauft wirdund einen Schlafsaal für Mitglieder, in denen fast alles ohne Gewinn verkauft wird. Außerdem stehen mehrere private Zimmer zur Verfügung. Das Essen und Trinken ist anständig und reichlich. Im Obergeschoss mit Blick auf die Trinkhalle befinden sich die Arbeitszimmer der Gilde und das Quartier des Gildenmeisters. Die Gilde ist den Flusschiffergilden von Auerswald, Kemperbad und Altdorf angeschlossen, was bedeutet, dass Mitglieder einer Gilde alle Vorteile aller anderen Gilden erhalten, einschließlich Zugang zu Taverne und Schlafsälen, Renten für Witwen und Waisen und Zugang zu Gilde Kontakte.
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Gildenmeister Karsten Rugger hat mehr über die Gewässer zwischen Übersreik und Altdorf vergessen, als die meisten Flussmänner jemals erfahren werden. Er ist jetzt ein mürrischer alter Mann, aber der immer noch respektiert wird. Gerüchte, dass er den größten Teil des Flussschmuggels in Oberteufel betreibt, wurden nie bewiesen. Robbo Brambledown leitet die Küchen und ist stolz darauf, die Küche der Zwerge und Elfen reproduzieren zu können, obwohl der Halbling selten dazu aufgefordert wird.
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Dieses Gildenhaus ist ein schmales Gebäude mit Stahlgitterfenstern und wird von Ubersreiks einzigem Schlosser, Ludwig Schlüsselfert, unterhalten. Der Schlosser arbeitet nur einige Stunden am Tag und nur vier Tage die Woche, was bedeutet, dass es eine Herausforderung sein kann, ihn zu finden. Im Erdgeschoss ist seine Werkstatt, an deren Wänden ordentlich Werkzeuge hängen. Im Obergeschoss befinden sich sein persönliches Quartier, ein kleines Wohnzimmer und überraschend prächtige Schlafkammern.
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Ludwig Schlüsselfert ist ein mürrischer alter Griesgram. Bis weit in sein achtes Jahrzehnt hinein hat er sich aus Angst vor der Konkurrenz hartnäckig geweigert, einen Lehrling aufzunehmen. In einem heftigen Rechtsstreit hat er von seinem Recht Gebrauch gemacht, die Mitgliedschaft und die Erlaubnis zum Praktizieren für alle besuchenden Schlosser zu verweigern, um sicherzustellen, dass er ein absolutes Monopol hat (die einzige Ausnahme bilden die Statuten, die die Zwergenhandwerker, die an Zwergengebäuden arbeiten, ausnehmen). Er stellt regelmäßig eine Gruppe ein, um die Schlösser von Gebäuden in Übersreik zu überprüfen und auf nicht genehmigte Arbeiten aufmerksam zu machen.
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Wenn er illegale Schlösser entdeckt, fordert er die Wache auf, die illegalen Teile zu entfernen (und zusätzliche Gebühren erheben, um sie zu ersetzen). Seine Anwältin, Melina Spirren-Hirsch, ist immer bereit, jeden zu verfolgen, der die Rechte der Gilde verletzt.
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Du hast kürzlich die folgenden drei Gerüchte gehört. Du weißt nicht, ob sie wahr sind, aber Du hast sie mehr als einmal gehört. Es liegt an Dir, zu entscheiden, wo Du sie gehört hast. War es in einer Taverne? Unterwegs? Auf einem lokalen Markt? Oder vielleicht von einem Freund? Das liegt ganz bei Dir und wie Du denkst, dass sich Dein Charakter mit den Leuten von Übersreik beschäftigt.
\nConstant Drachenfels bleibt der große Buhmann des Reiklandes, sein Name wird von Müttern im ganzen Reich als Bedrohung benutzt und von Abergläubigen kaum geflüstert. Die abscheulichen Taten und schrecklichen Verderbtheiten des Erzmagiers sind zu viele und zu übel, um sie zu erzählen, doch ihre Legende bleibt bestehen und verweilt in der dunklen Vertiefung des Geistes und in den Zungen derer, die den heißen Nervenkitzel verbotener Überlieferungen suchen.
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Obwohl er schließlich getötet wurde, blieb etwas von Drachenfels bestehen, das in den Ruinen seines Schlosses in den @JournalEntry[Das Graue Gebirge]auert. Sein Geist ruft nach den willensschwachen, großen Ranken der Bosheit und Trotz, die die Seelen der Unvorsichtigen infiltrieren. Im südlichen Vorbergland ist ein Kult entstanden, dessen Mitglieder Masken tragen, wenn sie sich treffen, um ihren Herrn zu verehren und ihre Identität zu schützen, der den Wünschen ihres dunklen Meisters.
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Unter @JournalEntry[Dawihafen] bildet ein Netzwerk von robusten, von Zwergen gebauten Tunneln ein eigenes unterirdisches Straßennetz. Ein großer Schrein für Grimnir ist auf der großen Kreuzung der Passagen - ein natürlicher Treffpunkt für lokale Jäger. Die Tunnel führen zu den meisten wichtigen Zwergenstandorten in Übersreik, darunter @JournalEntryAxt und Hammer], @JournalEntry[Harataken Befestigung]und die Häuser anderer prominenter Zwergenfamilien. Die Zwergentunnel sind sowohl von den menschlichen Abwasserkanälen als auch vom eigenen Abwassersystem der Zwerge, das tiefer unter der Erde liegt, getrennt. Die Tunnel sind gleichmäßig, gut gebaut und gut beleuchtet, und natürlich gut bewacht. Sollten Nicht-Zwerge ihren Weg in das Netzwerk finden, werden sie höflich, wenn nötig auch gewaltsam, hinausgeworfen. Wiederholungstäter werden nicht sanft behandelt.
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Der höchste Tempel Sigmars, des Schutzgottes des Imperiums, war das erste Gebäude, das auf Befehl von Magnus dem Frommen wieder aufgebaut wurde, nachdem das alte Gebäude während des großen Krieges gegen das Chaos von Grünhäuter geebnet worden war. Es ist der größte Tempel der Stadt und stellt die in anderen Vierteln in den Schatten. Die Fassade ist mit Säulen ausgekleidet, und der Tempel selbst kann Hunderte von Gläubigen aufnehmen.
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An besonders geschäftigen Festtagen drängen sich ärmere Anbeter vor den Türen und bemühen sich, den Gottesdienst zu hören. In jüngster Zeit haben die Einheimischen festgestellt, dass der Tempel deutlich belebter ist, da er mit Offizieren und Soldaten aus Altdorf gefüllt ist.
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Pater @Actor[Gunther Emming] ist der Hohepriester. Emming ist ein streng aussehender Mann in den Fünfzigern mit schütterem silbernem Haar. Er ist berühmt für die Strenge seiner Predigten und die Nüchternheit seines Verhaltens. Obwohl er nicht unfreundlich ist, schnürt er selbst sein Lob und seine tröstenden Worte mit schrecklichen Warnungen vor den Folgen des Laster.
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Die Korn Beurse, ein großes zweistöckiges Steingebäude, war früher der Hauptmarkt für den gesamten Getreidehandel in Übersreik. Als Übersreik und seine Bevölkerung stetig wuchsen, stieg auch der Handel an bis er schließlich zu groß wurde für diesem Raum und zog darum an einen größeren Standort in der Nähe der @JournalEntry[Teubrücke]. Seitdem wurde das Gebäude als Markthalle umgestaltet, wobei an den meisten Tagen zahlreiche kleine Einzelhandelsstände vorhanden sind. Das Erdgeschoss ist ein Labyrinth von Ständen, an denen Kleidung, Lebensmittel, Haushaltswaren und Schnickschnack aller Art verkauft werden. Eine Mezzanine-Galerie umkreist das Gebäude. Dort können teurere Gegenstände gekauft werden, und Wachen stellen sicher, dass die Kunden den Versuchungen von Ranald, dem Gott der Diebe und Betrügereien, nicht nachgeben und versuchen, die Waren zu nehmen, ohne dafür zu bezahlen.
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Zahlreiche Händler bieten hier ihre Waren an, darunter: Ekkehard Eich, Händler für seltene Bücher; Heinz Giegerich, ein Schreiber, der gegen eine Gebühr Briefe liest oder schreibt; und Malasa Nusa, ein Textilhändler aus Arabyan. Die Standinhaber zahlen alle Miete an die finstere Vermieterin Elke Furlisdottir. Elkes Bruder, "Trutziger" Borin Bozaksson, ist für die Sicherheit in der gesamten Korn Beurse verantwortlich. Nur die schnellsten oder dümmsten Diebe erwägen Ladendiebstahl unter Borins Beobachtung, da der Umfang seines Bizeps offensichtlich und die Schärfe seiner Augen wohlbekannt sind.
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Die sechsstöckige Ruhe des Imperators befindet sich am Fuße des Hügels am nördlichen Ende der Osterstraße und bietet Suiten mit Zimmern und gehobener Küche für die Reichsten von Übersreik. Die unerschwinglichen Preise und die stämmigen, wenn auch gut bekleideten Wachen sorgen dafür, dass das Gesindel in Schach gehalten wird. Die politische Unsicherheit nach der Statusänderung von Übersreik hat zu einem Geschäftsrückgang geführt, der die Mitarbeiter besorgt.
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Der fabelhaft reiche Herzog von Telland besitzt die beeindruckende Herberge. Er gewann das Establishment in einem Spiel mit sehr hohen Einsätzen von @Compendium[wfrp4e-rnhd.pubgames.pWlAzCU8HjElHsqC]{Die Scharlachrote Kaiserin} während der Schwarzpulver Woche in Nuln. Der peinlich saubere Hedrich Hann, der das Hostel in seinem Namen leitet, ist ein Mann mit kultivierten Manieren, vorsichtigen Bewegungen und düsteren Launen. Er überwacht seine 37 Mitarbeiter in den verschiedenen Positionen mit einem wachen Auge und einer festen Zunge. Er ist ein besonders frommer Mann und beichtet jeden Festtag den Priestern von Sigmar im @JournalEntry[Der höchste Tempel Sigmars]{höchsten Tempel}, völlig überzeugt davon, dass seine kleinen, belanglosen Sünden seelenverdammt schrecklich sind.
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Das Marktplatzviertel von Übersreik liegt im Herzen der Stadt. An jedem Markttag (wöchentlichen) bringen Bauern ihre Produkte aus den umliegenden Dörfern, um auf den belebten Marktplätzen zu handeln, während Händler Stoffe und andere Produkte ausstellen. Die meisten Einzelhändler in Übersreik stellen auch Stände auf dem Markttag auf, wobei sie ein wenig mehr verlangen, da sie wissen, dass die meisten Kunden für die Bequemlichkeit bezahlen statt bis zur anderen andere Seite der Stadt zu gehen.
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In der Mitte des Marktplatzes, dem größten Platz des Viertels, steht eine imposante Statue von Magnus dem Frommen, die an seine Schlüsselrolle beim Wiederaufbau von Übersreik nach dem großen Krieg gegen das Chaos erinnert. Obwohl der Marktplatz auf dem Markttag am stärksten frequentiert ist, ist er an den meisten Tagen voller Aktivitäten und wird häufig als Treffpunkt genutzt, insbesondere für Neulinge in der Stadt.
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@JournalEntry[Sprichstumpf]{Sprichstumpf}
\n@JournalEntry[Der höchste Tempel Sigmars]{Der höchste Tempel Sigmars}
\n@JournalEntry[Die Medicus Gilde]{Die Medicus Gilde}
\n@JournalEntry[Der Tempel Shallyas]{Der Tempel Shallyas}
\n@JournalEntry[Der Tempel von Verena]{Der Tempel von Verena}
\n@JournalEntry[Rathaus]{Rathaus}
\n@JournalEntry[Die Wache]{Die Wache}
","img":"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/marktplatz.webp "}, {"id":"5kD5fXbEwmRM4Sxe","name":"Übersreik-Brücke","description":"Grodni Gewisshammer und seine Zwergeningenieurgilde haben vor über 200 Jahren die Übersreik-Brücke entworfen und gebaut. Zu dieser Zeit war Übersreik kaum mehr als eine Ruine, die gerade erst von der Staatsarmee von Reikland zurückerobert wurde. Der neu gekrönte Kaiser Magnus der Fromme wollte unbedingt wieder aufbauen, was verloren gegangen war, und beauftragte seine Verbündeten der Zwerge, eine neue Überquerung des Teufels zu errichten. Die vorherige Brücke war während der Kämpfe um die Rückeroberung der Stadt von hartnäckigen Grünhäuten zusammengebrochen.
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Zwei Jahrhunderte später dominierte die Brücke immer noch Übersreik.Sie wird von einer Reihe großer Steinsäulen getragen, die tief im Flussbett versenkt sind und so hoch sind, dass sie von weiten Teilen der Stadt aus zu sehen sind. Die Säulen, die in der Nähe des Flussufers eng gruppiert sind, öffnen sich in der Mitte und bieten zwei breite Kanäle, durch die selbst hohe Mastschiffe sicher fahren können. Die Brücke ist mit alten Zwergenrunen beschriftet, die für Stärke und Stabilität sorgen.
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Die örtlichen Gesetze verbieten das Bauen auf der Brücke, was bedeutet, dass diejenigen, die sie überqueren, mit einigen schönen Ausblicken auf beide Seiten der Stadt und den darunter fließenden Fluss begrüßt werden. Von dort aus unsichtbar, versammeln sich die Obdachlosen unter der Brücke, wenn der Fluss kein Hochwasser hat. Dort versuchen sie sich vor dem schlimmsten Wetter zu schützen. In der Vergangenheit haben die Jungfreuds diesen größtenteils menschlichen Abfall regelmäßig weggefegt, obwohl die Armen und Bedürftigen trotzdem bei schlechtem Wetter immer zurückkehren würden.
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In letzter Zeit haben die Altdorfer keine Anstalten gemacht diese Unglücklichen zu beseitigen. Infolgedessen ist im Schatten der Brücke eine kleine Hütten-Stadt entstanden, die vor Ort als Dunkelfeucht bekannt ist. Die Jungfreud-Anhänger in Übersreik rümpfen bei dieser Entwicklung die Nase und zitieren sie als ein weiteres Versagen der Eindringlinge aus dem Norden.
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In der Tat muss selbst der loyalste Anhänger des Imperators zugeben, dass jeder rechtsdenkende Bürger von Übersreik über die unkontrollierte Ausweitung von Dunkelfeucht besorgt sein sollte. Es hat nicht nur einen besonders schlechten Ruf erlangt, weil es die schlimmsten Leute anzieht, die Übersreik zu bieten hat, sondern auch angefangen die Leute kämperisch auszubilden, was bedeutet, dass jeder zukünftige Versuch, die Leute unter der Brücke zu räumen, auf erheblichen Widerstand stoßen wird.
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Aus diesem Grund wagen sich jetzt nur noch die wirklich Verzweifelten dorthin. Banden und Straßenräuber streifen umher, und nur wenige Morgen vergehen, ohne dass Blut vergossen wird oder ein frischer Körper in der Strömung des Flusses treibt. Es ist nicht überraschend, dass die von Altdorf geführte Wache den Ort jetzt vollständig meidet, da sie weiß, dass es wenig zu erreichen gibt, wenn sie die neuen Stärke unter der Brücke bekämpft. Dieser Freiraum vor der Strafverfolgung hat es ermöglicht, mehrere provisorische Anlegestellen für Schmuggelbanden zu bauen. Viele dieser Banden haben ihre Aktivitäten als unangefochten empfunden und sind mutig geworden. Oft werden große Barkassen am helllichten Tag ohne Angst vor Reprise abgeladen. Natürlich murmeln einige Zuschauer, dass solch eine dreiste Kriminalität niemals erlaubt gewesen wäre, als die Jungfreuds regierten, aber solche Gespräche sind provizierend und führen wahrscheinlich zu Auseinandersetzungen, Schlägereien und sogar Unruhen.
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Jüngste Gerüchte deuten darauf hin, dass die Banden von Dunkelfeucht von einem neuen Anführer vereint werden, der nur als "Der Baron" bekannt ist. Obwohl er ein Neuzugang in Übersreik ist, ist dieser kriminelle Drahtzieher bereits für seinen Ehrgeiz und seine völlige Rücksichtslosigkeit bekannt. Nur wenige außerhalb von Dunkelfeucht haben ihn jemals gesehen, obwohl die meisten Übersreiker von ihm gehört haben und ihn fürchten. Wenn man Gerüchten Glauben schenken will, hat er bereits Dutzende von Dieben, Schlägern und Schmugglern unter seiner Kontrolle, und er beabsichtigt, sich schnell aus den Hafenvierteln auszubreiten und alle Versuche, den Aufstieg seines neu geschmiedeten kriminellen Reiches zu vereiteln, zu unterbinden.
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\n
","img":"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/Übersreik-bridge.webp "}, {"id":"5l4oAIAW3cMJTqqc","name":"Blaue Augen sind zurück!","description":"
Baron Aloysis Arschloch, Ferdinands Kindheitsfreund, bittet um Hilfe. ‘Die Stadtbewohner von Flechtben behaupten, ein Geist oder ähnliches beschütze sie. Also, dein Spezialgebiet, alter Junge, nicht meins.’ Die Familie Arschloch regierte einst die Stadt Flechtben. Aber die Bauern haben sich in den letzten 300 Jahren selbst regiert. Sie feiern einen lokalen Helden namens "Blaue Augen", der angeblich gegen den tyrannischen Baron Arschloch ihrer Zeit kämpfte und die Freiheit der Kleinstadt gewann. Die lokale Legende behauptet, dass Blaue Augen zurückkehren wird, falls die Leute von Flechtben ihn jemals brauchen sollten, und er wird allgemein als großer Held gefeiert. Arschloch glaubt kein Wort davon. Er wird Ferdinand und seiner Gruppe jeweils @Credit[4gc EACH]{4 Gold Crowns} zahlen, um das vermeintliche Geisterproblem zu beheben.
\nDie Probleme begannen, als Bürgermeister Helmut Holt beschloss, ein Festival zu veranstalten, das Flechtbens 300-jähriges Bestehen als freie Stadt feiert. Angesichts der Tatsache, dass ein riesiges Bildnis von Arschlochs Vorfahren verbrannt wurde, nahm der Baron dies als Beleidigung seines Familiennamens. So drohte Arschloch, Feiernde einzusperren, die durch seine Stadt Leche nach Flechtben reisten. Nicht lange danach begannen die Spukaktionen. Seltsame Lichter, sich bewegende Objekte, kalte Stellen und Schlimmeres breiteten sich langsam über Leche aus. Nichts Ernstes, aber Arschloch mag es nicht. Und um die Sache noch schlimmer zu machen, kommen auch Berichte über zwei blaue Feuer in den Wäldern um Flechtben herein. Arschloch möchte, dass die Charaktere die Wahrheit hinter diesen sogenannten „Spuk“ entdecken.
\nAls die Charaktere in Leche ankommen, ist der Spuk bereits beendet und es gibt nur noch eine kalte Spur. In Flechtben ist das anders. Dort sind die Stadtbewohner voller Geschichten über Blaue Augen. Sie erzählen geschönte Geschichten von seinen Taten, die ihre Stadt vor den Übeln der Arschlochs retten, und bezeichnen Baue Augen oft als der zurückgekehrte Ranald oder sogar der wiedergeborene Sigmar! Viele Stadtbewohner glauben, dass der Geist von Blaue Augen in einem verlassenen Turm im @JournalEntry[Der Reikwald] im Norden lebt, wo sie ihrem mächtigen Helden Dankesopfer hinterlassen.
\nWenn die Gruppe ihn untersucht, ist der Turm eine Ruine. Es gibt jedoch Hinweise auf die jüngste Besiedlung und Aktivität: ein ausgebranntes Feuer, eine relativ frische Latrinengrube, einige seltsame Brandflecken und eine verlassene Ledertasche voller blauem Pulver. Es gibt auch viel Blut. Aber keinen Körper.
\nDas Folgen der Blutspuren führt zu einer schwer verwundeten Frau, die panisch und voller Schmerzen ist. Wenn sie sich beruhigt, stellt sie sich als Gertrude Farlanger vor, eine Ingenieurin. Martich Wolochin, der Bürgermeister von Flechtben, beauftragte Farlanger und ihren Ehemann Davrich, in Leche Spuk zu fälschen und im Wald um die Stadt blaue Lichter anzuzünden. Vermutlich war dies alles, um das Festival zu unterstützen und die Arschlochs zu bestrafen. Farlanger schlug am Turm ihr Lager auf und glaubte, es sei ein sicherer Ort im Wald. An diesem Morgen untersuchte ihr Mann die Turmruinen und benutzte einige ihrer Sprengstoffe, um eine Kammer zu öffnen, die er gefunden hatte. Dann riss die Platte entzwei und ein schreiendes Heulen betäubte sie, als sich ein Geist in die Luft drehte und in Davrichs Gesicht stürzte. Dann wandte er sich an seine Frau, seine Augen und sein Mund tropften von blauem Feuer und griff an.
\nWenn die geheime Kammer untersucht wird, finden die Charaktere Wände, die mit hellen Fresken bedeckt sind, die keinerlei Verwitterung zeigen. Sie bilden einen großen Helden in der Heraldik von Arschloch, der ein mächtiges Gespenst mit brennenden Augen besiegt. Einer in zartem Gold gestrichenen Wand zufolge erhielt die Stadt Flechten einen Freibrief zur Selbstverwaltung als Belohnung für ihre Unterstützung bei der Eroberung und Versiegelung des blauäugigen Gespenstes unter dem Turm und als Gegenleistung für den Eid, den unheiligen Ort in Zukunft zu beschützen.
\nAls die Charaktere nach Flechtben zurückkehren, tobt @Actor[Blaue Augen] unkontrollierbar. Es hat bereits Dutzende von Stadtbewohnern getötet, und der Rest ist auf der Flucht, völlig unfähig, dem untoten Monster Schaden zuzufügen. Die Überreste von Davrichs Körper werden vom blauen Feuer verbrannt und hinterlassen einen schwarz gekleideten, skelettartigen Horror.
\nDa es nur durch Magie Schaden kriegen kann, ist dies ein harter Kampf, und Ferdinand wird der Schlüssel dazu sein. Vorausgesetzt, die Charaktere überleben, hält Arschloch sein Wort und zahlt gerne. Als er die Quelle des Freibriefs der Stadt als freie Stadt herausfindet, dringt er in Flechtben ein und sichert sie sich schnell als Teil seines Lehens. ‘Nun, sie haben diesen Turm nicht beschützt, oder, alter Junge? Ich mache nur das, was rechtsmäßig ist.’
\nDer neue Baron von Flechtben ist jedoch alles andere als rechtsmäßig und bestraft die restliche der Stadtbewohner für ihre jahrelange Rebellion und Verleumdung seines guten Familiennamens.
","img":"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/blue-eyes.webp "}, {"id":"5v5nVdLf3J3hEiR3","name":"Touristenführer","description":"Man sagt, wenn man lange genug am Fluss sitzt, sieht man alle Körper seiner Feinde vorbeitreiben. Nun, ich habe alle möglichen Dinge gesehen, die den Teufel hinunterflossen. Körper waren das Harmloseste…’
\n— Omma Rugger, Inhaberin von Übersreiks @JournalEntry[Ruggers Pension]{billigster Pension}
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Übersreik ist eine Stadt mit vielen wunderbaren Sehenswürdigkeiten, von den hoch aufragenden Türmen der Burg Schwarzfels über die rötlichen Flüsse des Teufels bis hin zur berühmten Statue des Imperators Magnus des Frommen, die der Festungsstadt gegenübersteht. Das berühmteste Wahrzeichen ist die Übersreik-Brücke. Übersreik, bekannt als die Kreuzung des Reiklandes, schützt ein wertvolles Tor zum Imperium vor Bretonnia. Als blühendes Handelszentrum unterstützt es auch eine lebhafte Dienstleistungsbranche mit Gasthäusern und Herbergen, die für jede Klasse von Kaufleuten, Reisenden oder Nachtschwärmern geeignet sind. Ebenso gibt es Geschäfte und Handelshäuser, die eine Vielzahl legitimer und illegaler Waren verkaufen.
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Die Stadt ist so an Außenstehende gewöhnt, dass sie fast immer willkommen sind, solange sie etwas zu kaufen oder zu verkaufen haben oder bereit sind, Münzen auszugeben. Die Stadtbewohner erkennen an, dass ihr Wohlstand aus dem freien Fluss von Handelsgütern und Menschen stammt — vorausgesetzt natürlich, dass die entsprechenden Zölle bezahlt werden — deshalb werden Fremde erwartet und untergebracht.
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LLange Schlangen von Personen, die Zugang zu Ubersreik suchen, sind zu Spitzenzeiten morgens und am frühen Abend üblich. Ein schneller Zugang wird angeboten für: diejenigen mit den richtigen Dokumenten, Adlige, Zauberer aus den Magieakademien, registrierte Kutschen und lokale Gildenmitglieder. Andere müssen warten. Es ist üblich, Händler und Verkäufer zu finden, die Schmuckstücke, heilige Artefakte, Gebetspergamente und lokale Köstlichkeiten an jeden in der Warteschlange verkaufen.
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Übersreik ist eine strategisch wichtige Festungsstadt und ist von mehreren Hauptstraßen gut erreichbar. Die Hauptwege in die Stadt sind die Bögenhafenstraße, die Auerswaldstraße, die Nulnstraße und die Parravonstraße. Die Parravonstraße führt über den Pass der Grauen Dame in das neutrale Gebiet des Frugelhorns und dann nach Bretonnia. Jenseits des Azgaraz-Handelspostens, der die Kreuzung zwischen der Parravonstraße und der Straße nach Karak Azgaraz markiert, nimmt die Qualität des Straßen erheblich ab. Im Frühjahr und Sommer rollen riesige Züge mit 40 oder mehr schwer beladenen Wägen vom Pass der Grauen Dame herunter und bringen Waren aus Bretonnia und den Zwergen der Grauen Berge. Unabhängig davon, wie stark der Pass befahren ist, wird von allen Routen nach Übersreik die Nulnstraße am stärksten genutzt.
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Die meisten Handelsgüter, die nach Übersreik kommen oder verlassen, tun dies auf dem Fluss. Das Jungfreud-Herzogtum Schwarzfels ist durch den Teufel mit Übersreik verbunden, der bis zur tiefen Schlüssellochschlucht beschiffbar ist. Bis vor kurzem wurden Handelslieferungen mit wertvoller Kohle und Eisenerz von Schwarzfels per Barkasse über den Teufel nach Übersreik gebracht. Wegen der jüngsten Unruhen haben sich die Jungfreuds jedoch dafür entschieden, stattdessen entlang des Hagercyrb-Kanals zu versenden, was zu einem Mangel an Kohle in Übersreik geführt hat. Flussabwärts führt der Teufel zum Fluss Reik und weiter nach Altdorf. Diese schiffbare Verbindung zur Hauptstadt stärkt die Bedeutung von Übersreik weiter.
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Kürzlich half der Erzherzog von Oberteufel bei der Finanzierung eines bedeutenden Kanalsystems. Zwei dieser Kanäle sind mit dem Teufel verbunden: der Kanal der grauen Dame und der Hagercryb. DerKanal der grauen Dame führt hinunter nach Nuln und führt zu einer Abkürzung, so dass man nicht den Teufel hinunter und den Reik wieder hinauf muss. Der Hagercryb verbindet die Tahme zuerst mit dem Bögen zu schlussendlich flussabwärts von Altdorf der Reik. Wichtig ist, dass dies Übersreik mit Carroburg und wiederum mit Marienburg verbindet.
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Diese Kanäle sorgten in der imperialen Familie für große Sorgen, da sie die Umgehung der Zölle und Abgaben von Altdorf ermöglichten. Um dem entgegenzuwirken, versuchte Imperator Luitpold III. 2484 IC, den Bau der Kanäle im Reikland-Vertrag zu blockieren. Als dies fehlschlug, versuchte er stattdessen, den Teufel dort auszugraben, wo er auf den Reik trifft. Die Sümpfe in dieser Gegend sind tückisch und notorisch schwer zu navigieren. Infolge der wiederholten Versäumnisse von Luitpold, dies zu tun, ist dieses schlammige Gebiet des Marschlandes jetzt als Luitpolds Torheit bekannt.
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Übersreik ist von eine massiven, zinnenbesetzten Steinmauer umgeben. Sie wurde während der Regierungszeit von Magnus dem Frommen erbaut und von Zwergeningenieuren entworfen, um eine Verbindung zu Burg Schwarzfels herzustellen. Truppen der Übersreik-Staatsarmee besetzten einst die Zinnen, aber Altdorfs Soldaten haben diese Aufgabe jetzt übernommen. Große und kleine Türme ragen aus den Mauern. Die größten sind der Helmsweg, Hugeldal, von Vogelmann und Magnus. Der Helmsweg gilt als der „glücklichste“, da er nie beschädigt wurde. Hugeldal hat eine beachtliche Neigung, obwohl die meisten Zwerge schnauben, wenn sich jemand traut zu sagen, dass er umkippen könnte. Der imposante von Voglemann-Turm verfügt über schwere Mauern und mehrere Kanonen, kann aber nur mit einem speziellen Aufzug erreicht werden, was die Aufgaben dort zu einem gemischten Segen macht. Der Magnus Tower ist der höchste von allen und liegt im Herzen des Wachbezirks.
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Drei Tore und ein Fluss führen durch die hohen Mauern. Nach den ursprünglichen Spezifikationen von Magnus dem Frommen sind das Nord- und das Südtor breit genug 'um ein ganzes Regiment durchmarschieren' zu lassen. Sie stehen von morgens bis abends offen bis das große Horn am Magnus-Turm bläst und vor ihrer bevorstehenden Schließung warnt. Ein einzelnes, massives, eisengebundenes Eichentor schließt sich dann an jedem Tor. Ein stabiler Fallgatter, eine Vielzahl von Mordlöchern und verschiedene tödliche Zwergenmechanismen säumen jeden Eingang und gewährleisten die Unantastbarkeit von Übersreik. Das kleinere Osttor bietet diese Sicherheit nicht, ist aber nur breit genug für zwei nebeneinander liegende Karren. Alle drei Tore werden von einem Zollbeamten und der Wache überwacht, um sicherzustellen, dass alle angemessenen Steuern unverzüglich gezahlt werden.
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Der Teufel wird von schweren Türmen und riesigen Fallgattertoren geschützt - je eines im Osten und Westen. Die Fallgitter werden selten geschlossen, da es fast eine halbe Stunde dauert, sie aufzuziehen. In der untersten Etage der Türme befinden sich auch Windenhäuser, mit denen eine massive, von Zwergen geschmiedete Kette mit Gliedern, der Größe eines gewachsenen Mannes, hochgezogen werden kann. Die Kette ist mit riesigen Stacheln und riesigen Klingen ausgekleidet, die ein Kriegsschiff ausnehmen könnten.
","img":"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/Übersreik-gate.webp "}, {"id":"6rRbd09TH00qeSzD","name":"Grafschaft Grauwerk","description":"Die dicht bewaldeten Grafschaften Grauwerk und Karstadt sind Zufluchtsorte für Jäger und Fährtenleser und beherbergen Gruppen von Adligen, die Wild jagen möchten. Die Wälder sind mit Jagdhütten übersät, und selbst der Sitz des regierenden Bruners, Steirlich-Anwesen, ist eine stark befestigte Hütte. Das Haus Bruner schöpft aus seinen tiefen Minen, die in den südlichen Hägercrybs versenkt wurden, immensen Reichtum, und trotz jahrhundertelangem Wohlstand zeigen die Minen dort keine Anzeichen von Erschöpfung. Die Bruners kauften das benachbarte Herzogtum Karstadt vor einigen Jahrzehnten von dem Haus Karstadt, das durch schwierige Zeiten ging. Dies brachte ihnen fruchtbares Ackerland und die Hauptstraße nach Übersreik unter Bruner-Kontrolle, ganz zu schweigen von einer Reihe profitabler Mautstellen. Die Bruners forderten die Karstadts auf, ihr Adelspatent als Verkaufsbedingung abzugeben, was von den damals regierenden Jungfreuds unterstützt wurde, was die Karstadts effektiv zu Bürgern machte. Während nur wenige diese Entscheidung ergründen konnten, brachte der enorme Erfolg der Karstadts, als sie ein neues @JournalEntry[Karstadt Estate]{Kaufmannshaus}, errichteten und sie schließlich zu einer der reichsten Familien im Herzogtum machten, ihre Kritiker bald zum Schweigen.
\nGraf Steirlich regiert beide Provinzen direkt, obwohl er viele Vasallen hat. Er wurde wie sein Herrenhaus nach einem seiner berühmten Vorfahren benannt und ist ein motivierter und entschlossener Mann. Er reitet regelmäßig durch sein Land, jagt Banditen, Bestien und Geflügel mit gleicher Begeisterung. Er interessiert sich wenig für Politik und überlässt solche Angelegenheiten seiner Mutter @JournalEntry[Bruner Palace]{Kisaiya von Bruner} und seinem Neffen Heissman. Aber er liebt seine Familie und schenkte seiner Nichte Ludmilla kürzlich das Schloss Ulmeturm als Hochzeitsgeschenk, um ihre Vereinigung mit @Actor[Rickard Aschaffenberg], zu feiern. Eine Geste, die Kisaiya für dumm und verschwenderisch hält.
","img":"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/grauwerk-karstadt.webp "}, {"id":"7HiavB8S4KPMOfcD","name":"Der Tempel von Verena","description":"Der Tempel von Verena, die Göttin der Weisheit, steht an der südöstlichen Ecke des Handel-Platzes. Ein bescheidenes Gebäude, die Gottesdienste werden regelmäßig von Wissenschaftlern besucht, darunter auch von Mitgliedern der Justiz von Übersreik. Hinter dem einstöckigen Tempel befindet sich das „Nebengebäude“, eine große Bibliothek, die allen offen steht. Das Nebengebäude enthält einen breiten, gut beleuchteten Lesesaal und viele Bücher und Schriftrollen, einschließlich der Charta und der Satzung der Stadt sowie Protokolle der historischen Entscheidungen der Jungfreuds. Die wertvolleren oder gefährlicheren Bücher befinden sich in einem verschlossenen Raum, der nur mit dem Segen des Hohenpriesters zugänglich ist.
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@Actor[Heinrich Gutenberg] ist der Hohepriester des Tempels. Gutenberg wird von Dagmar Schirma unterstützt, einer kurzsichtigen Bibliothekarin, die eindeutig vom Hohepriester besessen ist. Davon weiß Gutenberg aber leider nichts
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Herlichen Glückwunsch! Sowohl Du als auch die Spieler haben "die Runde machen" abgeschlossen. Hoffentlich gab es nicht zu viele Opfer! Aber es gibt keinen Grund, jetzt mit dem Spielen aufzuhören. Es gibt viele andere Abenteuer in WFRP.
\nWenn ihr weiterspielen möchtet, findet ihr auf den folgenden Seiten weitere 10 kurze Szenarien, die ihr nach Belieben zu vollständigen Abenteuern oder kleinen Nebenaufgaben entwickeln könnt. Beachte, dass diese für erfahrene SLs präsentiert werden und an einigen Stellen das WFRP für NPC-Statistiken erfordern.
\nDarüber hinaus werden in Übersreikzahlreiche Adventure Hooks (Ideen zum Erstellen eigener Abenteuer) vorgestellt, und online ist eine wachsende Sammlung von Abenteuern verfügbar. Viele davon befinden sich in und um Übersreik und sind eine perfekte Ergänzung zu diesem Buch. Das erste, Übersreik Adventures: Wenn Blicke töten könntenist kostenlos erhältlich. Sie können auch ein vollständiges Buch mit Abenteuern wie Rough Nights & Hard Days kaufen oder eine epische Kampagne wie The Enemy Within.starten.
\nEines der besten Dinge bei Rollenspielen ist die Entwicklung der Charaktere. Am Ende jeder Sitzung erhaltet ihr normalerweise
\nErfahrungspunkte (EP) (zwischen 75 und 125) für die Teilnahme und das Erreichen von Leistungen während des gesamten Abenteuers. Diese EP können für Fähigkeiten, Talente und Karrierenaufstieg ausgegeben werden, die im Karriereprofil eines Charakters zu finden sind.
\nWenn Sie die vollständigen Regeln verwenden, werden am Ende jeder Sitzung die folgenden Erfahrungspunkte vergeben:
\nJeweils 25 bis 50 Punkte für Engagement beim Rollenspiel in jeder Sitzung
\n15 Punkte für die Rettung von Lady Karstadt in Teil 1
\n5 Punkte für das Überleben des Aufstands in Teil 1
\n10–25 Punkte für eine gute Rede vor Gericht in Teil 2
\n10 Punkte für die Rettung von Narbe Ditwin in Teil 3
\n10 Punkte, um die Behörden davon zu überzeugen, sich mit dem Teufelsterror in Teil 4 zu befassen
\n50 Punkte für das Töten des Teufelsterrors in Teil 4
\n15 Punkte zur Lösung der Silverbeard-Probleme in Teil 4
\n20 Punkte für die Sicherung von Ranalds Gunst in Teil 4
\n10 Punkte für die Aufdeckung der Gründe für den Aufstand in Teil 4
\n30 Punkte für das Zurückdrängen des Wandelnden Griffes in Teil 5
\n50 Punkte für die Rettung von Maurers Leben in Teil 5
\n25 Punkte für die Freisprechung von der Wache in Teil 5
\n50 Punkte für die Lösung jedes der 10 kurzen Szenarien in diesem Buch
"}, {"id":"7P6lMJTeGEkmlsWL","name":"Luigi & Salvatore","description":"In Luigi & Salvatore gehen die Reichen und Maßlosen von Übersreik einkaufen. Es ist ein dreistöckiges Gebäude aus dunklem Granit mit großen Fenstern und eines der größeren L&S-Outlets im Imperium. Im Inneren werden die Käufer von einem labyrinthischen Gewirr von Säulen und Regalen empfangen mit Dutzenden von Bediensteten, die allzeit bereit sind, Kunden zu helfen oder Zeitverschwender und Gesindel rauszuwerfen. Hier können alles von hochwertiger Qualität und hochpreisigen Waren gekauft werden: Kleidung, Waffen und Rüstungen, Vorräte, Schreibmaterialien und vieles mehr.
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Adriana Corolla leitet den opulenten Laden. Sie verbringt die meiste Zeit mit Papierkram in ihrem Büro im Keller. Sie bedient ihre einflussreichste Kundschaft persönlich und macht regelmäßig Pausen, um durch den Ladenboden zu schreiten, und macht laute, unterstützende Kommentare mit ihrem unverwechselbaren Tileanischem Akzent.
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Diese weitläufige Taverne aus Balken und Latten richtet sich fast ausschließlich an die Stauer und Lastenträger der Stadt, die das Monopol für das Be- und Entladen aller Handelsgüter in Übersreik haben. Ohne ihre Gebühren zu bezahlen, bewegt sich keine Ihrer Fracht.
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The Dockers 'Arms ist praktisch das Gildenhaus der Stauergilde. Es fungiert nicht nur als Zentrum aller Stauer-Aktivitäten, sondern gehört auch dem Gildenmeister: Wilhelm 'Big Willi' Docker. Big Willi ist ein Riese eines Mannes mit Armen, die größer sind als die Oberschenkel der meisten Männer. Im Untergeschoss befinden sich zwei Schankräume und eine kleine Küche. Im Obergeschoss befindet sich der Wohnbereich der Familie Docker mit einer kleinen Küche, einem Wohnbereich und drei Schlafzimmern.
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Zu jeder Zeit trinken mehrere Stauertrupps in der Taverne und viele weitere arbeiten an den Kais, Lagerhäusern, Handelshäusern oder Straße. Die Arbeit erfolgt unter einer gewisse Überwachung, um sicherzustellen, dass nichts ohne ordnungsgemäße Dokumentation geladen oder entladen wird.
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Diese Flucht von Zimmern in einem großen, gedrungenen Block ist die Heimat des Harataki-Klans der Zwerge. Als einst edle Linie verloren sie etwa 400 Jahre vor Sigmars Geburt die Kontrolle über Karak Branar, ihren angestammten Besitz. Seitdem hat der Klan sein Vermögen durch eine Reihe erfolgloser Versuche ihr Land zurückzugewinnen, verloren. Nach der Zerstörung von Übersreik halfen Handwerker des Klans beim Wiederaufbau der Stadt und bauten sich auch den großen Block, in dem sie jetzt leben. Im Laufe der Jahre haben sie Räume und Gebäudeteile verkauft, unglückselige Expeditionen finanziert und so sind nur eine Handvoll Zimmer für sie selbst übrig geblieben.
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Königin Vilda ist die Klanführerin und überwacht seit über einem Jahrhundert die schwindenden Ressourcen ihres Klans. Obwohl ihre Familie zunehmend verzweifelter und ihre Beziehung zur Ehre entfremdeter geworden ist, ist sie entschlossen, sowohl ihre verlorenen Festung als auch ihren verlorenen Status unter anderen Zwergen wiederzugewinnen. Als solche ist sie wachsam gegenüber Beleidigungen oder Respektlosigkeit und hält das Grollbuch ihres Klans immer griffbereit.
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Die Karmesinroten Schädel stammen aus der Zeit vor dem großen Krieg gegen das Chaos. Selten unter den Khorne-Kulten verstehen die Anhänger, dass sie bei ihrem Blutlassen umsichtig sein müssen, um ihr Überleben zu sichern. Deshalb infiltriert der Kult militärische Organisationen und bietet plausible Rechtfertigungen für extreme Gewalt.
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Das Rotkrallen-Kloster im @JournalEntry [Herzogtum Aschaffenberg] beherbergt eine Kultzelle. Die Rotkrallen-Sekte wird nicht nur vom Ulric-Kult nicht anerkannt, sondern wurde von einem Kultisten des Karmesinroten Schädels gegründet, um Ulricaner anzuziehen und sie zu bekehren. Abt Hölleblut und sein inneres Heiligtum aus sieben Mönchen verehren heimlich Khorne, indem sie ihre eigenen Tötungen und die betrogenen Ulricaner im Kloster im Dienste des Schädelthrons widmen.
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Der Zinnsporn ist ein großes, rundes Gebäude mit offenem Dach in der Nähe des südlichen Nuln-Tors. Es wird für verschiedene Veranstaltungen verwendet, einschließlich Bären- und Hundekämpfen und Grubenkämpfen. Es wird gelegentlich verwendet, um Theaterstücke aufzuführen, sowohl von Wandertruppen als auch von lokalen Schauspielern. Das Gebäude liegt aufgrund eines vor einigen Jahrzehnten erlassenen Statuts außerhalb der Stadtmauern, weil der Anblick von Blut die empfindlichen Gefühle von Lady Jungfreud verletzte. Es gibt drei Stockwerke mit Galerien, in denen die Aufführungen verfolgt werden können. Auf der Rückseite des Holzgebäudes befinden sich eine Reihe von Ställen, in denen die Tiere gehalten werden, sowie eine dürftige Sammlung von Kostümen und Requisiten.
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Die Geschätzte Gesellschaft der Übersreik-Spieler besitzt und unterhält das Gebäude. Der Anführer unter ihnen ist ihr Dramatiker Wilhelm Schütteln, dessen Werke in der Regel überlang und wortreich sind. Dennoch wählt er als Hauptbeteiligter des Unternehmens die Stücke, die gespielt werden, aus. Dass Tier- und Grubenkämpfe immer deutlich mehr Geld verdienen, ist der Ursprung seiner ständigen Frustration, da dies bedeutet, dass er nur selten auftritt.
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Verwende die folgenden Statistiken für die Hunde und Bären, die in der Zinnsporn kämpfen. An den meisten Tagen gibt es einen einzigen Bären und [[/r 1d10]] Hunde, die hinter der Arena gehalten werden. Während Festivals und Jahrmärkten wird es deutlich mehr geben.
\n@Actor[Kampfhund]
\n@Actor[Kampfbär]
","img":"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/tin-spur.webp "}, {"id":"AehWPUFU22nQJIKy","name":"Kult des Sumpfkönigs","description":"Vor Jahrzehnten begannen die Anwohner in der kleinen Stadt Ablegen, eine Kreatur aus den Sumpfbänken @JournalEntry[Der Teufel]{des Teufels} anzubeten. Bekannt als @Actor[Der Sumpfkönig]{der Sumpfkönig}, handelte es sich um einen mutierten Sumpf-Oktopus, der über unnatürliche Intelligenz und die Fähigkeit zur telepathischen Kommunikation verfügt. Als es vom Reikland und den Mitteln der Reikländer erfuhr, sehnte es sich nach mehr.
\nSeitdem sind der Sumpfkönig und seine Anhänger nach Übersreik gezogen. Als enge Gemeinschaft von Abtrittfeger und Klempnern, die in der Nähe der Docks am Nordufer des Teufels leben, treffen sie sich regelmäßig in ihrem Keller. Hier stellen sie ihre Opfer auf den Opferthron: eine große, robuste Kommode, durch die der Sumpfkönig seine mächtigen Tentakel ausstrecken und die unglücklichen Seelen hinabziehen kann, die für diese „Ehre“ ausgewählt wurden.
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Part 2 opens with the Characters imprisoned beneath the @JournalEntry[Watch Barracks] in the @JournalEntry[The Precinct]{Precinct} district of Übersreik. They’ve spent a crowded night with the other brawlers, all of whom are awaiting their arraignment. All weapons were confiscated with the assurance they will be returned if sentencing goes well.
\nWhite-faced mime artists surround the party gesticulating energetically but refuse to talk. These brilliantly garbed clowns have argued for hours about the merits of various face paints; there’s a delightful Halfling girl with a long, hand-made beard named Gerlindelallen: ‘Call me Geri. Naw, I am not a Dwarf, look at the size of me hands! Far too small!’ and an old ‘mutant’ named Henroth. But not really.
\nHenroth is a carnival player dressed as a ‘mutant’ for a play. He is covered in shimmering-gold metallic paint, now flaking and leaving little trails of glitter behind him. His right arm is enclosed within a huge bedraggled ‘tentacle’ made of felt and leather. He offers kind Characters a pull from a flask of brandy he keeps hidden in his ‘special mutant’ arm. ‘Superstitious sods don’t even want to touch it.’ Everyone is covered in dried pie and flaking mud. The stench makes everyone hungry and a little nauseous at the same time.
\nFor hours, various cell mates are taken away in ones and twos. Rumour has it the legal apparatus of Übersreik is rapidly throwing fines at everyone who participated in the brawl before letting them go. No one knows who started the brawl. The carnival folk claim it certainly wasn’t them, ‘Bad for business, innit!’ . Some blame Jungfreud supporters. Others blame the Altdorfers. The watchmen certainly aren’t talking — most of them sport bruises and resentful glares. Characters that make a Simple Gossip or Wahrnehmungs-Wurf note the Watch members are all from Altdorf, though they wear gold and blue Übersreiks livery and deep frowns.
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In the late morning, the Characters hear a Watchman calling their names. As they exit the cell, they are clad in manacles and find a sizable escort of soldiers awaiting them outside the barracks. If Salundra is present, she is afforded far more courtesy than the rest of the Characters and is not shackled. If Gunnar is present, all of the soldiers take a firm grip on their weapons as he passes and watch him closely.
\nIf Ferdinand is with the group and used any magic during the brawl, he is gagged to stop him casting spells, and a Warrior Priest of Sigmar stands with the soldiers. When the wizard exits the barracks, the priest walks forward to stare him in the eye and growls: ‘If you so much as twitch wrong, I’ll cave your skull in!’
\nLow-lying fog drifts over the streets and slightly muffles sound as the party is marched through the @JournalEntry[The Precinct]{Precinct} and over @JournalEntry[Übersreik Bridge]. As they approach the @JournalEntry[Marktplatz], they can hear the murmurs of a crowd in the distance. Their escort steers them towards a daunting stone building on the east side of the market: Übersreiks @JournalEntry[Rathaus].
\nA jeering crowd awaits them, only parting reluctantly as soldiers force them back to create a corridor. The crowd is yelling all sorts of encouragement and accusations: ‘Those are the ones that killed my cow!’; ‘Jungfreud scum!’; ‘Give ’em what for!’; ‘Murderers!’; ‘Serves you right, Altdorfers are here to help us!’; ‘Best of luck!’; ‘Go home!’; ‘3 to 1 says the bloody noble gets off wiv murder!’; ‘He turned me into a snake!’
\nThe Characters are led into the once pristine Nobles’ Court from which House Jungfreuds’ representatives used to make their rulings. The court’s stone walls are scarred with the marks of recent conflict. Bloodstains still show in several places where Jungfreud supporters were killed. Altdorf-liveried soldiers line the walls and makeshift benches are installed on an upper balcony for spectators. An elaborately robed judge draped in black and red, wearing a long, white wig sits upon a high dais peering down. A small pair of spectacles sits upon a long beak-like nose. He leans forward to study the party with evident interest. This is the right honourable Judge Melierte, a hard man, but generally considered fair. For an Empire judge that is...
\nJudge Melierte looks at his clerks. ‘Are these the accused?’ A clerk reads the Characters’ names one by one, pausing to look up each time awaiting a nod or similar signal from the name he called. Satisfied, the clerk nods to the judge. ‘Very well, read the charges.’ The clerk clears his throat and then intones: ‘You stand accused of destruction of private property, disruption of commerce, inciting a riot, contributing to general lawlessness, and murder.’
\nThe Judge looks down at the party and asks, ‘How do you plead?’ Before the (presumably stunned) Characters can say anything, a voice rings out in the courtroom: ‘Don’t say a word!’ A black-robed woman in a wig storms into the courtroom. She flashes a smile at the Characters then, slightly breathless, turns to address the judge. ‘Your pardon, your Honour, but I need a brief recess to consult with my clients before they say anything they’ll regret.’ Judge Melierte looks from the woman to the Characters and asks, ‘These, Osanna? Really?’ He snorts and shakes his head before pounding his gavel once. ‘We shall have a short recess. Hensil, fetch me a pie, preferably one that wasn’t involved in the market brawl.’
\nThe Characters are swiftly escorted into a nearby antechamber. One or two lingering guards are all but shoved out by the woman who firmly closes the door behind them, before turning to the party with a winning smile. ‘Well, it seems we’re in a spot of trouble, eh?’ Obviously, this is a massive understatement. The woman introduces herself as @Actor[Osanna Winandus]{Barrister Osanna Winandus}, ‘but, just call me Osanna, eh?’
\nCharacters can make an Durchschnittlichen (+20) Simple Lore (Empire) or Easy (+40) Simple Lore (Law) -Wurf to see if they remember hearing of a Osanna. Success indicates they know she is a prominent barrister of the Reikland who typically handles the cases of the wealthiest merchants. She was partially trained by the Cult of Verena (which she shows by having owls stitched into her robes — a favoured symbol of Verena, Goddess of Justice, Law, and Knowledge).
\nTypically, barristers only represent very wealthy clients, as they are the only lawyers allowed to address the higher appellate courts of the Empire. Use Osanna to get the Players roleplaying as their Characters. Have her ask and answer questions, and directly address any Players who are being quiet to bring them into the game.
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She pauses to read over a scroll she claimed from one of the law clerks. She shakes her head as she reads it. ‘Art critics are we? They’re trying to lay the whole of the riot at your feet. Says here you started the brawl, attacked soldiers, near ransacked the town and… oh, dear, killed Fosten the Fiery. The children will never forgive you that one.’ She pats the hand of any Character that exclaims they didn’t kill the fire breather. ‘Of course you didn’t, darling.’ The Characters doubtless have some questions for the barrister. If the Characters ask about the Judge’s comment, she laughs and says, ‘I have somewhat of a reputation for taking on lost causes’. The following are the mostly likely questions they may ask and how she may respond:
\nWe didn’t hire you (and we can’t afford you). Who did?
\nOsanna’s answer to this question depends on the Characters’ previous actions.
\nIf they saved the elderly woman and the young girl from the knife-wielding ruffians, Osanna says, ‘The Karstadts care very much about their family and they remember their friends. Young Jocelin’s mother thanks you with all her heart… and my humble services.’ See @JournalEntry[Karstadt Estate] for more on the Karstadt Family family.
\nIf the Characters didn’t involve themselves in the girl’s plight (or were unaware of it) Osanna says: ‘These are difficult times for Übersreik, and justice is all too often denied in such times. I am occasionally called upon to make certain that the scales are balanced. Your benefactors prefer to remain anonymous, but if I can get you out of this mess, donations to the Cult of Verena would not go amiss.’
\nWho has accused us?
\n‘Everyone. And that is very suspicious in and of itself. In point of fact, I happen to know that one of the witnesses listed here is blind. You’ve been set up to take a fall, so we have to be very careful how we proceed. You have enemies, or maybe friends, in very high places.’
\nWho set us up for a fall?
\n‘I haven’t the faintest.’ Although Osanna isn’t strictly lying here, she isn’t really telling the truth, either. The Characters are potentially very dangerous and very useful to the right people. Several powerful groups know not all is well in the shadows of Übersreik, and already manoeuvres to manipulate and use the Characters have begun. In particular, one individual was alerted to the Characters by an agent in the market, @Actor[Heske Glazer].
\nIt’s your call to decide who this mysterious manipulator is. Refer to the A Guide to Übersreik for ideas, but obvious choices include: @JournalEntry[Aschaffenberg Manor]{Duke Brynich Aschaffenberg}, @Actor[Hellin Karstadt-Stampf], @JournalEntry[Bruner Palace]{Lady Kisaya von Bruner}, Lady @Actor[Emmanuelle Nacht]{Lady Emmanuelle Nacht} or @Actor[Jendrik von Dabernick]{General von Daberninck}, anyone on the Übersreik @JournalEntry[Übersreik Council]{Town Council}, or even Andreas von Bruner.
\nWhomever it is, Osanna likely knows where the money paying for her services is sourced, though she will not volunteer this information.
\nWhat is your counsel?
\n‘You have little hope of being found innocent if you plead not guilty, as you were involved in the riot. Rather, we will make a “no contest” plea, admitting neither guilt, nor claiming total innocence, though we will hotly deny killing Fosten.’ Osanna grins at this. ‘Generally heavy fees and hard labour in the Grey Mountains would be the minimum sentence with such a plea, but I have some sway with the court, and I know they have been requested to support the Watch in these trying times, as it is severely depleted…’
\nIf the Characters express astonishment at this notion — such as asking why the Watch would accept them if they were ‘criminals’, Osanna laughs heartily. ‘Have you met our current Watch? It’s mostly comprised of the very worst soldiers from the Altdorf State Army, aided by idiots and fools. You’ll fit right in, given your martial leanings, and should be able to quickly make your mark. Besides, it would help smooth matters in town if we had some more folk on the Watch who cared about Übersreik and the people here.’
\nIf any Characters with the Lore (Law) Skill pass a Einfach (+40) Lore (Law) Wurf, they will know that something is very odd here. Most Empire courts would reject such a ‘no contest’ plea out of hand. A passed Durchschnittlichen (+20) Simple Intuition-Würfe indicate the barrister seems to be honest (well, as honest as any lawyer can ever be).
\nOsanna states that the Characters certainly don’t have to follow her counsel, and can ‘take their chances with the mercy of the court’ if they wish. She then notes: ‘If you are held responsible for the death of Fosten the Fiery, you will be executed. If you somehow manage to talk your way out of that — not that the court will even bother to listen or give you a chance to explain yourselves — but are still found guilty of the other charges, at the very least, you’ll see several years of hard labour at Übersreiks penal quarry in the foothills of the Grey Mountains. It’s not a nice place. Prisoners there are frequently killed by raiding greenskins before their sentences are finished.’
\nIf the Characters accept Osanna’s expert advice, she tells them to let her do the talking unless the judge asks them a direct question.
\nIf Salundra is present, Osanna tells her that, as a noble, she is allowed to address the court if she wishes, but that normal provisions for the nobility are in somewhat of a legal grey area as the town has no formal ruler. Osanna will strongly recommend Salundra request clemency, and offer her services as a trained soldier of the Empire. Indeed, if Salundra were to offer her service to the Watch, it would almost certainly avoid a steeper sentence, and would help the case.
\nThe Characters may well suspect that they’re being set up, and Osanna will merely nod, because they almost certainly are. Someone clearly has a vested interest in seeing the party join the Watch. If it seems likely the Characters will attempt something foolish in an attempt to avoid this fate, Osanna will remark that violence is particularly unwise as the they are outnumbered, shackled, and without weapons.
\nOnce all the Characters’ questions are answered and the party is ready to face its judgement, Osanna leaves the antechamber briefly to tell the court that the Characters are prepared to proceed. She then leads the party back into the waiting courtroom.
\nIf the party accepts Barrister Winandus’ advice and lets her talk in their stead, Osanna declares to the judge that the party is not directly contesting the charges, but notes the Characters certainly didn’t start the fight. She then claims the party only acted in self-defence, and unquestionably did not kill Fosten the Fiery. To reinforce this, she notes that none of the party owns a crossbow, the weapon by which the fire breather was killed (obviously, if one of the Characters does own a crossbow, she does not bring this up!).
\nIf Salundra intends to speak, the barrister then gestures her forwards with a nod and a smile. The noble soldier can then make an Durchschnittlichen (+20) Simple Charm Wurf to present herself well.
\nSuccess means that Judge Melierte is impressed, which could certainly help Salundra in the future should she fall into trouble again. Failure means he writes her off as a someone of little interest, and ignores her appeals.
\nAfter Salundra has spoken (if she chooses to) the Judge asks each Character a question, and expects to be answered, providing another opportunity for the Players to each roleplay their Characters.
\nSalundra: ‘So, Lady von Drakenburg, whatever will your lord-father say when he finds out what his daughter considers good use of her time?’
\nGunnar: ‘How exactly is the Slayer’s Oath served by destroying our Marktplatz?’
\nMolrella: ‘However did someone as innocuous as you get involved in this awful situation, my dear? It seems hardy likely you are involved by your own desire!’
\nFerdinand: ‘Are you aware of the penalties for misuse of magic, wizard? It’s difficult to cast spells without a tongue, I’m told. What will you tell your master of these events?’
\nAmris: ‘I’m not very familiar with Elves, Master Emberfell. Do your kind always riot when a play goes awry?’
\nElse: ‘You keep strange company, Fraulein Sigloben. I know somewhat of your family. What would your Mother think?’
\n\n\nGrimnir's Chosen
\nSlayers are sworn to seek a death in battle against worthy foes of their folk, but the purpose of their oath is to reclaim their honour. One’s honour cannot be reclaimed while breaking other oaths in the process. The famed Slayer Kings of Karak Kadrin have each held the terrible burden of the conflicting oaths of a King and a Slayer for five generations. Judge Melierte will demand an oath from any Slayer vowing not to allow the Slayer Oath to conflict with any duties as a member of the Watch.
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If any of the Characters did something especially noteworthy during the brawl, the judge may refer to it in passing. If they fought the ruffians, he also says the following:
\n‘You claim not to have killed Fosten, but I’ve seen a report that says you did kill others. What happened?’
\nAfter Judge Melierte has finished with the questions and answers, he waves the barrister forward and briefly confers with her quietly. Finally, he addresses the whole court:
\n‘It seems fairly unlikely that these gathered here managed to assault the entire Marktplatz on their own. However, we also commend them on not bothering to waste the Court’s time on frivolous protestations of innocence. Thus we are inclined to be merciful.’
\nIf Salundra volunteered their services, he rolls her offer into the following. ‘After careful review of the evidence and circumstances surrounding this case, it is my view that those who had a hand in disrupting the peace of our fair town should also have a hand in restoring it. I sentence you all to supervised duty on the Watch in order that you may work off your debt to Übersreik. This duty will commence tomorrow for a period not to exceed three years. Failure to carry out your new duties shall be looked at as treason to the Empire and is punishable by death. In Verena’s name, I so rule. Your case is concluded. Hensil, bring me a glass of Bordeleaux
\nOsanna grins at the Characters and makes a slight bow. If any are shocked by the sentence, she quietly notes that, ‘Three years of supervised duty is immensely preferable to an immediate noose. Besides, give me time, I may be able to work an alternative to this at a later date. Personally, I’m delighted with this outcome.’ After all, this is exactly the outcome Osanna’s secret employer requested.
","img":"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/court.webp "}, {"id":"B08TvEPCAIY1KVow","name":"The Tinean Fellowship","description":"Tinea was an ancient city in the western Border Princes, not far from the border of modern-day Tilea. It was there, millennia ago, that Myrmidia, the Goddess of Strategy, discovered ancient texts penned by the Elf scholar Gaelen. She was intrigued by the complexity of the anatomical drawings found within, so passed them, on to the cult of her mother, Verena, the Goddess of Wisdom.
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Over 2000 years later, Gaelen’s Anatomy is a primary medical textbook of the Empire, celebrated by the Tinean Fellowship. Doktor Festus, a prominent physician based in Salzenmund, founded the Tinean Fellowship. Ostensibly, the cult operates as a loose confederation of learned doctors, exchanging information on rare and infectious diseases, but it is so much more.
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A secret follower of Nurgle, Festus is quietly recruiting chirurgeons around the Empire into his cult, enticing them with correspondences and seminars on rare contaminations, gently encouraging them to indulge in experimentation that contravenes medical ethics. As his malign influence grows, these erstwhile healers become the harbingers of disease, spreading sickness even as they learn its secrets. Thus, is the road to corruption paved with good intentions.
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In 2006 IC, a cult arose along the River Stir amidst smugglers involved in running a magical substance known as wyrdstone from the ruins of dread Mordheim. After several decades in the business, the smugglers eventually mutated, and not long after turned to the worship of Tzeentch, the Changer of the Ways. The resulting cult, the Shifting Grasp, believes the key to changing the Empire for the better lies in controlling river commerce, both legal and otherwise. They patiently convert lowly dock workers and riverfolk to their creed, promising a day when they will all share in the bounty of the goods flowing along the rivers instead of just shipping them for rich, uncaring merchants.
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The Shifting Grasp now has adherents all along the Stir, @JournalEntry[The Reik]{Reik}, and up many of Reikland’s richer rivers. However, the cult is strongest in poorer districts, such as the rickety shanties of @JournalEntry[Kemperbad] and the slums and rookeries of Übersreik. Shifting Grasp cultists regularly smuggle tainted goods, so they sometimes have to work hard to keep their mutated members with obvious deformities well hidden. If such mutations become too severe to conceal, the cultists in question are saved for operations targeting their foes.
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In Übersreik, Alette Niedlich leads the cult. She’s a sturdy woman in early 40s, with a bright silver lock running through her dark hair. She’s publicly known as an expert in eel-flesh and their farming, while in criminal circles she’s renowned as a cunning smuggler. None outside the cult know that she’s also a formidable witch, with her magical knowledge learned from a witch who claimed to remember the times of Magnus the Pious.
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The Circle of Unmarred Flesh only recently arrived in Übersreik, brought to the town by unwittingly corrupt members of the State Army of Altdorf. A soldiers’ cult, ‘Circlers’ take part in illicit fights while off duty, reveling in the extremes of pain they can inflict and can themselves endure. Its members are prohibited from drawing blood. Instead, they wrestle with cloth-wrapped fists as they attempt to overwhelm their opponent and force submission. Veterans of the cult seem able to endure greater and greater extremes of pain, seemingly taking great strength from twisting flesh and tearing muscles.
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Corporal Vielfrass is the cult’s leader. He is a lithe Altdorfer in his 30s, and he is known for his insubordination, and the many punishments he has had to endure because of this. He currently serves as a watchman, a detail that is widely claimed to be one of the worst in Übersreik. Though the cult includes a number of officers who outrank Vielfrass, when it comes to Circle matters, ‘The Corporal’ is in charge, and he brooks absolutely no dissention amongst his brawling ranks.
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You recently heard the following three rumours. You don’t know if they are true, but you have heard them more than once. It’s up to you to decide where you heard them. Was it in a tavern? On the road? At a local market? Or maybe from a friend? That’s entirely up to you and how you think your Character engages with the folk of Übersreik.
\nUntil recently, the rat catchers of Übersreik barely had a guild. They met once a month in @JournalEntry[The Red Moon Inn] to discuss rodent nests, but otherwise kept to themselves. The Duke of Übersreik funded a rat-tail bounty, which was just generous enough for them to make a living. But then the Jungfreuds were removed from power, and the rat catchers, bountyless, seemed doomed.
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However, just a week later, @Actor[Guildmaster Wahlund]{Wahlund}, a foreign rat catcher, arrived in Übersreik with his ‘Exterminators’. Wahlund bought an old inn, which he offered the guild if it let him lead them. Somewhat stunned, the rat catchers warily agreed, and Wahlund became Guildmaster Wahlund. His first act was to approach the Town Council to demand a new rat-tail bounty. The burgomeister was reluctant, but wanted to appear as capable as the Jungfreuds before him, so agreed. Wahlund then printed pamphlets advertising new, higher rates, each containing numerous testimonials from satisfied customers. He then hired a small army of street urchins to hand them out. And then the money rolled in.
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Wahlund’s Rat Catchers, as the guild is now named, is located in a former tavern on Grossweg. Wahlund purchased it from a retired seaman. The tavern’s sign had depicted a snarling, fat shark, so it now has a dead rat painted hastily into its mouth. The old taproom serves as a meeting room and clubhouse for the rat catchers and their visitors. The cellar houses a kennel for their dogs, and also contains a secure entrance into Übersreik’s sewer complex, which is why the inn was chosen.
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The guild comprises only nine members. It is led by @Actor[Guildmaster Wahlund], who arrived in Übersreik shortly before the Altdorf forces invaded. Wahlund brought with him a small company of experienced, heavily tattooed Sewer Jacks: Anders de Geer, Mårten Stormdal, and Rickard Blomberg. They joined the town’s five local ratcatchers: @Actor[Melina Heilbronn], Günther Burkharrt, Reineke Rattenfanger, Fritz Vogelman, and Tormo Hakenbein.
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In recent years, this guild has grown significantly in wealth and influence. In addition to forks and knives, they have begun selling weaponry. While the bylaws of Übersreik specify that only members of the Metalworkers’ Guild may make swords, the cutlers have exploited a loophole regarding how the handle is attached to the tang, allowing them to class their blades as knives (albeit knives with blades several feet long).
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The building comprises the old guildhouse, which has been expanded to include a large forge and workshop area, and a small showroom. Here shoppers can purchase blades, which are of high quality and surprisingly good value.
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Rudy Schlau, the guildmaster, is a skilled politician. Adept at obfuscation and misdirection, he says very little, but uses many words to do so. Unknown to almost all, Dordean Mournflair is the secret behind his guild’s success. Dordean is an Elf who has called Übersreik home for centuries. Until recently, he was grieving the passing of a lover who died in the Great War Against Chaos over 200 years ago. As the decades of grieving passed, the Elf grew fond of the locals. Now the period of mourning at an end, it was time he returned to a previous calling: following the footsteps of Vaul, the Elven God of Smiths. However, Dordean was spurned by the Metalworkers’ Guild, whose Dwarf sympathies could not countenance an Elf smith. As a result, the Cutlers (who now worship Vaul) are benefitting from his calling.
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The Merchants’ Guild has become the political powerhouse of Übersreik overnight. Following the Jungfreud’s removal, it is now the most influential force in local politics. Guildmaster Marta Müller is keen to exploit this influential force for the benefit of the guild and the town’s merchants. She has undertaken a series of renovations, to ensure the guildhouse’s facade reflects both civic pride and opulent wealth; but, for now, it is a mass of wooden scaffolding, swarming with surly tradesmen. There’s a private club for local merchants, or visitors who are signed in by a member in the ground floor. Upstairs there is a suite of more formal meeting rooms.
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Müller is a shrewd businesswoman with a jolly demeanor. Her family specialize in dairy products, as well as other foodstuffs. She has been the master of the guild for three years, but the position is contested annually, drawing from representatives of the town’s four main trading houses: Brauninger, Hertie, Karstadt, and Müller. Given the political upheaval, the impending election will be more fraught than usual.
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The mountainous Duchy of Schwarzfels is preparing for war, and the rampant Jungfreud stag flies as troops march. As the fortress-town of Neufaljung grows overcrowded as refugees and soldiers arrive from Übersreik, Schwarzfels Mine works double-time to compensate. Historically, its goods were shipped through Übersreik and sold to @JournalEntry[Altdorf]. But since losing the town, the Jungfreuds secured a new trade-route with Baroness von Bohrn to the north, who was appalled at the Emperor’s unjust actions.
\nGiven the depth of the Jungfreud coffers, the stout walls Neufaljung Castle, and the sheer number of soldiers they employ, it is hard to imagine the dispute between the Emperor and the graf will be resolved any time soon.
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The village of @JournalEntry[Grauner] is no longer protected by State Soldiers because of the recent turmoil. So, Gavrich Bloch, the son of the village elder, and old army friend of Salundra’s, reaches out for help. Gavrich wants to train a local militia, but was never a good officer, so he asks Salundra to stand in. ‘C’mon Sal, it’ll be like the old days!’ The folk of Grauner would normally petition their lord, Baron Ruprecht Graufelsen — and Salundra’s cousin — for such training, however he refuses to provide assistance.
\nGavrich knows there is no love lost between Salundra and her cousin Ruprecht, so he hopes she and her friends will help. Gavrich can’t pay, but lodgings are provided, and as much beer as everyone can drink from the local tavern, Der Sumpfkönig’s Arms.
\nUpon arrival, the Characters meet Sebastian Bloch, the village elder and Gavrich’s father; @Actor[Berthilda Hebamme], a widower who leads the Woman’s Council; and Parzival Reisefuhrer, a busybody Bailiff. Gavrich suggests Reisefuhrer should be distracted to keep him ignorant of the preparations, as he may kill the baron.
\nElder Bloch and Hebamme suggest the Characters make an excuse for their presence, perhaps claiming they’re hunting Beastmen for employers back in Übersreik. If this suggestion is taken, Reisefuhrer immediately shows interest in scouting with the Characters. ‘Finally, true soldiers! We shall see what’s what!’
\nIn truth, Reisefuhrer is looking to quiz the Characters’ as he’s actively looking for suspicious activity. Baron Ruprecht’s refuses to allow a local militia due to reports of potential Dark Cult activity among the villagers. The baron is not sure if the villagers are corrupt, so he refuses to arm them, but he also doesn’t want to lose the taxes, so he has not ordered a purge. Instead, he sent Reisefuhrer to be his eyes and ears. Reisefuhrer will report back whatever he learns of the Characters to his master that evening.
\nThe next evening, a small herd of @Actor[Ungor]{Beastmen} attacks Grauner.
\nThe villagers let the SCs deal with this. The Beastmen will retreat as soon as the battle turns against them. Any Character who performs a Einfach (+40) Lore (Reikland) or Intuition -Wurf will know this is uncharacteristic behaviour; Beastmen normally don’t retreat so quickly. Still, the folk of Grauner celebrate the victory, throwing a feast in their honour. In truth, the secret Cultist orchestrated the attack, using it to test the Characters’ mettle.
\nNext morning, an agent of the baron — Witch Hunter Hedwig Tiermann — arrives with 6 soldiers. Tiermann claims the Characters are heretics, and provides Baron Ruprecht’s testimony that Salundra is a rebellious cur who chooses the soldier’s life over the duty of being a noble scion! She must reveal herself now! Fortunately, Hebamme offers to smuggle the party from Grauner as Gavrich and Elder Bloch delay the Witch Hunter.
\nUnfortunately, Hebamme is also the cultist. She lost her husband, Ortlouf, to Beastmen five years ago in an ill-advised attack ordered by Baron Ruprecht. When Hebamme learned this, she flew into a rage and stormed into the woods, her wrath incredible. She slew many Beastmen before, surprising her, those remaining bowed to her in supplication, sensing the Blood God within her. Hebamme then realised who her real enemy was, and now lives for one thing only: to kill Baron Ruprecht and all his kin. Including Salundra. Hebamme leads the party to a wood where 8 Beastmen hide, and screams in apparent fear as they ambush. When its least expected, she then picks up a warstave hidden behind a tree and bellows, ‘Blood for the Blood God!’ before joining the fray against the party.
\nNo one believes Hebamme’s betrayal unless the party brings proof; proof that is heretical to carry. If wise, the Characters retreat to Übersreik. Of course, Tiermann will follow, almost certainly with accusations of defenceless Frau Hebamme murder…
","img":"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/memories-of-blood.webp "}, {"id":"E84tDcjNRfZH9ZGl","name":"Teubrücke","description":"Übersreik docks of spread the length of @JournalEntry[Der Teufel] in the center of the town. The Docks comprise the usual mixture of wharves, warehouses, inns, guildhouses, cheap services, and tax and customs offices. Slums lie behind the bustle of these buildings — the housing quality dipping with every step taken from the river. Though officially listed as Teubrücke in the town’s charter, this quarter, and all its attached slum and warehouse districts, is generally referred to as ‘The Docks’.
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@JournalEntry[Gilde der Flussschiffer]
\n@JournalEntry[Zollhaus]
\n@JournalEntry[Dockers' Arms]
\n@JournalEntry[Grail Chapel]
\n@JournalEntry[Ruggers Pension]
\n@JournalEntry[Strohmann Markt]
\n@JournalEntry[The Crooked Hammer]
\n@JournalEntry[The Guildhouse of Boatbuilders and Chandlers]
\n@JournalEntry[The Hog Pit]
\n@JournalEntry[The Red Moon Inn]
\n@JournalEntry[The Kat House]
\n@JournalEntry[Übersreik Bridge]
"}, {"id":"EefQREkmmXVEWtx1","name":"Chapel of Ulric","description":"Though worship of Ulric, God of Winter and War, is less common in Reikland in comparison to the northern realms of the Empire, the intense concentration of military folk in Übersreik means this temple is more frequently attended than might be expected. Though called the Chapel of Ulric, it is actually a temple. It is a large, cold building with an imposing stone façade — resembling a fortress more than a temple. Within, a flame burns day and night, beside a large statue of a grim-faced Ulric.
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Denfather Holst Kretschmer, a heavily bearded Middenlander, tends the temple.
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Despite coming from an affluent family, with a genteel upbringing, Kretschmer adopts a broad Middenlander accent, to better fit the part. In addition to two other priests, Father Reiker and Father Arbert, Kretschmer has a small contingent of Knights of the White Wolf stationed in the temple. Mostly older, they all bear some injury or another, and are missing several teeth. Nevertheless, they are fearsome fighters, meaning the temple has been spared the worst of the recent troubles, ironically making the Chapel of Ulric one of the calmest places in town.
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Part 5 begins two weeks after the events of Rewards!. By that point, Sergeant @Actor[Rudi Klumpenklug]{Klumpenklug} is unlikely to be the party’s favourite person. One day, just after the Characters break up a brawl, a heavy-set woman in her late 40s approaches. She looks at the party’s work and nods in appreciation. ‘Thank the gods! Found you. Name’s Ilse Fassenwütend. Road Sergeant. Have a job for you. It’ll clear you from Klumpenklug. And the whole Watch! If you’re interested, meet me tonight at the Exploding Pig. I’ll explain everything there.’ She saunters off with a wave, ignoring further questions.
\n@Actor[Ilse Fassenwütend]{Fassenwütend} has lived a hard life. Her once bronze hair is streaked white, and a curving scar runs from her right eye to her jawline. She habitually sips from an old flask. Everything about her is worn or dishevelled, except her immaculate pistols. Their wooden stocks polished, their steel meticulously oiled, ready to fire at any time.
\nCharacters asking about her can make a Dramatisch Klatsch- Wurf. Failure means they hear nothing. Success brings word she is dedicated to her job, and has a reputation for finishing what she starts. With 2 or more Success Levels, they learn she was once considered the best road warden captain in the duchy, but was demoted after the total loss of her outfit five years ago. None know the circumstances surrounding this.
\nFassenwütend shows up in @JournalEntry[The Exploding Pig] in the early evening. She’s cranky because she’s, ‘painfully sober’. She thanks the Characters for coming and shares the following story:
\n\n\n‘There’s a prisoner. Stone mason. Name of Maurer. Cold bastard. Murdered many. Knocked a head clean off. Was tried. Found guilty. Awaits execution. All’s well, eh? Well, no. For good or ill, Reikland watches for signs. Holy signs. If a prisoner is scheduled for execution and something goes really wrong, the execution is stayed. Executioner’s axe breaks, or lightning strikes the headman’s block, it’s time to reschedule. Most times, second execution gets the job done. But not always. Sometimes things go wrong twice. Then a third date is set. A final date. You see, if the third execution goes wrong, it’s deemed to be the ‘Will of the Gods’ intervening for an innocent and the prisoner is set free. Fully pardoned. Twice Maurer has gone to the block. Twice he’s come back. The man is evil. Know it. Think the Dark Gods are watching him. His final execution date is approaching, yet the poor excuses for Watchmen here want no part of it. Sodden cowards…
\nSo, that’s where you come in. Know Klumpenklug from way back. Total scum. Asked around about you. Reckoned you might want to be free of him. And the Watch. So, here’s the deal: you escort Maurer to the block with me, four days hence, and I will get your sentences commuted for service above and beyond. No more death sentence. No more Sergeant Crap-sack Klumpenklug. Free and clear. What do you say?’
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If you’ve managed to make Klumpenklug really horrible, the Characters may immediately accept! It’s also possible they will want to think about it. Fassenwütend accepts this, but states she needs an answer within two days, otherwise she’ll have to recruit elsewhere. If the Characters agree on the spot, she tells them she’ll meet them the day before the execution to go over the route. Condemned prisoners are typically executed at the @JournalEntry[Thulmannplatz] in Übersreik. But @Actor[Holger Maurer]{Maurer} will be escorted to the edge of Morr’s Field outside the town to be beheaded with the rising sun.
\nThe two most likely questions the party will raise are: 1) Why does Fassenwütend need their help? 2) Why won’t the Watch help? On the first, she mutters, ‘Hmm. Expect trouble. The man is evil.’ On the latter, ‘Cowardice and superstition. Former Watch Sergeant, Sen-something-or-another, she wanted no part of it. Convinced others. But she was a Jungfreud loyalist. So, now she’s gone. The new Altdorf crew can’t be arsed.’
\nIf any Character asks her about the loss of her men five years ago, Fassenwütend regards them for a long moment before shaking her head ‘Was a band of Beastmen. Cunning scum. Took to preying merchant routes. Struck in darkness. Slew whole caravans. Faded away. Months passed. Finally figured out where they were. Arranged an ambush… Hrmm. Had hidden Mutants in my outfit. They warned the Beastmen and turned the ambush on us. I got out. No one else did.’
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The Characters may wish to investigate before committing to help Fassenwütend. The following details what they may learn.
\nA character with Lore (Law) automatically knows Fassenwütend speaks the truth concerning stays of execution. A party without the Skill could call on Barrister Winandus. Osanna is delighted to see the Characters. She offers them law consultancy for just a single shilling having grown fond of the party. She is unfamiliar with Maurer’s case, but has heard of Fassenwütend. ‘Hard as iron, I hear.’ Osanna also confirms the road warden has enough pull to arrange for a commuted sentence, but adds: ‘Surely not for mere escort duty. She expects violence. The Court would never hear her petition otherwise.’ Osanna’s parting advice: ‘Get it in writing. And signed.’
\nIt isn’t hard to discover why the Watch want nothing to do with the Maurer case: they believe it’s cursed. All the watchmen assigned to escort Maurer to his first two execution dates have vanished. Some were Jungfreud loyalists, others suffered strange accidents — several were found to have drowned far from the river, or just disappeared (perhaps into the Teufel Terror’s stomach?). All the new watchmen heard was that they should say ‘no’ to anything involving Maurer and that was that.
\nMaurer’s case is from before @Actor[Andrea Pfeffer]{Captain Pfeffer’s} time, but she keeps tidy records. Maurer was accused, tried, and convicted of multiple counts of murder, including the killing of two watchmen, three river wardens, and two road wardens. Fassenwütend was likely referring to former Watch Sergeant Lenora Sendener, who left the Watch not long after Maurer’s second attempted execution, before the Jungfreud purges. Her whereabouts are unknown. Characters wishing to find this out without alerting the Captain or letting Sergeant Klumpenklug know what they are doing, will either need a really good story, or will need to break into the Captain’s office to check her files. Pfeffer’s door is secure, requiring a Schwierigen (-10) Dramatic Pick Lock Test to open. Failure means they can’t get in; an Impressive Failure means the Captain catches them and then they’ll really have some explaining to do. Any level of success opens the door.
\nIf Klumpenklug hears anything about their interest, he turns pale, and states, ‘You want no part of that. Maurer is cursed’, and then directly orders the Characters to not get involved. If the Characters ask the Captain about Maurer’s case directly, she’ll look troubled and state that she was told soldiers from Altdorf, not her Watch, are supposed to escort the mason to his execution. This is highly irregular. Characters will have to make an Vergleichender Charm/Cool Wurf with the Captain to convince her to allow them to escort Maurer, or to override Klumpenklug.
\nAn Durchschnittlichen (+20) Simple Klatsch- Wurf will yield results about Maurer. Many results. But with little consensus. Some swear he is innocent. Others claim he is a Daemon in Human form. All agree he was a gifted stone mason who could cut even the most difficult of stone with precision. Characters scoring a success will be told that they should talk to his fiancée, Kristyn Gebauer, and are directed to where she regularly sells goods in the Marktplatz.
\nGebauer proves to be a kind young woman who sells various tools for a merchant. She states with absolute conviction that her fiancé is not guilty. ‘He did kill those men, but it was in self-defence. They told him terrible things, said he was one of them, though he knew them not. When he refused them, they tried to take him by force.’ She doesn’t know what the ‘terrible things’ were as Maurer wouldn’t tell her. Nor does she know why the men wanted Maurer. ‘Holger is a good man. I’ve been praying to Verena that someone helps him before it is too late.’ A successful Einfach (+40) Intuition Wurf indicates she is telling the truth.
\nCharacters that go looking for Lenora Sendener will have a more difficult task as she doesn’t want to be found. It requires success on a Hard (−20) Simple Klatsch- Wurf to score the information to find the former Watch Sergeant. The Difficulty can be lowered by one step for each 5 Schillinge a Character spends in seeking her. Success means the Character discovers Sendener took up with the river wardens and seldom returns to Übersreik, but that she is presently staying along the Docks at @JournalEntry[The Red Moon Inn].
\nSendener is a brusque, wiry woman with silvery hair held fast in tight cords. She doesn’t seem at all surprised to meet the party. ‘Some cases just don’t die. Holger Maurer… Do yourselves a favour: just walk away. Nothing good will come of this. You know the men that accused Maurer of his crimes are all dead save one? A butcher named Narbe Ditwin. Heard his shop burned down recently. Pity he didn’t suffer the same fate.’ Characters that helped people during the fire in Part Three may have actually saved Ditwin from the fire — have fun reminding them of this. Sendener is willing to say little else, save this: ‘There are things in this world… if you ever learn them, you’ll wish for ignorance. For my part, I think Maurer innocent, but it doesn’t matter. They want him.’ Characters that try to use the Intimidate Skill on Sendener, or if they claim they could arrest her, receive a hearty laugh. She displays a symbol of her captain rank in the riverwardens. ‘His Imperial Majesty disagrees with you. Time for you lot to move on. Sigmar be with you.’
\nThe Characters have two days to decide whether or not they intend to help @Actor[Ilse Fassenwütend]{Fassenwütend}. If they refuse, she snorts in derision, ‘Another pack of cowards. Fine.’ She hires mercenaries to assist her, as she believes whatever soldiers are assigned to the task will be inadequate. See We Want No Part of This. If the party agrees to assist, Fassenwütend immediately explains the route, indicating that they’ll be meeting her well over an hour before dawn at a quiet Watch Station on the southside of the Teufel where they’ll collect the prisoner. They will then take Maurer along the bank of @JournalEntry[Der Teufel], exiting Übersreik via the West River Gate to escort him a short way to @JournalEntry[Morr's Field] where the executioner’s block awaits him. The road warden readily agrees to put their agreement in writing, signed and sealed with wax, if the party asks.
\n\n\nWe Want No Part Of This
\nThe Characters may well take all the warnings to heart and decide, for whatever reasons, that they don’t wish to get involved, leaving Maurer to his fate. If such is the case, foretellings cast by members of the Shifting Grasp indicate that the party may become a liability to their plans.
\nThe night before Maurer’s execution, perhaps while the Characters are staggering home from a tavern, Diebold Bedrohung and his fellow mutants attack them in the dark, yelling ‘You’ll not have our brother!’ They retreat only once they’ve crippled or killed two of the SCs or they’ve lost two mutants. If the Characters don’t seek out the road warden, they’ll hear the next day she was killed along the Docks beside the mercenaries she hired, and that Holger Maurer has escaped, his whereabouts unknown. Should your adventures continue, ensure Maurer — now enslaved to Tzeentch, the Chaos God of Change — returns as a nemesis.
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The early morning of @Actor[Holger Maurer]{Maurer’s} execution is bitterly cold and Übersreik is filled with thick fog. The Chaos moon, Morrsleib, rises full and fat, far larger than normal. It shines overhead with a sickly green light that does little to illuminate the heavy mist, but lends it an eerie glow that makes shadows move in inexplicable ways.
\nIf the characters are officially sanctioned to escort Maurer, only Fassenwütend awaits them at the @JournalEntry[Die Wache]{Watch Station}, with two soldiers hurriedly handing off their manacled prisoner before immediately returning into their station and audibly baring the doors. If not, a pair of soldiers in Altdorf livery, who look clearly afraid, wait with the road warden. They are visibly happy to see ‘reinforcements’ in the form of the party. In the pale light of Fassenwütend’s lantern, Holger Maurer slumps forwards.
\nFassenwütend regards Maurer with a hostile glare. ‘No accidents this time. To Morr’s Portal with you.’ The stone mason returns softly, ‘That is for Sigmar to decide.’ The road warden snorts and sets off at a brisk pace. Have the Characters make Easy (+40) Simple Wahrnehmungs--Würfe. If successful, they realise that despite the swift pace, their footsteps are making no sounds under the thick, green fog.
\nAs the Characters reach the Docks along the banks of the Teufel, the fog partially clears away, giving them a clear view of the river and the bridge. The ruddy flows of the Teufel have changed. It runs thick, more black sludge than water, viscous and soundless. Dead fish can somehow be seen swimming in its depths, their eye sockets filled in with blue and pink fire, their bones illuminated. Hanging from the bridge, the decaying corpses of loyalist Jungfreud supporters struggle against their nooses, clawing at their throats with bony hands, reaching rotting fingers out towards the party for succour. As the party passes the bridge, a pseudopod of black water rises from the river and almost casually snares a lone fisherman off a dock (or one of the guards escorting Maurer if there are any) pulling them into the flow to be torn to pieces by skeletal fish. Time for Dramatisch Cool-Würfe to resist the @Compendium[wfrp4e-core.traits.pTorrE0l3VybAbtn]{Fear} Trait.
\nA sonorous voice echoes out of the fog, seemingly from every direction at once: ‘You belong with us, Brother Holger.’ Fassenwütend, pale yet determined, yells, ‘Come on!’ and runs, drawing a pistol with one hand as she steadies her lantern with the other. Have all the Characters make a Simple Wahrnehmungs-Wurf, except those still grappling with Fear (they fail the test automatically). Those who fail are Surprised by the figures that lunge out of the fog. The followers of Tzeentch, the Chaos God of Change, have come to collect their ‘prize’.
\nThe attackers are a band of mutants belonging to the chaos cult, @JournalEntry[The Shifting Grasp]. They have long sought to convince Maurer to give his allegiance to their terrible master. The men Maurer killed were all Shifting Grasp cultists, including the road warden’s friend (though she does not know this). Diebold Bedrohung, one of the cults more competent agents, leads the mutants.
\n@Actor[Diebold Bedrohung]{Bedrohung} is bulky, with mottled skin that resembles the colour of tarnished bronze and eyes like a massive owl. When injured, he ‘bleeds’ molten brass. He attacks with a sharp sword, all the while continually asking Maurer why he is not joining his ‘brothers’ in slaying the Watch that means to kill him.
\nThere are a number of @Actor[Shifting Grasp Mutants] equal to the number of Characters+3. The Mutants are armed with sharpened gaff hooks. All are dressed in dark robes and have visible mutations. One has transparent skin, her muscles and bones clearly showing. Another has a greatly distended throat, resembling that of a toad. After the first time he is struck for damage, the toad-ish mutant spews a torrent of rotten fish, bones, and bile at his attacker.
\nThe attacker must make a Einfach (+40) Gewandheit Wurf or immediately lose all Advantage and take 5 Wounds that ignore Armour. The other mutations are cosmetic only, and can be described as you prefer — maybe colourful feathers twisting to crying faces, horrendous boils containing glowing lights, or constantly flaking skin that turns to tears as it peels free.
\nAdd an extra Mutant if the Characters rescued @Actor[Narbe Ditwin] in Fire! From @JournalEntry[Part 3: Learning The Ropes]{Part 3}. Narbe leaps from the fog, his torso is now exposed, displaying bright pink and turquoise scales! If he is at all thankful for the characters saving his life, it doesn’t show as he swings his gaff hook, grinning maniacally as Morrslieb’s green light reflects in his vacant eyes.
\nDue to the thick fog, all Ranged Attacks are Hard (−20). After the Round 1 of combat, Maurer dives in to help the party, calling on Sigmar’s name, assaulting the Mutants with his manacled hands until he can scoop up a gaff hook and use it (counts as the @Compendium[wfrp4e-core.traits.AtpAudHA4ybXVlWM]{Weapon +8} Trait in his hands). He will use his Piercing Gaze Trait before attacking, meaning he will spend 1 Round studying his opponent. Fassenwütend joins the fray immediately, firing her two pistols first before stabbing at anyone she can with her sword.
\nIf more than half the party goes down, Maurer is seized and a cloth is held over his face by a tentacle. He collapses, unconscious, and the mutants spirit him away, with the rest swiftly retreating. The Characters will have to chase after them or accept their failure. The road warden will not help them in such a case. Slaying Bedrohung will cause the rest of the mutants to flee. He will not stop attacking, or imploring Maurer, until he is dead. Maurer spits on his corpse. If the Characters ask why he helped them, he shrugs with a wan smile, ‘They were mutants.’ With the retreat of the Shifting Grasp, the light shifts as the sky lightens in the east and Morrslieb’s light fades.
\nAfter thwarting the attack of @JournalEntry[The Shifting Grasp], @Actor[Ilse Fassenwütend]{Fassenwütend} and any surviving Characters pass through the River Gate unopposed, and make their way to the execution. The crumbling stone walls of Morr’s Field rise to their northwest, dark and foreboding, even in the slowly rising light. Maurer collapses to his knees, clasps his hands together and whispers brokenly, ‘Sigmar, aid your servant. I have done no wrong.’
\nThe road warden has Willpower 56 should a Character wish to persuade her to let Maurer go. She only has 7 Wounds left if they wish to persuade her in a different fashion.
\nIf the Characters do nothing, Fassenwütend guides Maurer to the block where a hooded executioner awaits him on the edge of @JournalEntry[Morr's Field]. Maurer prays to Sigmar as he takes his place upon the block and lowers his head. Fassenwütend stands guard beside him. The executioner raises his axe high and says firmly, ‘No. Not, Sigmar’ then buries it in Fassenwütend’s skull. The executioner’s eyes flare a brilliant fiery pink through his hood and he roars with laughter as he, along with an amazed Maurer, melt into the ground, executioner’s block and all, the ground warping back into place as if they were never there.
\nAll Characters witnessing this must make a Einfach (+40) Cool Wurf or gain 1 Corruption Point. Hopefully, they got something from the road warden in writing.
\nIf Maurer is set free in whatever manner, he is stunned and tearfully grateful. ‘I swear on my soul, I will not forget what you have done, not in all the days of my life. May Verena guide you and Sigmar watch over your steps.’ He asks for only one more favour: that the Characters quietly contact Kristyn Gebauer and ask her to meet him in Auerswald.
\nDepending on how it all worked out, the Characters may have Fassenwütend’s assistance to leave the Watch, or a letter from her that will secure their sentence is commuted. Then again, Fassenwütend may be dead and the Characters may be stuck in the Watch with Klumpenklug for several years. If they saved Maurer, one day, a year or two later, small bags containing @Credit[5gc EACH]{5 gold crowns} each make their way to all of the Characters via members of the Stone Mason’s Guild. However, if Maurer fell to the Dark Gods, he eventually returns as a Champion of Chaos serving the Changer of the Ways, and all the Reikland shall suffer for it…
","img":"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/cultist-ambush.webp "}, {"id":"Ei3vRmIaH5iTmtUg","name":"Nordwander and Son's Expeditionary Supplies","description":"A large, low-ceilinged building, Nordwander and Son’s prides itself on selling everything its clientele will need to mount expeditions into the Grey Mountains. A one-stop-shop for mountaineering, rock-climbing, and camping outdoors, it carries pitons, ropes, mallets, crampons, picks, chisels, rations, tents, bedrolls, and anything else a party may need before venturing out into the mountainous terrain to Übersreiks south.
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The shop initially catered exclusively to Dwarfs, but when word of the quality of their gear, and the fairness of their prices, spread, others soon made their way to Dawihafen. They now stock clothing and tools that better suit non-Dwarf physiognomies, yet are of the same fine Dwarf manufacture. Despite their broader clientele, the shop is still set up with Dwarfs in mind, with low ceilings and broad aisles.
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Gudrum Nordwander is good natured, for a Dwarf. He is delighted to be sharing his high-quality wares with a wider customer-base, though he is quick to identify those who do not know what they are talking about. Customers expressing ignorance on a basic aspect of mining or climbing will find themselves treated to a lecture lasting far longer than most can tolerate. Belorn, an energetic beardling and Gudrum’s son, assists in the shop.
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Belorn dreams of leaving Übersreik and undertaking his own expedition — not just outfitting the endeavors of others. He will gab excitedly to all customers, quizzing them on where they are going, and their plans when they get there. Although Belorn is sincerely enthusiastic, if a customer were planning something clandestine, they may find his interest off-putting.
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\n
House Karstadt, the richest merchant family of Übersreik, owns this bustling, and continually expanding, estate. The fortified grounds are the third highest on the Hill, though the primary manor it houses is relatively modest, for all it is significantly larger than most Reiklanders could ever dream of owning.
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The main building has two floors containing a score or so rooms, the largest of which is a sizeable hall, extended just twelve years ago to accommodate larger functions as the family line swelled. Beside the manor is a stables and coach house with space for 24 horses and four coaches. Other buildings are spotted across the grounds, which also contain several copses of trees, ornamental ponds, and an impressive maze to amuse visiting guests.
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House Karstadt is known for trading in ores, metal, and luxury goods, running mines, and, more recently, moneylending. It maintains a bank in @JournalEntry[Handelsviertel]{Übersreiks Handelsviertel}, and owns a number of well-guarded warehouses on the north bank of the Teufel. The Karstadts also have offices in Altdorf and Nuln, all managed by prominent family members, and finance several merchant trains crossing the Pass der grauen Dame to Bretonnia and the Dwarf Holds.
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Unknown to most, the Karstadts were formerly nobles of Übersreik. Decades ago, Baron Victor Karstadt chose to surrender his nobility as a condition of a deal with the von Bruners to secure a significant loan. Contrary to all commentators at the time, it turned out to be a prudent decision. The family fortunes have significantly changed for the better since the von Bruner deal, as evidenced by their growing numbers and luxurious accommodations.
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@Actor[Hellin Karstadt-Stampf] is the current head of the family and a woman so wealthy the Jungfreuds courted her for years, despite her effective lack of nobility. After teasing Sigismund von Jungfreud for almost three years, she eventually chose to marry a spectacularly wealthy merchant from Altdorf instead, a decision that caused uproar in Übersreik at the time. For many years it was a matter of some debate whether she married for love, or for riches, though most suggested it was the latter.
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Perhaps proving this opinion true, Hellin’s husband, Leuthold, rarely leaves the Karstadt-Stampf offices in Altdorf. His primary interest is in banking, so he spends much of his time consolidating that business in the imperial capital. Consequently, he hasn’t been seen in Übersreik for several years, which is, of course, a juicy piece of gossip for local busybodies, who are quick to conclude the Karstadt-Stampf marriage has broken down. The hearsay concerning this is only exacerbated by Hellin’s vociferous, and oft-shared, hatred for Altdorf, which means she has never travelled to see her husband. Unsurprisingly, most believe she has no love for her husband beyond his business acumen and deep coffers.
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However, Hellin’s love for her many children, strong-willed though they may be, is undeniable. She hosts lavish parties whenever one should return to Übersreik, and goes out of her way to attend to their every need, no matter how grand. Helping Hellin achieve this, @Actor[Josef Specht], the Karstadt-Stampf purser, is never far from her side. An unassuming fellow, Specht is an almost invisible presence, yet is quickly on hand with a quill and ink, or a supply of coins, should he be needed. Of course, the gossipmongers of Übersreik presume Sprecht offers far more than simple financial advice to his mistress, for all it is widely known he is a happily married man.
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The two-story Red Moon Inn primarily caters to boatmen plying their trade up and down @JournalEntry[Der Teufel]. It’s the cleanest of the dock-side hostels, though still somewhat shabby. The lower floor is built from solid stone and includes a large drinking hall, common room, and small kitchen. The upper floor is timber and lathe and contains the inn’s private rooms, and a room for the owner. The main drinking hall has a row of quiet booths all slung with heavy curtains and tattered linen to provide a little privacy.
\n@Actor[Franz Lohner] owns and runs the inn. A no-nonsense Mercenary-done-good, Lohner is a slightly overweight, disheveled man in his 40s. He employs Ilse Frecht, a matronly woman in her 50s, to clean rooms and wait tables. Gunter Bisset works in the kitchens, cooking dinner, and two younger lads to help serve during busier times. All Bisset ever produces is potato and fish stew. A wholesome meal, but one that doesn’t make the best breakfast in the morning when served as cold leftovers.
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Across the square from @JournalEntry[Der Tempel Shallyas] lies the Physicians’ Guild, a modest but well-appointed building. Übersreik has only three licensed physicians, keen to emphasize their status and education, and stamp out the epidemic of barber surgeons performing unlicensed back-alley surgery. Each physician has an office and consultation room on the timber-and-lathe first floor, while the stone-walled ground floor contains a shared reception area and waiting room, and a thoroughly sound-proofed operating theatre.
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Doktor @Actor[Otto Krupp] is the eldest physician and Guildmaster. A born entrepreneur, Krupp’s principle concern is advertising his services, rather than the care of his patients. Doktor Theodosia Grat is a bookish, driven graduate of the University of Altdorf. She spends a great deal of time at the temples of Verena and Shallya, and is keen to learn as much as she can about illness and disease.
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Doktor Bernhardt Bayer is the youngest of the physicians. Charming and confident, Bayer sees his profession as an opportunity to meet and impress the young men of Übersreik. Doktor Krupp offers a ‘refer a friend’ discount; Doktor Grat applies a discount to patients with diseases as opposed to injuries; while Doktor Bayer charges less to attractive male patients.
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The Horned Rat is a God of Entropy and Schemes, worshipped by the chittering hordes of clandestine ratmen called the Skaven. These swarming creatures scuttle in the darkness beneath civilization, gnawing on the entrails of the Empire. Worship of the Horned Rat sometimes spreads to the unfortunates taken and enslaved by the Skaven. Should these slaves prove useful, and biddable, they may find themselves returned topside to serve as agents for the Under-Empire, procuring further slaves for their verminous masters.
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In Übersreik, the Yellowbellies are former slaves in thrall to Clan Sleekit, one of the many Skaven clans vying for power deep beneath the town. They are tasked with infiltrating Übersreik, both to facilitate spying and to procure more slaves from those who will not be missed. Slippery Jacob is their highest-ranking member, an orphan kidnapped by the Skaven as a child, and released back into Human society after more than two-decades of slavery. He is utterly loyal to his Sleekit masters, and will enact any order they demand of him, even taking his own life.
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Denfather @JournalEntry[Chapel of Ulric]{Holst Kretschmer} — a Priest of Ulric — is well known for tall tales and wild suspicions. He is often accused of bending the truth to attract greater attention to his dwindling importance in the town. However, this priest who has cried wolf before is not exaggerating this time.
\n@JournalEntry[Der Zinnsporn] has two new attractions, and they are drawing massive crowds: an enormous snow-white wolfhound named Eisfange, and a tall blond Middenlander with piercing blue eyes named Reikhardt Gestaltenstark. Neither has lost a match — either forcing their opponents to yield or brutally tearing out their throats. The crowd is baying for the two to fight in what must surely be the spectacle of the decade.But this will never happen. Gestaltenstark and Eisfange are one and the same. @Actor[Reikhardt Gestaltenstark] is a Child of Ulric — a creature gifted (or cursed) with the ability to shapeshift between that of a wolf and a man. Thus far, Gestaltenstark’s true identity hasn’t been discovered by anyone, though Father Kretschmer has his suspicions.
\nGestaltenstark isn’t interested in acclaim — though he is certainly receiving his fair share. Instead, Gestaltenstark dreams of an Empire united once more in the veneration of Ulric over Sigmar. He is recruiting both hounds and pit fighters to his cause — offering them life and purpose if they yield to him — in an effort to weaken the Cult of Sigmar in Übersreik and maybe the Empire at large!
\nWhilst Denfather Kretschmer would like nothing more than to be relevant again, he’s not a madman, and sees the instability that Gestaltenstark would bring as more of an affront to Ulric than a boon. The Denfather requests the Characters to infiltrate Der Zinnsporn via any means necessary. He urges them to then convince Wilhelm Shütteln, the proprietor, to take them on as pit fighters or players, sneak in the back during one of the shows, or perhaps join the entourage of one of the many young rakes who frequent the venue and are given the privilege of going back stage. Once on the inside, they need to prove Gestaltenstark’s identity, and drive him off — even going so far as to kill him if necessary. However, the Father is insistent they do so without revealing to Übersreik the nature of Gestaltenstark’s curse, for it will cast a long shadow over the Cult of Ulric in the region.
\nReikhardt is a young, hot-headed fanatic who has only recently turned 18. He believes, strongly, that the Empire is better off without the Sigmarite cult. He wishes to tear it all down to be replaced with a resurgence in Ulrican numbers. Gestaltenstark wears a locket around his neck with a motif of a beautiful blonde woman painted in it. An inscription on the back says ‘With love, your mother, Magdelena’. When facing a true threat, and only once his plans have been foiled, Gestaltenstark sheds his masquerade and transforms into his terrible hybrid form — an awful fusion of Human and Wolf. Gestaltenstark hates reverting to this form, for he believes it’s the only measure of truth behind the lies of the Sigmarites — that the ways of Ulric are bestial and crude. Nevertheless, Gestaltenstark isn’t an idiot, and will use the tools available to him.
\nGestaltenstark isn’t an easy man to reach. He lives deep within the pit fighters’ quarters beneath Der Zinnsporn. He is always surrounded by pit fighters (use @Actor[Leif Vilsson]’s statistics to represent them) who have sworn themselves to protect Gestaltenstark to their death. Worse, a pack of loyal hounds (@Actor[Kampfhund]{Fighting Dogs} from Übersreik seem to follow his commands with an eerie level of attention and accuracy, and rarely leave his side. If the Characters can overcome these obstacles and somehow deal with the Child of Ulric, Father Kretschmer will reward them each with 2 GC. If Gestaltenstark’s curse remains a secret to Übersreik, the Father is overjoyed, and will offer his services as a teacher for rare Skills and Talents or even initiate an interested Character into the Cult of Ulric.
","img":"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/reikhardt-gestaltenstark.webp "}, {"id":"GBTzBvrP0VidPfit","name":"Beyond the Walls","description":"Beyond Übersreiks broad stone walls, the land lies clear for hundreds of yards, the encroaching trees felled annually lest brigands or worse venture from the dark recesses of the forest. A local bylaw prohibits the erection of stone buildings within bow-shot of the walls, ensuring Übersreik can be defended properly. An obvious loophole has allowed for wooden buildings to be constructed, though there are not many of these, with only certain buildings tolerated in order to spare the sensibilities of the citizenry. Shanty towns or impromptu marketplaces designed to avoid the town’s taxes are not tolerated. Any make-shift towns will be torn down by the Watch or patrolling soldiers.
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@JournalEntry[Fleshmarket]
\n@JournalEntry[Morr's Field]
\n@JournalEntry[Der Zinnsporn]
"}, {"id":"IkzrK1JxreE0weKf","name":"The Crooked Hammer","description":"The Crooked Hammer is a slightly seedy, rough-looking tavern typical of those found in the Teubrücke. It serves a variety of hard spirits and watery ales, at cheap prices. It is an open secret that the drinking house is a front for a gambling den, run by the Crosses, adherents of Ranald, the God of Trickery, who view such activities as holy work. To the rear of the building, they operate a soup kitchen, using the profits of their gambling den to provide basic sustenance to the poor and needy of Übersreik.
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Gert Hunder runs the bar. Hunder is a scarred, intimidating fellow whose chief responsibility is lookout for the Crosses. Silvi Kreutzhame, a formidable woman in her 50s, with a sharp eye and sharper tongue is the leader of the Ranaldan cult in Übersreik.
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At any given time, gamblers of all walks of life will be found partaking in this particular brand of worship, providing they have ready coin or good credit. The authorities tolerate the gambling, in part because of the charitable work of the Crosses, and in part because so many influential citizens frequent the Hammer.
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The Precinct is Übersreiks military district, centered around the fortress of @JournalEntry[Magnus's Tower]. It was built using some of the foundations of the town from before it was razed. It is separated from the rest of Übersreik by stout walls. Though the gates are rarely closed, in cases of civil unrest, they can be used to turn the district into a de facto fortress. In simpler times, the State Army, both the Watch and those guarding the walls and surrounding province, were stationed here. At the time, it was arguably the safest part of town. However, since the arrival of the troops from Altdorf, tensions have noticeably escalated. The uncertainty regarding jurisdiction has led to clashes between the local troops and the interlopers, resulting in fighting in the streets. While there have been no deaths as yet, commanding officers fear it is only a matter of time before one side or the other takes things too far.
\nThe most powerful provinces of the Reikland are required to train soldiers to defend the ‘State of Reikland’. This obligation to recruit and train state soldiers was enshrined in law by Emperor Magnus the Pious after the Great War Against Chaos. in peace time, these state soldiers act as road wardens, watchmen, guards, and defenders of the realm. In times of war, they can be summoned by the Prince of Reikland to form the Reikland State Army. The number of state regiments an individual noble can muster is tightly controlled by a complicated array of treaties. it is said Magnus the Pious was determined to never allow any individual noble house to become powerful enough to destabilize the Empire again, so strict limitations were imposed.
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@JournalEntry[Chapel of Ulric]{Chapel of Ulric}
\n@JournalEntry[Magnus's Tower]{Magnus's Tower}
\n@JournalEntry[North Temple of Sigmar]{North Temple of Sigmar}
\n@JournalEntry[Reiniger's Outfitters]{Reiniger's Outfitters}
\n@JournalEntry[The Mess and Bucket]{The Mess and Bucket}
\n@JournalEntry[The Raspy Raven]{The Raspy Raven}
\n@JournalEntry[Übersreik 3rd Barracks]{Übersreik 3rd Barracks}
\n@JournalEntry[Watch Barracks]{Watch Barracks}
\n"}, {"id":"JJbibp8SCvLXluWc","name":"The Kat House","description":"
A stylized brass cat hangs above the Kat House, a dockside brothel dedicated to Katya, the Goddess of Disarming Beauty. The sizeable four-story building caters to clientele of all species and classes, and is protected by ever-present bouncers. Although most of its staff present as female, all tastes are catered for.
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Frau Jalla Krump, a solidly built woman in her 50s, who rarely goes anywhere without one of her bouncers, handles all the day-to-day business of the Kat House. Krump is entirely beholden to Adelheidis ‘Alisha’ Keller, a young, blessed priestess of Katya who is committed to converting followers sworn to a single god to a polytheistic path. Alisha has already formed close relations with the new watch captain: @Actor[Andrea Pfeffer], and has agreed to provide Pfeffer with intelligence concerning those she believes are cultists of the Dark Gods. However, Alisha only passes this over if she believes their souls are irrevocably lost.
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The Übersreik fleshmarket lies to the north-east of the town. Given the law against stone, it comprises a handful of wooden buildings, with a number of stakes forming pens alongside pitches for tents and wagons, including a stables and a kennel, which are permanent fixtures. Other beasts (pigs, cattle, sheep, and similar) are driven to the pens on a rotational basis.
\nJuna Sattelrücken is Übersreiks main horse-coper. A wiry Averlander in her 30s, she still carries a hint of the lilting accent of the land of her birth. She drives a hard bargain, but a fair one, and treats her horses kindly. On the other hand, Stanislaus Stockman, the hundsman, is a brute. In his 40s, he is handsome and tall, but his glittering eyes betray the cold heart lying within. He believes in discipline, and is not above beating his dogs, employees, and anyone else.
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Owned by the Brauninger merchant family, this building is modest for The Hill, it contains 16 rooms, a large servants’ quarters, and separate stables and coach house. The Brauningers built the house over two centuries ago. The merchant house has contracts with several noble families and mercenary outfits across eastern and southern Empire to supply arms: the family’s primary business. Many of the town’s forges are under the family’s control, and the @JournalEntry[Metalworkers’ Guildhouse]{Metalworking Guild} is a close ally.
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Sigmar Brauninger is a slight man in his early 50s. His house’s business has grown impressively since it was established in the time of Magnus. It now has a strong reputation, with offices in Nuln, Altdorf, Carroburg, and, most recently, Marienburg. This last acquisition may prove costlier than expected as the competition in that city is cut-throat, and enemies already circle.
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The duchy of Aschaffenberg is a relatively small territory trapped between the south bank of @JournalEntry[Der Teufel] and the Blitzfelsen Hills. Emperor Magnus the Pious created the fief after the Great War Against Chaos, and there elevated the Aschaffenbergs to nobility, granting them land once ruled by a minor branch of House Walfen. Most of the duchy’s wealth comes from ore mines and the river Teufel, both in terms of the trade and fishing. In particular, many Huffers (river guides) ply their trade in the town of Aschaffen, helping barges navigate the treacherous waters down to Auerswald. The highest peak in the Blitzfelsen Hills, Taubeberg, lies on the north-east border of the duchy, and is riddled through with Goblins from the Creeping Death tribe. Forays to clear the Greenskins from Aschaffen land near the mining town of Blitzhöhe are an annual event, meaning many of the local nobles have significant military experience.
\nThe current graf, Brynich Aschaffenberg, is an ambitious man with many heirs. In recent years he has secured for his eldest son, Tobias, the prestigious position of Margrave of the Pass der grauen Dame. He also negotiated a marriage between his second son, Rickard, and Ludmilla von Bruner, Graf Steirlich’s only daughter. This planned union is an impressive feat given the historic tensions between the two noble households. Not long ago, Byrnich returned to the duchy from his manor in Übersreik after the Emperor removed his erstwhile allies, the Jungfreuds, from power. He now plots his next moves cautiously.
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• Rotkrallen Monastery is home to an order of monks and warrior priests, who dedicate their lives in service to Ulric. Though not recognised by the cult of Ulric, the Rotkrallen monks, with their distinctive robes with red-dyed sleeves, are well known in the area. The monks are engaged in near-constant battle with the local Creeping Death tribe of Goblins. @JournalEntry[Chapel of Ulric]{Father Kretschmer} from the chapel in Übersreik has heard a disturbing rumour that the @JournalEntry[The Karmesinroten Schädel], a proscribed cult of Khorne worshippers, have infiltrated the monastery. He would like the party to investigate.
\n• No-one knows why Graf Stierlich von Bruner allowed his only daughter to marry Brynich’s second son. If the party were to discover the truth, they may be able to leverage that to secure influence with the noble families. Or they may wind up face-down in the Teufel, their blood mixing with the red waters.
","img":"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/aschaffenberg.webp "}, {"id":"K8MWGnf6rcT7pPLk","name":"Sprichstumpf","description":"The Sprichstumpf is the stump of a great oak tree that once stood in what is now @JournalEntry[Marktplatz]{The Market Square}. It was felled during Magnus’ reconstruction of the town, and its timbers form the roof of the Nobles’ Court in the @JournalEntry[Rathaus].
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The remaining stump, which is around eight feet wide, stands not far from the statue of Magnus. It has become the focal point for the town’s agitators and pamphleteers, an impromptu pulpit from whence they can rant and extort to the masses.
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Seven small warehouses are ringfenced to the north of the @JournalEntry[Handelsviertel]{Merchant’s District} and well-patrolled by private guards. They are owned by the Unterdaumen Merchant House, an Übersreik merchant family who trade in whatever is cheap that season, in order to sell it at a profit elsewhere. Each warehouse has large double-doors, is around ten-yards long, and has no windows.
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Grigerid Underdaumen is an octogenarian with a nose for profit. She is utterly ruthless, and enjoys nothing more than to destroy her rivals completely, taking their every last penny, and their lives. She lives frugally in Underdaumen Warehouse VI, and has her favorite guard, Fritz Fritzman, wheel her to the @JournalEntry[Merchant's Guild]{Merchant Guild} every morning to catch the best business.
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The Characters, whilst enjoying the Übersreik market, are caught in a riot and later accused of instigating it. Mysteriously, a local lawyer steps in and convinces the judge responsible for the case to let the Characters serve as members of the Watch to work off their ‘debt’.
\nThe party are soon patrolling the streets of Übersreik, watched over by @Actor[Rudi Klumpenklug], a thoroughly corrupt watchman sergeant. The temporary watchmen are exposed to various crimes, none of which Klumpenklug shows any interest in pursuing, leaving the Characters to solve, ignore, or even exploit each situation as they prefer.
\nEventually, Ilse Fassenwütend approaches the party. Fassenwütend is a road warden who claims she can have the Characters’ sentences commuted if they assist her in escorting a criminal to his place of execution.
\nHowever, this is no simple task. The party faces a harrowing night hauling a terrified man through strangely altered streets as Morrslieb, the Chaos moon, waxes bright in the sky and mutant cultists attack from all sides. Will the Characters protect the man, who claims innocence, then lead him to his death? Or will they choose a different path?
\n@JournalEntry[Teil 1: Zu Verkaufen, Zu Verkaufen]
\n@JournalEntry[Teil 2: Recht und Ordnung]
\n@JournalEntry[Part 3: Learning The Ropes]
\n@JournalEntry[Teil 4: Bekümmerte Stadt]
\n@JournalEntry[Part 5: The Prisoner and Warden]
\n@JournalEntry[Herlichen Glückwunsch!]
","img":" "}, {"id":"MFo2MV5FPlKgTDEq","name":"Da Lit'lest WAAAGH!","description":"No matter how hard they are put down, Greenskins come back, season after season, as if sprouting from the ground. Whilst the town of Übersreik itself is Grünhaut-free, the @JournalEntry[Kanalisation von Übersreik]{Magnussewer tunnels} are infested.
\nDuring the Great War Against Chaos over 200 years ago, Übersreik fell to the Greenskins. When Emperor Magnus the Pious liberated the town, his forces didn’t quite clear the Greenskins from the darkest depths of the sewers. So, for two centuries they have hidden, growing in strength slowly but surely, eventually blooming into a small tribe of Goblins.
\nThe Gong-Tongue Tribe has always been small — preyed upon by the many horrors hidden in Übersreik’s sewers — so they’ve never posed much of a threat. Indeed, it’s so isolated that its boss — @Actor[Stinkstaff Gong-tongue]{Stinkstaff} — has not only forgotten that the surface exists, but also believes the Gong-Tongues to be the only Greenskins in all the Old World!
\nRecently, Stinkstaff has dreamed of the surface, and believes the terrible bright rays of light bleeding down from the sewer-covers throughout Übersreik are signs and portents from their twin gods, Gork and Mork. So, Stinkstaff is rallying the @Actor[Gong-Tongue Goblin]{Gong-Tongues} to lead an invasion into the promised land — right into the middle of @JournalEntry[Morgenseite]{The Hill}, the richest district in the town.
\nStinkstaff Gong-Tongue thinks itself a prophet of Gork and Mork — the greatest Goblin there’s ever been! Of course, Stinkstaff has only ever met the other Goblins of its pitiful tribe, so in its worldview, it’s right.
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A group of nobles is visiting from Altdorf to attend a dinner party at @JournalEntry[Aschaffenberg Manor] on the same day as the Goblins are planning their crusade. Duchess Eleanor Aschaffenberg has caught wind of this menace from @JournalEntry[Wahlunds Rattenfänger], but they have no interest in resolving the matter as they have their own business to attend to. The duchess greatly fears for her reputation should Goblins be running about during the festivities, so she is willing to pay any sell-swords 10 Schillinge a day if they deal with the Gong-Tongues discreetly. @Actor[Guildmaster Wahlund] gave her a hastily scribbled map of the sewers, and the site of the Goblins’ Lair. She will give the map to the SCs, if they agree to work for her.
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The Duchess isn’t the only one who knows of the threat. The Merchants’ Guild plan on using the chaos as a political tool to discredit the security of the occupying Altdorfers. Their hope is that the Greenskins reach the surface and make the Altdorfers look foolish, which they can use as another bargaining chip on the way to becoming a Freistadt.
\nThe @JournalEntry[Merchant's Guild] of Übersreik have hired their own band of adventurers to make sure the Goblins do get to the surface whilst the Altdorfers are in town.
\n@Actor[Giordano Impiegato]
\n@Actor[Leif Vilsson]
\n@Actor[Gaenefys Feyhand]
\n@Actor[Emilia Lochland]
\nAs an alternative to this, perhaps it’s the Merchant’s Guild who hire the SCs? If so, they will want the Characters to stop Leif ’s Band, who have been hired by the duchess instead to kill the Goblins. The Guild will spin a line about foreign invaders seeking to use Übersreik sewers for smuggling, impacting legitimate Merchant Guild concerns, and will advise attacking Leif ’s Band hard and fast as they are very dangerous.
","img":"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/gong-tongue.webp "}, {"id":"O4cQkgErYU49NBrl","name":"Barony of Teufeltal","description":"The barony of Teufeltal encompases the steep-sided valley carved by the @JournalEntry[Der Teufel]{River Teufel} through the Grey Mountains. Teufel Lake is in centre of the valley, known locally as ‘Rotsee’ because of is dark-red colour. Scholars claim the Teufel picks up heavy iron deposits from the surrounding mountain ranges, but local legend claims it is the collected blood of the Dwarfs fallen to Greenskins through the millenia.
\nThe barony guards the entrance to the Pass der grauen Dame, and as such its primary road is reasonably well maintained despite the rough terrain. Schluesselschloss is the Baron’s seat of power. This crumbling castle is built atop a rocky island in the middle of the Teufel. Its narrowest point controls Pass der grauen Dame, where it enters the Schluesselschlossschlucht, a steep-sided gorge famous for its red waterfalls.
\nBaron Harald von Schluessel’s steward, Reinhart Blickstein, handles the daily decisions and the baron’s dwindling coffers. Baroness Mathilde von Schluessel has borne the baron two sons: Erik and Matthaus. The brothers do not get on. Erik is doughty, if dimwitted, and Matthaus is studious and sensitive.
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• The Grey Wolf Temple hosts a sect of Knights of the White Wolf — templars of Ulric, the God of War — that only admits nobles. They patrol the Pass der grauen Dame, escorting rich caravans and the most attractive nobles. However, when Brother Falkenhayn absconds, abandoning his vows, Cleric-Captain Krause needs the party to bring him back, without dishonouring the young nobleman, or Ulric.
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• Philline and Elodie de Blanc run a unique school for girls high in the mountains. Philline is a refined schoolmistress, concerned with etiquette and decorum. Her wife, Elodie, worships Myrmidia, and ensures her girls are well versed in matters martial. The party is hired to escort Margaretha Holswig-Abenauer to the school, charged with retaining her physical and spiritual sanctity. Given all the marauding Greenskins and dashing knights, this will be no mean feat.
","img":"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/teufeltal.webp "}, {"id":"OY3a6XPwpUvUEkes","name":"Red Moon Burning","description":"@Actor[Franz Lohner], @JournalEntry[The Red Moon Inn]{The Red Moon Inn’s} proprietor, has a mysterious past. When deep in his cups, he tells tales of being an officer in the Grudgebringers, a mercenary company of much renown. But such days of adventure are behind him, much like the old shield hanging behind his bar. However, it appears Lohner’s Grudgebringer past brings trouble as old enemies gather at his gate. Fortunately, Lohner sensed danger approaching and avoided any confrontation, which provided opportunities to scout those moving against him. He now knows of the following incoming threats: an angry Slayer, a shadowy assassin, a Border Prince’s agents, and a ghostly something haunting his inn.
\n@Actor[Shrinq Shaderipper]
\n@Actor[Carmello's Crew]
\n@Actor[Tah-Ra Mentuhr]
\n@Actor[Thikad Urgolsson]
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Lohner has a plan to escape this mess. He will announce loudly his inn’s closure for business on the night of his birthday, so he can have a quiet evening of prayer to Shallya, Goddess of Mercy, to thank her for his long life. This, he hopes, will lure his foes to attack. He will then blow up the inn, killing as many of his enemies as possible, then fake his death. But doing this will require assistance, so Lohner will pay handsomely for help: 10 Gold Crowns per Character!
\nIf they agree to help, Lohner suggests the Characters plan the ambush thoroughly, and shows a keen tactical mind when discussing this. He suggests the following, but reminds the Characters preparation is in their hands as he can’t directly help for fear of arousing suspicion:
\nLet the Characters make any preparations they feel are necessary. Unless there is a better plan, Lohner will dress a makeshift decoy and place it in a taproom chair, and will then help the Characters as required. Unless otherwise alerted, Lohner’s enemies will assault the Red Moon using the following timeline:
\n9pm: @Actor[Shrinq Shaderipper]{Shaderipper} sneaks in via the chimney, then hides in Lohner’s wardrobe. Not long after, @Actor[Tah-Ra Mentuhr] begins to manifest in the taproom.
\n9:15: @Actor[Thikad Urgolsson]{Urgolsson} arrives and drunkenly shouts outside for Lohner to meet his fate. By this point, Tah-Ra Mentuhr can be seen by characters with the @Compendium[wfrp4e-core.talents.OEjUvJKi0xmBwbS2]{Second Sight} Talent and can be harmed by Magical attacks.
\n9.30: @Actor[Carmello's Crew] arrives, and breaks in through a rear upstairs window. Urgolsson then hacks through the front door, ready to confront Lohner. Hearing this commotion, Shaderipper sneaks down to observe, only to encounter Carmello’s Crew on the stairs. At this point, @Actor[Tah-Ra Mentuhr] fully manifests, causes @Compendium[wfrp4e-core.traits.pTorrE0l3VybAbtn]{Fear} on all nearby mortals, and is ready to possess Lohner.
\nOnce lit, the fuse burns for [[/gmr 1d10+4]] Rounds. As an Action, an Durchschnittlichen (+20) Simple Wahrnehmungs- Wurf can determine this time. If Prochnow’s time-keeper candle is used, the Character lighting it can choose a fuse time of 4 to 12 Rounds. When the explosion occurs, all within the inn suffer [[/gmr 1d10+15]] Damage and 5 @Condition[Ablaze] Conditions. Any enemies surviving the explosion will flee, and, if they escape, will remain at large.
\nWhen Lohner and the party have found their way to safety — perhaps in the Boatmen’s Guild — Lohner will proclaim he has never felt more alive since he was a Grudgebringer, and that faking his death is just not for him. Instead, he will rebuild the Red Moon Inn, and ensure good folk like the Characters are always served. He will then pay the Characters for their help, and will also offer a bonus of an exquisite Arabyan scimitar, @Item[Saif al-Janub], if all his enemies were killed.
","img":"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/franz-lohner.webp "}, {"id":"OcROkfBT4ysVz8Vl","name":"North Temple of Sigmar","description":"The North Temple of Sigmar is functional, without clever carvings or glittering icons. It is most commonly frequented by soldiers and non-commissioned officers. The higher ranks favor the @JournalEntry[Der höchste Tempel Sigmars]{High Temple}, and the social and political opportunities it confers.
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The high priestess in residence, Mother Dorflinger, lost her arm fighting Greenskins in the Grey Mountains. She was later stationed in Übersreik to train the town’s militia. Since the arrival of the forces from Altdorf, attendance at her weekly throngs and training sessions has significantly increased.
\n\n
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The white walls of Der Tempel Shallyas, Goddess of Mercy, soar skywards near @JournalEntry[Der Tempel von Verena]. It is a high-ceilinged building with a wide dome, all built in a classical style. Inside, there is an open space for worship and tending the sick. A series of curtained alcoves lie along both sides of the temple, where those with more severe or less dignified afflictions are placed.
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Upper levels are cloistered for the clergy and visiting priestesses from other temples. The inside of the dome is painted with a beautiful fresco of crying Shallya reaching across the heavens, her tears falling as rain about a flock of untouched doves.
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Marianne Altenblum is the High Priestess, a matronly widow who joined the cult over a decade ago. She has a bottomless well of empathy, but no tolerance for flippancy or timewasters. She is assisted by a number of initiates and lay-members, who tend the sick and provide alms to the poor.
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Cults of the Prince of Pleasure permeate the Empire. From silk-wearing nobles in brothels to the lowliest scum in seedy back-alleys, wherever flesh and desires exist, so too does the Prince.
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The Eldritch Order of the Unblinking Eye thrived for decades amongst the wealthy intelligentsia of Altdorf. Their core tenets require observing the most horrific and disturbing occurrences, without balking, or looking away. The lives lost and bodies disfgured in their pursuit of this deed do not bear considering.
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In 2505 IC, Magistrate Heissman von Bruner brought the cult to its knees. Witch hunters acting on his orders infiltrated then attacked, wiping out most of the cult and the exclusive, members-only club in which it was housed. But one cultist survived: Gregor Piersson. Piersson made his way to Übersreik, plotting exquisite revenge. He entered the service of Heissman’s only son, @JournalEntry[Bruner Palace]{Andreas}, and slowly corrupted him. Thus, the Order was reborn and Piersson’s vengeance was secured.
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Bridge House is perfectly situated in the center of Übersreik on the main thoroughfares near Übersreik Bridge, offering spectacular views of the Dwarf-made marvel. The inn has large stables and a sizeable coach house, and also serves as Übersreiks bustling post office.
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Although locals rarely eat or drink here, balking at the prices, the fare is good, the portions generous, and the selection of beverages broad. Because of this, it is a common haunt for wealthier merchants, travelers, and those with coin to burn. The lower floor has a broad taproom, which also serves as a common room and dining room, and has several curtained booths for more clandestine meetings. There is also a spacious kitchen, a sizeable larder, two offices, two private dining rooms, and quarters for the staff. The two upper floors are set aside for the inn’s private rooms, and the rooms above the coach house and stables are where visiting coachmen take their rest. The largest private room is on the top floor and commands an impressive view of @JournalEntry[Übersreik Bridge].
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Gunther Abend, a retired coachman, manages the inn. Being aware of the stresses of the job, he works hard to provide a hostel that fulfills their needs. He is supported by Hanna, his wife, and their three children, as well as nine others including cooks, servers, chambermaids, and a postmaster. An Altdorfer by birth, Abend has been very welcoming towards the visiting Imperial troops, upsetting his few local customers.
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Gunther proudly maintains his independence, servicing coaches from three local Coaching Houses — Cannon Ball Express, Four Seasons, and Imperial Expressways. Elicha Hochs, a representative of the Four Seasons, is seeking capable folk to disrupt rival coaches and put pressure on Gunther to sell the inn to the Four Seasons for their exclusive use.
\nThe Empire, your current home, is the greatest realm in the Old World. It has stood for over 2000 years. Though riven with bitter, internal politics, and beset to all sides by uncounted enemies, it stands proud, united by its long history and its adulation of its first emperor — Sigmar Heldenhammer — who is worshipped as a god. The Empire is currently led by Emperor Karl-Franz I.
\nThe Reikland is the richest and most cosmopolitan of the grand provinces of the Empire. Its people are famous for their love of festivals and their relatively open-minded attitudes. They are also known for being pushy, arrogant, and meddlesome, quite convinced of their own superiority. Stout, traditional Dwarfs and short, jovial Halblinge are commonplace in the Reikland and many have naturalised to the point they are barely noticed. By comparison, lithe, magical Elves are seen infrequently, arousing fear or wonder amongst the commonfolk. The Reikland is ruled by Grand Prince Karl-Franz I, who is also the Emperor.
\nÜbersreik is one of the greatest fortress-towns of the Reikland with a gloried history as old as the Empire, and long-term ties with the Dwarfs of the Grey Mountains. It is a centre of trade in the fertile Vorbergland, a windswept, hilly province known for its farmlands and vineyards. Until recently, it was ruled by House Jungfreud, a noble family with enormous influence in the region. This came to an end when the Emperor, for reasons unknown, sent his army to seize control of the town. Übersreik is also the name of the wider duchy in which the town of Übersreik is found.
\nIn the Reikland, Sigmar, patron and founder of the Empire, is worshipped as a god. Millenia ago, Sigmar was a Reiklander himself, which leads many Reiklanders to be especially arrogant. Most arrogant of all are the noble Houses that claim Sigmar as an ancestor, for they believe holy blood runs through their righteous veins. Other important gods to the Reikland include: Ulric, God of Winter and War; his brother, Taal, God of the Hunt; Rhya, Taal’s wife, the Goddess of Summer and Fertility; Shallya, Goddess of Peace and Mercy; her father Morr, the God of Death; and his wife Verena, the Goddess of Wisdom and Justice.
\nInnumerable priests, nuns, monks, and zealots gather in great cults to attend each god, but the common folk rarely place one god over another: a parent prays to Shallya for a sick child; a routed soldier begs forgiveness of Ulric; a hunter dedicates an arrow to Taal before firing. Reiklanders may consider themselves cultured and forward-thinking, more likely to grip to reason and tavern-room philosophy than unfounded superstition, but they never forget their gods. Indeed, it’s not only considered rude not to stop at shrines and temples to pay respects to the local gods, it’s seen as foolhardy and potentially dangerous.
\nBeyond the boundaries of the Empire’s major towns and cities, deep forests, wide rivers, and looming mountains dominate the countryside. Within these wild places lurk desperate Bandits and feared Mutants, as well as terrible Beastmen, barbarous Greenskins, Undead horrors, and worse. Few stray far from their barred gates without protection. But the greatest threat isn’t the enemy without, it’s the enemy within. Behind the walls of civilisation, cultists sworn to Chaos gods plot and connive. There they unpick the threads of society, unravelling everything Sigmar once stitched together. Hidden behind veils of benign clubs, secret circles, and curious hand gestures, these lost and damned souls prostrate themselves before the Dark Gods of Chaos, and work towards nothing less than the very end of all things.
\nChaos, the greatest threat to the Empire, is also the source of its greatest weapons. The Colleges of Magic in the Empire’s capital of Altdorf train those ‘gifted’ with the talent to use magic in the service of Humanity. These wizards are powerful and terrifying in their own right, for they channel the Winds of Magick that invisibly blow across the land. Given the dark source of these Winds, wizards must be vigilant for signs of their own corruption. In this, they are a cut above the petty witches and hedge magicians that litter the countryside — though in the eyes of the uncultured peasantry, or a zealous Witch Hunter, there is little difference.
\nDespite the ever-present threat of death and dismemberment at the hands of any number of monstrous creatures, and the creeping existential threat of Chaos, most citizens of the Reikland live relatively normal lives: working daily, falling in love, raising families, and experiencing the myriad trials and tribulations that beset all folk.
\nIn the Empire, the working week is 8 days long and ends on a Festtag, the day where devout Reiklanders attend ‘throng’ at their local temple of Sigmar. There are 400 days in a year, including 6 intercalary days, which do not form part of a normal week. These days include Sonnstill, the summer solstice, and Geheimnistag, an eerie day of mystery and magic. The Empire’s economy has three tiers of coinage: gold, which is only seen by nobles and the richest of merchants; silver, the staple of the burgeoning middle classes; and brass, the least valuable coins, used by the majority of the Reikland’s citizenry. Two moons rise in the night sky: sedate Mannslieb, a silvery moon with a predictable passage, and ill-omened Morrslieb, a greenish moon with an erratic orbit.
"}, {"id":"Q7HeQYlGWHfQyfOJ","name":"Reiniger's Outfitters","description":"Reiniger’s has been the principal outfitters for Übersreiks military forces for decades. A large, two-story building, it bears an air of genteel charm at odds with its surroundings. The ground floor services rank and file uniforms, with a small office for bursars from the regiments to make their orders, and the bulk of the space used for storage and for a small army of seamstresses.
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The first floor is reserved for Officers. Here the gentlemen and ladies of privilege can have their measurements taken, to ensure the perfect fit, uniform regulations playing second fiddle to the latest fashions from Nuln and Altdorf. Florian Reiniger is the chief tailor. His father founded the business. Florian has a relaxed and easy manner. He is as skilled at stitching as he is at talking his customers into buying an extra jacket.
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Just off Abrechnungsplatz lies the Exploding Pig, a large tavern frequented by merchants, traders, and, on Marktags, visiting farmers. Its two floors are a hive of gossip, especially among local burghers with an interest in trade and local politics. Since the arrival of the State Soldiers from Altdorf, the Pig is much busier than usual as Übersreik’s chattering middle classes gather to discuss the latest developments concerning the Town Council and then jockey for influence.
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Hanno Rader, the landlord, named the inn after an accident in @JournalEntry[Dawihafen] involving an abattoir and an armory. He claims the town smelled like bacon for days, which he firmly believes was a blessed event granted by the gods, for Rader loves bacon. He is as gossipy as a Nordlander fishwife and rarely gives others a moment to talk. He is also notorious as a reliable source of unreliable information.
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Rader’s open support of the @Actor[Ernst Maler]{Burgomeister’s} efforts to secure Freiburg status for Übersreik has earned him the disdain of locals loyal to the Jungfreuds, who rarely frequent his establishment any more.
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\n
","img":"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/exploding-pig.webp "}, {"id":"S8abSqM3IDk4fx0K","name":"Grauer Palast","description":"
The Grauer Palast is a squat keep to the north-east of Burg Schwarzfels. It was long used as the official residence of the Baron of @JournalEntry[Barony of Lady's Vale]{Lady’s Vale}, the heir to the @JournalEntry[Duchy of Übersreik]. It contains the largest ballroom in the Vorbergland, and is where the Jungfreuds once conducted their social functions and weddings.
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The keep now houses @Actor[Emmanuelle Nacht]{Lady Emmanuelle Nacht}, the Imperial Herald, and the true power in Übersreik. The daughter of Duke Gregor Nacht, an ex-ambassador to Grand Cathay, she lived most of her childhood in the East. Nacht’s life changed when her father was assassinated six years ago, which led her to the Imperial Court in Altdorf seeking answers. She would be there still, investigating the ‘Purple Hand’, a mysterious group she believes is responsible for her father’s death, were it not for Emperor Karl-Franz’s personal request to oversee the pacification of Übersreik.
"}, {"id":"SoO2IQJc8siJCXh4","name":"Thulmannplatz","description":"A small square, Thulmannplatz is home to Übersreiks stocks. In addition to criminals being punished and executed by Magistrates, the Altdorf forces have taken to imprisoning anyone resisting their instructions, or publicly supporting the Jungfreuds. Sometimes these poor unfortunates remain locked up for hours, or even days, before the Watch arrives to release them. Ever enterprising, a number of Halfling stallholders have begun selling rotting fruit and vegetables to public-spirited Ubersreikers, which they can hurl at wrongdoers. The goods, which would otherwise be discarded, can now be sold at a reasonable price, although this is denying @JournalEntry[The Dog Pens]{Sascha Sauer} cheap supplies for his slop.
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\n
","img":" "}, {"id":"SzdNU0H8fNJfdecf","name":"Duchy of Übersreik","description":"
@Scene[Übersreik Duchy]
\nÜbersreik is not just the name of the fortress-town, it is also the name of the surrounding duchy. This duchy contains a swathe of the fertile Vorbergland region of Reikland. Its varied terrain includes soaring peaks, verdant valleys, swift rivers, placid lakes, dense forests, and fertile fields. But, it is most known for the Pass der grauen Dame, one of only two safe routes through to Bretonnia from the Empire, making it critical for trade and security.
\nThe duchy is also a Reikland Estate. This means its duke can sit on the Reikland Diet, Reikland’s legislative body, and that none have authority over the ruling duke bar the prince of Reikland. The duchy contains seven fiefs, which are themselves split into many smaller estates. However, as Übersreik currently has no duke, the rulers of Übersreiks fiefs have no liege to swear to. The most obvious resolution, outside installing a new duke, would be to have these fiefs swear allegiance to @JournalEntry[Archduchy of Upper Teufel]{Archduke Victor von Walfen}, to whom the Duke of Übersreik swore fealty previously. However, because of a quirk in Reikland law, doing this requires the fiefs be @JournalEntry[The Reikland Estates]{Reikland Estates}, which they are not. Thus, these seven fiefs, with Übersreik at the center, are stuck in political limbo without a direct liege, and thus without a voice in @JournalEntry[The Reikland Diet]. For all this brings disadvantages, it also leaves the Noble Houses of Übersreik with an odd freedom few nobles in the Empire share: they currently have no direct liege.
\n@JournalEntry[Barony of Lady's Vale]
\n@JournalEntry[Barony of Teufeltal]
\n@JournalEntry[County of Widow's Vale]
\n@JournalEntry[Herzogtum Aschaffenberg]
\n@JournalEntry[Duchy of Schwarzfels]
\n@JournalEntry[Duchy of Graustadt]
\n@JournalEntry[Grafschaft Grauwerk]
\n@JournalEntry[Duchy of Karstadt]
\n@JournalEntry[Mark des Passes der grauen Dame]
","img":"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/Übersreik-duchy.webp "}, {"id":"Tc9VdqMdLoVocVpr","name":"The Fractured Eye","description":"The Fractured Eye is more akin to a clandestine spy network than a cult. It began life as a group of ‘enlightened’ souls who engaged in correspondence. The Old World, they knew, stood on the brink of destruction and war. Only through sharing knowledge and expertise could this be halted. And so they sought out books and scholars, recorded stories, legends, and histories, and shared this knowledge with one other.
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An instinct for secrecy kept them from being open about their goals or affiliating with the Cult of Verena. Instead, they worked in the shadows, seeing themselves as the architects of a greater future. Of course, the problem with knowledge is it can be dangerous. When one member encountered a tainted text inscribed with runes of power, dedicated to Tzeentch, the Great Architect of Fate, he was quickly seduced. And as he shared this knowledge, so he shared this corruption.
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Today, the Fractured Eye still works in secret, its members isolated, reporting and sharing knowledge between themselves. Primary communication is through correspondence using a complex cipher. Recruitment of new members is slow, and often cultists operate for years without meeting anyone other than their handler. They are keen to absorb all knowledge, and their members are not restricted to the educated and literate.
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Skilled craftsmen and those with expertise in any area are highly valued by the cult. A high ranking Grey Guardian — a wizard of the Lore of Shadows — is a member, though whether she is infiltrating the cult to expose it, or is a true member, is anybody’s guess. Kurt Prochnow, a Guildmaster of the @JournalEntry[The Guildhouse of Boatbuilders and Chandlers]{Boatbuilders and Chandlers Guild}, represents the cult in Übersreik.
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The rolling farmlands of the Lady’s Vale surround the @JournalEntry[Der Teufel]{river Teufel} as it flows free from @JournalEntry[Das Graue Gebirge]. Historically, the barony of Lady’s Vale was the courtesy title of the heir to the duchy of Übersreik, though it has never had any substantive power. The produce grown there supplies the fortress-town that guards it, with any surplus sold to other Reikland towns. The vale’s villages and hamlets are taxed directly by Übersreik, and also protected by that town’s military.
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With the von Jungfreuds’ removal, the town of Übersreik, and the surrounding Lady’s Vale, has no ruler. This means Viktor von Walfen, archduke of Upper Teufel, should be in control. However, the archduke is little more than a puppet for Karl-Franz, so the Emperor has sent a herald, @Actor[Emmanuelle Nacht], to represent him in all matters rather than allow the archduke any authority. Not only has this angered the archduke, but it is also rumored to be an unwanted imposition on Nacht, who had business of her own to attend in Altdorf.
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Currently, Lady’s Vale is relatively depopulated due to repeated Grünhaut raids down through the decades. To combat this, Altdorf troops have taken to patrolling the region, but this has only aggravated affairs rather than made the Vale safer, as Orc and Goblin warlords perceive the show of strength as a challenge they must meet.
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The Axe and Hammer is the only dedicated tavern in @JournalEntry[Dawihafen], though there are also three inns. The Axe and Hammer has one floor above ground, containing a large common room and a number of smaller booths and meeting rooms. The walls, floors, tables, and chairs are all made of stone, and intricately wrought with images of Dwarf ancestors. The ceilings are low, and the building has no windows, being lit by lamps and a great fire roaring in the center of the large open space. Although most customers are Dwarfs, all folk are welcome.
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The basement level of the inn is for Dwarfs only, and it resembles the great hall of a Dwarf hold. It contains shrines to Grungni and Valaya — two Dwarf ancestor Gods. It is also the site of the Dwarf Engineers’ Guild in town. Grodni Surehammer, a longbeard, leads this august institution. He answered Magnus’s call for aid centuries ago, and has remained in Übersreik ever since. He is the de facto leader of the Dwarf community in Übersreik. Visiting Dwarfs consider it a great honor to meet Surehammer, and often frequent the inn just to shake his hand.
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Übersreiks Rathaus is an imposing stone building, two stories high with four towers, that looms over the northern side of @JournalEntry[Marktplatz]. In addition to banks of offices belonging to the Burgomeister and his staff, it contains the stately Nobles’ Court, a grand hall in which the Jungfreud rulers historically made rulings that affected the whole duchy. The towers were reserved for the Jungfreuds and visiting nobles to use as a residence when attending court, but now lie unused. Since the removal of the Jungfreuds, the status and influence of the @JournalEntry[Übersreik Council]{Town Council}, which meets weekly in the Rathaus, has risen dramatically, although the formal bounds of its power is very much in flux.
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@Actor[Ernst Maler] is the current Burgomeister of Übersreik and leader of the @JournalEntry[Übersreik Council]. His role was, until the arrival of Altdorf ’s troops, chiefly clerical. Given the potential for the town to become a Freiburg, things have changed — he is courted by Guildmasters, keen to exert their influence on the town’s future, and resented by the nobility and locals loyal to the Jungfreuds, who suspect skullduggery.
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Nestled in the craggy shadows of the Grey Mountains, the fortress-town of Übersreik guards the Pass der grauen Dame, the only reliable trade route from the Reikland into the Bretonnian duchy of Parravon. It stands in the fertile Lady’s Vale astride the river Teufel, and is connected by roads traversing the Reikland in all directions. The town profits from the never-ending stream of trade flowing through its busy mercantile districts, handling goods from Bretonnia and the Dwarf Holds of the Grey Mountains before exporting them across the Empire and beyond.
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Übersreik’s roads are choked with coaches, wagons, and horses carrying goods to and from the town’s busy market places. Similarly, its rivers and connecting canals teem with barges, boats, and ships laden with all manner of cargo for sale and trade. News of this prosperity has spread across the Reikland, resulting in a constant stream of folk too poor to do aught but walk heading to Übersreik in search of work.
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All this traffic makes the town surprisingly cosmopolitan. In addition to a sizeable Dwarf quarter, many Halblinge call the town home. Humans from across the grand provinces of the Empire can be found walking its streets and drinking its ale. It is also host to a significant community of Bretonnian expats, and even a small Tilean compound.
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Prospectors, hunters and adventures strike out from Übersreik to delve into the Grey Mountains, seeking gold, fame, or infamy amongst those jagged peaks.
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The town’s taverns, inns and less salubrious drinking holes are full of scarred, cynical veterans spouting tales of the violence and misery to be found in the mountains, but most wide-eyed hopefuls are either too brave or too foolish to pay any attention to them.
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Recently, Übersreik’s rulers, the Jungfreuds, were controversially removed from power following a decree from Emperor Karl Franz I. This unexpected command was enforced by troops sent from the capital, Altdorf, and compliance was mercilessly secured. This occupying force garrisons in Burg Schwarzfels, Übersreik’s nigh-on impregnable inner bastion. Now armed soldiers sporting Altdorf ’s red and blue livery leave there to tour the surrounding land, enforcing the Emperor’s justice with scant regard for the traditions or the wishes of the stunned locals
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Übersreik’s first founding is lost to the mists of time, but Dwarf scholars from Karak Angaraz claim the town began as a small, fortified settlement of the Unberogen tribe many centuries before the reign of Sigmar, the founder of the Empire over 2500 years ago. Its location on the river Teufel, and its close proximity to a number of Dwarf Holds, lent it significance, ensuring its continued survival and relevance through difficult times.
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Following Sigmar’s triumph at the Battle for Blackfire Pass, treaties with the Dwarfs bound the two races closer together, and Übersreik flourished from the resulting increase in trade. In later centuries, further treaties with the neighboring Kingdom of Bretonnia ensured that Übersreik continued to grow and prosper, its coffers filled with revenues gleaned from the steady flow of goods and people.
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However, Parravon, the Bretonnian duchy lying to the far side of the Pass der grauen Dame, frequently warred with Übersreik, mostly over control of the pass. So, while the treaties they signed brought mutual prosperity, they rarely lasted long.
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Übersreik was ruled by many noble bloodlines through the centuries, with House Jungfreud reigning for longer than any other, and House Bruner not far behind. Some 500 years ago, the ruling Jungfreuds became vassals of House Walfen after a bitter war of succession. In the following decades, House Walfen control over the surrounding duchies became so complete that the head of the household, Wiprecht von Walfen, declared himself a king.
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Though widely decried, after significant donations were made to fund new temples, the new king secured the blessing of the Cult of Sigmar in Altdorf, and so the Holy Kingdom of Suden Vorbergland would flourish for centuries. But this all came to an end after the Great War Against Chaos, and the arrival of Magnus the Pious.
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Two centuries ago, the Empire was broken, having collapsed into uncounted independent kingdoms, princedoms, duchies, counties, baronies, and more. From this shattered patchwork, Magnus von Bildhofen was born. A noble from the city of Nuln, Magnus was not only destined to bind the petty armies of all the tiny provinces into a single force capable of facing an invasion of unprecedented size, but to also reforge Sigmar’s Empire.
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As Magnus led the armies of Humanity north to face the hordes of Chaos, Greenskins took advantage of the lowered defenses of Übersreik and razed it. When the Great War Against Chaos came to an end, and Magnus was crowned emperor, he commissioned the Dwarfs of Karak Azgaraz to rebuild Übersreik with help from the artisans of Nuln and Altdorf, once bitter rivals. Soon, new walls soared high, linking the still-standing Burg Schwarzfels to the new fortress of Magnus’s Tower. Buildings were restored, made stronger, taller, sturdier, and a mighty bridge spanning the Teufel was built.
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Within a few decades, Übersreik was whole once more, though still bearing the scars of its former devastation as old ruins still poked free from the river, and many townhouses used the remaining, pre-Magnus foundations. The warrens and tunnels created by the older Übersreik still lie beneath the town, and are used by criminal gangs, smugglers, and the poor as they lie far from the sight of watchful landlords and patrolling soldiers.
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Magnus wrought many, significant political changes as he established his new Empire. Noble families supporting the Bildhofens were rewarded for their loyalty, granted new powers and larger lands, while many of their enemies were punished. House Walfen, the self-proclaimed monarchs of the Kingdom of Suden Vorbergland, was one family that felt Magnus’s wrath.
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Stripped of political power and robbed of their status, the Walfens became little more than figureheads, their kingdom reduced and retitled as an Archduchy. What they lost, their erstwhile vassals — such as the Jungfreuds — gained as they capitalized on their provinces’ regrowth, tightly controlling trade and reaping the benefits of greater autonomy.
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In the decades since its reconstruction, Übersreik’s fortunes increased steadily, as did those of the Jungfreuds. Ores and precious metals were funneled from rich seams in the Grey Mountains. Trade flowing through Übersreik brought merchants, traders, artisans, and all manner of travelers by road and river, all of which significantly increased the tax yield.
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This new-found wealth drew the attention and ire of the Dukes of Parravon across the Pass der grauen Dame. When trade deals offered by Übersreik were not considered sufficiently generous, war soon followed. Bitter clashes in the Grey Mountains soon spilled down the pass like blood from a fresh wound, and Übersreik was besieged more than once. Eventually, a fragile peace emerged, with a treaty signed that recognized neutral territory in the Grey Mountains. But that treaty is frequently broken by both sides.
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This conflict and success bred a succession of strong-willed, politically astute grafs in Übersreik. This meant that as House Jungfreud’s wealth and military might grew, it consolidated political power to match By the turn of the 25th century, its influence over the province was unrivalled, despite the best efforts of other local noble Houses such as the Bruners, Karstadts, and newly ennobled Aschaffenbergs. With their seemingly endless source of wealth in the Duchy of Schwarzfels and the loyalty and respect (if not outright friendship) of several neighboring provinces, the Jungfreuds’ status and position seemed unassailable.
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The latest change to Übersreik’s fortunes took everyone by surprise. In early 2512 IC, Karl-Franz of House Holswig-Schliestein, crown prince of the Reikland and Emperor, passed a midnight edict through the Reikland Diet to seize Übersreik from House Jungfreud.
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The Emperor’s army was poised not far from Übersreik to enforce this political manoeuvre, proving it was no spur of the moment whim or idle fancy, but rather the culmination of a strategic strike against the Jungfreuds, one that completely stripped them of power in Übersreik, sending them fleeing to their ancestral lands in the duchy of Schwarzfels.
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Whilst the uproar this caused among the terrified Reikland noble houses was pronounced, reaction in Übersreik itself was mixed, though the rough behavior of the invading Altdorf soldiers skewed many opinions negatively. The handful of Jungfreud troops caught in Übersreik were killed, their bodies displayed as traitors, despite the lack of treasonous activities.
\n\n
Altdorfer State Soldiers replaced the town Watch and enforced the new rule of the Emperor. And though many inhabitants of Übersreik remained loyal to the Jungfreuds, few were brave or foolish enough to state this openly, especially as rivals were keen to take advantage, bringing Altdorfer wrath.
\n\n
These tensions were mirrored politically across the province, and through the Reikland itself. While lesser families were keen to capitalize on the power vacuum, more astute politicians feared for future stability. After all, if the Emperor could supplant and challenge a powerful, well-established family like the Jungfreuds, what was to stop him seizing the lands of any other noble house?
\n\n
The obvious answer to this question was particularly troubling. So, many of most powerful nobles of the Reikland travelled to speak at the Reikland Diet in Altdorf, keen to ensure this travesty of justice could never happen to them. Many also turned to army building — should Altdorf march on them, they would be ready.
\n\n
As the nobles scrabbled, Übersreik’s growing middle class sensed an opportunity for profit and power free from the prohibitive taxation of the shaken noble houses. The Town Council swiftly became the mouthpiece for these ambitions, and was soon promoting a message across Übersreik of the stability it could bring if the province were instead a Freiburg, self-ruling, free from noble interference, but still answerable to the Emperor. Unsurprisingly, the local noble houses were strongly against this, but few spoke out for fear of drawing the wrath of Altdorf.
\n\n
All of this uncertainty exists because the reasons for the Emperor’s actions are as unclear as the long-term political ramifications. Ostensibly, Karl-Franz responded to recent tensions between the duchies of Wallenstein and Übersreik. Indeed, the bill placed before the Reikland Diet in the small hours of the morning cited Graf Sigismund’s belligerent and aggressive military build-up that challenged the limitations of his ducal rights as a primary reason for his removal.
\n\n
However, while there was no love lost between the Wallensteins and the Jungfreuds, none of their backbiting and maneuvering was any different from the jockeying for power and position that takes place all over the Empire on a daily basis. Some speculate the Jungfreuds had simply grown too powerful, given their wealth, holdings in the Grey Mountains, and the Graf ’s impressive reputation. Others fear the Emperor is losing his mind, growing paranoid and erratic, or that he is under the sway of corrupt advisors with their own, sinister agenda.
\n\n
Whatever the truth, none deny the event has changed the Reikland’s politics forever. Some even fear that civil war could result as terrified nobles marshal their forces to protect their land and holdings from an unpredictable Emperor.
\n\n
\n
\n\nBesieged
\nÜbersreik has been besieged many times, as often by human forces from Bretonnia or neighboring provinces as by Beastmen or Greenskins. on a number of occasions, the town has been completely reduced to rubble and ash by conquering forces. such as when, over a thousand years ago, as Übersreik’s population was recovering from the Black Plague, the town was overwhelmed by the Skaven. The ratmen destroyed most of the city’s buildings. When Count Mandred eventually relieved the town three years later, there was nothing but smoking ruins remaining.
\n\n
After the sacking of the town by Skaven, Übersreik was rebuilt with the help of the dwarfs of Karak Azgaraz. This began a pattern which was to be repeated over the centuries: Übersreik was threatened; it appealed to its dwarf allies, who refused to help; the town was destroyed; then the dwarfs rebuild Übersreik, and charged handsomely for their efforts. This led to some resentment among Übersreik’s patriotic inhabitants, all of whom felt they were being exploited by their so-called allies.
\n\n
The most recent instance of this cycle came during the Great War Against chaos. Übersreik’s defenders marched north, leaving the town vulnerable to a great horde of Greenskins that poured out from the Grey mountains, occupying and then destroying the town. Once again, the dwarfs of Karak Azgaraz were commissioned to rebuild, but Magnus, ever the astute politician, ensured this would be the last time Übersreik fell. The dwarfs constructed high and broad walls. The bridge was reinforced with runes to ensure it would stand for an age. To this day, Grodni Surehammer, the leader of the dwarf construction team from Magnus’s time, advises on any major works and resides behind the stout walls he helped build. Surehammer serves as a talisman to the local population, a reassuring sign of their town’s strength and the dwarfs’ friendship with Übersreik.
\n
\n
"}, {"id":"UY7FuTynMGBgFFCr","name":"Morr's Field","description":"
To the northwest of Übersreik lies the town’s graveyard, Morr’s Field. It is surrounded by tall and crumbling stone walls, religious buildings being exempt from the bylaws. Within lie the graves and ravenstones of Übersreik. Mass graves for paupers, single plots for the middle-classes, and great mausoleums for the wealthiest families in town. Additionally, there is a shrine to Morr, which is attached to a larger hall, used by the Mourners’ Society, an informal group of locals who offer solace to the grieving.
\n\n
Schadrach Bürke is the ranking priest of Morr, the God of Death. Bürke is a tall, angular man with a long nose and a mournful aspect. He rarely leaves the Field, and has little Human contact, save when comforting those who have lost loved ones, or issuing instructions to his two gravediggers, Ewald and Oswald.
\n\n
\n
Schwarzfels is less a district, and more a castle complex named for the dark granite that forms its ancient walls, and from the Jungfreuds’ ancestral duchy, also called Schwarzfels, in the Grey Mountains. It dominates Übersreik, covering almost an eighth of the town. It is ringed by huge parapets connecting directly to the town’s walls, making it integral to Übersreik’s defense. A secure tunnel leads from Schwarzfels to the @JournalEntry[Magnus's Tower], allowing for troops and messages to pass from fortress to fortress, should the town fall. For centuries it was the bastion of the Jungfreuds.
\n\n
The invading troops from Altdorf made Schwarzfels their home, tearing down the silver and blue banners of the von Jungfreuds and replacing them with Altdorf ’s red and blue, a gesture of disrespect many locals find galling.
\n\n
Within Schwarzfels’s walls lies a bustling community. In many ways, it is a town within a town. The primary keep, @JournalEntry[Burg Schwarzfels], is the largest single structure within the complex. Many support buildings are also found there, including grain stores, workshops, museums, chapels, housing, watch-towers, animal pens, orchards, bath houses, muster grounds, gardens, stables, surgeries, kennels, and courts.
\n\n
When Übersreik was seized, any remaining Schwarzfels staff were forcibly ejected from the castle grounds, with the exception of @Actor[Sister Habercorn] in the @JournalEntry[Saint Arnold's Chapel]{Chapel of Sigmar}, whose holy vows protected her. As many of these workers — including servants, gardeners, artisans, and more — were local, this has led to much resentment among the working classes of Übersreik, not that most would voice their discontent to the foreign soldiers patrolling their town. Most of the workers’ homes are now taken as billets by troops from Altdorf. Indeed, all five regiments led by @Actor[Jendrik von Dabernick]{General von Dabernick} to seize Übersreik are barracked in Schwarzfels. Two of these are normally found patrolling the surrounding duchy at any one time, meaning there are rarely more than a thousand Altdorf soldiers in Schwarzfels at any one time.
\n\n
\n
You recently heard the following three rumours. You don’t know if they are true, but you have heard them more than once. It’s up to you to decide where you heard them. Was it in a tavern? On the road? At a local market? Or maybe from a friend? That’s entirely up to you and how you think your Character engages with the folk of Übersreik.
\nDeep beneath the Khazalgürtel, at the end of a tunnel many hundreds of yards long, lies Lord Gazul’s Underearth. Entry is through a guarded fifty-foot high cave mouth carved with a yawning Dwarf face. Within is an enormous, earth-floored cavern with thousands of carved stone sarcophagi, each grouped by clan into octagonal patterns around the oldest graves. In the center of the cavern stands a twenty-foot statue of Gazul, great guardian of the dead, and the Dwarf Ancestor God who established ancestor veneration after the loss of his mother. Gazul looks troubled, and leans heavily on a great runesword.
\n\n
Nargrimi the Quiet ensures Gazul’s teachings are remembered. The ancient Dwarf is Karugromthi, a living ancestor, and the Dwarfs above whisper she was alive when the funerary cavern was first excavated many centuries ago. However, this isn’t certain, for Nargrimi doesn’t speak, confirms nothing, and all of her descendants are long dead. She tends to the Dwarf dead in Übersreik, and consoles the bereaved with her soft, leathery hands and heart-felt tears. There are none alive in Übersreik who can remember when Nargrimi last left the cavern.
\n\n
\n
"}, {"id":"WE2IrQQqV5fn0ebj","name":"Saint Arnold's Chapel","description":"
Black Rock’s chapel to Sigmar is dedicated to Saint Arnold, a martyr who died defending his sacred texts from desecration at the hands of invading Greenskins centuries ago in 1707 IC. As with most Sigmarite temples, its walls form the plan of a hammer, although the ravages of time and subsidence have left the nave somewhat crooked. Its walls remain stout, though slightly crumbling. It contains a beautiful stained-glass window, constructed by glaziers from Nuln, and many fine carvings depicting Sigmar’s victories.
\n\n
Since the occupying forces took Schwarzfels, few now attend Sister Habercorn’s services at the chapel. Often it is only the @Actor[Emmanuelle Nacht]{Imperial Herald} present, as @Actor[Jendrik von Dabernick]{General von Dabernick} and his officers choose to attend throng in the @JournalEntry[Der höchste Tempel Sigmars]{High Temple}, the better to project their piety publicly, in addition to reminding the Ubersreikers who is in charge. Nevertheless, Sister Habercorn, previously the personal confessor to the Jungfreuds, maintains her chapel and performs her sermons to the near-empty chapel, maintaining a sense of normalcy as best she can.
\n\n
Unbeknownst to the occupiers, a network of tunnels lie beneath the chapel. One tunnel leads to the keep, while another leads to the gardens within the castle walls. The tunnel walls are lined with Orc graffiti, a grim reminder of the time greenskins occupied Schwarzfels in the wake of the town’s destruction two centuries ago. Sister Habercorn and the von Jungfreuds are the only ones aware of the tunnels’ existence. She is keen to keep it that way, as the tunnels harbor a secret which she cannot allow the occupiers to discover.
\n\n
When the forces from Altdorf swept into Übersreik, Graf Sigismund von Jungfreud had already withdrawn, taking his wife and most of his forces and supporters with him. He joined his eldest son, also named Sigismund, in their ancestral seat in the Grey Mountains. However, his two younger sons, were not with him. His second son, Gerhardt, was studying in Altdorf, and has subsequently disappeared. His youngest son, @Actor[Wendelin Jungfreud]{Wendelin}remained in Übersreik. In the chaos of their departure he was overlooked when he hid under a bed. Wendelin was missing for several days before @Actor[Sister Habercorn] found him. She immediately hid him in the tunnels beneath the chapel.
\n\n
Now the Sister keeps Wendelin fed and watered, and attempts to keep his spirits buoyed, which is no mean feat given the youth’s overly sensitive nature. She is desperate to smuggle the boy from the castle, but can see no safe way to do so. Wendelin is aware that a tunnel does lead from Schwarzfels to beyond the town’s walls, knowing that Gerhardt had used it in the past to sneak out on various misadventures, but he is unaware of its location. Sister Habercorn is doing her best to subtly search for the tunnel as she goes about her business, the ever-present threat of discovery both spurring her on and urging trepidation.
","img":"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/temple-of-sigmar.webp "}, {"id":"WM2D6XkQCgEEf7gX","name":"Satrioli's Sausage Shop","description":"Satrioli’s Sausage Shop is a thriving business that offers a wide selection of sausages, cured meats, imported cheeses, and other delicacies to the workers of the @JournalEntry[Artisan's Quarter]{Artisan’s District}. It occupies the ground floor of a stone building; the wooden story above is rented out by the large family of Halblinge who help the Satriolis cope with their rapidly expanding customer-base. Beneath the shop, there is a sizeable cellar used as a storeroom; it also has a shrine to Myrmidia, a goddess worshipped widely in the south of the Old World. There are a number of tables and benches outside the shop, but many customers take their food away to eat at home or in their place of work.
\n\n
Gino Satrioli is a charming Tilean with dark hair, a ready grin, and no trace of his foreign accent. He tends the shop with his wife Carla, a woman known locally for her exotic beauty, and their son Furio, a boy of uncommon intelligence. They employ a gaggle of Halblinge to assist with day-to-day tasks, and the small folk can be found scurrying about the shop at all hours.
\n\n
There are rumors that many of the sausages are in fact made by the Halblinge, and not by the Satriolis, but given the diminutive folk’s reputation for culinary skill, nobody is complaining.
\n\n
\n
There are many exciting things you can buy in Übersreiks Marktplatz. Your Character Sheet shows you how much money you currently have.
\nThe coins come in 3 denominations: Messinggroschen (d), Silver Shillings (/), and Gold Crowns (GC). Coin values are:
\n1 gold crown (1GC) = 20 silver Schillinge (20/–) = 240 brass pennies (240d)
\n1 Silberschilling (1/–) = 12 brass pennies (20d)
\nThis is usually abbreviated to: 1 GC = 20/– = 240d
\nWhilst at the market, or at other points during play if the GM allows, you may wish to purchase some goods. The GM will tell you if you need to make a Test to find a vendor or shopkeeper selling the goods you wish to buy. When buying, you either pay full prince, or you pass an Opposed Feilschen Test against the shopkeeper and pay the cheaper Feilschen price as marked in the Trappings Table.
\nThe following are the goods available in Übersreik market and beyond. Strength Bonus is abbreviated to SB in any weapon rules.
\n\n
| Item | \nPrice | \nFeilschen | \nSpecial | \n
| @Compendium[wfrp4e-core.trappings.1zaqojk0Oq1m8vYv]{Sword/Axe/Mace} | \n1 GC | \n18/- | \n\n |
| @Compendium[wfrp4e-core.trappings.ahlxlfIl8xUhBkic]{Dagger} | \n16/- | \n14/4 | \n\n |
| @Compendium[wfrp4e-core.trappings.kOfcQJQOgmGsqA5U]{Knuckledusters} | \n2/6 | \n2/3 | \n\n |
| @Compendium[wfrp4e-core.trappings.7Bpc5I8Arucy3w4q]{Sling} | \n1/- | \n11d | \n\n |
| @Compendium[wfrp4e-core.trappings.mik7s6AqS8SMSaJ8]{Stone Bullet} | \n2d | \n2d | \n\n |
| @Compendium[wfrp4e-core.trappings.xdAP96GGDb87m0Pr]{Bullet and Powder} | \n3/3 | \n2/9 | \n\n |
| @Compendium[wfrp4e-core.trappings.OjcHE0VOGr1aRdy9]{Leather Jack} | \n12 | \n10/10 | \n\n |
| @Compendium[wfrp4e-core.trappings.ipaDvYY3qS66o593]{Leather Jerkin} | \n10 | \n9/- | \n\n |
| @Compendium[wfrp4e-core.trappings.hG90GkelSekqH7i8]{Waterskin} | \n1/6 | \n1/5 | \n\n |
| @Compendium[wfrp4e-core.trappings.o51gUXXozGz4ON0h]{Tattoo} | \n4/- | \n3/8 | \n\n |
| @Compendium[wfrp4e-core.trappings.N8HJlumE3hOgpPC2]{Pint of Ale} | \n3d | \n- | \nTasty! | \n
| Rumster Pie | \n3d | \n- | \nComes in many flavours | \n
| Full Imperal Breakfast | \n8d | \n- | \nBest blood sausage in Übersreik! | \n
| @Compendium[wfrp4e-core.trappings.USL6G7P9pbdWHodY]{Inn Meal} | \n1/- | \n- | \nExpensive, but good! | \n
| @Compendium[wfrp4e-core.trappings.7CJfiEV10299s7c1]{Bottle of Wine} | \n10d | \n9d | \nA local grape | \n
| @Compendium[wfrp4e-core.trappings.M5rVGn8jfQXVkY57]{Chicken} | \n5d | \n- | \nUncooked. Unplucked. Hungry. | \n
| @Compendium[wfrp4e-core.trappings.gxdjLQoQUTYgD6fm]{Healing Draught} | \n10/- | \n9/- | \n\n |
| @Compendium[wfrp4e-core.trappings.1wtW4N8l3UKwlLI3]{Bandage} | \n4d | \n- | \n\n |
| @Compendium[wfrp4e-core.trappings.F65NP8BmRo66nQOm]{Deck of Cards} | \n1/- | \n- | \n\n |
| @Compendium[wfrp4e-core.trappings.horFAtaDz0EbuY3R]{Rope, 10 yards} | \n\n | 7/6 | \n\n |
\n
"}, {"id":"YfUYQTeXvXb4fz8t","name":"Saint Bastian's Hospital","description":"
Übersreiks Merchants’ Guild maintain this orphanage and school as a philanthropic gesture. Initially a smaller endeavor, supporting only eight children, under Guildmaster Müller’s influence it has grown in size. The Hospital moved from the docks to a tall, narrow building in the Handelsviertel (the better to demonstrate their generosity for all to see). The ground floor contains a reception area, office space, a refectory and kitchens. The first floor contains classrooms and bathrooms, and the top floor contains the children’s dormitory. Staff quarters are in the basement. @Actor[Frederich Gewinnguter] runs the Hospital. A charming middle-aged man, he lives on site, with his wife Hilde, who assists him in his duties. During the day, additional staff attend, including Wolfram Weissman and Molrella Tüsch, who teach a broad and varied curriculum to the children.
\n\n
\n
The Duchy of Graustadt is also ruled by the Jungfreuds, but it is isolated, no longer connected to @JournalEntry[Duchy of Schwarzfels] by a Jungfreud-held lands. To mitigate this, Rudolf Trocheim, the finest Jungfreud strategist, has been appointed its steward, and granted three regiments to defend the province. But Trocheim is not loved locally, having married the illegitimate daughter of Duc Gaston de Parravon, the hated instigator of the Fifth Parravon War.
","img":"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/jungfreud.webp "}, {"id":"ZxgCLVDpDVV08S2k","name":"Strohmann Markt","description":"Strohmann Markt lies at the edge of the Teubrücke, where it connects to the fortified Precinct district. A relatively small, open square, it hosts a number of stalls by day, selling a wide variety of food and clothing.
\n\n
Hocheim’s Livery Stables dominates one side of the platz, where visitors to Übersreik can stable their horses. Civilians are prohibited from riding within the Precinct, so the stables do a roaring trade as riders are turned back at the gates from the Docks. The nobility, wizards, and the Imperial Post are, of course, exempt from this restriction.
\n\n
Scarred and wrinkled Sabina Hocheim owns Hocheim’s Livery Stables. An enterprising veteran of the last Parravon War, she spends her last days sitting on a cushioned chair beneath the eaves of her business. She watches while her nephews and nieces do the work, and intends for them to inherit the business when she passes through Morr’s Portal.
\n\n
Next door to the stables, Marlies Zeitflug recently opened a small shop selling hourglasses and timepieces. Such devices are a luxury, so business has largely collapsed in the current uncertain environment, and Zeitflug is growing more concerned every day.
\n\n
\n
","img":"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/strohmann-markt.webp "}, {"id":"azcRNpuuAqkKn7wQ","name":"Theatre Varieté","description":"
Originally, this building was a merchant’s storehouse and shop, but it was converted a decade ago into a proscenium arch theatre, which plays host to actors, musicians, and entertainers of all sorts. It is large, stone building, with an expansive, vaulted, wooden ceiling. A large chalkboard hangs beneath the painted sign, on which the owner writes the name of the next performance, as well as a number of images to keep the illiterate masses informed. Inside, there are fifty seats in the stalls, another fifty in the upper circle, and two boxes, which are reserved for the town’s nobility or its wealthiest citizens.
\n\n
Benedict Gurkenfeld was an actor and playwright of some renown, once a fierce rival of the famous @Actor[Detlef Sierck]. He now runs the Theatre Varieté, booking performers and serving as Master of Ceremonies as required. During most days he can be found strolling around the Marktplatz observing the busking entertainers, scouting for talent. He has a number of stage-hands and ushers on staff to assist, and directs a company of local amateurs who perform on occasion.
\nDominating the skyline in the south of Übersreik, the Old Granary is one of the fortress-town’s tallest buildings. The conical construction is entirely built from stone, and has many doors up its north-facing side. It is wrapped with an external staircase that has seen better decades. Despite the name, it is currently the only granary within the town’s walls. Outside Übersreik, several smaller granaries can be found in nearby villages, but they are too far away for general use by local bakers. Over the years, a number of ‘New Granaries’ have been constructed in many sites across the town, but all have burned down after unfortunate accidents. Indeed, as flour is extremely flammable and prone to exploding, fire is a constant risk, and many precautions are taken to ensure there is never a problem. Because of this, the Old Granary is heavily guarded, and no naked flames, engineers, or wizards are permitted within ten feet by law.
\n\n
The Blessed Guild of Lady’s Vale’s Master Millers owns and maintains the Old Granary. The guildhouse is located in a small adjoining building to the granary’s rear. Most of the guilds’ members live outside Übersreiks walls in their farms, so the guildhouse has a dormitory to house visiting millers. Flour is sold from a small kiosk to the fore of the guildhouse, not from the granary itself. Purchasers receive a clay chitty that can be redeemed at the Old Granary in exchange for the purchased amount of flour. The chitty set is changed daily to make it difficult for counterfeits to be used.
\n\n
Ruprecht Adelmann, a deeply tanned man with dark hair with tight curls, is the guild’s Übersreik representative. Also a member of the @JournalEntry[Merchant's Guild], Adelmann works to further the aims of both his guilds, ensuring all parties profit to their mutual benefit. He has a relatively plain office in the guildhouse, where he is often found after hours entertaining young men and women he picks up from local taverns and inns. Adelmann’s family, who live in Grausee some twenty miles south of Übersreik, are completely unaware of his frequent dalliances.
\n\n
\n
The Mess and Bucket is an inn that caters almost exclusively to the soldiery of Übersreik. It has a large common room that is technically open to the public, although civilian patrons will draw disapproving scowls and jeers. The furniture is cheap, given how regularly it is broken in bar fights — the arrival of troops from Altdorf has only exacerbated things.
\n\n
Upstairs, the inn offers a private club, with membership available to officers bearing their letters of commission. Access is via an external staircase, ensuring that officers and their guests need not breath the same air as the rank and file. A more refined atmosphere pervades the First Floor Club, though younger officers can sometimes be seen listening wistfully to the raucous fun below.
\n\n
Otto ‘Cabbage’ Klemp is head bouncer. A retired Sergeant, he now drills his bouncers — also former soldiers — in the fine art of conflict resolution, first with easy words, and if that fails, with brass knuckles. Dietmar Varttiger is the maître d’ of the First Floor Club, a supercilious, oily fellow, whose sole aim in life is to ensure the smooth running of the club. Berthold ‘Big Bert’ Hanson tends bar downstairs. Bert is the owner of the establishment, although his relaxed approach to things regularly unnerves Varttiger.
\n\n
\n
Wenn alle fertig und spielbereit sind, ließ Folgendes, um die Szene zu setzen:
\n\n\nDie eindrucksvolle Festungsstadt Übersreik liegt zwischen den düsteren grauen Gebirges und den Tiefen des Reikwaldes. Die Stadt bewacht den Pass der Grauen Dame der nach Bretonnia führt und ist eines der geschäftigsten Handelszentren des Imperiums. Im Zentrum steht eine mächtige, von Zwergen gebaute Brücke, die das rote Wasser des Teufels überspannt. Diese beeindruckende Kreuzung verbindet wichtige Handelsstraßen aus dem gesamten Imperium und darüber hinaus.
\nTrotz seiner großen Bedeutung befindet sich Übersreik in Aufruhr. Sigismund von Jungfreud, sein ehemaliger Herzog, wurde kürzlich vom Imperators aus unbekanten Gründen seines Titels beraubt. Diejenigen, die dem alten Herzog als zu loyal angesehen wurden, wurden aus dem Amt entfernt und hinterließen ein Machtvakuum, das noch gefüllt werden muss. Soldaten aus der fernen Hauptstadt Altdorf patrouillieren jetzt durch die Stadt und die umliegende Provinz. Dies erregt tiefen Groll bei missrauischen Einheimischen.
\n
Trotzdem geht das Leben unvermindert weiter und ihr befindet euch an einem herrlichen Frühlingsmorgen auf dem geschäftigen Marktplatz von Übersreik auf der Suche nach einem anständigen Frühstück. Es sei denn, ihr möchtet lieber etwas anderes kaufen?
\nJetzt sind die Spieler an der Reihe. Gib ihnen @JournalEntry[Einkaufen gehen!] und frage sie, ob sie etwas kaufen möchten oder ob sie nur ein deftiges Frühstück suchen.
\nErmutige die Spieler, als ihre Charaktere miteinander zu sprechen und ihre Entscheidungen mitzuteilen. Wenn jemand ruhig ist, frage ihn direkt, was sein Charakter tut, und beantworte alle Fragen, die er möglicherweise hat. Obwohl der @JournalEntry[Marktplatz] immer voll ist, ist er beim Besuch der Charaktere überfüllt. Beschreibe also, wie eng es ist. Erkläre, dass bunte Stände ringsherum stehen, während Händler ihre Waren vor der sich drängenden Menge feilbieten.
\nBeschreibe die allgegenwärtigen Altdorfer Soldaten in blauer und roter Livree, die zuschauen, und erwähne das Aroma von geräuchertem Fleisch, frisch gebackenem Brot und Butterbier, das die Luft erfüllt. Weise auf die imposante Statue von Magnus dem Frommen, einem berühmten Kaiser aus der Vergangenheit, in der Mitte des Marktplatzes hin. Beachte auch, dass Musik am Rande des Marktes spielt und Applaus mit Jubel vermischt wird, wenn Musiker die Massen unterhalten.
\nCharaktere, die einen bestimmten Gegenstand kaufen möchten, müssen danach suchen. Jeder Gegenstand kann mit einem Wahrnehmungs-Wurf. Wenn der Charakter lieber nach dem Weg fragen möchte, wird ein Durchschnittlicher (+20) Klatsch-Wurf durchgeführt. Gib den Spielern das Wurfreferenzblatt, wenn sie die Regeln für Würfe und Schwierigkeiten selbst lesen möchten.
\nWenn Charaktere einen Wahrnehmungs- oder Klatschwurf bestehen, um Gegenstände auf dem Markt zu suchen, finden sie ihre gewünschten Objekte schnell und können entscheiden, ob sie sie kaufen möchten. In diesem Fall gib vor, einer der Ladenbesitzer auf dem Markt zu sein. Biete all die Artikel, die an dem betreffenden Stand zur Verfügung stehen, an und teilefür eine Beispielliste von dem, was gekauft werden kann. Wenn Du WFRP besitzt, kannst Du diese Liste mit den im @JournalEntry[Der Einkaufsführer]; enthaltenen Gegenständen erweitern. Alles aus diesem Kapitel, vielleicht ohne Drogen und Gifte, ist leicht verfügbar.
\nWer sich für den Kauf von Waren interessiert, sollte mit dem betreffenden Anbieter einen Vergleichenden Feilschen-Wurf durchführen. Nimm an, dass alle Verkäufer auf dem Markt eine Feilschen-Fähigkeit von 40 haben. Wenn ein Charakter gewinnt, kann der ausgewählte Gegenstand für den Feilschen-Preis in Handout 7: @JournalEntry[Einkaufen gehen!] gekauft werden. Andernfalls muss der Charakter den vollen Preis zahlen oder den betreffenden Gegenstand nicht kaufen.
\nWenn ein Wahrnehmungs- oder Klatschwurf bei der Suche nach einen Gegenstand fehlschlägt, lass den Charakter tief in die Menge wandern und es dauert viel länger, bis der betreffende Gegenstand gefunden iwird. Beschreibe das Gedränge durch die Menschen und den Jubel und das Klatschen aus der Ferne, weil Unterhalter ihren Beruf auf der anderen Seite des Platzes ausüben. Ein Spaziergang durch den geschäftigen Markt bietet einem Charakter auch die Möglichkeit, Heskes Drachenglas zu entdecken, einen besonders faszinierenden Stand, an dem etwas ungewöhnlichere Waren verkauft werden.
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Ein farbenfroher Stand sticht aus dem wogenden Marktplatz hervor. Nahe der Mitte des Trubels steht eine gestreifte Plane vor einem Glasmacherstand. Unter der Markise reflektieren sich drehende Glasskulpturen das Licht in alle Richtungen. Trinkbecher mit zweischwänzigen Kometen, die geschickt und sehr detailliert gearbeitet sind, stehen auf freistehenden Regalen. Dazwischen tummeln sich phantasievolle Skulpturen von Monstern, Feen, Rittern und Drachen.
\nDies ist Heskes Drachenglas, und es ist kein Schätzen-Wurf erforderlich, um sofort zu erkennen, dass es sich bei den ausgestellten Werken um die eines Meisterhandwerkers handelt.
\n@Actor[Heske Glazer] selbst sitzt inmitten der lebendigen Glaswunder. Sie ist eine statuenhafte menschliche Frau in den Vierzigern mit silber-blonden Haaren. Ihre Augen haben verschiedene Farben: eins ist hellblau; Das andere - eindeutig aus Glas - ist Bernsteinfarben, und mit smaragdgrünen Wirbeln durchzogen. Heske wird einen vorbeikommenden Charakter ansprechen. Sprich so, wie Heske mit den Spielern sprechen würde, und verwende dabei einladende Töne: "Ich weiß, dass sie echt aussehen, aber sie beißen nicht!" Heske stellt sich vor und weist auf ihre Waren hin, wobei sie feststellt, dass ihre Becher so stark wie Stahl sind. Charaktere, die an einem Kauf interessiert sind, sollten mit ihr einen Vergleichender Feilschen-Wurf machen. Ihre glitzernden Ornamente kosten @Pay[4ss]{4 Schillinge} (Feilschen Preis: @Pay[3ss6bp]{3/6}), aber die komplizierten Becher sind ihre Spezialität — sie kosten @Pay[8ss]{8 Schillinge} (Feilschen Preis: @Pay[7ss]{7 Schillinge}) und sind für einen Adligen angemessen.
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Gib den Spielern Zeit, neue Gegenstände zu kaufen, den Markt zu erkunden und miteinander und mit allen NPCs, die sie treffen, zu interagieren. Stelle sicher, dass jeder Spieler die Zeit hat, das zu tun, was er will. Wenn welche noch nicht involviert sind, frage sie direkt, was ihr Charakter tun will, und nimm dir Zeit, um auf ihre Bedürfnisse zu einzugehen und geeignete Würfe für ihre Charaktere durchzuführen.
\nWenn alle die Gelegenheit hatten, ihre Charaktere im Rollenspiel zu spielen, aber bevor das Interesse nachlässt, bitte alle Spieler, einen Wahrnehmungs-Wurf durchzuführen. Dieser Test bestimmt, wie viel Aufmerksamkeit jeder Charakter seiner Umgebung schenkt, als in der Nähe ein Kampf ausbricht.
\nCharaktere, die beim Wahrnehmungs-Wurf erfolgreich sind, hören die Geräusche einer Schlägerei über dem Trubel der Menge und sind auf den kommenden Kampf vorbereitet.
\nCharaktere, die versagen, erhalten den @Condition[Überrascht] Zustand , während sie in einen verwirrenden Nahkampf verwickelt werden. Klick auf den Link, um eine Chat-Karte anzuzeigen, die diesen Zustand erklärt.
\nUnd dann beginnt der Aufstand und plötzlich ist alles chaotisch! Es begann mit einer Truppe reisender Entertainer in hellen Kleidern und verschiedenen Stadtbewohnern, die mit ihrer neuesten Aufführung anscheinend unzufrieden waren. Der Kampf breitete sich schnell aus und zieht alle in der Nähe hinein, einschließlich der unglücklichen Charaktere, die schnell von wütenden Leuten und ihrer schlagenden Fäusten umgeben sind.
\nWährend Soldaten in Altdorf versuchen, die Ordnung wiederherzustellen, wird die Störung schnell zu einem Aufruhr, da die Soldaten von beiden Seiten von wütenden Leuten angegriffen werden. Bald sind die Ausrufe ‘Altdorf scum!’ und ‘Jungfreud-Schleimscheißer!’ über dem Lärm zu hören.
\nCharaktere, die ihren Wahrnehmungs-Wurf geschafft haben, können neben einer erhöhten Holzbühne bunt bemalte Wagen neben dem Markt sehen. Darüber hängt ein Schild mit der Aufschrift "Betse Woosters Wundersame Kavalkade!".
\n\n\nBetse Woosters Wundersame Kavalkade(BWWK)
\nDas BWWk ist eine Gruppe reisender Unterhalter, angeführt von der unaufhaltsam charmanten Halbling-Schaustellerin Betse Wooster. Die wundersame Kavalkade versucht, den Bedürftigen Freude zu bereiten, und sie fährt regelmäßig durch Übersreik, während sie das gesamte Reiklandes bereist, um diejenigen zu unterhalten, die Münzen übrig haben.
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Überprüfe also welcher Charakter die höchste Initiative hat. (Wenn ihr mit den vorgenerierten Charakteren spielt, ist dies Amris mit seiner Initiative von 56.) Hat dieser Charakter einen Überrascht Zustand? Wenn die Antwort Ja lautet, gehe weiter zu dem Charakter mit der nächsthöheren Initiative und überprüfe es erneut. Mach so weiter, bis du den ersten Charakter ohne Überrascht Zustand erreichst.
\nWenn der größte Teil der Gruppe überrascht ist, ist es möglich, dass die Charaktere, die Du in diesem Kampf kontrollierst, die @Actor[Kämpfende Horde], mit ihrer Initiative von 30 zuerst handeln!
\nUnter Berücksichtigung der @Actor[Kämpfende Horde] ergibt sich die folgende Initiativreihenfolge: Amris, Molrella, Gunnar, Salundra, Ferdinand, die Kämpfende Horde (your Characters!)und zuletzt Else.
\nSage den Spielern, dass jeder in der Menge mit den Fäusten und nicht mit Waffen kämpft, obwohl einige eindeutig bewaffnet sind. Die Charaktere können sich natürlich dafür entscheiden, ihre Waffen einzusetzen, aber wenn sie dies ernsthaft tun, wird eine solche Handlung im nächsten Teil des Abenteuers schwerwiegende Auswirkungen haben. Die Menge verhält sich ganz anders, wenn ein Charakter eine Waffe zieht. Die meisten handeln ängstlich und versuchen sofort auszuweichen um vor einem waffenschwingenden Verrückten zu fliehen.
\nIn der Reihenfolge der Initiative darf jeder nicht überraschte Charakter eine Aktion ausführen. Normalerweise könnte auch jeder eine Bewegungs-aktion durchführen, aber dafür ist der Markt viel zu dicht gepackt. Stelle dem Spieler, der den Charakter mit der höchsten Initiative kontrolliert, eine einfache Frage: ‘Was möchtest Du tun?’
\nIm Grunde haben Charaktere zwei Hauptoptionen: Kampf oder Flucht. Es dauert 3 Runden erfolgreicher Ausweichen-Würfe um den wirbelnden Nahkampf vollständig zu verlassen. Diejenigen, die sich fürs Kämpfen entscheiden, müssen einen vergleichenden Kampfgeschick- Wurf (KG)gegen ein Mitglied der Kämpfenden Horde. Wenn die Spieler einen Gegner auf 0 Lebenspunkte kriegt, fällt der Gegner 'Bewusstlos'zu Boden und ein neuer Schläger nimmt sofort den Platz des alten ein.
\nNatürlich können Spieler andere Ideen haben. Vielleicht möchten sich einige mit Einschüchtern frei schikanieren? Oder vielleicht Anführen verwenden, um anderen zu befehlen, zur Seite zu gehen? Improvisiere eine geeignete Fähigkeit, für die die Spieler würfeln müssen, wenn sie sich einen anderen Plan ausdenken. Unabhängig davon, wie sie es tun, sollte es mindestens 3 Runden erfolgreicher Würfe dauern, um sich von der Menge zu befreien.
\n\n\nSich zurückhalten
\nImmer wenn Charaktere einen Wurf schaffen und im Kampf ein Pasch (d. H. 22, 33, 44, 55 usw.) würfeln, erzielen sie einen kritischen Treffer. Für diesen ersten Kampf sollten Sie diese Regel ignorieren, da die Kämpfende Horde sich zurückhält, was bedeutet, dass der Mob nicht aktiv versucht, jemanden zu töten. Wenn jedoch einer der Charaktere den Randalierern ernsthaften Schaden zufügen möchte, lasse sie die Regeln für kritische Treffer wie gewohnt anwenden. Weitere Informationen hierzu findest Du auf Seite 22.
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Zu Beginn der zweiten Runde wird ein nahegelegener Händlerwagen voller Kuchen völlig zerschlagen, und alles fliegt über die Straße, auf der die Charaktere kämpfen, und verwandelt einen Teil des Marktplatzes in einen rutschigen Schlick. Tortenverschmiertes Kopfsteinpflaster wird als schwieriges Gelände, behandelt und führt zu einer Strafe von –10 für alle relevanten Würfe 4 Runden lang (also bis Runde 5!). Einige der farbenfrohen @Actor[Kavalcade Akrobat]{Kavalkade Akrobaten} haben jedoch keine Probleme, sich im Schlick zu bewegen. Wähle einen oder zwei Charaktere, um gegen einen der Salto-Angreifer zu kämpfen. Diese haben die gleichen Eigenschaften wie die kämpfende Horde, jedoch mitKG 40.
\nAlle Charaktere können in Runde 2 agieren, da alle überrascht Zustände entfernt werden. Gib wie in Runde 1 jedem Charakter die Möglichkeit, in Reihenfolge der Initiative eine Handlung durchzuführen. Denk daran, dass alle Mitglieder der Kämpfenden Horde, die Du kontrollierst, versuchen, einen Charakter in ihrem Zug zu treffen (mit Initiative 30). Beschreibe die verletzten Soldaten in Rot und Blau, die vergeblich nach Ordnung rufen, Kavalkade-Unterhalter, die wie wild um sich schlagen, Jungfreud-Anhänger mit blauen und silbernen Armbinden, die nach links und rechts schlagen, und jeden anderen Angreifer, den Du für angemessen halten. Es ist ein chaotisches Durcheinander.
\nSobald jeder Charakter eine Handlung abgeschlossen hat, gehe zu Runde 3 und dann zu 4. Bringe den Spielern im Kampf bei, wie vergleichende Würfe im Nahkampf funktionieren, und überprüfe, ob sie alle verstehen, was mit jedem Wurf passiert. Dies mag etwas langsam sein, aber es wird sich später auszahlen, da jeder die Regeln versteht.
\nWenn sich Charaktere aus dem zentralen Nahkampf befreien, vielleicht durch den Einsatz der Ausweichfähigkeit oder durch das Besiegen mehrerer Gegner hintereinander, lass sie durch einige umgestürzte Stände auftauchen, vollständig von den Kämpfern eingepfercht. Kühne Spieler, die sich vom Nahkampf befreit haben, möchten diese Stände möglicherweise plündern. Lass sie einen Dramatischen Wahrnehmungs- Wurfdurchführen. Bei Erfolg findet der Spieler [[/r 1d10]] Messinggroschen zwischen den kaputten Ständen, dem Schlamm und dem Kuchen. Außerdem finden sie für jeden im Test erzielten EG einen zusätzlichen Silberschilling! Wenn Du es vorziehst, kann der Charakter auch einen einzelnen Gegenstand von @JournalEntry[Einkaufen gehen!], oder von @JournalEntry[Der Einkaufsführer] finden, wobei die Anzahl der gerollten SL bestimmt, wie teuer die geplünderten Waren sein sollten.
\nWenn Runde 5 beginnt, lasse alle Charaktere, die sich im Kampf befinden einen Gewandheit-Wurf durchführen, um auf den Beinen zu bleiben, während ein verängstigtes quietschendes Schwein (das von der starken Frau der Kavalkade geschleudert wird) vorbeirast und über das Kuchenbeschmierte Kopfsteinpflaster gleitet . Charaktere, die versagen, erhalten den Niedergestreckt Zustand und werden sofort mit schlammigen Kuchenresten und Schweineschlabber bedeckt.
\nWährend das Schwein tobt und die Charaktere versuchen zu verstehen, was um sie herum passiert, mache eine Pause, um einige der Sehenswürdigkeiten auf dem @JournalEntry[Marktplatz] zu beschreiben.
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In Runde 6 sollten Charaktere, die es schafften, auf den Füßen zu bleiben, einen Schwierigen (−10) Wahrnehmungs- Wurfdurchführen. Diejenigen, die Erfolg haben, sehen drei mit Messern schwingende @Actor[Marktplatz Grobian]{Grobiane} die eine ältere Frau in gewöhnlicher Kleidung bedrohen. Sie bewacht ein junges Mädchen in einem üppigen Kleid. Die Schurken haben ihre Opfer an einen abgelegenen Ort zwischen Ständen manövriert, an dem sie größtenteils unbemerkt handeln können. Die Grobiane haben die gleichen Eigenschaften wie die Kämpfende Horde, jedoch mit KG 40 und der Eigenschaft Waffe (Messer) +5.
\nAlle Charaktere, die frei von der Menge sind, können eingreifen. Charaktere, die noch im Nahkampf gebunden sind, können versuchen, sich selbst zu befreien, obwohl für ihre Aktion ein erfolgreicher Ausweichen-Wurf erforderlich ist (die Menge wird jetzt dünner)!
\nCharaktere, die sich den Grobianen stellen, werden aufgefordert:‘Kümmer' dich um deine eigenen Angelegenheiten!’ Charaktere, die wünschen, dass sie aufhören, müssen einen der drei außer Gefecht setzen oder töten, um die anderen zum Rückzug zu zwingen. Wenn ihnen dies gelingt, ist die Frau außerordentlich dankbar und verspricht, dass die Bemühungen der Charaktere "nicht vergessen werden", bevor sie in der Menge verschwinden. Wenn die Charaktere nicht eingreifen, ermorden die Grobianer die Frau und das Mädchen in Runde 8 und verschwinden dann in der Menge. Ob die Charaktere das Paar unterstützen oder nicht, hat Auswirkungen auf @JournalEntry[Teil 2: Recht und Ordnung].
\nLass noch ein oder zwei Runden vorübergehen, genug Zeit für die Charaktere, um sich mit den bewaffneten Grobianern zu befassen, wenn sie sich dazu entschlossen haben, bevor eine Reihe ohrenbetäubender Stakkato-Knalle über den Marktplatz hallen. Alle Augen richten sich auf eine flammhaarige Frau, die eine rauchende Bündelpistole in die Höhe hält. Der Minnesänger spielt überrascht eine falsche Note und hört auf zu spielen. Das Schwein rutscht auf Kuchenresten und Schlamm vorbei, bevor es mit einem Quietschen in einen Töpferstand rammt und somit Tontöpfe in die Luft schießt. Soldaten in roten und blauen Altdorfer Uniformen und Wächter in der blau-goldenen Heraldik von Übersreik stürmen aus allen Richtungen. Dies beendet abrupt den Aufstand. Der Markplatz ist jetzt von zahlreichen Soldaten und Wachmännern umgeben.
\nDie Frau spricht und ihre klare Stimme hallt über den Platz.
\n‘Sie sind alle verhaftet.’
\nDies beendet Teil 1
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\n","img":"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/marktplatz-riot.webp "}, {"id":"cRCQRcYTccZjktgl","name":"Teil 4: Bekümmerte Stadt","description":"Und Szenenende...
\nÄhnlich wie in Filmen, in denen der Regisseur alles kontrolliert, um sicherzustellen, dass die Geschichte immer spannend und aufregend ist, bist Du als SL verantwortlich die Dynamik eines Spiels aufrechterhalten, indem Du dich schnell von Szene zu Szene bewegst und langweilige Teile überspringst, die dazwischen liegen.
\nWenn der Aufstand auf dem Marktplatz beendet ist, mache dir keine Gedanken darüber, wie die Spieler zur nächsten Szene kommen. Fahren einfach fort und treibe die Geschichte voran. Wenn ein Spieler der Meinung ist, dass sein Charakter in der Lage sein sollte, ungesehen zu entkommen oder davonzuschleichen, anstatt solchen Wünschen zu widersprechen, bitte den Spieler zu erklären, wie sie dann doch gefangen genommen und zur nächsten Szene gebracht wurden. Aber verweile nicht zu lange darin, da es wichtig ist, das Spiel in Gang zu halten.
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The weeks of Watch duty teach the party that most of their fellow watchmen couldn’t care less about protecting the folk of Übersreik. The majority resent what they see as a demotion from the rank of Altdorf soldier to a member of Übersreik Watch. Klumpenklug’s ‘guidance’ makes it clear that he considers the job is about maintaining the status quo , not about enforcing the law, and he openly encourages the Characters to ‘profit’ from their new duties as they see fit. He eventually lets the Characters patrol without his presence, but always expects a full report, which he accepts in either the morning (following a night patrol) or the evening (following a day patrol) at @JournalEntry[The Raspy Raven]. He also expects his portion from the ‘fines’ he assumes the party will collect.
\nCharacters that continually fail to get the hint will be dragged in front of @Actor[Andrea Pfeffer]{Captain Pfeffer}, told in no uncertain terms that their performance is unacceptable, and threatened with being found in ‘dereliction of duty’ which in their case, would mean a death sentence. Klumpenklug will always be present for any discussions with the Captain, as he doesn’t want any outside stories of the party’s conduct getting to her, the better to keep them under his thumb.
\nDespite the situation in which the Characters find themselves, other folk do regard them as the law and, eventually, requests for help find them. Two of the following cases find the Characters, the third they may well seek out for personal reasons…
\nWhile patrolling along the Docks, a poor boy dressed in tattered clothes tentatively approaches the Characters. He claims that his father is missing. He gives his name as Eugen Pechvogel, and swears his father would never leave his family. An Durchschnittlichen (+20) Simple Intuition Wurf indicates the boy seems sincere in his belief. Eugen says his father, Reikert Pechvogel, left their small shack to make ‘night soil’ one night and never returned. Eugen lives in @JournalEntry[Übersreik Bridge]{Dunkelfeucht}, a shantytown which has grown in the shadow of the bridge. If the Characters believe Eugen and investigate his claim, his mother, Maglyn, is utterly astonished that anyone from the Watch would care. She will tearfully back up Eugen’s story, claiming her husband is a loyal man.
\nCharacters wanting to gather more information can make Dramatisch Klatsch--Würfe to interview locals — failure suggests that Eugen’s father likely got caught up in something risky and paid the price. A success leads to something astonishing: Reikert Pechvogel is one of many missing. The Characters find that more than a dozen other folk have disappeared along the Docks. +2 or more EG reveals that not just beggars, but respectable folk — dockworkers, merchants, and even two members of the older Watch — are gone! With all the confusion of the Jungfreuds’ fall the disappearances have gone unnoticed — or folk thought they were killed as loyalists. If the party ask @Actor[Rudi Klumpenklug]{Klumpenklug} about the case, he doesn’t care in the slightest, noting the poor disappear all the time. However, if they bring up the other folk he is surprised, then tells them to drop it, noting it’s likely the missing folk were killed during the fall of the Jungfreuds. A successful Simple Intuition Test indicates that the sergeant knows more than he’s saying — in truth, he knows that at least a few of the ‘disappeared’ folks are ones he helped remove.
\nCharacters that continue to follow up, despite Klumpenklug’s order, will soon discover the majority of the missing people vanished along the Docks, usually near the bridge. Characters who explicitly search the Docks surrounding the bridge should make a Dramatisch Wahrnehmungs- Wurf. If failed, they draw the Baron’s attention — the Crime Lord who rules the Dunkelfeucht. The Baron mistakenly believes they are investigating something that she or her men did and sends a group of brutes equal to the number of Characters+1 to ‘discourage further inquiries’. @Actor[The Baron's Minion]{The Baron's Minions} don’t actively try to kill members of the Watch (that brings too much trouble) but they have no problems beating them senseless and if a few die… well, it happens. Fighting the Baron’s Minions may well lead the Characters to think the Baron was involved in Reikert Pechvogel’s disappearance, but any follow up with the folk of the Dunkelfeucht indicate that he had no enemies and certainly avoided getting involved with criminals.
\nIf the Wahrnehmungs-Wurf is successful, the Characters discover an ‘abandoned’ rowing boat tied to a rickety pier. Part of the boat is torn asunder, as if something with great strength pulled at it. 2+ EG leads to a dock nearby where clearly some sort of scuffle occurred. Huge claw marks gouge the wood. A portion of the stone and wood are fused together, as if something had melted them… An Easy (+40) Simple Lore (Trolls) Wurf indicates that it looks exactly like the effects of Troll Vomit.
\nPersistent Characters will eventually conclude the culprit is likely some kind of monster, probably a Troll. They are correct. There is a vile and atypically shrewd River Troll lurking in the Teufel beneath the centre of the bridge. It strikes only at night when there are no witnesses. However, nobody believes this — everyone knows Trolls are stupid. Surely someone would’ve seen it; don’t they have better things to do than chase ridiculous rumours? The Characters will have to come up with a plan to lure the Troll. Bait that appeals to a Troll’s sensibilities may work (generally living creatures without hard or spiky bits that cause it indigestion), as may other reasonable plans. The perceptive and devious Troll only emerges on moonless nights, the better to creep about unseen.
\nAny fight with @Actor[Der Teufel Terror] will occur somewhere along the Teubrücke, at night, on slick cobblestones or on a sodden wood pier, with the sounds of the river rushing by. There will be fog, obscuring vision, making any ranged attacks Schwierigen (–10 to hit). Emphasise how challenging it is to see, straining to hear any sound, such as the tell-tale scrape of claws, over the murmuring river.
\nThe Terror uses a rusty sharpened anchor as a weapon, along with his fanged maw. It will fight until reduced to 20 Wounds or fewer, or it has managed to kill a Character. It will then promptly flee, leaping into the river to swim away, dragging a corpse along with it for a midnight feast.
\nEven if the party fails to kill the River Troll, but at least wound it, witnesses to the combat (they emerge with the sounds of fighting to see what’s happening by the river) will cause folk to believe them. Captain Pfeffer (and even Klumpenklug) will suddenly take their report seriously. More soldiers will be stationed near the bridge and the Teufel Terror will soon move on, perhaps to trouble the party another day. If they manage to actually kill the River Troll, the Characters’ respect among the folk of Übersreik see a great improvement. If the Slayer Hrolfsson was involved in killing the Troll, his fellow Dwarfs will treat him different publicly, nodding their respect when he passes (which will also help with the next case).
\n\n\nThe Terror
\nDer Teufel Terror is a terrible creature, quite capable of killing an entire party if it is lucky. This is the first combat where the enemy will be actively trying to kill the Characters. So be ready to use the Critical Wound rules from the Injuries Reference Sheet, and learn how to use the Bleeding and Unconscious Conditions from the Conditions Reference Sheet. Indeed, this fight is so nasty, that some GMs may prefer to skip it entirely… Also, it’s worth noting that the Troll’s Regenerate Trait can be stopped with fire, a fact any Character with Lore (Trolls) will know without testing.
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One night, while the party is off-duty at a tavern, a merchant, @Actor[Kurlass Meingot], asks if he can buy them a round of drinks and discuss a ‘small matter’. His reasons for approaching the party vary by their previous actions. If they’ve helped people, he’ll note the word about town on them is that they might actually care when people are being abused. Otherwise, he may allude to their situation and his awareness that they ‘know a bit more about how the world works than most folk’.
\nKurlass claims he believes he, along with some of his fellow merchants, are being scammed. He explains that Barlin Silverbeard, a Dwarf merchant, has talked them into pooling their money to take advantage of a fantastic bargain on Dwarf-wrought forge work from Karak Azgaraz in the Grey Mountains. Their money is presently held in a secure Dwarf vault that can only be opened at specific times with the right keys. He and his fellow Human merchants are only allowed to visit the vault when their money is deposited. The vault lies beneath @JournalEntry[Dawihafen] on the edge of the @JournalEntry[Khazalgürtel]. Kurlass declares that something about the deal feels ‘off ’ but that his fellow merchants don’t believe him. They have told him if he wants out of the deal, he’s free to leave and they’ll find someone else to take his place.
\nIn truth, Kurlass helped set up the scam with Silverbeard, who is the boss of a small gang of scoundrels who have decided their love for gold is stronger than their desire for an honest day’s work. The idea was to bring in some greedy merchants, tempt them with a ridiculously good deal, put their money in a ‘secure vault’, and then have ‘Goblins’ loot it unexpectedly; at least, that was the plan. However, it was never Silverbeard’s intention. Silverbeard, most definitely not a follower of Ranald, has decided the scam has worked so well, he intends to rook the merchants for all he can, then kill them all in a terrible ‘accident’ setting them up to suffocate in the sealed air-tight vault. Kurlass overheard just enough of the Dwarf ’s plan to realise what he is up to, but doesn’t exactly want to tell the merchants that he set them up to be robbed, but doesn’t want to see them dead (after all, dead marks can’t be conned again). So, he has approached the Characters. Meingot knows all con jobs are delicate, so he is bringing the Characters into the equation to throw it all off. Once the Characters start asking questions, he intends to contact Silverbeard, say the Watch is looking into matters, and suggest they give the merchants their money back, claiming the deal is off because of trouble with the Dwarf clans of Karak Azgaraz.
\nMeingot underestimates what Silverbeard is prepared to do to secure the gold. The ruthless gang boss will move swiftly if he thinks the Watch are on to him — he has already concluded that Meingot is ‘soft’ and no longer listens to him. Silverbeard will invite the merchants to a special meeting, implying that he has secured an even better deal and that their present funds are sufficient to acquire the forge work. He will then bring the merchants to the vault without Meingot so that they can sign the ‘final’ contract. Silverbeard’s contract has several small sections in Khazalid, the Dwarf language, that the merchants can’t read. He notes this is a ‘mere formality’ required in Dwarf contracts. This is a lie. The Khazalid paragraphs actually set out clauses for what happens to the funds in the event of any of the principles’ deaths. Once the contract is signed, the ‘accident’ will occur sealing the merchants in the air-tight vault, which cannot be opened till the next day.
\nMeingot gives the Characters the names of the four merchants involved in the deal and where to find them on the Docks: Kahl Trubald, Hitzkoph Hinfaller, Theda Juwelier, and Emagunda Handler. Trubald is an utterly hairless man, who regularly deals in weaponry. Hinfaller seems to be furious at the world, and has an eternally red face. Juwelier prefers to deal in precious metals. Handler comes from a long line of merchants who will trade anything if the price is right. All of them are very defensive and exceedingly greedy, even for Reikland merchants. If questioned, they will get angry at the Characters’ intrusion.
\nThey then explain that @Actor[Kurlass Meingot] is a liar and a cheat, and that Silverbeard discovered the man was a follower of Ranald who was looking to swindle them all. Looking into Meingot’s history is an impossible task. All that a Character can discover about him is that Meingot is a merchant who comes and goes from Übersreik occasionally. If the Characters have the favour of the Crosses due to the events of a Conflict of Colours in Part 3, they can confirm that Meingot is a con man, but a very faithful one.
\nInvestigating @Actor[Barlin Silverbeard]{Silverbeard} is tricky. The Watch does not operate in the @JournalEntry[Dawihafen]. Fortunately, if Gunnar Hrolfsson is present, or if the Teufel Terror is slain, the Characters receive a relatively warm reception from the Dwarfs, who will talk. A successful Dramatisch Gossip -Wurf reveals where Silverbeard lives, and that he has a dishonourable reputation. Two or more Success Levels also confirms Silverbeard actively despises Humans, so would not engage in any beneficial trade with them. If Silverbeard is confronted, he’ll speak for a time to assess the Characters and then choose one of the following:
\nIf Klumpenklug is involved, he will take Silverbeard’s bribe and walk away without a second thought, suggesting the Characters do the same.
\nThe Characters have three days from Meingot approaching them until Silverbeard murders the merchants. If they fail to intervene, word spreads of an accident in the Dawihafen that kills several Humans. Depending on the Characters’ actions, they may merely foil Silverbeard’s plans for a time, but save the merchants, who might now despise the Characters for interfering in their business. Savvy Characters may choose to shadow the merchants, following them to the vault to catch Silverbeard red-handed.
\nThe vault is a special Dwarf construction; it only opens at noon when presented with two unique keys and it closes approximately 30 minutes later. It cannot be reopened till the following day. The merchants’ have invested 100 GC with the ruthless Dwarf. If the Characters are ruthless themselves and end up acquiring the gold without saving the merchants, Meingot will learn of their duplicity and will not stop until he sees them punished for their crimes.
\n\n
The party may be very interested to discover who killed Fosten the Fiery. This will take a Hard (−20) Simple Gossip -Wurf at the @JournalEntry[Marktplatz]. Failure means the Characters hear a dozen variations of who was responsible (including themselves, as some folks still maintain they were the culprits) with no real answers. Success eventually finds someone who recalls the interference of one @Actor[Einauge Splatmann].
\nBenedict Gurkenfeld hired Spaltmann to incite the crowd against the performers in Betse Wooster’s Wondrous Cavalcade. The actor-owner of the @JournalEntry[Theatre Varieté], Gurkenfeld imagined some thrown tomatoes and perhaps a few scuffles, not a massive brawl and murder! If the Characters pay silver, they can have folk watch the Docks for Spaltmann’s return to Übersreik. Spaltmann is a dangerous man, but by his own rough code of ‘ethics’ he never sells out a customer, so he will not implicate Gurkenfeld. And, if confronted, he will not go quietly.
"}, {"id":"e8oFAUD65Qs3XIth","name":"Gerüchte, die du gehört hast IV","description":"You recently heard the following three rumours. You don’t know if they are true, but you have heard them more than once. It’s up to you to decide where you heard them. Was it in a tavern? On the road? At a local market? Or maybe from a friend? That’s entirely up to you and how you think your Character engages with the folk of Übersreik.
\nPart 3 opens with Osanna wishing the party the best of luck in their new ‘duties’. The Characters are standing near the Watch Barracks in the Precinct District, escorted there by soldiers after the court case. Before she leaves, Osanna pauses and regards the party: ‘I realise you feel unfairly punished, but my Lady works in mysterious ways. Perhaps you are exactly where you are supposed to be. What you make of this… experience, is up to you.’ She notes her office is in the east end of the @JournalEntry[Handelsviertel], ‘a stone’s throw from Morgenzeit money’ should they have need of her services again.
\nSeveral watchmen emerge to escort the Characters into the barracks. As they approach, Altdorf halberdiers escorting the party clearly recognise them and the ribbing begins. ‘Liking your new post there, Constance?’ ‘You look good in Übersreik colours, Wilhelm.’ And so on. The watchmen, clearly angry, can’t stop themselves from responding: ‘Don’t you have anything better to do? Get killed by Greenskins, maybe?’
\nWith little ceremony, they haul the Characters inside, clearly sizing them up with uncertain expressions before depositing them (still in their manacles) in front of a door that any with the ability to read can see says ‘Kaptain’. A clear voice emerges from inside. ‘Come in.’ Watch Captain @Actor[Andrea Pfeffer] is awaiting the Characters inside a large office. The Captain isn’t sitting behind her desk, she’s leaning backwards against it as she stands in front of it, facing the party. The Characters recognise her as the woman who arrested them the previous day. The Characters can make Dramatisch Lore (Empire)-Würfe to see if they’ve heard anything about the Captain. Success means they know that she’s been newly appointed Captain of the Watch since the fall of the von Jungfreuds. Greater success levels indicate they’ve heard she comes from a long line of soldiers from Middenland, though she arrived with the Altdorf State Army.
\nCaptain Pfeffer introduces herself and indicates the party should do likewise. As each of the Characters makes their introductions, she unlocks their manacles while looking them in the eyes. If Salundra is present, she is more respectful, but not overly so, as Captain Pfeffer is a noble herself, though she doesn’t mention this. Once introductions are over, the Captain shakes her head, looking somewhat perplexed. Read or paraphrase the following:
\n\n\n‘We live in strange times. I ask for Watchmen, and I get… you. You may notice my troops’ morale is low. But that’s no surprise, they’re the worst lowlife scum of Altdorf given uniforms, and they think they’re too good for this posting and resent every moment of it.’ Pfeffer pauses as someone knocks on the door and she calls them in. ‘Ah, right on time. This is Sergeant Rudi Klumpenklug. He’ll be in charge of you during your time with the Watch. His account of your behaviour is what keeps you from being executed for dereliction of duty — I suggest you stay in his good graces. I am not a fool. Do not treat me as one and we’ll get along famously. Do as the sergeant tells you, do not embarrass the Watch, and be wary — Übersreik is full of mischief of late. May Ulric watch out for you… Sigmar and Verena as well. Dismissed.’
\n
Sergeant @Actor[Rudi Klumpenklug] immediately reintroduces himself to the party. ‘Call me Rudi. It’s only Sergeant when others are about, eh? You’ll be wanting your gear back, I’m guessin.’ He returns the party’s trappings. ‘We’ll sort you out some Watch livery, armbands at the least if you want to keep yer own kit.’ He gives the party a tour of the barracks, showing them where they will store their gear and sleep if they wish to quarter there. ‘Right. Best not to talk too much here. There’s ears about I don’t fancy, hmm? Meet me tonight, just before sundown, at the Raspy Raven out back. Then we’ll ’ave a bit of a chat and sort out your new duties.’ The Characters are free for a few hours to look after their own affairs, telling friends about their new situation or acquiring trappings they think they’ll need. Characters wishing to ask around about Klumpenklug can make a Hard (−20) Simple Klatsch- Wurf. The Sergeant has gone out of his way to ensure few folks know much about his past. Success indicates they’ve heard he’s worked for the Watch for several decades, but little else.
\n@JournalEntry[The Raspy Raven] turns out to be a small tavern far enough away from the Teufel to be a bit more respectable than the drinking establishments lining the Docks. Several large alcoves provide privacy. The air is filled with swirling smoke and the taproom is (barely) lit with the thin light of a few wall sconces and individual candles on a few tables. Klumpenklug waves the party into an alcove partially obscured by a curtain and calls for a round of drinks from a barmaid he knows by name (Ethelind). When playing Klumpenklug, do your best to be endearing. The goal is to have the majority of the party liking their new sergeant, which will make his future behaviour that much more difficult to accept. Klumpenklug relates some version of the following information in conversation:
\n\n\n‘There’s two Ubersreiks you see. There’s the one you know, the day one, and another one entirely in the night. The Jungfreuds did their best to keep the shadows quiet, but they’re gone now. And all sorts of things have stirred up. Folks up and vanishing, moving on elsewhere, or “down the Teufel” as we like to say, meaning not breathing as they go, eh? Now it’s our job to look after the shoddy side of Übersreik. We won’t be patrolling the Hill, oh no, Morgenseite’s not for the likes of us. Nah, it’s the Docks and the dregs for us. Whenever you’re in the Precinct, keep a sharp eye out, too. Be wary of large groups of Altdorfers. They’re trouble. Most of my mates from the watch, they’re gone now… or on the wall with the rest of the loyalists. Other than me and the Captain, and a few other trustworthy sorts, you’re on your own. I’ll patrol with you for a bit, show you your duties and such.’
\n
After a pleasant evening, Klumpenklug tells the party to get a good night’s rest and meet him the next day in the mid-morning near the @JournalEntry[Zollhaus]. ‘There was a time you’d be either day or night patrol. Not anymore. Three by day, then three by night, now.’
\n\n
The next day, Klumpenklug guides the Characters along @JournalEntry[Teubrücke], the river-bound district more widely knows as ‘the Docks’. He points out various back alleys where criminals linger at night, noting several spots where people were horribly murdered. Describe some of the businesses along the @JournalEntry[Teubrücke]{Docks} noting the pervading smell of fish and the river.
\nThe slums in north-western portion of Übersreik near @JournalEntry[Schwarzfels] are crowded and house a great deal of poverty. Klumpenklug warns the Characters to always be wary when patrolling there, as their gear is worth more than most of the folk there see in a year.
\nEach of these scenes showcase how the Watch operates in Übersreik, and just how hopelessly corrupt Klumpenklug is. The Captain made a rare mistake in trusting him, for he was swift to condemn the Jungfreuds; he reminded her of a beloved uncle, and she is hard-pressed for experienced help.
\nBetween the scenes, describe the Characters going about their lives and the generally repetitious and tedious work of regular patrolling Übersreik by day and night. If you own a copy of WFRP rulebook, you could also run some Between Adventures scenes to show the passage of time.
\nWhile passing through a small market along the Docks during a day patrol, have the Characters make a Simple Wahrnehmungs-Wurf. Whoever succeeds notices a pickpocket cutting a purse and can act before she slips away into the crowd. After a quick chase, the thief is easily caught by whichever Character gets the most SLs on a Dramatisch Athletics Wurf. Sergeant Klumpenklug wheezes up. ‘Well done!’ Then proceeds to take half of the thief ’s proceeds, which he pockets himself, before returning the bag to the owner. ‘Spot fine, that is, for leaving your bag unguarded.’ If the Characters negatively comment or challenge Klumpenklug, he’ll sharply note, ‘She would’ve ’ad none of it, if we hadn’t caught ’er.’ He’ll then pass a shilling to each character from the bag with a wink...
\nAs the Characters are patrolling through the docks late in the evening, they smell smoke. Rounding a corner, they discover a butcher shop and tenement building on fire. Folk are trapped inside, and the Characters can hear them calling for help. A large group stand in the street watching the fire and milling about uncertainly. Klumpenklug regards the burning building for a moment, then shrugs and walks on, calling back to the Characters: ‘We don’t do fires.’
\nIf the Characters choose to help, Klumpenklug doesn’t stop them, but neither does he pitch in. He soon acquires a mug of ale and calmly drinks it while watching events from the side-lines. Let the Characters take any Tests they feel can help the situation. Examples include making a Einfach (+40) Leadership or Intimidate Wurf to motivate the milling crowd to start a bucket line from the Teufel to help put out the fire.
\nCharacters may wish to enter the building to extricate trapped men, women, and children. To do so requires the Character pass a Einfach (+40) Cool Wurf to charge into the fire. It takes 3 Rounds to entirely clear the building of trapped people.
\nAnyone inside must make a Einfach (+40) Athletics Wurf each Round or be set on fire and acquire the @Condition[Ablaze] Zustand. If the Characters managed to get a bucket line going first, the Difficulty drops to an Durchschnittlichen (+20) Simple Athletics Test.
\nCharacters that are successful in saving all the people trapped in the building by risking their lives in the fire acquire a +10 bonus to their Fellowship-based Tests for the rest of their tenure in the Watch when interacting with the poor folk of Übersreik in a non-hostile way. For example, they receive the bonus when using Charm, but not for Intimidate. @Actor[Narbe Ditwin] is one of the people the Characters saved. He is a lean man with a distinctive scar through his right eye. His left arm was badly burned by the fire. Narbe immediately helps the best he can with putting out the fire. If Narbe is saved, he will turn up again in @JournalEntry[Part 5: The Prisoner and Warden].
\nCharacters wishing to investigate the source of the fire can make a Dramatisch Klatsch- Wurf. Success indicates that some locals heard shouting and some sort of struggle before the fire began. With 2 or more Success Levels, they meet witnesses who saw heavily cloaked and masked men set the building on fire on purpose, then a brief scuffle in the street, before they fled. The trail goes cold after that until Part 5.
\n\n
The Characters are summoned to a massive brawl in @JournalEntry[The Crooked Hammer]. Gert Hunder, the barkeep, is having difficulty restoring order. At a glance, the Characters can see the fight involves a group of Übersreik watchmen, miscellaneous patrons, and a small squad of soldiers clad in the red and blue of Altdorf. They all fight barehanded. Klumpenklug initially prevents any Characters wishing to engage from doing so. ‘Much easier to sort the guilty out when the fighting’s done and arrest the recumbent for ’aving disturbed the peace.’ If the Characters insist, he doesn’t stop them as they dive into the brawl, he simply helps himself to a pint and watches.
\nThe miscellaneous patrons immediately desist if a Character tells them to stop. Individual Altdorf soldiers fight on until they’ve taken 4 or more Wounds or 3 of them are down. There are a number of soldiers equal to the number of Characters+3. Use the stats of the @Actor[Kämpfende Horde], only with a KG 45. Several of the soldiers are, in fact, members of @JournalEntry[The Circle of Unmarred Flesh] and, depending on how the fight goes, may size the Characters up for future membership. Characters can attempt to end the brawl in another way, such as using the Charm or Intimidate Skills. If the Characters bring the fight to a swift conclusion without further damaging the bar, they gain the favour of the @JournalEntry[The Crooked Hammer]{Crosses}, which could help them during the events of @JournalEntry[Teil 4: Bekümmerte Stadt]{A Secure Deal}.
\nThe party comes across a gang of thugs trying to rob a merchant being along the Docks. The thugs looked surprised, and the merchant hopeful, as Klumpenklug swiftly strolls towards them, Characters in tow. ‘What’s all this then?’ The merchant begs for help while Klumpenklug listens impassively. He then turns to the gang leader. The man looks about and finally says, ‘He owes his dock fees.’ Klumpenklug nods, turns back to the merchant and states, ‘Best for everyone you pay what you owe, friend.’ The sergeant spears the gang leader with a final glance and states pointedly, ‘That’s good advice for all, eh?’ He then smiles, turns, and walks away motioning the party to follow him. The Characters can hear the sounds of the merchant being beaten as they walk away. Klumpenklug prevents any of them interfering. ‘Leave it.’ As they continue their patrol, Klumpenklug states, ‘You want to help ‘im, eh? Messing about in Dockers’ Guild business is as good a way to commit suicide as any, I suppose. They’ll not kill ’im. It’ll all get sorted and the Watch will have our due for the consideration of letting them ’andle their affairs without any fuss.’
\nCharacters that investigate (carefully) will discover that @Actor[Andrea Pfeffer]{Captain Pfeffer} knows nothing about any Guild bribes to the Watch, and would be furious to hear about such. It would be very difficult to prove, though, and Klumpenklug is very slippery. Anyone who brings it to her attention will draw Klumpenklug’s wrath. While he’ll remain pleasant, he will mark them for ‘removal’ at this earliest convenience. Characters that want to get in on the action will have the sergeant’s approval and they’ll start making a small purse the equivalent of an extra 3 Schillinge every week.
\nThis scene is an epilogue to the other scenes in Part 3, to be run after at least several of them, and maybe after one of the cases from Part 4 is completed. The Characters are all called to a special assembly with @Actor[Andrea Pfeffer]{Captain Pfeffer} and @Actor[Rudi Klumpenklug]{Sergeant Klumpenklug} along with a large number of other members of the Watch. Captain Pfeffer publicly presents Sergeant Klumpenklug with a medal and a purse of silver Schillinge for his ‘swift and daring actions in defence of Ubersreik’. The ‘actions’ mentioned are the highlights of whatever the Characters have done to the point when you run this scene. For example: Klumpenklug led the bucket brigade in putting out the fire and charged into the burning building to save innocents in Fire! ; or Klumpenklug stopped a huge bar brawl with Altdorf soldiers that could’ve gone poorly in Conflict of Colours ; or Klumpenklug discovered the Teufel Terror in Without a Trace in Part 4. He is clearly a hero. Klumpenklug accepts the purse and will add: ‘A bit difficult, this was, while shepherding the new recruits. Still, I’ll never rest while injustice lurks in Übersreik.’ He then says whatever else you think will make your Players want to murder him and grins hefting the coins triumphantly.
","img":"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/fire.webp "}, {"id":"fibW7pnPnPxtvfu1","name":"Gerüchte, die du gehört hast V","description":"Du hast kürzlich die folgenden drei Gerüchte gehört. Du weißt nicht, ob sie wahr sind, aber Du hast sie mehr als einmal gehört. Es liegt an Dir, zu entscheiden, wo Du sie gehört hast. War es in einer Taverne? Unterwegs? Auf einem lokalen Markt? Oder vielleicht von einem Freund? Das liegt ganz bei Dir und wie Du denkst, dass sich Dein Charakter mit den Leuten von Übersreik beschäftigt.
\nAndreas von Bruner, newly appointed lord of Grunewald Lodge, offers @Credit[15gc SPLIT]{15 Gold Crowns} to resolve recent lightning-fast Beastmen attacks on his lands. Prisoners were taken, and sickness followed, leaving folk anxious and unwell. There are 7 farms to investigate: 3 near Geissbach, 2 by Wurfel, and 2 by Buchendorf. At the farms of Buchendorf, it seems doubtful the culprits are Beastmen: the arrows may be primitive, made of wood and flint, but they are well-crafted. At Wurfel, it seems the raids lack the brutality associated with Beastmen, with many corpses untouched. However, before Geissbach can be investigated, an unexpected visitor approaches the SCs at The Halfway House coaching inn.
\nIllyrius Starsight — the 7-foot tall Envoy of House Emberfell of Caledor — arrives to escort Amris home. Illyrius, a powerful Asur Mage, owes Amris’s father, so has linked to Amris magically in order to track him. However, Illyrius is fair, and recognises Amris has commitments, so allows one week to resolve his business.
\nWhen investigating near the Grunewald Forest, a musical voice calls to Amris. A pale Wood Elf then steps from the trees. She claims to be Ulliamar Skytear, a spellsinger. She felt Amris’s aura, and came to warn him. Her camp was attacked by Beastmen, and one of her kinband was taken. Ulliamer has never met an Asur before, so offers to take Amris and his friends to meet her Kindred. As she walks, Ulliamar queries the powerful magical link she senses in Amris. Whatever explanations are offered, Ulliamar offers to sever it, claiming such shackles are an abomination. In effect, Amris can escape Illyrius, and the ritual required is simple.
\nThe SCs are fed curiously spiced meats as the ritual is prepared. Ulliamar explains that Amris needs to enact a ceremonial — and non-binding — marriage, forming a new bond to break the one Illyrius magically imposed. If Amris agrees, he is taken to a dewy clearing, dressed in flowing green-brown robes, and wrapped in plants in various states of growth, fecundity, and decay. The other SCs are then asked to leave, for the rite is sacred to the Elves.
\nAll the Wood Elves attend the ritual, so the other SCs can freely search the camp. There they find sleek, flint arrows, odd potions of death and decay, and a clearing filled with Human bones…
\nRegrettably for Amris, the Wood Elves are servants of Nurgle, the Chaos God of Disease. The ritual re-enacts the marriage of Nurgle (as Amris) to his stolen bride, the Elven Goddess Isha (as Ulliamar). When the ritual ends. Amris gains [[/r 1d10]] Corruption points and an @Condition[Unconscious] Zustand. Then Ulliamar gives birth.
\nThe birthing is a swollen, malformed @Actor[Daemon Child]{Elf child} the height of an adult Dwarf. It has a distended stomach punctured with festering wounds that trail blistered guts. It dribbles disease as it squeals and giggles like a baby.
\nAs Amris comes to his senses, he can hear Ulliamar cooing. ‘My son, partake of your father. When you have had your fill, come to me by the Tree of Sores and Sorrows.’ Then Ulliamar and her Kindred melt away into the trees.
\nThe other Characters then burst onto the scene. Assuming the foul thing is defeated, it will cry pus-laden tears as it dies. Not long after, Illyrius will arrive, having sensed the foul disturbance. He will be impressed that Amris is capable of slaying a Daemon. Illyrius claims this shows, though young, that perhaps Amris is worthy of making his own decisions since they seem wise. And with that, he leaves.
","img":"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/unions-reunions.webp "}, {"id":"gfRvntzuBvM3EfMK","name":"Gerüchte, die du gehört hast VI","description":"You recently heard the following three rumours. You don’t know if they are true, but you have heard them more than once. It’s up to you to decide where you heard them. Was it in a tavern? On the road? At a local market? Or maybe from a friend? That’s entirely up to you and how you think your Character engages with the folk of Übersreik.
\nThe exterior of the Bretonnian Grail Chapel is unassuming, a modest warehouse, typical of those in the district. Only the innocuous wooden inscriptions of fleur-de-lys along the eaves mark it as anything special. Within the walls, however, the building is sumptuous. Its walls and columns are intricately carved and beautifully painted, redolent with frescoes depicting legends of the Lady of the Lake, and brave knights of Bretonnian Lore.
\n\n
The building was used as an internment camp decades ago, during the Fifth Parravon War. The Bretonnian captives decorated the chapel. As a conciliatory gesture (and a long-lasting testament to the beauty and versatility of wooden buildings), the chapel has been maintained by the @JournalEntry[Carpenters' Guildhouse]{Carpenters’ Guild} ever since. @Actor[Hugo (Übersreik]{Hugo} is the only permanent resident, an ancient Bretonnian with a white beard and kind eyes, whom local children are convinced was once a knight. Ex-pats and visiting Bretonnians often visit, paying their respects to the lady.
\n\n
\n
Butted up against the Axe and Hammer lies Borgun’s Brewery, Übersreik’s only Dwarf brewer and purveyor of strong, dark ales. The brewery consists of a number of discrete stone buildings, each housing a distinct stage of the brewing process. There is a mill, a mash-house, a boiler room, and a number of storage sheds — which Borgun calls halls — where barrels of ale are stored and matured. A covered passageway leads directly to @JournalEntryAxt und Hammer], Borgun’s biggest customer, while wagons containing ale for trade in other inns and taverns, or even to neighboring Dwarf Holds, pass out regularly.
\n\n
Pink-faced Brewmaster @Actor[Borgun Foambeard], who proudly claims to be a cousin to master brewer Josef Bugman, makes a number of ales, including Crownpeak, Old Subterranean, and their stronger sibling, Skullsplitter. The few Humans able to drink more than one pint of the latter have attested to the accuracy of the name the morning afterwards.
\n\n
Foambeard is assisted by his two brothers, Hargan and Dwargun, and his grey-bearded uncle, Glavic Boarhand. Glavic spends most of his time drinking the best brews his nephew has to offer, and reminiscing about the good ol’ times when Borgun’s grandfather, Glargan the Everdrunk, ran the brewery with a somewhat laxer hand. Foambeard has too much respect for his uncle to comment, though every careless word Glavic utters wounds Foambeard deeply.
\n\n
\n
A spacious three-story building, the Potion Shop has large arched windows illuminating the ground floor, where potions are made and sold. The first floor holds the spacious and well-lit private quarters of the owner, Siegfried von Holzenauer. The staff quarters lie above this, in the cramped attic rooms.
\n\n
Siegfried von Holzenauer owns and runs the shop. A minor scion of the noble family, he dabbles in potion-making as a hobby. Something of a passion-project for von Holzenauer, he is far more interested in discovering and devising new recipes and sourcing rare ingredients, than he is in turning a profit. As such, his staff will happily acquiesce to hagglers, offering potions at significantly discounted prices.
\n\n
\n
\n
Von Holzenauer’s experimentation has resulted in some success. the following potions are available only in his shop.
\n| \n Item \n | \n\n Cost \n | \n
| \n @Item[Ameliorative Elixir] \n | \n\n 1/4 \n | \n
| \n @Item[Focusing Philtre] \n | \n\n 5/- \n | \n
| \n @Item[Liquor of Luck] \n | \n\n 1GC \n | \n
| \n @Item[Katya's Cordial] \n | \n\n 6/- \n | \n
| \n @Item[The Marvelous Medicinal Mixture] \n | \n\n 8/- \n | \n
| \n @Item[Reactionary Restorative] \n | \n\n 1GC \n | \n
| \n @Item[Tonic of Sight Beyond Sight] \n | \n\n 10/- \n | \n
","img":"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/von-holzenauers.webp "}, {"id":"iEwtuUPQsZDdD9AK","name":"Madame Beaumarteau's","description":"
The stone facade of this long, low shop is carved with the shapes of traditional masks. The carving is beautifully wrought, making the shop stand out, even compared to the other elegant businesses on Osterstrasse. Madame Beaumarteau’s is the premiere boutique for an array of fine costumes as well as fancy masks and more austere garb. Madame Beaumarteau is an aging spinster, stout of limb and heart. She sews much of her work herself, but employs a gaggle of Halfling seamstresses to assist her. Despite her stern demeanor, she is a kind soul, and will often offer reduced prices to less well-off clients, while overcharging those who are arrogant and abrasive.
\n\n
\n
Johann Hoffmann — a famous Stevedore who was responsible for the Übersreik Trade Guild Treaties of 2506 before falling from grace — has disappeared. Hoffmann was last seen alightling a black coach at the @JournalEntry[Bridge House Inn].
\nNow conspiracy theories are moving through Übersreik like the Galloping Trots! He was always a controversial figure who was on everyone’s lips, and his disappearance has only increased his fame. Hoffmann was loved for his life-long involvement with the trade guilds.
\nHowever, his success made him a target of the Lowhaven Klan — a criminal family of Halblinge with their fingers in every pie in Reikland, even the ones trampled to smithereens during the riot. They extorted Hoffman to perform deeds supporting their goals. Three years ago this was uncovered, and Hoffman was imprisoned after his offices were raided and documents were found linking Hoffmann and the Lowhavens to an anti-establishment, ‘Death to Karl-Franz’ political faction known as The Glorious Revolution of the People (GRP).
\nGraf Sigismund von Jungfreud eventually pardoned Hoffmann, due to local sympathies for Hoffmann. However, since the Jungfreuds’ ousting, Altdorf soldiers have targeted Hoffmann. They feared his political skills, gang contacts, and overall connection to trade guilds would make him a powerful figure in Übersreik’s (as they saw it) inevitable bid for Freiburg status. Indeed, Wilhelm ‘Big Willi’ Docker, Hoffmann’s replacement in the @JournalEntry[Dockers' Arms]{Dockers’ Guild} (who was the one to tip off the Watch to get Hoffmann arrested in the first place), has been using his ‘disappearance’ as political leverage.
\nNow, General @Actor[Jendrik von Dabernick] wants some freelancers to investigate the Hoffmann’s disappearance and hopefully uncover the truth behind it. The Altdorfers can’t be seen to be directly involved, for fear of the investigations being labelled a cover up — so the Characters are on their own. In fact, most of the Altdorfers won’t even know an investigation is ongoing, and will refuse to cooperate with anyone sticking their noses into the Emperor’s business…
\nWilhelmina Büffa. Hoffmann’s personal lawyer and childhood friend. It was Büffa who first introduced Hoffmann to the Lowhavens, though she quickly grew to regret that connection. Büffa and the Lowhavens quarrelled, so they blackmailed her, threatening to expose her criminal connections. Those connections eventually saw her removed from her old partnership, Spirren-Hirsch and Gärtner (Übersreik, page 38).
\nDespite being close to Hoffmann, Büffa has plenty of reason to be rid of him — he had more dirt on her than even the Lowhavens. Indeed, she was the one to plant The Griffon’s Tail in Hoffmann’s office in order to implicate the Lowhavens with the GRP…
\nWilhelm ‘Big Willi’ Docker. Hoffmann’s long-time rival and replacement in the @JournalEntry[Dockers' Arms]{Dockers’ Guild}. Big Willi orchestrated the raid that had Hoffmann imprisoned originally, and is now exploiting Hoffmann’s disappearance for political gain, claiming to have been a lifelong friend. In fact, he was also responsible for campaigning to have Hoffmann released from prison! Big Willi’s hatred for the Lowhaven Klan is legendary. He has been known on many occasions to loudly boast that he’ll be the one to bring them all down, no matter what it takes.
\n@Actor[Jendrik von Dabernick]{General von Dabernick}. Leader of the Altdorfers who have seized @JournalEntry[Burg Schwarzfels], and who currently occupy Übersreik. Von Dabernick’s position in Übersreik was threatened by Hoffmann’s political sway. The general, though no politician, is smart enough to see how such a disappearance looks bad for him. He is currently engaged in a backroom war with Wilhelm ‘Big Willi’ Docker, who he thought was an ally (and who he helped seize leadership among the Dockers’ Guild).
\nMercy Lowhaven. Leader of the @JournalEntry[Satrioli's Sausage Shop]{Lowhaven Klan}, and Halfling Crime Boss. Mercy wanted Hoffmann dead, and doesn’t hide that fact, because she wants to destroy any rumour that the Lowhavens are involved with the GRP. In truth, she doesn’t know how copies of The Griffon’s Tail made their way into Hoffmann’s offices. However, she talks about Hoffmann as if he’s on the run and she still wants to kill him (even offering the SCs money to kill him should they uncover his hiding place)!
\nAnton Grimski. An agitator who plies his trade around the @JournalEntry[Sprichstumpf], who rails against the influence of the merchant class and their corruption. He is actually in the employ of Sigismund von Jungfreud, and is attempting to prevent the Burgomeister and the trade guilds of Übersreik from maintaining order and forming a Freiburg. Grimski has had significant run-ins with Hoffmann over the years, and on several occasions the two have gotten into fist fights with death threats following. Grimski would be more than willing to kill Hoffmann, especially if Jungfreud told him to.
\nSo, who’s guilty? And where is Hoffman? That’s up to you to decide. Did Graf Sigismund take one last stab at this long-time thorn in his side? Did the General bump him off to stop his political aspirations, and then used the investigation as a smoke screen? Is Big Willi trying to have his cake and eat it too? Or have Hoffmann’s old mob contacts finally come to collect? Hoffmann appears to have had far more enemies than any realised…
","img":"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/johann.webp "}, {"id":"itCaWtY7DZsYBI6W","name":"Sisters' Bakery","description":"A modest, stone built building, Sister’s Bakery is tucked in between a leather shop and a milliner. It’s a single story, noticeably shorter than the other buildings on its street, a fact in which the Halfling owners take great pride. Inside, there is a small area for serving customers, lined with shelves laden with bread and pies, with more delicate confections kept behind the counter. Most of the building’s deep footprint is taken up with the bakery itself, comprising a flour store, a preparation area, and two large ovens.
\n\n
Om and Nom Tumbleberry, twin Halfling sisters, run the bakery. They are identical, and others find them very hard to differentiate. They have a tendency to finish each other’s sentences. They will happily interject into their customers’ conversations, no matter how sensitive the subject. Om specializes in fine confectionery, like her famous honey-cakes topped with spun-sugar fancies. Nom is more experimental, and has recently been aping various Altdorf recipes, such as her (immediately popular) lamprey pies.
\n\n
\n
Graf Otto Strasse is a long, winding street that snakes through the eastern end of the Artisan Quarter. It is known colloquially as Wizard’s Way, as it is home to the town’s only permanent wizard. The street mostly comprises small shops selling herbs, books, and other esoterica, but it is dominated by the Grey Wizard’s tower — a crooked, slate-roofed turret — that peeps above the other stone and timber buildings. Although the tower can be clearly seen, its actual entrance is seemingly impossible to locate. Curious visitors have circumnavigated the tower repeatedly in search of a door or alleyway, but to no avail; locals gave up long ago.
\n\n
Grey Guardian @Actor[Christoph Engel] has called Übersreik his home for as long as anyone can remember. He is a wiry, unassuming fellow with dark-grey eyes and a neatly trimmed grey beard. On official business, he tends to dress formally, in flowing grey robes, with a pointed, wide-brimmed hat and a staff. However, when seeking to pass incognito, he favors the nondescript clothing of a burgher, the better to blend in and avoid a scene.
\n\n
\n
The Dog Pens, a wide square near the center of the @JournalEntry[Handelsviertel], used to house kennels for dog fighting. The kennels have long since moved beyond the walls, but the name persists, kept alive by the sizeable statue of a Saint Saal, a local dog breed, in the center of the square. The Pens now hosts a number of middleclass eateries and taverns, including Frau Dehne’s Tearoom and Sauer’s Slophouse.
\n\n
The platz is popular amongst the burghers who live and work in the district, although it lies slightly off the beaten track. Because of this, prices are somewhat more reasonable than many better-known establishments, and the locals are keen to keep it that way.
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Frau Dehne runs her tearoom efficiently and effectively. She sells no alcoholic beverages, instead offering a carefully selected range of hot brews and cold cordials, many of which are surprisingly refreshing. To complement her aromatic drinks, she sells a wide range of cakes and pastries, purchased daily from the Halfling bakers nearby. In contrast, the Ostlander, Sascha Sauer, has a different focus. He offers cheap, easy meals sold with even cheaper pale ale. He only offers one item on his menu: ‘slop’, a boiled down, congealed stew of vegetable tops and off-cuts of meat. Though distinctly unappetizing in appearance, the slop is tasty and nutritious, and costs just 3d for a bowl and pint (only 2d should you have your own cup and stein).
\n\n
\n
This sizeable barracks once billeted Übersreik 3rd Regiment of Foot, the Reikland 33rd, nicknamed: ‘the Fighting Stags’. The regiment retreated as the State Army of Altdorf approached, so the building now lies empty. A large wall rings the muster ground where the soldiers once drilled. Against the wall are towers, workshops, barracks, kitchens, refectories, and chapels, most of which are locked and quiet.
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Aware the barracks may become a rallying point for Jungfreud sympathies, @Actor[Jendrik von Dabernick]{General von Dabernick} ordered the walls patrolled with Altdorf soldiers. At any one time, two squads of eight halberdiers, each led by a sergeant, march around the periphery, thoroughly bored, dreaming of a better detail. When off-duty or resting, the soldiers gather in the north tower to eat, drink, play cards or dice, and chew weirdroot.
\n\n
Sergeant Rikard Jaekel is making the best he can of the Fighting Stags’s barracks. He’s managed to requisition several barrels of ale, so life could be worse. Since the nearby chapels are locked, he’s built a small shrine to Ranald, God of Luck, and another to Ulric, God of War, in the north tower. The first is a pile of dice beside a crudely hewn cat, the other a stack of weapons by a whittled wolf.
\n\n
\n
Von Bruners have lived on the site of Bruner Palace for centuries, though the actual building has been reconstructed many times. The family is rich from its mines in the Hagercrybs, and it spends lavishly on the palace. It is the largest building on the Hill, with an impressive 239 rooms. It is in such a prominent position it can be seen from almost every part of the town. A large stables and coach house are built to the east end of the walled grounds, and a small jetty juts out into the Teufel at the foot of the Hill, where painted boathouses hold several pleasure barges.
\n\n
The estate is nominally controlled by Heinrich von Bruner, the @JournalEntry[Grafschaft Grauwerk]{Graf of Grauwerk’s} younger brother and heir. In truth, their mother, Lady Kisaiya von Bruner, rules. Indomitable and authoritarian, she is often ‘gifted’ the family’s more wayward offspring to rear. Lady Kisaiya is currently raising three of her grandchildren: Andreas, Gutele, and Boniel. Andreas, the son of Heissman (her third son, a Magistrate in Altdorf) is in his early 20s. He, alongside his cousins Gutele and Boniel (the twin teenage children of her youngest son, Sigislieb), do their best to fill the space. They hold lavish balls and salons that often last for days.
\n\n
So, the palace is regularly home to all manner of visitors, including nobles, entertainers, artists, and free thinkers. Rumors of decadent pursuits persist, despite generous donations to the Cult of Sigmar.
\n\n
\n
When perusing a market stall, a silver bracelet catches Gunnar’s eye. It’s identical to one he made long ago. Upon closer inspection, the bracelet isn’t Gunnar’s work, but is a near perfect copy of one he made for his daughter before she, and the rest of his family, died in a fire — the event that spurred Gunnar to swear the Slayer Oath. If asked, the merchant will explain that he purchased the piece — and several similar items, now sold — from a pedlar named Alaricha Brederman in the Blitzhelsen Hills. The pedlar claimed they were Dwarf wrought, purchased from a local artisan.
\nWith appropriate Gossip, Charm, or Leadership Tests, the party eventually finds Brederman in the Blitfelsen Hills on the road to Graustadt. Somewhat panicked at the unexpected Slayer intrusion, she admits the goods were counterfeit, not Dwarf-forged, and not her work. She claims Gudrun Rogge, a Human smith, discovered a lost Dwarf outpost and uses it to forge objects of exquisite quality. Gunnar once knew Rogge. She was an accomplished Human smith, skilled enough to be invited to Karak Azgaraz to train. There, she developed an intense rivalry with Gunnar. She was later forced to leave after she threatened his forge and home, and Gunnar complained. Gunnar always suspected Rogge may have been responsible for his home burning down, but had no proof.
\nBredermann takes the SCs to the old Dwarf outpost — Migdhal Agril — but refuses to enter. Last time Bredermann visited, Rogge threatened to ‘awaken the ancient wonders of the Dawi’ to tear her limb from limb! Should the Characters proceed, Gudrun uses a telescope to watch them wend through the long ravine leading to her forge. A glint of light reflecting against its lens is seen by a Character passing a Hard (−20) Simple Wahrnehmungs- Wurf. When she spots her old rival Gunnar, fierce hatred fills her heart once more. If not for Gunnar, she would still be studying in Karak Azgaraz.
\nGudrun Rogge isn’t stupid. Confronting a whole party is unwise. Instead, she clears and prepares her forge as the SCs enter the crumbling complex. She then uses secret tunnels to taunt the party from behind walls. She admits to killing Gunnar’s family, and claims she regrets killing them instead of him. She denounces the ‘foolish Dawi’ for expelling her. She boasts of the ‘improvements’ she’s made to Dwarf techniques, disrespecting Dwarf tradition. She has just one goal: lead the SCs to her forge. This time, Gunnar will die.
\nAt the rear of Gudrun’s forge squats a massive silver and iron construct detailed with gold, runic script. It’s covered in angular plates, and topped by a bearded, fearsome face, and has newer, dirty pipes attached to its back. This experimental creation is ancient, pitted, and worn, dating from the Goblin Wars thousands of years ago. Gudrun has been working on it for years.
\nWhen the SCs arrive, the Guardian spurts to life. Steam and smoke gouts as it lumbers, ancient limbs crushing any foolish enough to stray too close. If the party consider retreating, Gudrun closes the gates to her forge, trapping the SCs. She then settles in to watch, spitting hatred at the Slayer. Should the Guardian be destroyed, Gudrun will flee, swearing revenge will be hers as she runs.Searching the forge reveals Gunnar’s old tools, the bracelet he made for his daughter, and Gunnar’s sketches for the diadem he was going to craft for his now dead wife.
\nShould Gunnar wish to enter the Artisan Career, he can do so for free if he works from Migdhal Agril. However, he may prefer to sell his old tools for drinking money.
","img":"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/silver.webp "}, {"id":"neUNh3Dg8rTnaPNi","name":"Spirren-Hirsch and Gärtner","description":"Spirren-Hirsch and Gärtner are the foremost practitioners of law in Übersreik. The timber and lathe office is currently being extended to allow for their growing number of clerks. The building is notable for its multiple entrances and exits, to allow discretion on the part of their clientele, particularly useful given the firm’s propensity for representing both parties in civil cases. Wilhelm Gärtner and Melina Spirren-Hirsch are the firm’s chief partners. Spirren-Hirsch is an intelligent, sophisticated woman in her 60s. Gärtner is only 30, with a brash, arrogant streak. Many student lawyers and clerks assist the partners.
\n\n
\n
The Artisans’ Quarter is the industrial heart of Übersreik. It lies to the east of the Grey Lady Road, on the north bank of the Teufel, where raw materials and finished goods are loaded and unloaded on wharves. By day the ringing sounds of hammers striking metal blends with the acrid stench of the town’s tanners and chandlers.
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The quarter contains several slum districts at the periphery supporting taverns and cheap shops servicing the town’s workers. Even at night the streets are rarely empty as workers relax after a hard day’s graft. Since the Jungfreuds were ousted and their trade embargo began, coal has become scarce. Now the streets are full of apprentices on the scrounge for anything to burn.
\n\n
@JournalEntry[Bridge House Inn]{Bridge House Inn}
\n@JournalEntry[Carpenters' Guildhouse]{Carpenters' Guildhouse}
\n@JournalEntry[Cordelia's Apothecary]{Cordelia's Apothecary}
\n@JournalEntry[Locksmith's Guildhouse]{Locksmith's Guildhouse}
\n@JournalEntry[Metalworkers’ Guildhouse]{Metalworkers’ Guildhouse}
\n@JournalEntry[Satrioli's Sausage Shop]{Satrioli's Sausage Shop}
\n@JournalEntry[Wandiene Rookery]{Wandiene Rookery}
\n@JournalEntry[Wizard's Way]{Wizard's Way}
\n@JournalEntry[Worshipful Guild of Cutlers' Guildhouse]{Worshipful Guild of Cutlers' Guildhouse}
"}, {"id":"nr71u7AHdVhptzeD","name":"Ash In The Wind","description":"Hugeldal is the seat of the indomitable Baron Matthais von Jungfreud. Unfortunately, the fall of House Jungfreud in nearby Übersreik has significantly impacted the town’s fortunes — trade links were severed, tensions rose, and local troops are constantly marching. So, the sudden and unexpected rise in witch signs around Hugeldal, and the panic it engenders, are deeply unwelcome. Yves Plonta, a nervous attendant to Baron Matthais approaches the party to investigate the source of the recent spate of miscarriages, mutant births, disembowelled livestock, and worse that plagues the town. The @Credit[20gc]{20 Gold Crown} reward for making it all go away demonstrates just how inflammatory the problem is.
\nBut this isn’t the first time Else has followed the winding Hugeldal road into @JournalEntry[Das Graue Gebirge]. Almost twenty years ago, she rode in the back of a creaking cart as her mother — the feared Witch Hunter Captain, Gerlinde Sigloben — rode to the mining town following witch signs. But the pyres were already burning low when she arrived, and the witch was burned. Else remembers a look of satisfaction on the townsfolk’s faces. She remembers how she and her mother were encouraged to let the ashes scatter to the wind and leave. Now, twenty years later, some of those same faces — only older, and greyer — still haunt Hugeldal’s streets, and Else is suspicious.
\nInvestigating the sources of the witch signs establish a pattern centred on Hugeldal itself. There, the Characters meet the following townsfolk, and significant passive hostility:
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\n
\n
Lilian and Julien Nilsen are two anti-Jungfreud meddlers. They are making the investigation more difficult — creating fake witch signs in order to exacerbate tensions. Nevertheless, the Characters’ enquiries will eventually lead them to Herzog or Jungmann. When this happens, Jungmann panics and sends four @Compendium[wfrp4e-core.bestiary.T79RqnDOAQLn3I1s]{Zombie} to kill Herzog before he blabs, and another four to kill the Characters as they sleep. The next day, several townsfolk claim they heard strange noises coming from the von Jungfreud Manor. As this is investigated (the baron is not accommodating), Jungmann is with Hugelmann in the Rathaus, trying to silence her — she discovered his secret after nervously investigating the matter herself to cover her grandfather’s tracks. Her body will be found later, face frozen in terror.
\nIt won’t take much to uncover the witch after this — several townsfolk spotted Jungmann at the Rathaus. Knowing he faces death, Jungmann flees for Übersreik. He will use all of his powers to thwart the SCs, including raising the @Compendium[wfrp4e-core.bestiary.GgSxlomoV220kd3G]{Ghost} of Zuriner, and the angry spirit of his old master (use a @Compendium[wfrp4e-core.bestiary.hMbcLVjk7eUdxtqC]{Cairn Wraith}) If the Characters dispatch these swiftly and reach Übersreik docks, they find Jungmann commissioning a barge to Altdorf. Jungmann will not go down quietly, summoning as many @Compendium[wfrp4e-core.bestiary.T79RqnDOAQLn3I1s]{Zombies} as he can muster to cover his retreat. If Jungmann does escape, he will immediately plot his revenge.
","img":"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/ash-in-the-wind.webp "}, {"id":"okqOVZTkYyQyov0A","name":"Watch Barracks","description":"The Watch are responsible for keeping the peace and enforcing the law; however, the bulk of the old Watch members were recently dismissed due to suspicion they were loyal to the von Jungfreuds. So, much of the current Watch is made up of Altdorf soldiers who’ve been pressed into service, and who resent every minute of it. They have little interest in justice and swiftly resort to busting heads to keep order.
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The Watch barracks include a number of offices, an array of holding cells, and basic quarters. The Watch regularly patrol the town in groups ranging from two to six, along with providing support to Geldfinger’s raids on smugglers. While their patrols should cover the entire town outside Schwarzfels, in practice they concentrate on wealthier areas, seldom venturing far into the Docks or the Dunkelfeucht.
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Captain @Actor[Andrea Pfeffer] commands the Watch. Pfeffer’s a no-nonsense woman in her 20s with a distinctive mane of red hair. While she maintains a calm demeanor, the newly appointed Captain is concerned with the disruptions caused by the Altdorfers with whom she arrived. She is keen for the Burgomeister’s position to be consolidated, or a new noble family installed, the better to calm Übersreik.
\n\n
\n
"}, {"id":"pQovGnDpR6gIhM74","name":"Handelsviertel","description":"
The Handelsviertel extends eastwards from Marktplatz to the base of @JournalEntry[Morgenseite]{the Hill}. It contains the @JournalEntry[Merchant's Guild], as well as a number of traders, retailers, and offices, as well as some smaller warehouses. Most of the buildings here are part stone, part timber, and even in these difficult times, several are being extended and redeveloped as trade in Übersreik swells. By day, the quarter it is usually busy, filled with burghers of all classes, but at night it grows quieter the further you stray from the Market Square, though it is well-patrolled by the Watch.
\n\n
@JournalEntry[Furlisdottirs Korn Beurse]{Furlisdottirs Korn Beurse}
\n@JournalEntry[Merchant's Guild]{Merchant's Guild}
\n@JournalEntry[Saint Bastian's Hospital]{Saint Bastian's Hospital}
\n@JournalEntry[Sisters' Bakery]{Sisters' Bakery}
\n@JournalEntry[Spirren-Hirsch and Gärtner]{Spirren-Hirsch and Gärtner}
\n@JournalEntry[The Dog Pens]{The Dog Pens}
\n@JournalEntry[The Exploding Pig]{The Exploding Pig}
\n@JournalEntry[The Old Granary]{The Old Granary}
\n@JournalEntry[Thulmannplatz]{Thulmannplatz}
\n@JournalEntry[Unterdaumen Warehouses]{Unterdaumen Warehouses}
\n@JournalEntry[Von Holzenauer's Potion Shop]{Von Holzenauer's Potion Shop}
\n@JournalEntry[Wahlunds Rattenfänger]{Wahlunds Rattenfänger}
\n","img":" "}, {"id":"pyfbaMJAYExGJKZK","name":"Übersreik Council","description":"
When the Jungfreuds ruled Übersreik, the Town Council had little influence beyond occasionally advising the duke. However, when the Imperial Herald replaced Duke Sigismund, she declared it was the Emperor’s will that the council maintained the status quo whilst new rulership for Übersreik was decided. So, the burgomeister suddenly found himself thrust onto a wider political stage, replete with threats and pitfalls, not to mention opportunities.
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In an attempt to consolidate this power, the burgomeister approached Grodni Surehammer, the de facto leader of the town’s Dwarf population. Surehammer felt the Jungfreuds were betrayed by the Emperor, and would have no truck with such underhanded business.
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Currently, Burgomeister @Actor[Ernst Maler] is head of the Town Council, a large, moustached man, fond of flamboyant hats and hearty fare. He is joined by the guildmasters of six of the town’s most prominent guilds — the Merchants, Boatmen, Boatbuilders and Chandlers, Metalworkers, Carters, and Carpenters. Of those, the burgomeister’s closest ally is Guildmaster Hans Fuhrmann of the Carters’ Guild.
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Fuhrmann is a large man who spends most of his time ordering others around as he revels in the new powers of the council. He has an abiding fondness for Eilhart wines, paying well over the odds to ensure he’s getting the good stuff; though, in truth, he can’t tell the difference from one wine to the next. His fondness for expensive wine and easy living has left him red-faced, fat, and gout-ridden.
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The Town Council meets weekly at the @JournalEntry[Rathaus]
","img":"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/nobles.webp "}, {"id":"qSCQc8zjq6EPE9DZ","name":"Wandiene Rookery","description":"Of all Übersreiks slums, Wandiene rookery is the largest and most notorious. It lies in the north-west of the Artisans’ Quarter, packed tight to the high town-walls and the fortifications of @JournalEntry[The Precinct]. It is uncensured and massively overcrowded, and is known for its many bawds, thieves, and ne’erdowells. Its tall, unstable houses have no access to Übersreiks extensive sewers. The buildings lean precariously against each other, and any available space between is filled with shacks and makeshift hovels. The few paths and alleyways are narrow, gloomy, filthy, and untrod by the Watch.
\n\n
Guido Falck has retreated to Wandiene after the arrival of @Actor[Jendrik von Dabernick]{General von Dabernick} and his soldiers. A decorated captain of the Übersreik State Army, now retired, Falck is utterly loyal to Duke Sigismund Jungfreud, and leads a resistance against the ‘Altdorf invasion’ from the depths of the slums. He currently commands over 50 resistance fighters, but is a patient man, and will not attack his enemy openly.
\n\n
\n
The Archduchy of Upper Teufel should be one of the most important provinces in the Reikland. it includes four important Reikland estates — Übersreik, Falkenhayn, Stimmeswald, and Haalstein — which encompass some of the most fertile land in the empire, and some of the most strategically vital. however, its ruler only holds the title as a courtesy; in law, the title actually belongs to the Prince of Reikland. Over 200 years earlier, Magnus the Pious stripped all lands and titles in the area from House Walfen and took them for himself. Now, the current prince of Altdorf, and Emperor, Karl-Franz, holds the title, and he allows House Walfen to use it only for as long as it remains loyal. he can, on a whim, remove the archduke without recourse to the Reikland Diet.
\nSo, for all the current archduke, Victor von Walfen, is an imposing, cantankerous man and a respected veteran of many military campaigns, he is politically toothless. he is only responsible for funneling taxes from his archduchy to the princedom of Altdorf. Any who swear fealty to the archduke are actually swearing oaths to the prince of Altdorf by proxy
"}, {"id":"rLpOoF864TWT48dE","name":"Duchy of Karstadt","description":"The densely wooded counties of Grauwerk and Karstadt are havens for hunters and trackers, and pay host to parties of visiting nobles keen to hunt game. The forests are dotted with hunting lodges, and even the seat of the ruling Bruners, Steirlich Manor, is a heavily fortified lodge. House Bruner draws immense wealth from its deep mines sunk into the southern Hägercrybs, and despite centuries of affluence, the mines there show no signs of playing out. The Bruners bought the neighboring county of Karstadt some decades ago from the troubled House Karstadt, which brought fertile farmlands and the major road into Übersreik under Bruner control, not to mention a number of profitable tollgates. The Bruners demanded the Karstadts surrendered their patent of nobility as a term of the sale, which was supported by the ruling Jungfreuds at the time, effectively making the Karstadts commoners. Whilst few could fathom this decision, the enormous success the Karstadts secured when they established a new Merchant House, eventually making them one of the richest families in the county, soon silenced their detractors.
\n\n
Graf Steirlich rules both provinces directly, though he has many vassals. He, like his manor, was named after one of his illustrious ancestors, and he is a driven and determined man. He regularly rides his land, hunting bandits, beasts, and fowl with equal enthusiasm. He takes little interest in politics, leaving such affairs to his mother Kisaiya von Bruner (see page 43) and his nephew, Heissman. But he does love his family, and recently gifted the castle of Ulmeturm to his niece Ludmilla as a wedding gift, celebrating her union with @Actor[Rickard Aschaffenberg], a gesture Kisaiya is said to consider foolish and profligate.
\n\n
\n
Rugger’s is Übersreiks cheapest inn, and for good reason: the beds are infested and the common room moldy and damp. The lower floor has a dirty kitchen, a creaky dining hall, and the common room. The upper floor squeezes four private rooms (each with two double bunks) and the proprietor’s room into a tiny space.
\n\n
Anna Rugger, known on the docks as Gram’ma, is the aging proprietor of the boarding house. She is married to the master of the Boatmen’s Guild, Karsten. Because of this, anyone causing Rugger trouble is likely to find a gang of hook-wielding men on their tail, all eager to help their Gram’ma out in any way they can.
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\n
The Schwarzehalle slum’s Hog Pit is a sprawling series of open pig pens. The pigs dine on the town’s scraps and filth, which are sold to swineherds by enterprising gong farmers (excrement collectors). Citizens wishing to cross the Hog Pit use a series of elevated wooden platforms. These boards are treacherous, and more than one burgher has slipped, falling into the mud, waste, and pigs below.
\n\n
Gart Fünke, an old farmer of both pigs and gong, is the Hog Pit’s most influential man. Theoretically, any Übersreik citizen can keep pigs in the Pit, but in practice they need Fünke’s approval. He is only willing to provide this with the promise of purchasing any pig ‘feed’ directly from him. Fünke ensures his racket is unchallenged by providing the local Watch with a ready supply of pork.
\n\n
\n
\n
\n
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"}, {"id":"sKuPNRf7vHni04uV","name":"Metalworkers’ Guildhouse","description":"
The Metalworkers’ Guildhouse is a squat, unassuming, soot-stained building just off the Bogenhafen road. It is surrounded by forges, smithies, and workshops that ring with the sound of hammers on steel from dawn to dusk. The interior of the guildhouse is dark, and low-ceilinged, an attempt to appeal to the city’s Dwarf populace, albeit one that is as transparent as it is unsuccessful. The Dwarf craftsmen are polite to a fault, but do not view their inferior ‘shortbeard’ counterparts as rivals.
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Petronilla Merkle is the current master, a short woman with the broad shoulders and calloused palms of her trade. Her rivals in the guild have uncharitably suggested that she only achieved her position given her Dwarf-like appearance, though never within earshot. Though generally stoic in demeanor, when roused to anger her temper is fearsome to behold. As she is often busy in her workshop, the guildhouse is generally staffed by one of her skittish apprentices.
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This unassuming wooden building not far from Übersreiks two dry docks on the southside of the river houses the offices for the combined Guild of Boatbuilders and Chandlers. Thirty years ago, the two guilds, both of which were important to the town but only contained a handful of members each, combined forces to amplify their voices. Today, the guild is still small, but it is also undeniably powerful due to its significant impact to the local economy.
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Kurt Prochnow is the current Guildmaster. A lean, muscled man in his early 30s, Prochnow is surprisingly young for such a position. He toured the Empire as a young man learning his skills, apprenticing in Bechafen in Ostermark and securing the membership of shipwright and boat building guilds in seven different towns and cities. He is driven and intelligent with a voracious appetite for new approaches to construction. He is currently experimenting with metal and stone in his work, drawing upon Dwarf engineering as his inspiration.
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At the most recent Magnustag festival, Prochnow’s exotic, foreign mein, and his thriving business landed him the unwanted title of ‘Most Eligible Bachelor of Ubersreik’. He has had little peace since, his offices receiving weekly visits from those interested in marrying into his wealth. His staff could not be more amused by this.
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When the Jungfreuds withdrew ahead of the advancing Altdorf armies, they took hundreds of loyalists with them, draining several town districts as they fled to the nearby duchy of Schwarzfels. This left Übersreik with a population of some 5000 Humans within its walls, alongside a few hundred Halblinge dispersed throughout the town, and a further 1000 Dwarfs in Dawihafen — the Dwarf district. Most of the Dwarfs are sworn to the lost Holds of Karak Drakeni, Karak Sanda, and Karak Branar, though representatives from still-standing Holds, including Karak Baraz and Karak Azgaraz, also reside in Übersreik, overseeing trade for their kin in the Grey Mountains. The Dwarfs mostly keep to themselves, disdainfully ignoring the ‘manling squabbles’ over the town’s status. There are also a handful of Ogres earning pay as mercenaries and guardsmen, or working for one of the Halfling clans. Only Elves remain a rare sight, and should they be spotted, suspicious stares, gaping mouths, and scurrilous gossip follow in their wake.
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The Town Watch is run by the Altdorf military, and is keen to stamp out the vestiges of any loyalty to the deposed Jungfreuds. However, the soldier’s lack of familiarity with the town has allowed crime to flourish. In particular, the Lowhaven Halfling clan, a successful family of mobsters and racketeers that proliferate Reikland, have significantly increased their influence, capitalizing on the chaos to replace or acquire extant criminal organizations. There has been some push back against this — in the slums under the bridge, a gang leader known only as ‘The Baron’ is organizing local thugs, thieves, and ne’er-do-wells, mobilizing them to resist any Lowhaven infiltration or crackdowns from the Watch. Because of this, Father @Actor[Gunther Emming] of the Cult of Sigmar is actively supporting the Altdorf forces, calling for calm and unity to see Übersreik through these troubled times.
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Without Graf Sigismund von Jungfreud, Übersreik has no formal ruler. Although Arch-Duke von Walfen, the liege-lord of the southern Vorbergland’s duchies, could claim Übersreik, he is unwilling to do so lest the Emperor turn his wrath upon him, too. So, the day-to-day running of the town is shared between the Emperor’s two primary representatives, Lady Nacht and General von Dabernick, and the local Town Council. The Town Council is a body whose role had hitherto been largely advisory and ceremonial, but now wields unexpected and genuine power. This arrangement has — thus far — proven harmonious, although it is hardly a long-term solution, and all know civil strife is never more than a heartbeat away.
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The Emperor ordered over five hundred soldiers to seize and hold Übersreik. Now two strikingly different nobles represent his will in the town. General @Actor[Jendrik von Dabernick] is in direct command of the military forces. The general is a stiff-necked man of average height in his mid-30s. He wears his heavily coiffured hair swept up in blond twin-tailed comet, a gesture as distinctive as it is devout. He constantly shouts orders from beneath his enormous moustache, and is never seen without his privately tailored red and blue uniform, complete with a gilded breastplate, medals, and gold-trimmed, green-velvet cloak.
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However, despite von Dabernick’s seeming authority, the true power lies in the hands of the quietly spoken Imperial Herald, Lady Emmanuelle Nacht. Standing over six feet tall, she is a strikingly beautiful woman, with dark hair, delicate cheekbones, and a steady gaze that could give a Manticore pause. She always dresses in the finery of a noble fresh from the Imperial Court, her green-velvet cloak pinned at one shoulder with an expensive, but understated, gem-studded brooch.
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While the Burgomeister and guildmasters scrape and bow to bellowing von Dabernick, most of the Übersreik’s noble households — most notably the Aschaffenbergs and Bruners — seek to curry favor with elusive Nacht.
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The Cult of Sigmar’s is the most widespread in Übersreik, with ten temples and chapels within the fortress-town’s walls; however, most other primary cults are also represented, with Verena’s and Shallya’s the more prominent, both with significant temples built by the town’s largest square.
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The town is also known for its sprawling temple to Katya and gambling den dedicated to Ranald found in the docks, and for its surprisingly large fortress-chapel dedicated to Ulric found in the walled-off Precinct district.
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With the withdrawal of the Jungfreuds, the Town Council have approached the leaders of the cults of Sigmar, Verena, and Shallya to help organize town affairs, but, as of yet, none have accepted this offer.
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Dozens of noble families call Übersreik home, most connected to one another through labyrinthine webs of intermarriage, partnership and rivalry. Three houses stand tall above the others — Bruner, Aschaffenberg, and the recently disgraced House Jungfreud — and most of the minor houses are their sworn vassals, acting as agents to accrue renown and favorable matches for the future.
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All of their fortunes changed when the Jungfreuds were chased from the fortress-town. The fabulously wealthy Bruners were best placed to make a powerplay, but they were too busy dancing with glee to care, so it turns to the ambitious Aschaffenbergs or an outside House to make the first move.
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","img":"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/Übersreik.webp "}, {"id":"tEQof74eeAT2UVIe","name":"Aschaffenberg Manor","description":"
The Aschaffenberg residence is the second largest estate on the Hill. The striking two-story manor has a coach-house and stables built into the north side, and a selection of out-buildings to the south, all of which are built in a classical style. It is officially the home of Duke Brynrich Aschaffenberg and his wife, Duchess Eleanor. However, the uncertain future of Übersreik, and the casual way in which the von Jungfreuds were removed from power, has persuaded the duke to retire to his lands in the @JournalEntry[Herzogtum Aschaffenberg]. He has left his wife to wrap up their affairs in town as he prepares his castle for her arrival. However, she has absolutely no desire to replace her palatial residence with a dingy tower in the windswept Blitzfelsen hills, and plans to do everything she can to never leave Übersreik.
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Duchess Eleanor Aschaffenberg is the only noble currently resident in the manor. Tancred Davieu is the head of staff, the manor’s caretaker, and the duke’s trusted servant. Davieu’s family serve as maids and servants. He has been tasked with cataloguing and preparing the manor’s contents for auction. His work is seriously impeded by Eleanor, who has no desire to see the contents of her home emptied and auctioned by her aging husband.
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In addition, ten of Duke Aschaffenberg’s personal guard are garrisoned to watch over the property, though most of their time is spent lounging with beer.
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The Raspy Raven is a small tavern far enough away from the Teufel to be a bit more respectable than the drinking establishments lining the Docks. Several large alcoves provide privacy. The air is filled with swirling smoke and the taproom is (barely) lit with the thin light of a few wall sconces and individual candles on a few tables.
","img":"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/raspy-raven.webp "}, {"id":"th8YPGUavd9PKnPS","name":"Customs House","description":"All tax collected in Übersreik comes through Customs House, a large, sturdy building with a commanding view over the wharves and the river-traffic. All boats unloading in the town pay a tax of one silver coin plus an additional charge depending upon the cargo. Vessels potentially have docking fees to pay as well to the owners of the wharf in question, and fees to pay to the @JournalEntry[Dockers' Arms]{Dockers’ Guild} to load and unload any vessel. Wagons of trading goods pay their taxes at the town gates. Ernst Geldfinger runs the operation. Geldfinger is a thuggish man in his 40s who tightly controls his clerks. On an average day, one clerk is posted to each of the three gates into the city, a clerk can be found on both the north and south bank to collect from river barges, and the last works the customs house itself. He has a reputation for meticulous detail and unimpeachable honesty.
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Before the Jungfreuds were removed from power, taxes owed by the duchy of Übersreik to the prince of Altdorf were collated in customs house and transferred to @JournalEntry[Burg Schwarzfels]. From there, they were gathered by representatives of the arch-duke of Upper Teufel, then taken to Walfenschloss in the duchy of Wallenstein before heading for Altdorf. However, the right to gather those taxes, and the right to transfer them to Upper Teufel, lies solely with the duke of Übersreik. But there is no duke. so, who collects the taxes and passes them to the Prince of Reikland?
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No one knows. the vassals of the duke of Übersreik are collecting taxes as normal, but some already refuse to pass any monies to customs house, claiming there is no sworn liegelord to receive them. Further, the arch-duke of Upper Teufel is being pressured to collect Übersreik’s taxes by the Reikland crown, but there is no direct vassal to pass them to him. This leaves @Actor[Jendrik von Dabernick]{General von Dabernick} and @Actor[Emmanuelle Nacht]{Lady Nacht}, the two figures currently governing Übersreik, in a very difficult position. Dabernick favors enforcing tax collection, legal or not, with his soldiers; by comparison, Nacht prefers to organize a legal and stable replacement for the duke, and swiftly.
"}, {"id":"ttWqJb5WqLsKdHCz","name":"County of Widow's Vale","description":"The highland County of Widow’s Vale lies on the slopes of @JournalEntry[Das Graue Gebirge]. Life here may be harsh, but a handful of villages and hamlets, and one fortified town: Grunwächt, can be found in fortified positions or deep in the valleys. It is not a particularly wealthy province, its main source of income being goat-herding, largely from exports of goat’s milk and cheese to Übersreik. Desperate prospectors are a common sight, each convinced there must be hidden seams of ore similar to those found in Schwarzfels, Lady’s Vale, or Grauwerk. But if any have struck a motherlode that could turn Widow’s Vale’s fortunes around, they have yet to share their success.
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The former rulers of the Vale, the Saals, were wiped out decades ago when Greenskins razed their castle. The current ruler, Count-Palatine Gregor Schadelfaust, bears the grandiose title ‘Defender of Widow’s Vale’. Schadelfaust is the illegitimate son of Graf Sigismund von Jungfreud’s late older brother, Tywald. His military career culminated recently when he relieved the besieged town of Grunwächt. Emperor Karl-Franz was so impressed with his valour that he elevated him to the nobility, granting him a title and Höhewacht Tower from which to rule. This was a source of some irritation for Schadelfaust’s uncle, Graf von Jungfreud, and Archduke von Walfen. Graf von Jungfreud is not happy with his illegitimate nephew’s rise to nobility, and sees him as a threat to his family line. Archduke von Walfen was the commander who ordered Schadelfaust to Grunwächt, and he is not pleased with Schadelfaust’s increase in power and status.
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• The Lone Pillar is a mysterious ruin between Bamenz and Hugeldal. The ruin is of Elven origin, and the large pillar from which its name is derived is a waystone, channelling the Winds of Magic. It has been corrupted recently, and a pool of dhar, the tainted black wind, has formed, bringing with it a plague of the Restless Dead.
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• @JournalEntry[Part 3: In the Shadow of the Tower]{The Tower of Vane} lies high in the Widow’s Vale, near the Frugelhorn Ridge. The Celestial College of Magic maintains the soaring spire. Currently, it is home to @Actor[Sibylle Hagerdorn], a Wizard Lord known far and wide for her powers of precognition. A shipment containing precious lenses to upgrade her telescopes has been seized by Greenskins. She requires assistance retrieving the lenses, and will compensate the party accordingly.
","img":"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/widows-vale.webp "}, {"id":"uIwIdCpTmagQWWyW","name":"Wings of the Pegasus","description":"The Wings of the Pegasus is the finest eatery in Übersreik, and, so its owners claim, all of Reikland. It sits near the top of Osterstrasse, with a commanding view of the town spread below it. Customers willing to pay their exorbitant rates are treated to food that is both exotic and subtly cooked. Indeed, while pegasus wing itself is not on the menu, they often serve selections from rare and exotic animals and monsters. There is a small private dining room and balcony on the first floor.
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Johann Zustrass is the head chef. A team of Halfling sous-chefs assist him. Zustrass is as legendary for his fiery temper, as for his varied and challenging menu. His standard response to criticism is that the diner’s palate is unrefined. Maître d’ Laurent Bonappetit manages the front of house staff. Bonappetit is a reed-thin Bretonnian with a wispy moustache and oily manners.
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Morgenseite, known locally as ‘The Hill’, is the most affluent quarter of Übersreik. The homes of Übersreiks wealthier middle-class families form a terrace leading up the Hill to the manors, mansions, and small estates of the wealthiest nobles, guildmasters, and clerics. Curving around the bottom of the Hill, Osterstrasse hosts the town’s elite shops, including high-class couturiers, eateries, jewelers, armorers, and other luxury goods. The Watch patrol Morgenseite enthusiastically. Undesirables and those inappropriately dressed are likely to be moved along with a swift boot.
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@JournalEntry[Aschaffenberg Manor]{Aschaffenberg Manor}
\n@JournalEntry[Auld Odenhous Pantera]{Auld Odenhous Pantera}
\n@JournalEntry[Brauninger House]{Brauninger House}
\n@JournalEntry[Bruner Palace]{Bruner Palace}
\n@JournalEntry[Die Ruhe des Imperators Herberge]{Die Ruhe des Imperators Herberge}
\n@JournalEntry[Karstadt Estate]{Karstadt Estate}
\n@JournalEntry[Luigi & Salvatore]{Luigi & Salvatore}
\n@JournalEntry[Madame Beaumarteau's]{Madame Beaumarteau's}
\n@JournalEntry[Wings of the Pegasus]{Wings of the Pegasus}
","img":"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/morgenseite.webp "}, {"id":"vw4ig1QAPYrcRDZG","name":"Villagers of Saal","description":"The village of Saal has lost all hope. Ever since the Greenskins sacked Saalenschloss decades ago @JournalEntry[County of Widow's Vale], it has withered and waned. In their loss, the villagers turned to veneration of their former lord, Abelin von Saal, a man sainted for his sacrifices defending his lands. They appealed, they bemoaned, and they lost hope. Then, something listened…
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The aging, increasingly erratic population now openly worship ‘Father Saal’. Many of the villagers receive visions spurring them to make pilgrimages to the ruins of the Saalenschloss, and to starve their bodies and excoriate their flesh once there. Unknown to all, their visions come from Nurgle, the Chaos God of Decay and Despair. As the villagers suck willingly from his pestilent teat, their souls slip slowly away.
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The Reikland is renowned across the empire for its many different festivals. Übersreik is no different, it hosts several unique carnivals, fairs, and holidays alongside the many other empire-wide festivities. the following are an example of these.
\n| \n Festival \n | \n\n When \n | \n\n Celebrates \n | \n
| \n Zwiebelfest \n | \n\n 2nd Week of Winter \n | \n\n Onions. All the town’s squares are given to onion stalls and farmers from across the province attend. Onion-based activities abound! \n | \n
| \n Silburmesse \n | \n\n 5th Sommerzeit \n | \n\n Silverwork. Übersreik is famous for its silver goods. This trade fair may not be the largest, but it brings significant revenues to the town. \n | \n
| \n Magnustag \n | \n\n 10th Sigmarzeit \n | \n\n Magnus the Pious: A day-long carnival where competing districts try to build the biggest ‘Maggies’ — large effigies of Magnus the Pious. \n | \n
| \n Brynkulti \n | \n\n 1st Jahrdrung \n | \n\n Dwarf Gold Adornments: A trade fair celebrating Dwarf gold goods from Dawihafen and the Grey Mountains. \n | \n
Übersreik has maintained close ties with the Dwarfs since Magnus the Pious appealed to them for their aid in rebuilding the town following the Great War Against Chaos. In addition to the soaring bridge — a famous landmark hereabouts — the town’s walls and many of its stone buildings are of solid Dwarf construction. Dawihafen, Übersreiks Dwarf Quarter, is a tightly knit community of local Dwarfs. Only a handful of Humans and Halblinge inhabit the area; mostly just the town’s 1000 or so Dwarfs gather here. The Dwarf population largely keep to themselves.
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@JournalEntry[Borgun's Brewery]{Borgun's Brewery}
\n@JournalEntry[Harataken Befestigung]{Harataken Befestigung}
\n@JournalEntry[Khazalgürtel]{Khazalgürtel}
\n@JournalEntry[Nordwander and Son's Expeditionary Supplies]{Nordwander and Son's Expeditionary Supplies}
\n@JournalEntryAxt und Hammer]{The Axe and Hammer}
\n@JournalEntry[Lord Gazul's Underearth]{Lord Gazul's Underearth}
\n","img":" "}, {"id":"wZLvDuN3dVQuOOas","name":"Magnus's Tower","description":"
Magnus’s Tower is an imposing building, a tall spire surrounded by sturdy walls, a fortress at the heart of The Precinct. The tallest structure in Übersreik, it has a commanding view of the surrounding countryside and dominates the town’s skyline. Access to the tower is gained through a complex series of Dwarf-engineered elevators, powered by cunning use of counterweights and levers. The Tower is the only military position not controlled by the Altdorf State Army, and is instead manned by local soldiers who have disavowed the Jungfreuds.
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Captain @Actor[Erwin Blucher] commands the troops stationed here. The significant force is largely comprised of halberdiers, crossbowmen, and engineers trained in maintaining and using the town’s artillery. He is ‘advised’ by Field Marshall Antonin Sieber, an aged veteran of numerous campaigns, whose wits have largely fled and whose position is largely ceremonial. Sieber’s honor guard comprises a small detachment of Reiksguard Knights from Altdorf, led by Captain Preis. Given the Reiksguard’s close affiliation with the Emperor, the local troops now eye their erstwhile allies and comrades suspiciously.
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Burg Schwarzfels is enormous, easily the largest fortification in the southern Vorbergland. Built 800 years ago by House Bruner, the castle was occupied by the Jungfreuds in the late 1900s and is now synonymous with their rule. It is warren of halls, salons, barracks, and private chambers, beneath which lie the extensive Übersreik dungeons, where many Jungfreud enemies spent their remaining years. The castle’s corridors, which once thronged with servants, now ring with the hollow echo of the invaders’ footsteps. The huge fireplace in the Great Hall — once a beacon welcoming guests — lies empty and unlit. General @Actor[Jendrik von Dabernick] now rules the castle, and he puts on a good show of ruling the rest of Übersreik with all the power and none of the responsibility of a duke. Von Dabernick is the scion of a minor noble line with a historic grudge against the Jungfreuds, and has a distant claim on Übersreik from centuries ago. An abrasive presence, he is determined to root out any sympathizers for the exiled Jungfreuds, which earns him few friends locally.
","img":" "}, {"id":"yRdoTA4AfTisgZPU","name":"Auld Odenhous Pantera","description":"Built in 1589 IC by the Knights Panther — a wealthy order of secular knights — this chapterhouse is a small, opulent building on the Hill. Stairs lead to an upper floor of grand chambers, including a smoky club house and library. Beneath lies an ornate stable, training square, and servant halls. For all its splendor, the building is crooked, sagging, and alarmingly creaky. No Knights Panther permanently lodge there, and it’s rare for more than five to be in residence. Chamberlain Adella Markel leads the Odenhaus’s 6 staff and 13 guards. All wear blue livery with a snarling panther on their chest.
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Given that much of Übersreik is built of stone, the Carpenters’ Guild is keen to promote their skills, demonstrating how beautiful intricate woodwork can be. The building’s facade is cunningly wrought with complex wooden leaf scrollwork, framed by two pillars constructed from the trunks of great oak trees. The building houses guildmembers’ demonstrations of their skill arrayed in the Masters’ Hall, a long wood-paneled gallery used for ceremonial events and business meetings. Guildmembers’ workshops are mostly located nearby, though several are located in the Docks, as they work closely with the boatbuilders and coopers.
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Ernst Zimmerman, the current guildmaster, is remarkably tall, with a booming voice, though he is at pains to be outgoing and friendly lest his imposing stature prove intimidating. He is missing a finger on his right hand from a mishap with a chisel as an apprentice. His specialty is cabinet making. He has constructed wardrobes, cupboards and chests for the great and good of Übersreik. He is a friend of the Burgomeister, and a popular, prominent figure amongst the town’s burgeoning middle-classes. He is even a lay-member of the Cult of Sigmar, assisting @Actor[Gunther Emming]{Father Emming} with services in @JournalEntry[Der höchste Tempel Sigmars].
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