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Part 2 opens with the Characters imprisoned beneath the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.ZIp8EucvZLoWbxV9]{Watch Barracks} in the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.iuChMNeuKpG8Hy91]{Precinct} district of Ubersreik. 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.
White-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.
Henroth 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.
For hours, various cell mates are taken away in ones and twos. Rumour has it the legal apparatus of Ubersreik 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 Perception Test note the Watch members are all from Altdorf, though they wear gold and blue Ubersreik’s livery and deep frowns.
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 @UUID[Actor.Z5D8INeGdPo4esse]{Salundra} is present, she is afforded far more courtesy than the rest of the Characters and is not shackled. If @UUID[Actor.qbWReZE7UL1p6JXG]{Gunnar} is present, all of the soldiers take a firm grip on their weapons as he passes and watch him closely.
If @UUID[Actor.VdDotfA5zyWYdtwc]{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!’
Low-lying fog drifts over the streets and slightly muffles sound as the party is marched through the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.iuChMNeuKpG8Hy91]{Precinct} and over @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.yY5DUbAdKg2MhDva]{Ubersreik Bridge}. As they approach the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.U4xIUC3CfKZAgVSR]{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: Ubersreik’s @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.XwIhOxNlvrgkuqme]{Town Hall}.
A 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!’
The 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...
Judge 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.’
The 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.’
The 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 @UUID[Actor.aUTBY5s6vCJhZsZp]{Barrister Osanna Winandus}, ‘but, just call me Osanna, eh?’
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Characters can make an Average (+20) Simple Lore (Empire) or Easy (+40) Simple Lore (Law) Test 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 @UUID[JournalEntry.NcH9OhleJFfaUdon.JournalEntryPage.9bWE0Ayt5XGQf50r]{Verena, Goddess of Justice, Law, and Knowledge}).
Typically, barristers only represent very wealthy clients, as they are the only lawyers allowed to address the higher appellate courts of the Empire. Use @UUID[Actor.aUTBY5s6vCJhZsZp]{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.
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:
We didn’t hire you (and we can’t afford you). Who did?
Osanna’s answer to this question depends on the Characters’ previous actions.
If 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 @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.hKYVOZhK3VE53P87]{Karstadt Estate} for more on the Karstadt Family family.
If the Characters didn’t involve themselves in the girl’s plight (or were unaware of it) Osanna says: ‘These are difficult times for Ubersreik, 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.’
Who has accused us?
‘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.’
Who set us up for a fall?
‘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 Ubersreik, 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, @UUID[Actor.YZLxn2alTuWjX721]{Heske Glazer}.
It’s your call to decide who this mysterious manipulator is. Refer to the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG]{A Guide to Ubersreik} for ideas, but obvious choices include: @UUID[JournalEntry.70sJnVPsNmeNnqdC.JournalEntryPage.i5oKhDottkJmwCzj]{Duke Brynich Aschaffenberg}, @UUID[Actor.Je9bENZeEyEaQR9p]{Hellin Karstadt-Stampf}, @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.U5fSG8wDw2ZCLIWG]{Lady Kisaya von Bruner}, Lady @UUID[Actor.hcAF95tFaOdoZoeF]{Lady Emmanuelle Nacht} or @UUID[Actor.gfSfXHgfqW5QiUxu]{General von Daberninck}, anyone on the Ubersreik @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.FZ6VFcaXq1EzHmXF#town-council]{Town Council}, or even Andreas von Bruner.
Whomever it is, @UUID[Actor.aUTBY5s6vCJhZsZp]{Osanna} likely knows where the money paying for her services is sourced, though she will not volunteer this information.
What is your counsel?
‘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…’
If 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 Ubersreik and the people here.’
If any Characters with the Lore (Law) Skill pass a Simple Lore (Law) Test, they will know that something is very odd here. Most Empire courts would reject such a ‘no contest’ plea out of hand. A passed Average (+20) Simple Intuition Tests indicate the barrister seems to be honest (well, as honest as any lawyer can ever be).
@UUID[Actor.aUTBY5s6vCJhZsZp]{Osanna} 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 Ubersreik’s 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.’
If the Characters accept @UUID[Actor.aUTBY5s6vCJhZsZp]{Osanna’s} expert advice, she tells them to let her do the talking unless the judge asks them a direct question.
If @UUID[Actor.Z5D8INeGdPo4esse]{Salundra} is present, @UUID[Actor.aUTBY5s6vCJhZsZp]{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.
The Characters may well suspect that they’re being set up, and @UUID[Actor.aUTBY5s6vCJhZsZp]{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.
Once all the Characters’ questions are answered and the party is ready to face its judgement, @UUID[Actor.aUTBY5s6vCJhZsZp]{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.
If the party accepts @UUID[Actor.aUTBY5s6vCJhZsZp]{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!).
If @UUID[Actor.Z5D8INeGdPo4esse]{Salundra} intends to speak, the barrister then gestures her forwards with a nod and a smile. The noble soldier can then make an Average (+20) Simple Charm Test to present herself well.
Success means that Judge Melierte is impressed, which could certainly help @UUID[Actor.Z5D8INeGdPo4esse]{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.
After @UUID[Actor.Z5D8INeGdPo4esse]{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.
Salundra: ‘So, Lady von Drakenburg, whatever will your lord-father say when he finds out what his daughter considers good use of her time?’
Gunnar: ‘How exactly is the Slayer’s Oath served by destroying our Marktplatz?’
Molrella: ‘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!’
Ferdinand: ‘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?’
Amris: ‘I’m not very familiar with Elves, Master Emberfell. Do your kind always riot when a play goes awry?’
Else: ‘You keep strange company, Fraulein Sigloben. I know somewhat of your family. What would your Mother think?’
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Grimnir's Chosen
Slayers 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.
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:
‘You claim not to have killed Fosten, but I’ve seen a report that says you did kill others. What happened?’
After 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:
‘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.’
If @UUID[Actor.Z5D8INeGdPo4esse]{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 Ubersreik. 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'
@UUID[Actor.aUTBY5s6vCJhZsZp]{Osanna} 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.
And with that, Part 2 is concluded.
" - }, - "Part 5: The Prisoner and Warden": { - "name": "Part 5: The Prisoner and Warden", - "text": "Part 5 begins two weeks after the events of @UUID[.zm7OiFjYdcQ76OdN#rewards!]{Rewards!}. By that point, Sergeant @UUID[Actor.xiyFua5KmhBnskjG]{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.
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@UUID[Actor.5nUNhvoRVnaBE4hw]{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.
Characters asking about her can make a Dramatic Gossip Test. 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.
@UUID[Actor.5nUNhvoRVnaBE4hw]{Fassenwütend} shows up in @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.heftQyOHEycBpbGT]{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:
‘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…
So, 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?’
If you’ve managed to make @UUID[Actor.xiyFua5KmhBnskjG]{Klumpenklug} really horrible, the Characters may immediately accept! It’s also possible they will want to think about it. @UUID[Actor.5nUNhvoRVnaBE4hw]{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 @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.lrn5xDmRdlFmeUP0]{Thulmannplatz} in Ubersreik. But @UUID[Actor.eKsyvPwY0dDMpO27]{Maurer} will be escorted to the edge of Morr’s Field outside the town to be beheaded with the rising sun.
The 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.’
If 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.’
The Characters may wish to investigate before committing to help @UUID[Actor.5nUNhvoRVnaBE4hw]{Fassenwütend}. The following details what they may learn.
A character with Lore (Law) automatically knows @UUID[Actor.5nUNhvoRVnaBE4hw]{Fassenwütend} speaks the truth concerning stays of execution. A party without the Skill could call on @UUID[Actor.aUTBY5s6vCJhZsZp]{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.’
It isn’t hard to discover why the Watch want nothing to do with the @UUID[Actor.eKsyvPwY0dDMpO27]{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 @UUID[Actor.22a2dbRVvo7bFk8u]{Teufel Terror’s} stomach?). All the new watchmen heard was that they should say ‘no’ to anything involving Maurer and that was that.
@UUID[Actor.eKsyvPwY0dDMpO27]{Maurer’s} case is from before @UUID[Actor.L0oHLYZcGQHDWKMo]{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 @UUID[Actor.xiyFua5KmhBnskjG]{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 Difficult (-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.
If @UUID[Actor.xiyFua5KmhBnskjG]{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 @UUID[Actor.L0oHLYZcGQHDWKMo]{Captain} about @UUID[Actor.eKsyvPwY0dDMpO27]{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 Opposed Charm/Cool Test with the Captain to convince her to allow them to escort Maurer, or to override Klumpenklug.
An Average (+20) Simple Gossip Test will yield results about @UUID[Actor.eKsyvPwY0dDMpO27]{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 @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.U4xIUC3CfKZAgVSR]{Marktplatz}.
Gebauer 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 @UUID[Actor.eKsyvPwY0dDMpO27]{Maurer.} ‘Holger is a good man. I’ve been praying to Verena that someone helps him before it is too late.’ A successful Simple Intuition Test indicates she is telling the truth.
Characters 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 Gossip Test to score the information to find the former Watch Sergeant. The Difficulty can be lowered by one step for each 5 shillings a Character spends in seeking her. Success means the Character discovers Sendener took up with the river wardens and seldom returns to Ubersreik, but that she is presently staying along the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.BQA04SKWoMFPjb7T]{Docks} at @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.ddQoNatt6T4Fd2ZY]{The Red Moon Inn}.
Sendener 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.’
The Characters have two days to decide whether or not they intend to help @UUID[Actor.5nUNhvoRVnaBE4hw]{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 @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.GXNNqy1wiejyIKx9]{Watch Station} on the southside of the Teufel where they’ll collect the prisoner. They will then take @UUID[Actor.eKsyvPwY0dDMpO27]{Maurer} along the bank of @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.CqIczLRZI265nrAR]{The Teufel}, exiting Ubersreik via the West River Gate to escort him a short way to @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.eoXBXibg4X0OnT7p]{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.
We Want No Part of This
The 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 @UUID[JournalEntry.d8nvgs2H5MmtKhdM.JournalEntryPage.L5gV9pgaWXB3floP#the-shifting-grasp]{Shifting Grasp} indicate that the party may become a liability to their plans.
The 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 PCs 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 @UUID[Actor.eKsyvPwY0dDMpO27]{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.
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/spot-skull2.webp\")
The early morning of @UUID[Actor.eKsyvPwY0dDMpO27]{Maurer’s} execution is bitterly cold and Ubersreik 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.
If the characters are officially sanctioned to escort @UUID[Actor.eKsyvPwY0dDMpO27]{Maurer}, only @UUID[Actor.5nUNhvoRVnaBE4hw]{Fassenwütend} awaits them at the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.GXNNqy1wiejyIKx9]{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.
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/holger-maurer.webp\")
@UUID[Actor.eKsyvPwY0dDMpO27]{Holger Maurer}
@UUID[Actor.5nUNhvoRVnaBE4hw]{Fassenwütend} regards @UUID[Actor.eKsyvPwY0dDMpO27]{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 Perception Tests. If successful, they realise that despite the swift pace, their footsteps are making no sounds under the thick, green fog.
As the Characters reach the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.BQA04SKWoMFPjb7T]{Docks} along the banks of @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.CqIczLRZI265nrAR]{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 @UUID[Actor.eKsyvPwY0dDMpO27]{Maurer} if there are any) pulling them into the flow to be torn to pieces by skeletal fish. Time for Dramatic Cool Tests to resist the @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-core.items.pTorrE0l3VybAbtn]{Fear} Trait.
A sonorous voice echoes out of the fog, seemingly from every direction at once: ‘You belong with us, Brother Holger.’ @UUID[Actor.5nUNhvoRVnaBE4hw]{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 Perception Test, except those still grappling with Fear (they fail the test automatically). Those who fail are @Condition[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’.
The attackers are a band of mutants belonging to the chaos cult, @UUID[JournalEntry.d8nvgs2H5MmtKhdM.JournalEntryPage.L5gV9pgaWXB3floP#the-shifting-grasp]{The Shifting Grasp}. They have long sought to convince @UUID[Actor.eKsyvPwY0dDMpO27]{Maurer} to give his allegiance to their terrible master. The men Maurer killed were all @UUID[Actor.iIntWLH5K7u7nF8W]{Shifting Grasp cultists}, including the road warden’s friend (though she does not know this). @UUID[Actor.Q89Gj2QfksawqmnT]{Diebold Bedrohung}, one of the cults more competent agents, leads the mutants.
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/diebold-bedrohung.webp\")
@UUID[Actor.Q89Gj2QfksawqmnT]{Diebold Bedrohung}
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/mutant-cultists.webp\")
@UUID[Actor.iIntWLH5K7u7nF8W]{Shifting Grasp Mutants}
@UUID[Actor.Q89Gj2QfksawqmnT]{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.
There are a number of @UUID[Actor.iIntWLH5K7u7nF8W]{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.
The attacker must make a Simple Agility Test 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.
Add an extra Mutant if the Characters rescued @UUID[Actor.ZvthiqduALEhSmwK]{Narbe Ditwin} in @UUID[.zm7OiFjYdcQ76OdN#fire!]{Fire!} From @UUID[.zm7OiFjYdcQ76OdN]{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.
Due to the thick fog, all Ranged Attacks are Hard (−20). After the Round 1 of combat, @UUID[Actor.eKsyvPwY0dDMpO27]{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 @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-core.items.AtpAudHA4ybXVlWM]{Weapon +8} Trait in his hands). He will use his @UUID[Actor.eKsyvPwY0dDMpO27.Item.S0aOLmEZhjC1bh16]{Piercing Gaze} Trait before attacking, meaning he will spend 1 Round studying his opponent. @UUID[Actor.5nUNhvoRVnaBE4hw]{Fassenwütend} joins the fray immediately, firing her two pistols first before stabbing at anyone she can with her sword.
If more than half the party goes down, @UUID[Actor.eKsyvPwY0dDMpO27]{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 @UUID[Actor.5nUNhvoRVnaBE4hw]{road warden} will not help them in such a case. Slaying @UUID[Actor.Q89Gj2QfksawqmnT]{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 @UUID[JournalEntry.d8nvgs2H5MmtKhdM.JournalEntryPage.L5gV9pgaWXB3floP#the-shifting-grasp]{Shifting Grasp}, the light shifts as the sky lightens in the east and Morrslieb’s light fades.
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/cultist-ambush.webp\")
After thwarting the attack of @UUID[JournalEntry.d8nvgs2H5MmtKhdM.JournalEntryPage.L5gV9pgaWXB3floP#the-shifting-grasp]{The Shifting Grasp}, @UUID[Actor.5nUNhvoRVnaBE4hw]{Fassenwütend} and any surviving Characters pass through the River Gate unopposed, and make their way to the execution. The crumbling stone walls of @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.eoXBXibg4X0OnT7p]{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.’
The road warden has Willpower 56 should a Character wish to persuade her to let @UUID[Actor.eKsyvPwY0dDMpO27]{Maurer} go. She only has 7 Wounds left if they wish to persuade her in a different fashion.
If the Characters do nothing, @UUID[Actor.5nUNhvoRVnaBE4hw]{Fassenwütend} guides @UUID[Actor.eKsyvPwY0dDMpO27]{Maurer} to the block where a hooded executioner awaits him on the edge of @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.eoXBXibg4X0OnT7p]{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.
All Characters witnessing this must make a Simple Cool Test or gain 1 Corruption Point. Hopefully, they got something from the @UUID[Actor.5nUNhvoRVnaBE4hw]{road warden} in writing.
If @UUID[Actor.eKsyvPwY0dDMpO27]{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.
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-core/art/spot/spot-crossed-pistols.webp\")
Depending on how it all worked out, the Characters may have @UUID[Actor.5nUNhvoRVnaBE4hw]{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 @UUID[Actor.xiyFua5KmhBnskjG]{Klumpenklug} for several years. If they saved @UUID[Actor.eKsyvPwY0dDMpO27]{Maurer}, one day, a year or two later, small bags containing @Credit[5gc mode=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…
" - }, - "Making the Rounds": { - "name": "Making the Rounds", - "text": "Corruption!
Working against the Chaos Gods often brings you into contact with their foul touch. Slowly, but surely, such exposure corrupts your once pristine soul. Corruption points are used to show gradual slip of your soul to the Dark Gods of Chaos. Whenever you encounter a potential source of corruption, you may accrue Corruption points. The more you have, the closer you are drawing to Chaos, and the darker your soul becomes until, eventually, you change…
The long-term effects of Corruption Points are beyond the scope of the Starter Set. To learn more about them, refer to @UUID[JournalEntry.NS3YGlJQxwTggjRX.JournalEntryPage.115GzWrmkD4viyy5]{Corruption}.
Making the Rounds is intended to be the first adventure the GM reads in the WFRP Starter Set. It offers an introduction to the troubled streets of Ubersreik, a fortress-town in the Empire. It also presents the rules of the game in easily understood sections, so is the perfect introduction to the game. These rules are presented in boxes at the bottom of the book, much like the Tricks of the Trade: How to be the GM box below. This makes them easy to reference, and ensures they don’t get lost in the text of the adventure.
To ensure the thrilling twists and turns of the adventure are a surprise, only the GM should read any farther. So, if you are going to be a Player: STOP READING NOW!
Making the Rounds is a starter adventure designed to teach new GMs and Players how to play WFRP. It has a straightforward plot and skips from scene to scene to keep the pace swift. Each part of the adventure introduces new rules and examples of life in the Empire.
The Characters, whilst enjoying the Ubersreik 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’.
The party are soon patrolling the streets of Ubersreik, watched over by @UUID[Actor.xiyFua5KmhBnskjG]{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.
Eventually, @UUID[Actor.5nUNhvoRVnaBE4hw]{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.
However, 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?
" - }, - "Congratulations!": { - "name": "Congratulations!", - "text": "TRICKS OF THE TRADE: HOW TO BE THE GM
Being the GM is enormous fun. Imagine yourself as the director of a TV show — you have a story to tell (this adventure, Making the Rounds), a cast of extras at your disposal (the Characters that the Players will meet, often called NPCs or Non-Player Characters), and as many sets as you can imagine (the various locations you describe). Most importantly, you control the camera — you can frame scenes and point the spotlight at interesting story moments, whilst jumping over the boring bits.
What you don’t control is the main cast: the Player Characters (often called PCs or just ‘the Characters’). Your job is to set the scene for them, and respond to their questions. Your Players will need to know what their Characters can see, hear, smell, touch, and taste, and will talk to the NPCs to learn more about the world. You will describe all these things, and act as all the NPCs. Playing NPCs is one of the best parts of being a GM, as you can create all manner of memorable Characters for your Players to meet. Don’t worry about making them too detailed — a well chosen phrase or interesting feature is often all that’s needed to provide the Players with enough to imagine what’s happening. To make this a little easier, the adventure provides a description of all the NPCs, and provides some hints for portraying them. Also don’t feel the need to have everything planned out in advance — a big part of roleplaying is improvising on the spot, and collaborating with the other Players to build a memorable story.
Congratulations! Both you and the Players have completed Doing the Rounds. Hopefully, there weren’t too many casualties! But there is no reason to stop playing here. There are many other adventures to be had with WFRP.
If you want to continue playing, there are another 10 short scenarios presented in @UUID[JournalEntry.HUQGe1nm81Hfslkv]{Adventures in Ubersreik}, all of which can be developed as you prefer into full adventures or small side-quests. Be aware, these are presented with more experienced GMs in mind, and, in some places, require the WFRP rulebook for NPC statistics.
Further, there are scores of Adventure Hooks (ideas for creating your own adventures) presented in the Ubersreik, and there is a growing library of adventures available online. Many of these are set in and around Ubersreik, and are a perfect complement to this book. The first, Ubersreik Adventures: If Looks Could Kill, is available for free. You can also buy a full book of adventures, such as Rough Nights & Hard Days, or start an epic campaign such as The Enemy Within.
One of the best things about roleplaying games is developing your Characters. At the end of every session, you normally receive
Experience Points (XP) (between 75-125) for taking part and accomplishing feats throughout the adventure. This XP can be spent on Skills, Talents, and Characteristic Advances found in a Character’s Career Profile.
If you are using the full rules, the following experience points are awarded at the end of each session:
@Exp[25,Had a good time roleplaying each session]{25–50 points each for having a good time roleplaying each session}
@Exp[15,Saved Lady Karstadt]{15 points for saving Lady Karstadt in Part 1}
@Exp[5,Surviving the Riot]{5 points for surviving the Riot in Part 1}
@Exp[10,A good speech in court]{10–25 points for a good speech in court in Part 2}
@Exp[10,Saved Narbe Ditwin]{10 points for saving Narbe Ditwin in Part 3}
@Exp[10,Convinced the authorities to deal with the Teufel Terror]{10 points for convincing the authorities to deal with the Teufel Terror in Part 4}
@Exp[50,Killed the Teufel Terror]{50 points for killing the Teufel Terror in Part 4}
@Exp[15,Resolved the Silverbeard problems]{15 points for resolving the Silverbeard problems in Part 4}
@Exp[20,Secured Ranald’s Favour]{20 points for securing Ranald’s Favour in Part 4}
@Exp[10,Uncovered the reasons for the riot]{10 points for uncovering the reasons for the riot in Part 4}
@Exp[30,Drove back the Shifting Grasp]{30 points for driving back the Shifting Grasp in Part 5}
@Exp[50,Saved Maurer’s Life]{50 points for saving Maurer’s Life in Part 5}
@Exp[25,Secured freedom from the Watch]{25 points for securing freedom from the Watch in Part 5}
@Exp[50,Resolved each of the 10 short scenarios]{50 points for resolving each of the 10 short scenarios in this book}
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/ubersreik-street-sewer.webp\")
Once everyone is settled and ready to play, read the following to set the scene:
\n\n\nThe striking fortress-town of Ubersreik is situated between the gloomy Grey Mountains and the depths of the Reikwald Forest. The town guards the Grey Lady Pass through to Bretonnia, and is one of the busiest trading centres of the Empire. A mighty, Dwarf-built bridge that spans the red waters of the River Teufel stands at its centre. This impressive crossing connects important trade roads from across the Empire and beyond.
\nHowever, for all its importance, Ubersreik is in turmoil. Sigismund von Jungfreud, its former duke, was recently stripped of his title by the Emperor for uncertain reasons. Those perceived as too loyal to the old duke were removed from office, leaving a power vacuum that’s yet to be filled. Soldiers from the distant capital of Altdorf now patrol the town and the surrounding province. This stirs deep resentment from suspicious locals.
\nNevertheless, life continues unabated, and you find yourselves in Ubersreik’s bustling Market Square on a glorious spring morning, searching for a decent breakfast. Unless there’s something else you would rather buy?
\n
It’s now over to the Players. Give them @UUID[JournalEntry.XkP5kukwHbjU6NyL.JournalEntryPage.ybRIKBUQMOHTXq0c]{Going Shopping!} and ask them if there is anything they would like to buy, or if they are just seeking a hearty breakfast.
\nEncourage the Players to talk to one another as their Characters and to share their decisions. If any are quiet, ask them directly what their Character is doing, and answer any questions they may have. For all the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.U4xIUC3CfKZAgVSR]{Marktplatz} is always busy, it is overflowing when the Characters visit, so describe how tightly packed it is. Explain that brightly coloured stalls lie to all sides as merchants hawk their wares to the thronging crowds.
\nMake note of the ever-present Altdorf soldiers in blue and red livery who watch on, and mention the aroma of smoked meats, fresh baked bread, and buttery ale that fill the air. Point out the imposing statue of Magnus the Pious, a famous emperor from the past, at the centre of the Market Square. Also note that music plays at the edge of the market and applause mixes with cheers as musicians entertain the masses.
\nCharacters searching for a specific item to buy will have to hunt for it. Each item can be found with a Simple Perception Test. Or, if the Character would prefer to ask for directions, it will take a Simple Average (+20) Gossip Test. Give the Players the @UUID[JournalEntry.XkP5kukwHbjU6NyL.JournalEntryPage.PlIfKND66A2k6Z3p]{Test Reference Sheet} if they want to read the rules for Simple Tests and Difficulty themselves.
\nIf any Characters pass a Perception or Gossip Test to hunt items in the market, they find their desired objects quickly and can decide if they want to purchase them. Should this happen, pretend to be one of the shopkeepers in the market. Discuss the items you have available at the stall in question, and tell the enquiring Characters how much they cost. Refer to @UUID[JournalEntry.XkP5kukwHbjU6NyL.JournalEntryPage.ybRIKBUQMOHTXq0c]{Going Shopping!} for a sample list of what can be purchased. If you own WFRP, feel free to embellish this list with the trappings found in @UUID[JournalEntry.sLomXnc8R8518cWN]{The Consumers' Guide}; everything from that chapter, perhaps excluding drugs and poisons, are readily available.
\nThose interested in purchasing goods should make an Opposed Haggle Test with the vendor in question. Assume all vendors in the market have a Haggle Skill of 40. If a Character wins, the chosen item can be purchased for the Haggle Price on @UUID[JournalEntry.XkP5kukwHbjU6NyL.JournalEntryPage.ybRIKBUQMOHTXq0c]{Going Shopping!} Otherwise, the Character must pay full price, or not buy the item in question.
\nIf a Perception or Gossip Test to hunt an item fails, have the Character wander deep into the crowds, taking far longer to find the trapping in question. Describe the close press of all the people and the distant sounds of cheering and clapping as entertainers ply their trade at the far side of the platz. Meandering through the busy market also provides an opportunity for a Character to spot Heske’s Dragonglass, a particularly fascinating stall selling somewhat unusual goods.
\n\n\nSIMPLE TESTS AND DIFFICULTY
\nWhen a Character wants to do something risky or unsure, you ask the Players to Test a relevant Characteristic or Skill (see the @UUID[JournalEntry.XkP5kukwHbjU6NyL.JournalEntryPage.5bhGIfxb7VdzK4TV]{Attributes and Skills Reference Sheet}), such as your Strength to lift something heavy, or your Stealth to creep about unnoticed.
\nSIMPLE TESTS
\nMost Tests are Simple Tests. These tell you if you succeed or fail. Roll 1d100, and if the result is less than or equal to your Skill or Characteristic, you succeed! Otherwise, you fail. Failing can mean things simply take longer, not that the attempt is completely fruitless, as you decide.
\nExample: Salundra is searching the market for a new leather jacket. The GM calls for a Simple Perception Test. So, Salundra’s Player rolls 1d100 and scores 43. Salundra’s Perception Skill is 32. Because 43 is higher than 32, Salundra fails in her attempt, and the GM decides it takes quite some time to find the jacket in the crowded market, and asks what the other Players are doing as Salundra searches. If Salundra’s Player had rolled 32 or less, the Perception attempt would have succeeded, and the GM would explain that Salundra spots a clothes stall almost immediately!
\nDIFFICULTY
\nSome Tests are more difficult than others — climbing a sheer wall is much harder than climbing a tree. To simulate this, you can assign a Difficulty to any Test. This will either add a positive bonus or a negative penalty, making the Test easier or harder to pass.
\nThe following Difficulty levels may be applied as you feel is appropriate: Very Easy (+60), Easy (+40), Average (+20), Challenging (+0), Difficult (−10), Hard (−20), or Very Hard (−30). Test Difficulties are often provided in the text of the adventure to make your life easier. You can change this as you prefer, using your common sense to make your own Difficulties for any Test required. After all, it’s obvious that climbing a tree is relatively easy (perhaps Easy +40?), but climbing a sheer wall is much more difficult (probably Hard −20). The modifier is applied directly to the tested Skill, either lowering or raising the target number of the Test. If a Test has no marked modifier, it is assumed to be Challenging (+0)!
\nExample: Molrella decides to chat to the passing Ubersreikers to ask where the nearest bun shop is. The GM calls for an Average (+20) Gossip Test. Molrella’s Gossip Skill is 50, but that is increased by +20 to 70 because of the Average Difficulty. Molrella’s player rolls 59. Normally, a roll over her Skill of 50 would be a fail, but because of the Difficulty bonus, the Test is a success, and Molli is pointed in the direction of the nearest food stall. Molli would only fail that Test if she rolled over her modified Skill of 70.
\n
One brightly coloured stall stands out in the heaving market place. Near the middle of the hustle and bustle, a striped tarpaulin stands a glass-makers stall. Under the awning, spinning, glass sculptures reflect light in all directions, catching the eye. D jxrinking goblets with twin-tailed comets cunningly worked into their depths stand on freestanding shelves. Between these, fanciful sculptures of monsters, faeries, knights, and dragons prowl.
\nThis is Heske’s Dragonglass, and it doesn’t take an Evaluate Test to instantly recognise the works on display are those of a master artisan.
\n![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/heske-glazer.webp\")
@UUID[Actor.YZLxn2alTuWjX721]{Heske Glazer} herself sits amidst the vibrant glass wonders. She is a statuesque Human woman in her 40s with silver-streaked, blonde hair. Her eyes are different colours: one is bright blue; the other — clearly made of glass — is amber shot through with emerald swirls. Heske will call over a passing Character. Talk as Heske would talk to the Players, using welcoming tones: ‘I know they look real, but they won’t bite!’ Heske introduces herself and points out her wares, noting her goblets are as strong as steel. Characters interested in a purchase should make an Opposed Haggle Test with her. Her glittering ornaments cost @Pay[4ss]{4 shillings} (Haggle price: @Pay[3ss6bp]{3/6}), but it’s the intricate goblets that are her specialty — they cost @Pay[8ss]{8 shillings} (Haggle price: @Pay[7ss]{7 shillings}) and are suitable for a noble.
\n\n\nDRAMATIC AND OPPOSED TESTS
\nDramatic Tests explains how well a task is performed. Like Simple Tests, roll 1d100 to determine if a Test is a success or a failure. Then subtract the ‘tens’ number of the 1d100 roll from the ‘tens’ number of the Skill or Characteristic being Tested. The result is your Success Level (SL). A positive SL occurs when you succeed at a Test — the higher the number, the better a Test succeeds. A negative SL occurs when you fail — the lower the number, the worse it has failed. Use the Outcomes Table found on the back page to inspire descriptions for what each SL means for that Test.
\nExample: Gunnar has grown bored of the market and decides to push through the crowds to reach the entertainers he can hear playing music in the distance. Gunnar decides to gruffly push his way through, so the GM asks for an Average (+20) Dramatic Intimidate Test. Gunnar’s Player rolls 26 against his Intimidate of 63 (43 for his Skill, plus 20 for the Difficulty). The tens number of his Intimidate of 63 is 6, and the tens number of his roll of 26 is 2. So, Gunnar scores +4 SL (6 – 2 = 4). According to the Outcomes Table, that’s an Impressive Success! Clearly, no one wants to interfere with the Dwarf Slayer, and the crowds part as soon as they see Gunnar’s distinctive orange hair.
\nOPPOSED TESTS
\nTwo Characters can directly compare Tests to see who performs better. Doing this requires an Opposed Test. An Opposed Test compares the results of a Dramatic Test from each Character. The Character with the higher SL on the Outcomes Table is declared the Winner, and the difference between the individual SLs is used as the final SL for the Opposed Test. On a draw, the Characters should reroll their Tests to secure a Winner.
\nExample: Amris decides he wants to buy a new hat. The GM calls for an Opposed Haggle Test against the vendor. Amris’s Player rolls 51 against his Haggle Skill of 48, a fail with −1 SL. The vendor rolls 69 against his Haggle Skill of 40, also failing with −2 SL. As Amris has the higher SL (−1 SL, whilst a fail, is still higher than −2 SL), he is the Winner with a final SL of +1 (the difference between the rolled SLs). It was a clumsy exchange, and neither spoke well, but Amris performed marginally better to win the Opposed Test, letting him buy the hat for the Haggle Price.
\nOpposed Tests often compare different Skills.
\nExample: An angry wizard-hating burgher confronts Ferdinand. Ferdinand’s Player asks if he can use the Charm Skill to calm the irate woman. The GM calls for an Opposed Charm/Cool Test. Ferdinand rolls 12 against his Charm Skill of 23 for a success with +1 SL. The GM rolls 34 against the burgher’s Cool Skill of 35 for a success with +0 SL. So, even though the burgher rolled a success, Ferdinand rolled a better success. Therefore, Ferdinand is the Winner with +1 SL. The GM states this enough to calm the burgher down, but not for long…
\n
Give the Players time to buy new items, explore the market, and interact with each other and any NPCs they meet. Make sure every Player has the time to do what they want. If any are yet to be involved, ask them directly what they would like their Character to do, and make time to answer their needs and make any appropriate Tests for their Characters.
\nOnce everyone has had an opportunity to roleplay their Characters, but before interest wanes, ask all Players to make a Simple Perception Test. This Test determines how much attention each Character is paying to their surroundings as a fight breaks out nearby.
\nCharacters who succeed at the Perception Test hear the sounds of a brawl over the hubbub of the crowds and are prepared for the fight to come.
\nCharacters who fail gain the @Condition[Surprised] Condition as they are swept up into a confusing melee.
\nAnd then the riot begins, and suddenly everything is bedlam! It started with a troupe of travelling entertainers dressed in bright clothes and various townsfolk seemingly displeased with their latest performance. The fray quickly spread, pulling in all nearby, including the hapless Characters, who are swiftly surrounded by furious folk and their flailing fist.
\nAs soldiers in Altdorf livery attempt to restore order, the disorder swiftly becomes a riot as the soldiers are pounded on by angry folk from both sides. Soon, cries of ‘Altdorf scum!’ and ‘Jungfreud bootlicker!’ are audible above the din.
\nCharacters who passed their Perception Test can see brightly painted wagons to the side of the market beside a raised wooden stage. A sign that reads ‘Betse Wooster’s Wondrous Cavalcade!’ hangs above this.
\n\n\nBETSE WOOSTER’S WONDROUS CAVALCADE (BWWC)
\nThe BWWC is a group of travelling entertainers lead by the unstoppably charming Halfling showman Betse Wooster. The Wondrous Cavalcade attempts to bring cheer to those in desperate need, and it regularly passes through Ubersreik as it travels the length and breadth of the Reikland entertaining those with coin to spare.
\n
It’s time for your first combat. Combat in WFRP is fast and furious, but also simple, as it’s all handled with a single dice roll for each Character involved. Provide the @UUID[JournalEntry.XkP5kukwHbjU6NyL.JournalEntryPage.vRBnsTqZnNwtGt7h]{Combat Summary Reference Sheet} to the Players so they can read how it works if they wish to.
\n\n\nCOMBAT
\nWhen Combat begins, we zoom into the action, and give each Character a Turn to do something every Round, using dice to determine who gets hurt, and who doesn’t.
\nINITIATIVE
\nTo determine the Turn order, combatants compare their Initiative Characteristics, and act from highest to lowest. Any ties are broken by comparing the Agility Characteristic.
\nExample: The Characters are caught in the midst of a riot, so it’s time to determine who goes first. From highest to lowest, it’s: Amris (I 56), Molrella (I 43), Gunnar (I 34), Salundra (I 32, Agi 33), Ferdinand (I 32, Agi 31), the Brawling Horde (I 30), then Else (I 29) last. Note: any Characters with a Surprised Condition cannot act for the first Round of combat.
\nTURNS AND ROUNDS
\nA Character has a Move and an Action on their Turn. These can be taken in any order — it’s presumed Characters are probably doing both at the same time, and you are encouraged to describe them as one combined manoeuvre. Once every Character has taken a Turn, start a new Round for everyone to take another Turn, starting with the Character with the highest Initiative again.
\nMove
\nA Move involves Walking, Charging into Combat, or Running. As the GM, you always decide how far a Character can move on their Turn. As a loose guide, a Character can move M×2 yards when walking, M×3 yards when Charging, and M×4 yards when running.
\nAction
\nAn Action involves figuring out what to do, and then testing a Skill to see if it’s successful. The most common Action in Combat is trying to hit someone with a weapon using WS for Melee or BS for Ranged, but any Skill can be tested on a Character’s Turn.
\nExample: Else would like to escape the crowded brawl as soon as possible, so the GM tells her Player to attempt a Simple Dodge Test for her Action.
\nFIGHTING
\nWhen Characters wants to attack an opponent, they perform a Weapon Skill (WS) Test (for melee attacks), or Ballistic Skill (BS) Test (for ranged attacks) for their Action. Melee attacks are always Opposed Tests, unless the defender has the Unconscious or Surprised Condition. The defender uses their WS or Dodge Skill to oppose the attack. If the Attacker scores more SL than the defender, it’s a successful hit. Ranged attacks are Dramatic but unopposed, and hit if the Character passes the BS Test.
\nIf an attacker hits, reverse the attack roll (e.g.: a roll of ‘25’ becomes a ‘52’) to determine where on the body the hit landed: 01–09 Head, 10–24 Left Arm, 25–44 Right Arm, 45–79 Body, 80–89 Left Leg, or 90–00 Right Leg. The Hit Location is used to see if there is any armour protecting the area.
\nThe attack deals an amount of Damage equal to the Test’s SL + the Weapon’s Damage + the attacker’s Strength Bonus (for melee attacks). This Damage is reduced by the defender’s Toughness Bonus + the Armour Points on that area of the body. Any excess is subtracted from their Wounds. See the Injury Reference Sheet for more on how to handle Wounds, and what happens when Wounds fall to 0!
\nExample: Molrella shoots her sling at an Entertainer for her Action, so attempts a Dramatic Ballistic Skill Test. She rolls 13 against her BS of 39. Because it is a ranged attack, the Entertainer cannot defend, so this is not an Opposed Test. Molrella scored +2 SL, and her Sling has +6 Damage, which equals a total of 8 Damage. Molrella reverses the Test roll of 13 for Hit Location, scoring a 31 — right arm! The Entertainer has no Armour on the Right Arm, and Toughness Bonus 3, so loses 5 Wounds (8 − 3 = 5). The Entertainer started with 12 Wounds, but now only has 7 Wounds remaining!
\nADVANTAGE
\nCombat has a momentum to it, with success bringing greater feats of glory. In WFRP this is called Advantage, with each each Advantage token giving the roller a +10 bonus to all combat Actions. +1 Advantage is gained for each of the following:
\n• Attacking an opponent with the Surprised Condition.
\n• Spending your Move Charging headlong into combat.
\n• Defeating an important NPC.
\n• Winning an Opposed Test during combat.
\n• Causing Damage to an opponent without making an Opposed Test.
\nCharacters lose all accrued Advantage if they lose any Opposed Tests or take a Wound.
\nExample: Having dodged free of the Riot, Salundra Charges a Jungfreud Agitator harassing Molli for her Move, gaining +1 Advantage. She then uses her Action to attack with her blade, so attempts an Opposed WS Test. She rolls 30 against her WS of 59 (49 + 10 (from the Advantage) = 59), thus scores +2 SL. The Agitator defends, rolling 91 against his WS of 30, thus −6 SL! So, Salundra wins the Opposed Test with +8 SL. Her Sword has +4 Damage, and she has a Strength Bonus of 3, so she has caused 15 Damage (8 + 4 + 3 = 15)! She reverses her Test roll of 30 to determine Hit Location, which is 03 — a head hit. The Agitator has 0 Armour there. So, the blow deals 15 − Armour 0 − Toughness Bonus 3 = 12 Wounds. The Agitator only has 12 Wounds, so it is defeated. Salundra’s player describes the blade whacking off the Agitator’s head, knocking him out cold with a single blow. Triumphant, Salundra gains +1 Advantage for winning an Opposed Test. As she now has 2 Advantage, next Round she will gain a bonus of +20 for her Action.
\n
Whenever you start a combat, the first thing you do is determine who goes first. Normally, this is the Character with the highest Initiative Characteristic. However, when the Markplatz Riot begins, some of the Characters may have a @Condition[Surprised] Condition, and that means they are unprepared for what is about to happen.
\nSo, check the Character with the highest Initiative. (If you are playing with the Pre-Generated Characters, this will be @UUID[Actor.njohRTHP8jMyApA9]{Amris} with his Initiative of 56.) Does that Character have a @Condition[Surprised] Condition? If the answer is yes, move to the Character with the next highest Initiative and check again. Keep doing this until you reach the first Character without a @Condition[Surprised] Condition.
\nIf most of the party is @Condition[Surprised], it’s possible the Characters you control in this combat, the @UUID[Actor.7QQKx2Mp5OxhWinJ]{Brawling Horde}, with its Initiative of 30, will be acting first!
\n![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/brawling-horde.webp\")
Taking the @UUID[Actor.7QQKx2Mp5OxhWinJ]{Brawling Horde} into account, you have the following Initiative order: @UUID[Actor.njohRTHP8jMyApA9]{Amris}, @UUID[Actor.NH9yZnUFgSzMTKjz]{Molrella}, @UUID[Actor.qbWReZE7UL1p6JXG]{Gunnar}, @UUID[Actor.Z5D8INeGdPo4esse]{Salundra}, @UUID[Actor.VdDotfA5zyWYdtwc]{Ferdinand}, the @UUID[Actor.7QQKx2Mp5OxhWinJ]{Brawling Horde} (your Characters!), then lastly Else.
\nMake a point of telling the Players that everyone in the crowd is fighting with their fists, not weapons, even though some are clearly armed. The Characters can certainly choose to use their weapons, but if they do so in earnest, such an act will have serious repercussions in the next part of the adventure. The crowd acts very differently if a Character draws a weapon. Most act fearful and immediately try to Dodge and flee from a weapon-wielding maniac.
\nFurther, if @UUID[Actor.VdDotfA5zyWYdtwc]{Ferdinand} casts a spell, it causes a visible shockwave of terrified folk desperately scrambling away from him with cries of ‘Witch!’ As the PCs are first swept into the fight, they all find themselves each fighting a single member of the @UUID[Actor.7QQKx2Mp5OxhWinJ]{Brawling Horde}.
\nIn Initiative order, have each unsurprised Character enact an Action. Normally, everyone could also Move, but the market is far too tightly packed for that. Ask the Player controlling the Character with the highest Initiative one simple question: ‘What would you like to do?’
\nLoosely speaking, Characters have two primary options: fight or flight. It takes 3 Rounds of successful Simple Dodge Tests to completely leave the swirling melee. For those fighting, have them enact an Opposed Weapon Skill (WS) Test against a member of the Brawling Horde. If the Players lower any opponent to 0 Wounds, the opponent collapses to the ground Unconscious, and a new brawler immediately takes the old one’s place.
\nOf course, Players may have other ideas. Perhaps some would like to bully their way free with Intimidate? Or perhaps use Leadership to command others to move aside? Improvise an appropriate Skill to test for whatever plan the Players come up with. Loosely speaking, no matter how they do it, it should take at least 3 Rounds of successful testing to free themselves from the mob.
\n\n\nPulling Your Blows
\nWhenever Characters pass a Test and roll a double (i.e.: a 22, 33, 44, 55, and so on) in Combat, they score a Critical Hit. For this first combat, you should ignore this rule as the Brawling Horde is Pulling its Blows, meaning the mob is not actively trying to kill anyone. However, if any of the Characters wish to seriously harm the rioters, let them use the Critical Hit Rules as normal.
\n
At the start of Round 2, a nearby merchant’s cart full of pies is utterly smashed and its contents spill across the street where the Characters are fighting, turning a portion of the Marktplatz into a slick sea. Pie smeared cobblestone acts as Difficult Terrain, causing a −10 penalty to all relevant Tests for 4 Rounds (up to Round 5!). However, a few of the brightly coloured @UUID[Actor.w9ioCI51pC174bq5]{Cavalcade acrobats} have no trouble flipping about the muck and punching folks as they tumble past. Choose one or two Characters to fight one of the somersaulting assailants. These have the same attributes as the @UUID[Actor.7QQKx2Mp5OxhWinJ]{Brawling Horde}, but with WS 40.
\nAll Characters can act in Round 2 as all @Condition[Surprised] Conditions will be removed. Just like Round 1, give every Character an opportunity to take a Turn in Initiative order. Remember to have all of the @UUID[Actor.7QQKx2Mp5OxhWinJ]{Brawling Horde} members you control attempt to strike a Character on their Turn (at Initiative 30). Describe bruised soldiers in red and blue screaming impotently for order, Cavalcade entertainers lashing out in fury, Jungfreud supporters with blue and silver armbands throwing punches to left and right, and any other assailant you feel appropriate. It’s a chaotic mess.
\nOnce each Character has completed a Turn, move to Round 3, then 4. Use the combat to teach the Players how Opposed Tests work during melee, and check they all understand what is happening with every Test. This may be a little slow to begin, but it will pay off later as everyone will understand the rules.
\nShould a Player find any of the rules confusing, now is the time to explain them fully, perhaps by reading out the relevant combat rule aloud or the @UUID[JournalEntry.XkP5kukwHbjU6NyL.JournalEntryPage.vRBnsTqZnNwtGt7h]{Combat Reference Sheet}., or by revisiting Dramatic and Opposed Tests above or the @UUID[JournalEntry.XkP5kukwHbjU6NyL.JournalEntryPage.PlIfKND66A2k6Z3p]{Tests Reference Sheet}.
\nIf any Characters make their way free of the central melee, perhaps by use of the Dodge Skill or by defeating several opponents in a row, have them emerge by some knocked over stalls, completely penned in by the fighting. Enterprising Players free of the melee may want to loot these stalls. Have them perform a Dramatic Perception Test. If successful, the player finds [[/r 1d10]] Brass Pennies amongst the broken stalls, mud, and pie. Further for each SL scored on the test, they find an additional silver shilling! If you prefer, you could have the Character find a single piece of equipment from @UUID[JournalEntry.XkP5kukwHbjU6NyL.JournalEntryPage.ybRIKBUQMOHTXq0c]{Going Shopping!}, or from @UUID[JournalEntry.sLomXnc8R8518cWN]{The Consumers' Guide} of WFRP, with the number of SL rolled determining how expensive the looted goods should be.
\nWhen Round 5 begins, have all Characters in the midst of the battle make a Simple Agility Test to stay on their feet as a terrified squealing pig (hurled by the Cavalcade’s Strong Woman) goes charging past, sliding and scrambling along the pie-slick cobblestones. Characters who fail gain the @Condition[Prone] Condition and are promptly covered with muddy pie remains and excited pig slobber.
\nAs the pig rampages, and the Characters are trying to make sense of what’s happening around them, pause to describe some of the sights in the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.U4xIUC3CfKZAgVSR]{Marktplatz}.
\nAs an exceedingly tall man in a long coat is fighting several townsfolk, several of his assailants promptly fall over in turn, each clutching their privates. A blow tears his coat and three Halflings in jester garb spill out of the ruptured garment and proceed to kick their downed attackers.
\nA man covered in elaborate tattoos with flame motifs inhales and breaths a long gout of flame at several assailants. One catches on fire and runs, screaming. The grinning fire-breather suddenly lurches and falls to the street with a quarrel buried in his throat. A successful Simple Perception Test allows a character to get a good look at the crossbow wielder: a leering Human thug with a single milky eye. See @UUID[JournalEntry.1nxjKAYE9G3Nyk0o.JournalEntryPage.z8MAOtmZvkgFOsEH]{Part 4: Troubled Town} for more on the thug.
\nA Dwarf on stilts from the Cavalcade, dressed in red and yellow motley, kicks an Altdorf soldier with his over-large, wooden boots.
\nA minstrel sits atop a large stall (out of the fighting) and plays a lively fiddle tune which a Character with a taste for music will recognise as The Flight of the Angry Griffon , a popular martial song.
\nOn Round 6, Characters who manage to keep their feet should make a Difficult (−10) Simple Perception Test. Those who succeed spot three knife-wielding @UUID[Actor.1hzmNCEEYNDPNHoY]{ruffians} menacing an elderly woman in plain clothes. She guards a young girl wearing an elaborate dress. The rogues have manoeuvred their victims into a secluded spot between stalls where they can act mostly unnoticed. The ruffians have the same characteristics of the Brawling Horde, but with WS 40 and the Weapon (Knives) +5 Trait.
\nAny Characters free from the mob can intervene. Characters still stuck in the melee can attempt to extricate themselves, though it will require a Dodge Test for their Action (the crowds are now thinning)!
\nCharacters who confront the ruffians will be told to, ‘Mind yer own business!’ Characters who wish them to cease will have to incapacitate or kill one of the three to force the others to withdraw. If they succeed in doing this, the woman is immensely grateful, promising the Characters’ efforts ‘will not be forgotten’ before she and her charge disappear into the crowd. If the Characters do not intervene, the ruffians murder the woman and the girl on Round 8, then disappear into the crowd. Whether the Characters assist the pair or not will have repercussions in @UUID[JournalEntry.1nxjKAYE9G3Nyk0o.JournalEntryPage.We55vwd78WvhLvtm]{Part 2: Law And Order}.
\n![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/spot-skull.webp\")
Have another Round or two pass, enough time for the Characters to deal with the armed ruffians if they have chosen to do so, before a series of deafening staccato cracks echo across the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.U4xIUC3CfKZAgVSR]{Marktplatz}. All eyes turn to a @UUID[Actor.L0oHLYZcGQHDWKMo]{flame-haired woman} holding aloft a smoking repeater pistol. The minstrel, surprised, plays a bum note and stops playing. The pig skids by on pie-crusts and mud, before ramming into a potter’s stall with a squeal, sending clay pots everywhere. Soldiers in red and blue Altdorf uniforms, and watchmen wearing the blue and gold heraldry of Ubersreik, rush in to all sides. This abruptly brings the riot to an end. The @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.U4xIUC3CfKZAgVSR]{Markplatz} is now surrounded by a scores of soldiers and watchmen.
\n@UUID[Actor.L0oHLYZcGQHDWKMo]{The woman} then speaks, her clear voice echoing across the square.
\n‘You are all under arrest.’
\nThis ends Part 1.
\n\n\nAnd Fade To Black...
\nMuch like in movies, where the director controls everything seen to ensure the story is always compelling and exciting, as a GM you can maintain a game’s momentum by moving swiftly from scene to scene, skipping out any boring bits that lie between.
\nWhen the riot at the Marketplatz is brought to an end, don’t worry about exactly how the Players arrive at the next scene, just move on and push the story forwards. If a Player thinks their Character should be able to escape or slip away unseen, instead of contradicting such wishes, ask the Player to explain how they were captured and brought to the next scene. But don’t dwell too long on this, as it’s important to keep the game moving swiftly.
\n
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/marktplatz-riot.webp\")
The weeks of Watch duty teach the party that most of their fellow watchmen couldn’t care less about protecting the folk of Ubersreik. The majority resent what they see as a demotion from the rank of Altdorf soldier to a member of Ubersreik 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 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 @UUID[Actor.L0oHLYZcGQHDWKMo]{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. @UUID[Actor.xiyFua5KmhBnskjG]{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 Average (+20) Simple Intuition Test 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 @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.yY5DUbAdKg2MhDva]{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 Dramatic Gossip Tests 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 @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.BQA04SKWoMFPjb7T]{Docks}. +2 or more SL 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 @UUID[Actor.xiyFua5KmhBnskjG]{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 @UUID[Actor.xiyFua5KmhBnskjG]{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 Dramatic Perception Test. If failed, they draw the @UUID[Actor.QRwasUALpkuwthhS]{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’. @UUID[Actor.2hPRWLIhwFR203T5]{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 @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.yY5DUbAdKg2MhDva]{Dunkelfeucht} indicate that he had no enemies and certainly avoided getting involved with criminals.
\n![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/barons-minions.webp\")
@UUID[Actor.2hPRWLIhwFR203T5]{The Baron's Minion}
\nIf the Perception Test 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+ SL 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) Test 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 @UUID[Actor.22a2dbRVvo7bFk8u]{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 @UUID[Actor.22a2dbRVvo7bFk8u]{The Teufel Terror} will occur somewhere along the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.BQA04SKWoMFPjb7T]{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 Difficult (–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.
\n![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/teufel-terror.webp\")
@UUID[Actor.22a2dbRVvo7bFk8u]{The Teufel Terror}
\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. @UUID[Actor.L0oHLYZcGQHDWKMo]{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 @UUID[Actor.22a2dbRVvo7bFk8u]{River Troll}, the Characters’ respect among the folk of Ubersreik 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
\nThe 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 @UUID[JournalEntry.XkP5kukwHbjU6NyL.JournalEntryPage.7h3tPYMgdgDcOJVR]{Injuries Reference Sheet}, and learn how to use the @Condition[Bleeding] and @Condition[Unconscious] Conditions from the @UUID[JournalEntry.XkP5kukwHbjU6NyL.JournalEntryPage.IXQvUFHrPZGOPzrQ]{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.
\n
One night, while the party is off-duty at a tavern, a merchant, @UUID[Actor.5Ddr1e3STy9bpr3r]{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’.
\n![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/kurlass-meingot.webp\")
@UUID[Actor.5Ddr1e3STy9bpr3r]{Kurlass Meingot}
\n@UUID[Actor.5Ddr1e3STy9bpr3r]{Kurlass} claims he believes he, along with some of his fellow merchants, are being scammed. He explains that @UUID[Actor.zERScZmW5GTpuJjW]{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 @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-archives1.journals.De6yFCVO4shYbAUx]{Karak Azgaraz} in the @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.w0YfGxsBuLoODCgc]{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 @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.A4x3cKwa1h875OlK]{Dawihafen} on the edge of the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.vovKNLnGDLEDN5LT]{Khazalgirt}. 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, @UUID[Actor.5Ddr1e3STy9bpr3r]{Kurlass} helped set up the scam with @UUID[Actor.zERScZmW5GTpuJjW]{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 @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-archives1.journals.De6yFCVO4shYbAUx]{Karak Azgaraz}.
\n@UUID[Actor.5Ddr1e3STy9bpr3r]{Meingot} underestimates what @UUID[Actor.zERScZmW5GTpuJjW]{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 @UUID[Actor.5Ddr1e3STy9bpr3r]{Kurlass Meingot} is a liar and a cheat, and that @UUID[Actor.zERScZmW5GTpuJjW]{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 Ubersreik occasionally. If the Characters have the favour of the Crosses due to the events of a @UUID[.zm7OiFjYdcQ76OdN#a-conflict-of-colours]{Conflict of Colours} in @UUID[.zm7OiFjYdcQ76OdN]{Part 3}, they can confirm that Meingot is a con man, but a very faithful one.
\nInvestigating @UUID[Actor.zERScZmW5GTpuJjW]{Silverbeard} is tricky. The Watch does not operate in the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.A4x3cKwa1h875OlK]{Dawihafen}. Fortunately, if Gunnar Hrolfsson is present, or if the @UUID[Actor.22a2dbRVvo7bFk8u]{Teufel Terror} is slain, the Characters receive a relatively warm reception from the Dwarfs, who will talk. A successful Dramatic Gossip Test 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:
\nHe claims innocence, stating he was taken in by @UUID[Actor.5Ddr1e3STy9bpr3r]{Kurlass Meingot}.
\nHe offers a hefty bribe of @Credit[15ss mode=each]{15 silver shillings} per Character to move on.
\nHe argues he is the aggrieved party, then later attacks the Characters along with his gang. Silverbeard brings a number of his @UUID[Actor.h5l5gOwuMlsDX8oG]{Throng} equal to the number of Characters+2. If Silverbeard goes down, his thugs immediately flee. If the fight turns against the Characters, Meingot will appear from the shadows to provide help.
\nIf @UUID[Actor.xiyFua5KmhBnskjG]{Klumpenklug} is involved, he will take @UUID[Actor.zERScZmW5GTpuJjW]{Silverbeard’s} bribe and walk away without a second thought, suggesting the Characters do the same.
\n![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/barlin-silverbeard.webp\")
\n@UUID[Actor.zERScZmW5GTpuJjW]{Barlin Silverbeard}
\n![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/silverbeards-throng.webp\")
\n@UUID[Actor.h5l5gOwuMlsDX8oG]{Silverbeard Thug}
\nThe Characters have three days from @UUID[Actor.5Ddr1e3STy9bpr3r]{Meingot} approaching them until @UUID[Actor.zERScZmW5GTpuJjW]{Silverbeard} murders the merchants. If they fail to intervene, word spreads of an accident in the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.A4x3cKwa1h875OlK]{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, @UUID[Actor.5Ddr1e3STy9bpr3r]{Meingot} will learn of their duplicity and will not stop until he sees them punished for their crimes.
\nThe party may be very interested to discover who killed Fosten the Fiery. This will take a Hard (−20) Simple Gossip Test at the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.U4xIUC3CfKZAgVSR]{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 @UUID[Actor.85VYonGWBcHJReZc]{Einauge Spaltmann}.
\n![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/einauge-splatmann.webp\")
@UUID[Actor.85VYonGWBcHJReZc]{Einauge Spaltmann}
\nBenedict Gurkenfeld hired Spaltmann to incite the crowd against the performers in Betse Wooster’s Wondrous Cavalcade. The actor-owner of the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.szPqoGEOOQQ308mU]{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 @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.BQA04SKWoMFPjb7T]{Docks} for @UUID[Actor.85VYonGWBcHJReZc]{Spaltmann’s} return to Ubersreik. 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.
" - }, - "Part 3: Learning The Ropes": { - "name": "Part 3: Learning The Ropes", - "text": "Part 3 opens with @UUID[Actor.aUTBY5s6vCJhZsZp]{Osanna} wishing the party the best of luck in their new ‘duties’. The Characters are standing near the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.ZIp8EucvZLoWbxV9]{Watch Barracks} in the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.iuChMNeuKpG8Hy91]{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 @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.lMkiSBk0fM2nkGZv]{Merchant Quarter}, ‘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 Ubersreik 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 @UUID[Actor.L0oHLYZcGQHDWKMo]{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 Dramatic Lore (Empire) Tests 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.
\n![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/andrea-pfeffer.webp\")
@UUID[Actor.L0oHLYZcGQHDWKMo]{Captain 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 @UUID[Actor.Z5D8INeGdPo4esse]{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 — Ubersreik is full of mischief of late. May Ulric watch out for you… Sigmar and Verena as well. Dismissed.’
\n
\n\nPlaying All The NPCs
\nAs the GM, it’s your job to portray every NPC, whether that’s an idealistic captain of the watch, a world-weary judge, or a conniving monster like @UUID[Actor.xiyFua5KmhBnskjG]{Klumpenkrug}. Keeping each Character unique and interesting is a fun challenge. Some GMs practice different accents or voices, perhaps taking inspiration from movies or television, copying the intonations of appropriate Characters. Others adopt different mannerisms, perhaps biting their lips for one Character, or constantly frowning for another. Alternatively, you could try props for different Characters, wearing glasses, different hats, or holding a characterful item in your hands. There is no correct way to best play your NPCs. Experiment with what works best for you and ensures the Players understand they are dealing with very different people with their own motivations, hopes, and dreams. The more individual you make your NPCs, the more immersive and memorable your game will be.
\n
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/rudi-klumpenklug.webp\")
Sergeant @UUID[Actor.xiyFua5KmhBnskjG]{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 Gossip Test. 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.
\nThe Raspy Raven turns out to be a small tavern far enough away from @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.CqIczLRZI265nrAR]{the Teufel} to be a bit more respectable than the drinking establishments lining @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.BQA04SKWoMFPjb7T]{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. @UUID[Actor.xiyFua5KmhBnskjG]{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 Ubersreik. 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 @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.UtDzFPhCEkeMyMRe]{Customs House}. ‘There was a time you’d be either day or night patrol. Not anymore. Three by day, then three by night, now.’
\n\n\nBranching Paths
\nSo far, Making the Rounds has progressed linearly, one scene leading to the next. The following scenes and those in @UUID[.z8MAOtmZvkgFOsEH]{Part 4: Troubled Town} can be played in just about any order. For example, you may wish to run @UUID[.zm7OiFjYdcQ76OdN#petty-crimes-and-dubious-fines]{'Petty Crimes & Dubious Fines'} and ‘@UUID[.zm7OiFjYdcQ76OdN#fire!]{'Fire!'} then have the Characters meet Eugen Pechvogel starting the events of @UUID[.z8MAOtmZvkgFOsEH#without-a-trace]{'Without a Trace'} before returning back to @UUID[.zm7OiFjYdcQ76OdN#a-conflict-of-colours]{'A Conflict of Colours'}. Other than @UUID[.zm7OiFjYdcQ76OdN#rewards!]{'Rewards!’}, which should be run sometime after the first few scenes, you can play through them all in any order. You can add extra scenes as you prefer, perhaps drawing from the ten scenarios at the back of this book.
\n
The next day, @UUID[Actor.xiyFua5KmhBnskjG]{Klumpenklug} guides the Characters along @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.BQA04SKWoMFPjb7T]{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 @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.BQA04SKWoMFPjb7T]{Docks} noting the pervading smell of fish and the river.
\nThe slums in north-western portion of Ubersreik near @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.Exvp9RN8shcIHrFm]{Black Rock} are crowded and house a great deal of poverty. @UUID[Actor.xiyFua5KmhBnskjG]{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 Ubersreik, and just how hopelessly corrupt @UUID[Actor.xiyFua5KmhBnskjG]{Klumpenklug} is. @UUID[Actor.L0oHLYZcGQHDWKMo]{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 Ubersreik by day and night. If you own a copy of WFRP rulebook, you could also run some @UUID[JournalEntry.gLDW6JBuoYuzCoya]{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 Perception Test. 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 Dramatic Athletics Test. 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 @Credit[1ss mode=each]{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. @UUID[Actor.xiyFua5KmhBnskjG]{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, @UUID[Actor.xiyFua5KmhBnskjG]{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 Simple Leadership or Intimidate Test 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 Simple Cool Test to charge into the fire. It takes 3 Rounds to entirely clear the building of trapped people.
\nAnyone inside must make a Simple Athletics Test each Round or be set on fire and acquire the @Condition[Ablaze] Condition. If the Characters managed to get a bucket line going first, the Difficulty drops to an Average (+20) Simple Athletics Test.
\n![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/narbe-ditwin.webp\")
@UUID[Actor.ZvthiqduALEhSmwK]{Narbe Ditwin}
\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 Ubersreik in a non-hostile way. For example, they receive the bonus when using Charm, but not for Intimidate. @UUID[Actor.ZvthiqduALEhSmwK]{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 @UUID[.Kpj26hQNiTXsjijX]{Part 5: The Prisoner and Warden}.
\nCharacters wishing to investigate the source of the fire can make a Dramatic Gossip Test. 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 @UUID[.Kpj26hQNiTXsjijX]{Part 5}.
\n![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/fire.webp\")
The Characters are summoned to a massive brawl in @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.XrD7HLaASDeDsVmR]{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 Ubersreik watchmen, miscellaneous patrons, and a small squad of soldiers clad in the red and blue of Altdorf. They all fight barehanded. @UUID[Actor.xiyFua5KmhBnskjG]{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 @UUID[Actor.7QQKx2Mp5OxhWinJ]{Brawling Horde}, only with a WS 45. Several of the soldiers are, in fact, members of @UUID[JournalEntry.d8nvgs2H5MmtKhdM.JournalEntryPage.L5gV9pgaWXB3floP#the-circle-of-unmarred-flesh]{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 @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.XrD7HLaASDeDsVmR]{Crosses}, which could help them during the events of @UUID[.z8MAOtmZvkgFOsEH#a-secure-deal]{A Secure Deal}.
\nThe party comes across a gang of thugs trying to rob a merchant being along @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.BQA04SKWoMFPjb7T]{the Docks}. The thugs looked surprised, and the merchant hopeful, as @UUID[Actor.xiyFua5KmhBnskjG]{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 @UUID[Actor.L0oHLYZcGQHDWKMo]{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 @UUID[Actor.xiyFua5KmhBnskjG]{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 @Credit[3ss mode=each]{3 shillings} 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 @UUID[Actor.L0oHLYZcGQHDWKMo]{Captain Pfeffer} and @UUID[Actor.xiyFua5KmhBnskjG]{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 shillings 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 @UUID[.zm7OiFjYdcQ76OdN#fire!]{Fire!}; or Klumpenklug stopped a huge bar brawl with Altdorf soldiers that could’ve gone poorly in @UUID[.zm7OiFjYdcQ76OdN#a-conflict-of-colours]{Conflict of Colours}; or Klumpenklug discovered the @UUID[Actor.22a2dbRVvo7bFk8u]{Teufel Terror} in @UUID[.z8MAOtmZvkgFOsEH#without-a-trace]{Without a Trace} in @UUID[.z8MAOtmZvkgFOsEH]{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 Ubersreik.’ He then says whatever else you think will make your Players want to murder him and grins hefting the coins triumphantly.
" - } - } - }, - "The Province of Ubersreik": { - "name": "The Province of Ubersreik", - "pages": { - "March of Grey Lady Pass": { - "name": "March of Grey Lady Pass", - "text": "![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/grey-lady-pass.webp\")
Deep into the Grey Mountains, beyond the barony of Teufeltal, the March of Grey Lady Pass is the Reikland’s first line of defence against the Kingdom of Bretonnia. Ringed by glaciers, the pass through the centre of the fortified fiefdom is usually impassable in the depths of winter. Though it has been decades since the last conflict with Parravon, the State Army regiment garrisoned in the march is always ready, which is especially prudent given the number of Greenskin tribes making their home in the mountains. Graumarkschlosse, the fief ’s largest castle, is located high on the cliffs to the north of the road overlooking the pass. Entrance is made via a complex lift powered by steam. The pass is littered with the ruins of less fortified castles sacked by Greenskins in previous centuries. Now the blackened bones of these fallen fortresses are home to nothing more than the restless shades of the fallen. The only other settlement of any size is Teuquelle, a frozen village heavily defended with cannons and mortars.
Margrave Tobias Aschaffenberg, eldest son of Brynich Aschaffenberg, became the ruler of the March after the previous margrave died without heirs. Even though he ruled the province for several years, Tobias had never set foot in the isolated, freezing barony until recently. A quarrelsome braggart and skilled duellist, he preferred spending his time amongst the bright lights of Reikland’s finest festivals with an occasional dip in Nuln’s waters come Blackpowder Week. But when the Jungfreuds lost Ubersreik, Tobias’s father sent him to Graumarkschlosse to put his house in order, ensuring the defenses were unimpeachable to better enhance the Aschaffenberg name and ensure Grey Lady Pass didn’t fall under the sway of another Noble House.
The Grey Lady Pass is home to undying rumours of the Grey Lady, a restless spirit who appears as an omen of impending doom. The spirit appears when the party are stranded amidst the ruins while the lift is repaired. The Grey Lady foretells nothing less than the end of the world before vanishing, never to be seen again.
Wandering the March, the party discover a wounded giant, acting aggressively. Should they defeat the giant, and not flee, it will address them with its dying breath. In stilted, childlike Reikspiel, it bemoans the cruelty of fate, and begs the PCs to look after its child. As its dying breath rattles in its throat, they hear the loud wails of a six-foot long baby.
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/grauwerk-karstadt.webp\")
The densely wooded duchies 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 @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.mdjl1WxjZLeuSWAN]{Hägercrybs}, and despite centuries of affluence, the mines there show no signs of playing out. The Bruners bought the neighbouring duchy of Karstadt some decades ago from the troubled @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-starter-set.journals.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.hKYVOZhK3VE53P87]{House Karstadt}, which brought fertile farmlands and the major road into Ubersreik 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 duchy, soon silenced their detractors.
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 @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.U5fSG8wDw2ZCLIWG]{Kisaiya von Bruner} 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 @UUID[Actor.9KRZ40ZvmYXt6gFI]{Rickard Aschaffenberg}, a gesture Kisaiya is said to consider foolish and profligate.
Graf Stierlich is advertising for staff to assist an annual hunting party in Grunewald Lodge, a small estate in the Duchy of Karstadt. Unbeknownst to those applying for the work, they are to be the prey…
A @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-core.actors.7qslmdLa7so3BmFk]{Troll} is sighted in the ruin of Karstadt Lodge deep in the Reikwald forest. Johann Zustrass of the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.OVCd5q9yGXF88pwv]{Wings of the Pegasus} has commissioned the party to bring it back to Ubersreik alive, as he is keen to have an ever-regenerating supply of flesh. But the graf won’t tolerate unsanctioned hunting on his lands, so they’ll have to travel to the lodge, capture a Troll, and transport it back. All in secret. And then somehow get the Troll in Ubersreik.
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/jungfreud.webp\")
The mountainous Duchy of Black Rock is preparing for war, and the rampant Jungfreud stag flies as troops march. As the fortress-town of @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-ua2.journals.jMtLvCUR8HkJtqpI.JournalEntryPage.TRZcW4cIpmwLwbDA]{Neufaljung} grows overcrowded as refugees and soldiers arrive from Ubersreik, @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-ua2.journals.jMtLvCUR8HkJtqpI.JournalEntryPage.0VWVnllLlk5JkDE0]{Black Rock Mine} works double-time to compensate. Historically, its goods were shipped through Ubersreik and sold to @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.V6tkgQ9A2skppjyl]{Altdorf}. But since losing the town, the Jungfreuds secured a new trade-route with @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.sVFygKRicWFw6BsT#sample-reikland-estate]{Baroness von Böhrn} to the north, who was appalled at the Emperor’s unjust actions.
The barony of Graustadt is also ruled by the Jungfreuds, but it is isolated, no longer connected to Black Rock 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.
@UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-ua2.actors.KHU4UeFIP5yokI6u]{Graf Sigismund}, who once ruled all the duchy of Ubersreik, is now ensconced in @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-ua2.journals.jMtLvCUR8HkJtqpI.JournalEntryPage.TRZcW4cIpmwLwbDA]{Neufaljung Castle}, greatly diminished. He is quick to anger and a hard man to love, but is known for his firm but fair rule. While his enemies and rivals were quick to capitalise on his fall from grace, his friends and allies, appalled at the Emperor’s actions, have quietly rallied around. By the graf ’s side stands his eldest son and his new bride, the mercurial @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-ua2.actors.gdaMZK3R8I0jcRxW]{Greta Trott}. It was a hasty marriage, but one that has secured significant reinforcements from the duchy of Tahme. His two younger sons are both missing, and there is a significant bounty for their heads in Ubersreik.
Given the depth of the Jungfreud coffers, the stout walls @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-ua2.journals.jMtLvCUR8HkJtqpI.JournalEntryPage.TRZcW4cIpmwLwbDA]{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.
Rikard Fischer, an agent of the graf, is looking to hire guards for coal barges bound for the Hägercryb Canal. The job is dangerous, and may require tussling with riverwardens, but for those brave and morally flexible enough it pays well.
The @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-ua2.journals.jMtLvCUR8HkJtqpI.JournalEntryPage.oqKZQGPERCD0tQK0]{Black Cairn} lies on a desolate, wind blasted slope that is tormented by terrible screams and unearthly howls every night. A }Tomb Banshee| haunts the site, and when Andreas Richter, a cartographer, contracts the party to accompany him on a surveying trip, they unwittingly release it...
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/black-rock.webp\")
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/aschaffenberg.webp\")
The duchy of Aschaffenberg is a relatively small territory trapped between the south bank of @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.CqIczLRZI265nrAR]{The 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.
The 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 Grey Lady Pass. 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 Ubersreik after the Emperor removed his erstwhile allies, the Jungfreuds, from power. He now plots his next moves cautiously.
Redclaw 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 Redclaw 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. @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.H4lW8llwfJ24iyj3]{Father Kretschmer} from the chapel in Ubersreik has heard a disturbing rumour that the @UUID[JournalEntry.d8nvgs2H5MmtKhdM.JournalEntryPage.L5gV9pgaWXB3floP#the-crimson-skull]{The Crimson Skull}, a proscribed cult of Khorne worshippers, have infiltrated the monastery. He would like the party to investigate.
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.
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/teufeltal.webp\")
The barony of Teufeltal encompases the steep-sided valley carved by the @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.CqIczLRZI265nrAR]{River Teufel} through the @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.w0YfGxsBuLoODCgc]{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.
The barony guards the entrance to the Grey Lady Pass, 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 Grey Lady Pass, where it enters the Schluesselschlossschlucht, a steep-sided gorge famous for its red waterfalls.
Baron 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.
The Grey Wolf Temple hosts a sect of Knights of the White Wolf — templars of @UUID[JournalEntry.NcH9OhleJFfaUdon.JournalEntryPage.jza73azXzLy0oVCy]{Ulric, the God of War} — that only admits nobles. They patrol the Grey Lady Pass, 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.
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.
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/ubersreik-duchy.webp\")
Ubersreik 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 @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.0Cmr0LZ3boLbNt6p]{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 Grey Lady Pass, one of only two safe routes through to Bretonnia from the Empire, making it critical for trade and security.
The duchy is also a @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.sVFygKRicWFw6BsT#the-reikland-estates]{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 Ubersreik currently has no duke, the rulers of Ubersreik’s 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 @UUID[JournalEntry.70sJnVPsNmeNnqdC.JournalEntryPage.Dltz7FyeTVWKArL7#the-archduchy-of-upper-teufel]{Archduke Victor von Walfen}, to whom the Duke of Ubersreik swore fealty previously. However, because of a quirk in Reikland law, doing this requires the fiefs be @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.sVFygKRicWFw6BsT#the-reikland-estates]{Reikland Estates}, which they are not. Thus, these seven fiefs, with Ubersreik at the center, are stuck in political limbo without a direct liege, and thus without a voice in @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.sVFygKRicWFw6BsT#the-reikland-diet]{The Reikland Diet}. For all this brings disadvantages, it also leaves the Noble Houses of Ubersreik with an odd freedom few nobles in the Empire share: they currently have no direct liege.
@UUID[.MQUgehvMI8ye8NQ7]{Barony of Lady's Vale}
@UUID[.2vUSJ8EdMkQ6WYxl]{Barony of Teufeltal}
@UUID[.depCha3wADmJNilH]{County of Widow's Vale}
@UUID[.i5oKhDottkJmwCzj]{Duchy of Aschaffenberg}
@UUID[.riRjmMKV9pjP4Xel]{Duchy of Black Rock & Graustadt}
@UUID[.7Gdm2AkGTqgjkatM]{Duchy of Grauwerk and Karstadt}
@UUID[.Mm3wXRmJnpHTkbY5]{March of Grey Lady Pass}
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/maps/ubersreik-duchy.webp\")
" - }, - "Barony of Lady's Vale": { - "name": "Barony of Lady's Vale", - "text": "The Archduchy of Upper Teufel
The Archduchy of Upper Teufel should be one of the most important provinces in the Reikland. it includes four important Reikland estates — Ubersreik, 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 @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.sVFygKRicWFw6BsT#the-reikland-diet]{Reikland Diet}.
So, 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
The rolling farmlands of the Lady’s Vale surround the @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.CqIczLRZI265nrAR]{River Teufel} as it flows free from @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.w0YfGxsBuLoODCgc]{The Grey Mountains}. Historically, the barony of Lady’s Vale was the courtesy title of the heir to the duchy of Ubersreik, 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 Ubersreik, and also protected by that town’s military.
With the von Jungfreuds’ removal, the town of Ubersreik, 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, @UUID[Actor.hcAF95tFaOdoZoeF]{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.
Currently, Lady’s Vale is relatively depopulated due to repeated Greenskin 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.
Many expecting parents from Lady’s Vale make pilgrimages to Fritha’s Mount, a holy wonder standing alone on the edge of the @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.w0YfGxsBuLoODCgc]{Grey Mountains}. There they leave offerings of sunflower seeds in the hope the dawn goddess will smile upon their offspring. But when three couples don’t return, and a troubled hunter claims he spotted a pile of dung piled high like a crude idol at the base of the Mount, the village elders of Messingen beg for help from any who’ll listen.
While passing through the village of Geissbach, the party hear rumors of Greenskin activity nearby. Should they investigate they will discover a fearsome, masked Orc leading a significant mob of Greenskins. Troublingly, the Orc Boss’s eyes seem to glow from behind the featureless face-covering as if in thrall to an even darker power…
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/widows-vale.webp\")
The highland County of Widow’s Vale lies on the slopes of @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.w0YfGxsBuLoODCgc]{The Grey Mountains}. 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 Ubersreik. Desperate prospectors are a common sight, each convinced there must be hidden seams of ore similar to those found in @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.Exvp9RN8shcIHrFm]{Black Rock}, @UUID[JournalEntry.70sJnVPsNmeNnqdC.JournalEntryPage.MQUgehvMI8ye8NQ7]{Lady’s Vale}, or @UUID[JournalEntry.70sJnVPsNmeNnqdC.JournalEntryPage.7Gdm2AkGTqgjkatM]{Grauwerk}. But if any have struck a motherlode that could turn Widow’s Vale’s fortunes around, they have yet to share their success.
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, @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-ua2.actors.KHU4UeFIP5yokI6u]{Graf von Jungfreud}, and Archduke von Walfen. @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-ua2.actors.KHU4UeFIP5yokI6u]{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.
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.
@UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-ua1.journals.AonLHi09EgfzdXpF.JournalEntryPage.XasdU7mOKmIZ7mEI]{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 @UUID[Actor.UcCdrNkDrjGUXbj5]{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.
The 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 Halflings 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.
\nUbersreik 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. Ubersreik is also the name of the wider duchy in which the town of Ubersreik 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 Festag, 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.
" - } - } - }, - "Adventures in Ubersreik": { - "name": "Adventures in Ubersreik", - "pages": { - "Adventures in Ubersreik": { - "name": "Adventures in Ubersreik", - "text": "The following ten scenarios are designed for more experienced WFRP players to be used as stand-alone adventures, or to embellish @UUID[JournalEntry.1nxjKAYE9G3Nyk0o]{Making the Rounds}. The first four can be used by any group without modification, and make perfect asides when pursuing other adventures in Ubersreik. The final six are side-quests for the pre-generated Characters; however, they can easily be adapted to any group.
Note: Some of the scenarios use special rules presented only in the WFRP rulebook. Where this is the case, it is specifically marked in the scenario. These extra rules are not necessary to play the adventures, but they do provide extra depth.
@UUID[.wdqOnhDB4KrQjEqM]{The Hassle of Johann Hoffmann}
@UUID[.r7kE5srdshGq5B6D]{Red Moon Burning}
@UUID[.cr2NTTBvmuBf38Cm]{Da Lit'lest WAAAGH!}
@UUID[.pm2aRyZSsey8WeQa]{Blood & Snow}
@UUID[.GQ77OX7qajaS8FnK]{The Riddle of Silver}
@UUID[.R8mef1YsRiGbIzR0]{Memories Of Blood}
@UUID[.zO40ibFP502ujeEs]{Two Wrongs Make A Right}
@UUID[.Z66OFj3cWrkR7aca]{Old Blue Eyes Is Back!}
@UUID[.Rc7LoFNKLnhdQpAF]{Unions & Reunions}
@UUID[.6DGQfc8T4e3KZYYo]{Ash In The Wind}
" - }, - "Two Wrongs Make A Right": { - "name": "Two Wrongs Make A Right", - "text": "Ubersreik awakens to the sounds of soldiers locking down the town. @UUID[Actor.gfSfXHgfqW5QiUxu]{General von Dabernick’s} signet ring has been stolen. As the party comes to terms with the new restrictions, @UUID[Actor.NH9yZnUFgSzMTKjz]{Molrella} is approached by her twin-sister, Halamina (known as Mi-mi). She has recently arrived in Ubersreik, and surprising no one, the ring is in her possession. ‘It weren’t my fault! I didn’t mean to steal it! I lifted it from an ’andsome chap last night; cut it from his pouch when fishing for coins’. But she doesn’t want to dump it. ‘What if some wizard finds it like last time, and casts spells that tell everyone that I did the nicking!’ Fortunately, Mi-mi has a plan: ‘Let’s sneak into the general’s rooms and pop the ring under his bed! It’ll look like he dropped it himself. Simple, eh? I just dunno how to get in there. Can you help, Molls? Pleeeeeese! The place is almost empty since the Youngfroods were kicked out. It’ll be easy!’
Unfortunately for Mi-mi, the actual thief, @UUID[Actor.nzjn043to6q9JRQh]{Edmund Streissen}, knows who cut his purse. Worse, Streissen followed her and now plans to kill the pesky Halfling, retrieve the ring, then implicate the PCs while he’s at it. Even worse, Streissen is a Chaos Sorcerer of Slaanesh, the Prince of Pleasure. He intended to use the ring in a ritual to control @UUID[Actor.gfSfXHgfqW5QiUxu]{von Dabernick}, and he is not happy it was stolen.
Unfortunately for Streissen, @UUID[Actor.xgNRRPBnkRvMoAOp]{Maglyn ‘Maggie’ Blanck} is hot on his heels. A wizard from the @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-wom.journals.7xFrgrOyYX4SVrBL.JournalEntryPage.5K7JQ1NIreen3VoG#the-grey-college]{Grey College} of Magic, Maggie poses as a servant in @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.Nhd3vUOVqhDhtRty]{Black Rock Castle}. She knows Streissen stole the ring, and presumes the PCs, who now have the ring, are also Chaos Cultists. Luckily, Maggie is reasonable, and may be convinced of the party’s good intentions if an opportunity arises.
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/edmund-streissen.webp\")
@UUID[Actor.nzjn043to6q9JRQh]{Edmund Streissen}
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/maglyn-blanck.webp\")
@UUID[Actor.xgNRRPBnkRvMoAOp]{Maglyn ‘Maggie’ Blanck}
As Striessen stalks the PCs, ‘Servant’ Maggie ‘accidentally’ bumps into them as they creep through the corridors of @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.Nhd3vUOVqhDhtRty]{Black Rock Castle}. She’s keen to hear their excuses for being in the place. She has no wish to stop them, preferring to track them down later to find their accomplices. Streissen is her target.
Eventually, @UUID[Actor.gfSfXHgfqW5QiUxu]{von Dabernick’s} chamber is found. Streissen attacks the party upon entry. In turn, Maggie attacks Streissen. Unfortunately for all concerned, if Streissen is wounded, a @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-core.actors.8gG2Wim6wAlJWRax]{Daemonette} is accidentally summoned when blood splashes on his nose ring (prematurely activating a ritual prepared for a party that evening). The Daemonette stretches, giggles, then slashes out with horrendous ferocity. Assuming Streissen hasn’t retrieved the ring by this point, he realises it has all gone a bit wrong and attempts escape. Then the alarm is raised across @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.Nhd3vUOVqhDhtRty]{Black Rock Castle}.
Once the Daemon is dispatched, if the PCs are clearly not in league with Streissen, Maggie will help them escape, demanding a favour in return. If the Characters appear to be allies of Streissen, Maggie will abandon them as Altdorf-liveried halberdiers fill the corridors.
If it all turns out well, Mi-mi will thank her sister profusely. ‘I’ll be the helping you, next time!’ Of course, a few months later: ‘Molls! I accidentally stole a magical tiara from a Cathayan Sorcerer! And her wife is livid! But I can’t get it off! And it’s caused a diplomatic incident wiv the Emperor himself! Can you help, Molls? Pleeeeese!’
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/two-wrongs.webp\")
Baron Aloysis Arschloch, @UUID[Actor.VdDotfA5zyWYdtwc]{Ferdinand’s} childhood friend, asks for help. ‘The townsfolk of Flechtben claim some ghost or another is protecting them. So, your area, old chap, not mine.’ The Arschloch family once ruled Flechtben town. But the peasants have self-ruled for the last 300 years. They celebrate a local hero named ‘Blaue Augen’, who supposedly fought the tyrannical Baron Arschloch of their day and won the small town’s freedom. Local legend claims @UUID[Actor.octRyafIOk1ZNiLL]{Blaue Augen} will return should the folk of Flechtben ever need him, and he is generally celebrated as a great hero. Arschloch doesn’t believe a word of it. He will pay Ferdinand and his party a hefty @Credit[4gc mode=each]{4 Gold Crowns} each to fix the supposed ghost problem.
The troubles started when Mayor Helmut Holt decided to host a festival celebrating Flechtben’s 300th year as a free town. Given this involved burning a huge effigy of Arschloch’s ancestor, the baron took this as an insult to his family name. So, Arschloch threatened to imprison any revellers travelling through his town of Leche to reach Flechtben. Not long after, the hauntings began. Strange lights, moving objects, cold spots, and worse slowly spread across Leche. Nothing serious, but Arschloch doesn’t like it. And to make matters worse, reports of twin, blue fires in the woods around Flechtben are also coming in. Arschloch wants the Characters to discover the truth behind these so-called ‘haunting’.
By the time the Characters arrive in Leche, the hauntings have already ended, leaving them nothing but a cold trail. In Flechtben, it’s another matter. There, the townsfolk are abuzz with stories of @UUID[Actor.octRyafIOk1ZNiLL]{Blaue Augen}. They tell embellished tales of his deeds saving their town from the evils of the Arschlochs, often framing Blue Eyes as Ranald Returned or even Sigmar Reborn! Many townsfolk believe the spirit of Blaue Augen lives within an abandoned tower in @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.UqeZNqbpV8uocCUN]{The Reikwald} Forest to the north, where they leave offerings of thanks to their mighty hero.
If investigated, the tower is a ruin. However, there is evidence of recent habitation and activity: a burned-out fire, a relatively fresh latrine pit, some odd scorch markings, and an abandoned leather satchel full of blue powder. There is also a lot of blood. But no body.
Following the blood trails leads to a heavily wounded, women, panicking and in pain. When she calms, she introduces herself as Gertrude Farlanger, an engineer. Martich Wolochin, the burgomeister of Flechtben, employed Farlanger and her husband, Davrich, to fake hauntings in Leche and post blue lights in the forest around his town. Presumably, this was all to support the festival and punish the Arschlochs. Farlanger was camped by the tower, believing it a safe spot in the woods. That morning, her husband was investigating the tower ruins, and used some of her explosives to open a chamber he found. Then the slab cracked, a screaming howl deafened her as a spirit twisted into the air and plunged into Davrich’s face. He then turned to his wife, his eyes and mouth dripping blue fire, and attacked.
If the secret chamber is investigated, the Characters will find walls covered in bright frescos untouched by time. They depict a great hero in Arschloch heraldry defeating a mighty Wraith with burning eyes. According to one wall painted in delicate gold, Flechten town was granted a charter to self-govern as a reward for their support in capturing and sealing the blue-eyed Wraith beneath the tower, and in return for swearing to protect the unholy site from future harm.
When the Characters return to Flechtben, @UUID[Actor.octRyafIOk1ZNiLL]{Blaue Augen} is on a murderous rampage. It has already killed scores of townsfolk, and the rest are on the run, utterly incapable of harming the undead monster. Any remnants of Davrich’s body are burned away by the blue fire, leaving a black-robed, skeletal horror.
As it can only be harmed by magic, this is a tough fight, and @UUID[Actor.VdDotfA5zyWYdtwc]{Ferdinand} will be key to it. Assuming the Characters survive, Arschloch is good to his word and gladly pays. Further, when he finds out the source of the town’s charter as a free town, he invades Flechtben, quickly securing it as part of his fiefdom. ‘Well, they didn’t protect that tower, did they, old chap? I’m only doing what is right and proper.’
However, the new Baron of Flechtben is anything but right and proper, and proceeds to punish what remains of the townsfolk for their years of rebellion and besmirchment of his good family name.
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/blue-eyes.webp\")
The village of 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 @UUID[Actor.Z5D8INeGdPo4esse]{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.
Gavrich 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, The Bog King’s Arms.
Upon arrival, the Characters meet Sebastian Bloch, the village elder and Gavrich’s father; @UUID[Actor.pqXdP14EWc9KcAhU]{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.
Elder Bloch and Hebamme suggest the Characters make an excuse for their presence, perhaps claiming they’re hunting Beastmen for employers back in Ubersreik. If this suggestion is taken, Reisefuhrer immediately shows interest in scouting with the Characters. ‘Finally, true soldiers! We shall see what’s what!’
In 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.
The next evening, a small herd of @UUID[Actor.K57y8T7OKCJl2uEX]{Beastmen} attacks Grauner.
The villagers let the PCs deal with this. The @UUID[Actor.K57y8T7OKCJl2uEX]{Beastmen} will retreat as soon as the battle turns against them. Any Character who performs a Simple Lore (Reikland) or Intuition Test 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.
Next 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 @UUID[Actor.Z5D8INeGdPo4esse]{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, @UUID[Actor.pqXdP14EWc9KcAhU]{Hebamme} offers to smuggle the party from Grauner as Gavrich and Elder Bloch delay the Witch Hunter.
Unfortunately, @UUID[Actor.pqXdP14EWc9KcAhU]{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 @UUID[Actor.Z5D8INeGdPo4esse]{Salundra}. Hebamme leads the party to a wood where 8 @UUID[Actor.K57y8T7OKCJl2uEX]{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.
No one believes Hebamme’s betrayal unless the party brings proof; proof that is heretical to carry. If wise, the Characters retreat to Ubersreik. Of course, Tiermann will follow, almost certainly with accusations of defenceless Frau Hebamme murder…
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/memories-of-blood.webp\")
Denfather @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.H4lW8llwfJ24iyj3]{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.
@UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.U2JMbu5g9oyCT4eH]{The Tin Spur} 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 @UUID[Actor.c6aJd9hIoNxzAqLl]{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. 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 @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.H4lW8llwfJ24iyj3]{Father Kretschmer} has his suspicions.
@UUID[Actor.c6aJd9hIoNxzAqLl]{Gestaltenstark} 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 Ubersreik and maybe the Empire at large!
Whilst @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.H4lW8llwfJ24iyj3]{Denfather Kretschmer} would like nothing more than to be relevant again, he’s not a madman, and sees the instability that @UUID[Actor.c6aJd9hIoNxzAqLl]{Gestaltenstark} would bring as more of an affront to Ulric than a boon. The Denfather requests the Characters to infiltrate the Tin Spur 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 Ubersreik the nature of Gestaltenstark’s curse, for it will cast a long shadow over the Cult of Ulric in the region.
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/reikhardt-gestaltenstark.webp\")
@UUID[Actor.c6aJd9hIoNxzAqLl]{Gestaltenstark} isn’t an easy man to reach. He lives deep within the pit fighters’ quarters beneath the Tin Spur. He is always surrounded by pit fighters (use @UUID[Actor.08otYmy2EeLkq4aM]{Leif Vilsson}’s statistics to represent them) who have sworn themselves to protect Gestaltenstark to their death. Worse, a pack of loyal hounds (@UUID[Actor.aZsA9tS9nYWiC8Ft]{Fighting Dogs} from Ubersreik 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, @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.H4lW8llwfJ24iyj3]{Father Kretschmer} will reward them each with @Credit[2gc mode=split]{2 GC}. If Gestaltenstark’s curse remains a secret to Ubersreik, 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.
" - }, - "Da Lit'lest WAAAGH!": { - "name": "Da Lit'lest WAAAGH!", - "text": "No matter how hard they are put down, Greenskins come back, season after season, as if sprouting from the ground. Whilst the town of Ubersreik itself is Greenskin-free, the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.yJlaZDmJgb5rIkHM]{Magnussewer tunnels} are infested.
\nDuring the Great War Against Chaos over 200 years ago, Ubersreik 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 Ubersreik’s sewers — so they’ve never posed much of a threat. Indeed, it’s so isolated that its boss — @UUID[Actor.5DdSxKm6aifmXn9d]{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 Ubersreik are signs and portents from their twin gods, Gork and Mork. So, Stinkstaff is rallying the @UUID[Actor.IwH6I63zwMcaKrui]{Gong-Tongues} to lead an invasion into the promised land — right into the middle of @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.CI7BOaVBiL3tOBxR]{The Hill}, the richest district in the town.
\n@UUID[Actor.5DdSxKm6aifmXn9d]{Stinkstaff 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.
\n![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/gong-tongue.webp\")
A group of nobles is visiting from Altdorf to attend a dinner party at @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.w5RHZtZ8jAxYXZ1F]{Aschaffenberg Manor} on the same day as the Goblins are planning their crusade. Duchess Eleanor Aschaffenberg has caught wind of this menace from @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.B0LbHpx74tQkIdtH]{Wahlund's Rat Catchers}, 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 @Credit[10ss mode=split]{10 shillings} a day if they deal with the Gong-Tongues discreetly. @UUID[Actor.rlm60LyBWkTIpOWr]{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 PCs, if they agree to work for her.
\nThe Duchess isn’t the only one who knows of the threat. @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.FIx69aLJxrJczytP]{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 @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.FIx69aLJxrJczytP]{Merchant's Guild} of Ubersreik have hired their own band of adventurers to make sure the Goblins do get to the surface whilst the Altdorfers are in town.
\n![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/aschaffenberg-party.webp\")
@UUID[Actor.5JmWGqkcGHukUcUQ]{Gaenefys Feyhand}
\n@UUID[Actor.3B4Gg44VHfCuiP4x]{Emilia Lochland}
\n@UUID[Actor.08otYmy2EeLkq4aM]{Leif Vilsson}
\n@UUID[Actor.2fJ0BYzpLrcGfVks]{Giordano Impiegato}
\nAs an alternative to this, perhaps it’s the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.FIx69aLJxrJczytP]{Merchant’s Guild} who hire the PCs? 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 Ubersreik sewers for smuggling, impacting legitimate Merchant Guild concerns, and will advise attacking Leif ’s Band hard and fast as they are very dangerous.
" - }, - "Red Moon Burning": { - "name": "Red Moon Burning", - "text": "@UUID[Actor.k7qn4SFIygpbL5GS]{Franz Lohner}, @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.ddQoNatt6T4Fd2ZY]{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.
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/shrinq-shaderipper.webp\")
@UUID[Actor.vDyDfvkHTQ7JX8if]{Shrinq Shaderipper}
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/carmellos-crew.webp\")
@UUID[Actor.jeCgW4SNgCu7d9dR]{Carmello's Crew}
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/tah-ra-mentuhr.webp\")
@UUID[Actor.Dfb1YdBY1Vgs2Y79]{Tah-Ra Mentuhr}
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/thikad-urgolsson.webp\")
@UUID[Actor.rpIcUXefVyxO8aML]{Thikad Urgolsson}
@UUID[Actor.k7qn4SFIygpbL5GS]{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 @UUID[JournalEntry.NcH9OhleJFfaUdon.JournalEntryPage.TjfeXu3fimHJ5I9Q]{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: @Pay[10gc EACH]{10 Gold Crowns} per Character!
If they agree to help, @UUID[Actor.k7qn4SFIygpbL5GS]{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:
Grodni Surehammer of @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.wht9BofyQGmtinWN]{The Axe and Hammer} will supply explosives to blow up the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.ddQoNatt6T4Fd2ZY]{Red Moon}, if the Characters give their word to assist the Dwarf in future. Alternately, Alternately, @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.NyS9OLD4uJQh33pC]{Luigi & Salvatore} also sells blackpowder; however, unknown to Lohner, @UUID[Actor.jeCgW4SNgCu7d9dR]{Carmello's Crew} frequents this shop, and will notice the purchase.
@UUID[Actor.N3hGHrY2P51BNTYO]{Cordelia Wesselingh} may help deal with the Wraith. She can modify any explosives to affect it (adding the @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-core.items.mDgEMOoJpi8DkRYb]{Magical} Trait to the bombs). Lohner won’t involve the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.SI1GHUlvYSCofVcB]{town’s wizard} as this may bring uncomfortable questions. Lohner doesn’t know Wesselingh is a spy for the wizard.
Lohner requires a pathway out of the city after his inn goes up in flames, so suggests talking to Karsten Rugger of the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.AIMlOScGrg8pmSdl]{Boatmen’s Guild}. Lohner knows Rugger is a smuggler, and suggests working for him to secure co-operation.
An experimental ‘time-keeper candle’ developed for Prochnow of the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.b7O2qxgkBbDE6ip5]{Guild of Boatbuilders and Chandlers} could act as a fuse. Prochnow will sell a time-keeper for @Pay[5ss]{5 shillings}.
Let 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 @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.ddQoNatt6T4Fd2ZY]{Red Moon} using the following timeline:
9pm: @UUID[Actor.vDyDfvkHTQ7JX8if]{Shaderipper} sneaks in via the chimney, then hides in Lohner’s wardrobe. Not long after, @UUID[Actor.Dfb1YdBY1Vgs2Y79]{Tah-Ra Mentuhr} begins to manifest in the taproom.
9:15: @UUID[Actor.rpIcUXefVyxO8aML]{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 @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-core.items.OEjUvJKi0xmBwbS2]{Second Sight} Talent and can be harmed by Magical attacks.
9.30: @UUID[Actor.jeCgW4SNgCu7d9dR]{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, @UUID[Actor.Dfb1YdBY1Vgs2Y79]{Tah-Ra Mentuhr} fully manifests, causes @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-core.items.pTorrE0l3VybAbtn]{Fear} on all nearby mortals, and is ready to possess Lohner.
Once lit, the fuse burns for [[/gmr 1d10+4]] Rounds. As an Action, an Average (+20) Simple Perception Test 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.
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/saif-al-janub.webp\")
When 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 @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.ddQoNatt6T4Fd2ZY]{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, @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-starter-set.items.rIBB37yMATXRnFbp]{Saif al-Janub}, if all his enemies were killed.
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/franz-lohner.webp\")
Andreas von Bruner, newly appointed lord of Grunewald Lodge, offers @Credit[15gc mode=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 PCs 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 @UUID[Actor.njohRTHP8jMyApA9]{Amris} has commitments, so allows one week to resolve his business.
\n![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/unions-reunions.webp\")
When investigating near the Grunewald Forest, a musical voice calls to @UUID[Actor.njohRTHP8jMyApA9]{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 PCs are fed curiously spiced meats as the ritual is prepared. Ulliamar explains that @UUID[Actor.njohRTHP8jMyApA9]{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 PCs are then asked to leave, for the rite is sacred to the Elves.
\nAll the Wood Elves attend the ritual, so the other PCs 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 @UUID[Actor.njohRTHP8jMyApA9]{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] Condition. Then Ulliamar gives birth.
\n![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/daemon-child.webp\")
The birthing is a swollen, malformed @UUID[Actor.f0uVcGYu3m1wDMN9]{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.
" - }, - "The Hassle of Johann Hoffmann": { - "name": "The Hassle of Johann Hoffmann", - "text": "Johann Hoffmann — a famous Stevedore who was responsible for the Ubersreik Trade Guild Treaties of 2506 before falling from grace — has disappeared. Hoffmann was last seen alightling a black coach at the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.alatSQnvNobt63Gr]{Bridge House Inn}.
Now conspiracy theories are moving through Ubersreik like the @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-core.items.txeLd7R13qxSvmsr]{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.
However, his success made him a target of the Lowhaven Clan — a criminal family of Halflings 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).
@UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-ua2.actors.KHU4UeFIP5yokI6u]{Graf 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 Ubersreik’s (as they saw it) inevitable bid for Freiburg status. Indeed, Wilhelm ‘Big Willi’ Docker, Hoffmann’s replacement in the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.pIrh6ASaL0C4Ufxq]{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.
Now, General @UUID[Actor.gfSfXHgfqW5QiUxu]{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…
Wilhelmina 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, @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.uOuZXEv6msA3K8k7]{Spirren-Hirsch and Gärtner}.
Despite 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…
Wilhelm ‘Big Willi’ Docker. Hoffmann’s long-time rival and replacement in the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.pIrh6ASaL0C4Ufxq]{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 Clan 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.
General von Dabernick. Leader of the Altdorfers who have seized @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.Nhd3vUOVqhDhtRty]{Black Rock Castle}, and who currently occupy Ubersreik. @UUID[Actor.gfSfXHgfqW5QiUxu]{Von Dabernick’s} position in Ubersreik 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 @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.pIrh6ASaL0C4Ufxq]{Dockers’ Guild}).
Mercy Lowhaven. Leader of the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.cQvTuhJqYQxXRqbC]{Lowhaven Clan}, 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 PCs money to kill him should they uncover his hiding place)!
Anton Grimski. An agitator who plies his trade around the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.3pf3VHHG0bVR2qxS]{Sprichstumpf}, who rails against the influence of the merchant class and their corruption. He is actually in the employ of @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-ua2.actors.KHU4UeFIP5yokI6u]{Sigismund von Jungfreud}, and is attempting to prevent the Burgomeister and the trade guilds of Ubersreik 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.
So, who’s guilty? And where is Hoffman? That’s up to you to decide. Did @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-ua2.actors.KHU4UeFIP5yokI6u]{Graf Sigismund} take one last stab at this long-time thorn in his side? Did the @UUID[Actor.gfSfXHgfqW5QiUxu]{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…
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/johann.webp\")
When perusing a market stall, a silver bracelet catches @UUID[Actor.qbWReZE7UL1p6JXG]{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. @UUID[Actor.qbWReZE7UL1p6JXG]{Gunnar} once knew Rogge. She was an accomplished Human smith, skilled enough to be invited to @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-archives1.journals.De6yFCVO4shYbAUx]{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 PCs 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 Perception Test. When she spots her old rival Gunnar, fierce hatred fills her heart once more. If not for @UUID[Actor.qbWReZE7UL1p6JXG]{Gunnar}, she would still be studying in @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-archives1.journals.De6yFCVO4shYbAUx]{Karak Azgaraz}.
\nGudrun Rogge isn’t stupid. Confronting a whole party is unwise. Instead, she clears and prepares her forge as the PCs enter the crumbling complex. She then uses secret tunnels to taunt the party from behind walls. She admits to killing @UUID[Actor.qbWReZE7UL1p6JXG]{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 PCs 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.
\n![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/runic-guardian.webp\")
When the PCs arrive, the @UUID[Actor.SgK4YI7emNao6k0J]{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 PCs. 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 @UUID[Actor.qbWReZE7UL1p6JXG]{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 @UUID[Actor.qbWReZE7UL1p6JXG]{Gunnar} wish to enter the @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-core.journals.wczCPcuHT4VQDLpL.JournalEntryPage.GWrZq3xoRSsDnQe0]{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.
" - }, - "Ash In The Wind": { - "name": "Ash In The Wind", - "text": "Hugeldal is the seat of the indomitable Baron Matthais von Jungfreud. Unfortunately, the fall of House Jungfreud in nearby Ubersreik 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 mode=split]{20 Gold Crown} reward for making it all go away demonstrates just how inflammatory the problem is.
But this isn’t the first time @UUID[Actor.2UdufyQ0BauhQz5T]{Else} has followed the winding Hugeldal road into @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.w0YfGxsBuLoODCgc]{The Grey Mountains}. 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.
Investigating the sources of the witch signs establish a pattern centred on Hugeldal itself. There, the Characters meet the following townsfolk, and significant passive hostility:
Irmegard Hugelmann is the burgomeister. Twenty years ago, her grandfather was the burgomeister, and he maintained a stranglehold over the town with the support of the real witch, and orchestrated the burning of an innocent woman to cover it up. Hugelmann is aware of her grandfather’s crimes — he confessed them to her on his deathbed, fearful for his soul, but did not name the witch — and that her position is predicated on it remaining a secret.
Waldemar Grunfeld is an aging herbalist, who, as many recall, was originally accused of witchcraft before the burnings, but managed to ‘prove’ his innocence. In truth, he is a witch, but a relatively benign, but nonetheless illegal, Hedgewitch who supports his community. He barely escaped the pyre twenty years ago and has quietly sought the other witch ever since.
Ludwig Herzog is a wealthy merchant whose rise to riches began with the witch burning of his business rival, Karina Handler, twenty years ago. Herzog was desperately in love with Handler, and regrets what happened — indeed, he used his wealth to explore necromancy to potentially bring her back, though he abandoned that quickly and locked away his books forever.
Yeomica Jungmann is the baron’s young valet. Jungmann is the ex-apprentice of the original witch, Haberman Klimmer, who was a necromancer. Yeomica murdered his master almost a decade ago, and has since pursued his own study. He also attempted to court Herzog as his apprentice, but found him an unwilling student. When he hears the Players are seeking a witch, Yeomica plots Herzog’s murder to cover his tracks.
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 @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-core.actors.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 Town Hall, 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.
It won’t take much to uncover the witch after this — several townsfolk spotted Jungmann at the Town Hall. Knowing he faces death, Jungmann flees for Ubersreik. He will use all of his powers to thwart the PCs, including raising the @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-core.actors.GgSxlomoV220kd3G]{Ghost} of Zuriner, and the angry spirit of his old master (use a @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-core.actors.hMbcLVjk7eUdxtqC]{Cairn Wraith}) If the Characters dispatch these swiftly and reach Ubersreik docks, they find Jungmann commissioning a barge to Altdorf. Jungmann will not go down quietly, summoning as many @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-core.actors.T79RqnDOAQLn3I1s]{Zombies} as he can muster to cover his retreat. If Jungmann does escape, he will immediately plot his revenge.
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/ash-in-the-wind.webp\")
They say that if you sit by the river long enough, you’ll see all the bodies of your enemies float by. Well, I’ve seen all manner of things floating down the Teufel. Bodies is the least of it…’
— Gram’ma Rugger, proprietor of Ubersreik’s @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.6dLEb6ZWuPhB2pRu]{cheapest boarding house}
Ubersreik is a town with many marvelous sights on offer, from the soaring towers of @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.Nhd3vUOVqhDhtRty]{Black Rock Castle} to the ruddy flows of the @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.CqIczLRZI265nrAR]{River Teufel}, over to the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.U4xIUC3CfKZAgVSR]{Market’s Square’s} famous statue of Emperor Magnus the Pious that faces the fortress-town’s most famed landmark, @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.yY5DUbAdKg2MhDva]{Ubersreik Bridge}. Known as the cross-roads of the Reikland, Ubersreik protects a valuable gateway into the Empire from Bretonnia. As a prosperous trade hub, it also supports a lively service industry, with inns and lodging houses to suit every class of merchant, traveler, or reveler. Similarly, there are shops and trading houses selling a broad variety of goods, both legitimate and illegal.
The town is so used to outsiders moving through that they are almost always welcomed as long as they have something to buy or sell, or are willing to spend coin. The townsfolk recognize their prosperity is sourced from the free flow of trade goods and people — assuming the appropriate tariffs are paid, of course — so strangers are expected and accommodated.
Long columns of those seeking access to Ubersreik are common at peak hours in the mornings and early evenings. Fast entry is offered to: those with the correct documents; nobles; wizards from the Colleges of Magic; registered coaches; and local guildsman. Others must wait. It’s common to find hawkers and vendors selling trinkets, holy artefacts, prayer parchments, and local delicacies to any in the queue with spare coin.
As a strategically important fortress-town, Ubersreik is well-served by several primary roads. The main routes into the town are the Bögenhafen Road, Auerswald Road, Nuln Road, and the Parravon Road. The Parravon Road leads through the Grey Lady Pass into the neutral territory of Frugelhorn and then into Bretonnia. Beyond the Azgaraz Trading Post, which marks the junction between the Parravon Road and the road to @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-archives1.journals.De6yFCVO4shYbAUx]{Karak Azgaraz}, the quality of footing decreases significantly. In spring and summer, vast trains of 40 or more heavily laden wagons are a common sight rolling down from the Grey Lady Pass, bringing goods from Bretonnia and the Dwarfs of the @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.w0YfGxsBuLoODCgc]{Grey Mountains}. However, no matter how busy the pass may be, of all the routes into Ubersreik, the Nuln Road is the most heavily used.
Most of the trade goods entering and leaving Ubersreik do so by river. The Jungfreud @UUID[JournalEntry.70sJnVPsNmeNnqdC.JournalEntryPage.riRjmMKV9pjP4Xel]{duchy of Black Rock} is connected to Ubersreik by @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.CqIczLRZI265nrAR]{the Teuful}, which is navigable up to @UUID[JournalEntry.70sJnVPsNmeNnqdC.JournalEntryPage.2vUSJ8EdMkQ6WYxl]{Shluesselschlossscheucht}, a deep-sided gorge. Until recently, trade shipments of valuable coal and iron ore from @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.Exvp9RN8shcIHrFm]{Black Rock} were carried down the Teufel to Ubersreik by barge. However, with the recent upheaval, the Jungfreuds have chosen to ship along the Hagercyrb canal instead, which has led to a shortage of coal in Ubersreik. Downriver, the Teufel leads to the @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.Zhp59VXYiv6dGfhR]{River Reik} and on to @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.V6tkgQ9A2skppjyl]{Altdorf}. This navigable link to the capital further strengthens Ubersreik’s importance.
Recently, the Archduke of Upper Teufel helped finance a significant canal system. Two of these canals connect to @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.CqIczLRZI265nrAR]{the Teufel} river: the Grey Lady Canal and @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.mdjl1WxjZLeuSWAN]{the Hagercryb}. The Grey Lady Canal leads down to Nuln, cutting out a lengthy diversion down the Teuful and back up @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.Zhp59VXYiv6dGfhR]{the Reik}. The Hagercryb, connects first to the River Tahme and down through @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.I0krpnI0RnVs5RwK]{the Bögen} to the Reik downriver of Altdorf. Importantly, this connects Ubersreik to Carroburg, and on to Marienburg in turn.
These canals caused much consternation in the Imperial family, as they enabled the bypassing of Altdorf ’s customs and levies. In an attempt to combat this, Emperor Luitpold III tried to block the building of the canals in the Reikland Diet in 2484 IC. When this failed, he instead tried to dredge the Teufel where it meets the Reik — the marshes in this area are treacherous and notoriously hard to navigate. As a result of Luitpold’s repeated failures to do this, this silty area of marshland is now known as Luitpold’s Folly.
Guarding Ubersreik is a massive, crenelated stone wall. Built during the reign of Magnus the Pious, it was designed by Dwarf engineers to connect to the fortifications of @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.Nhd3vUOVqhDhtRty]{Black Rock Castle}. Troops from Ubersreik’s State Army once manned the battlements, but Altdorf ’s soldiers have taken over that duty for now. Towers, great and small, rise from the walls. The largest are the Helmsweg, Hugeldal, von Voglemann, and Magnus. Helmsweg is considered the ‘luckiest’ as it has never been breached. Hugeldal is leaning precariously, though most Dwarfs snort if any dare suggest it may topple. The imposing von Voglemann tower boasts heavy walls and multiple cannon, but can only be reached by a special lift, making duties there a mixed blessing. @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.tCh9vROs0eeTuEwA]{The Magnus Tower} is tallest of them all, and lies in the heart of the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.iuChMNeuKpG8Hy91]{Precinct} district.
Three gates and a river pass through the high walls. According to the original specifications set by Magnus the Pious, the North and South gates are wide enough to allow ‘a whole regiment at march’. They stand open from dawn to dusk, when the great horn on the Magnus’s Tower blows warning of their imminent closure. A single, massive iron-bound, oak gate then closes in each gateway. A sturdy portcullis, a wide variety of murder-holes, and various deadly Dwarf mechanisms line each gateway passage, ensuring Ubersreik’s sanctity. The smaller East Gate does not boast this security, but is only wide enough for two carts side-by-side. All three gates are watched over by a customs clerk and the Watch to ensure all appropriate taxes are promptly paid.
@UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.CqIczLRZI265nrAR]{The Teufel} River is safeguarded by heavy towers and enormous portcullis gates — one to the east and west. The portcullises are rarely shut as it takes almost half an hour to winch them up. The lowest story of the towers also contain winch houses used to raise a massive Dwarf-forged chain, with links as long as a man is tall. The chain is lined with enormous spikes and gigantic blades capable of gutting a warship.
Ubersreik Festivals
The Reikland is renowned across the empire for its many different festivals. Ubersreik 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.
Festival When Celebrates Zwiebelfest
2nd Week of Winter
Onions. All the town’s squares are given to onion stalls and farmers from across the province attend. Onion-based activities abound!
Silburmesse
5th Sommerzeit
Silverwork. Ubersreik is famous for its silver goods. This trade fair may not be the largest, but it brings significant revenues to the town.
Magnustag
10th Sigmarzeit
Magnus the Pious: A day-long carnival where competing districts try to build the biggest ‘Maggies’ — large effigies of Magnus the Pious.
Brynkulti
1st Jahrdrung
Dwarf Gold Adornments: A trade fair celebrating Dwarf gold goods from Dawihafen and the Grey Mountains.
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The Artisans’ Quarter is the industrial heart of Ubersreik. It lies to the east of the Grey Lady Road, on the north bank of @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.CqIczLRZI265nrAR]{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.
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.
@UUID[.alatSQnvNobt63Gr]{Bridge House Inn}
@UUID[.f4qEdyACbY0OlYJU]{Carpenters' Guild}
@UUID[.Daqpz2kTNVvCln48]{Cordelia's Apothecary}
@UUID[.1EGoHdJlUiDTZJQM]{Locksmith's Guild}
@UUID[.uMTRONU6hKqX56iH]{Metalworkers’ Guild}
@UUID[.cQvTuhJqYQxXRqbC]{Satrioli's Sausage Shop}
@UUID[.ExTWORbrAGfPjoSu]{Wandiene Rookery}
@UUID[.SI1GHUlvYSCofVcB]{Wizard's Way}
@UUID[.i03nhLrTew82JjsU]{Worshipful Guild of Cutlers'}
" - }, - "Locksmith's Guild": { - "name": "Locksmith's Guild", - "text": "A narrow building with steel-barred windows, this guildhouse is maintained by Ubersreik’s only locksmith, Ludwig Schlüsselfert. The locksmith only works for a few hours a day, and only four days a week, meaning it can be a challenge to find him. The ground floor is his workshop, with tools neatly hanging around the walls. Upstairs are his personal quarters, a small parlor and surprisingly sumptuous bedchambers.
Ludwig Schlüsselfert is a cantankerous old curmudgeon. Well into his eighth decade, he has stubbornly refused to accept an apprentice, out of fear of competition. Fiercely litigious, he has exercised his right to refuse membership and permission to practice to any visiting locksmiths, ensuring he has an absolute monopoly (the only exception being the bylaws excluding Dwarf craftsmen operating on Dwarf buildings). He regularly hires a team to check the locks of buildings in Ubersreik, alert for any non-sanctioned work.
Should he discover any illegal locks, he will summon the Watch to remove the illegal pieces (and charge extra to replace them). His lawyer, Melina @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.uOuZXEv6msA3K8k7]{Spirren-Hirsch}, is on retainer, always ready to prosecute anyone infringing the guild’s rights.
Schlüsselfert is, in truth, a member and blessed priest of the Crooked Fingers sect of the Cult of Ranald. Though he has no apprentice locksmiths, he uses his cellar to train aspiring thieves in the fine art of lockpicking, should they be good Ranaldans and able to pay.
After several houses are broken into, Schlüsselfert hires the party to check a number locks for his customers. Though he had nothing to do with it, he cannot afford to have the Watch asking questions, so the players need to solve the crime or secure a scapegoat, and quickly.
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 Ubersreik specify that only members of the @UUID[.uMTRONU6hKqX56iH]{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).
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.
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 Ubersreik 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 @UUID[.uMTRONU6hKqX56iH]{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.
Petronilla Merkle, guildmaster of the @UUID[.uMTRONU6hKqX56iH]{Metalworkers’ Guild}, is livid at the Cutlers’ circumvention of the town’s bylaws, especially as they are producing a superior product for a lower cost. She is very interested in finding out the secrets of their methods and, if possible, destroying their guildhouse. Any morally flexible parties could profit by assisting her.
Recently, Dordean’s sibling arrived in Ubersreik, eager to persuade Dordean to return to Ulthuan. The party are offered a generous payment to out Dordean as an Elf, capitalizing on resentment of Elf interference.
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Bridge House is perfectly situated in the center of Ubersreik on the main thoroughfares near @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.yY5DUbAdKg2MhDva]{Ubersreik Bridge}, offering spectacular views of the Dwarf-made marvel. The inn has large stables and a sizeable coach house, and also serves as Ubersreik’s bustling post office.
\nAlthough 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 @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.yY5DUbAdKg2MhDva]{Ubersreik Bridge}.
\nGunther 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.
\nGustav Schtupp, Gunther’s postmaster, is a spy. He quietly intercepts mail passing through his hands, trafficking the juicier gossip in coded messages. Whether he serves now the Imperial Herald, House Bruner, or a darker master, is uncertain.
\nGunther 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.
\nSatrioli’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 @UUID[.ZxGSVbrdYETSiP94]{Artisan’s District}. It occupies the ground floor of a stone building; the wooden story above is rented out by the large family of Halflings 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.
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 Halflings to assist with day-to-day tasks, and the small folk can be found scurrying about the shop at all hours.
There are rumors that many of the sausages are in fact made by the Halflings, and not by the Satriolis, but given the diminutive folk’s reputation for culinary skill, nobody is complaining.
Satrioli’s is a front for the infamous Lowhaven clan of Halflings. This notorious family has operations in Altdorf and throughout the Vorbergland. Satrioli’s is their main base in Ubersreik. While the Tileans tend the shop, behind the scenes a bevy of Halfling bullies exert their malign influence. Under the leadership of Mercy Lowhaven, they are muscling in on the other organized crime in town. They are always on the lookout for more help. Their standard operating procedure is to get someone in debt, before exploiting that weakness, so if any members of the party are looking for a loan…
‘White Gold’ is the most profitable product in Satrioli’s, a particularly creamy cheese imported from Tilea. Recently, their supplier has signed an exclusive contract with @UUID[unknown]{Harzert’s}, a rival cheesemonger. Mercy Lowhaven is willing to pay handsomely for Harzert’s supply, and won’t ask any questions. Securing the contract for Satrioli’s would earn a favor from the Lowhavens.
Graf Otto Strasse is a long, winding street that snakes through the eastern end of the @UUID[.ZxGSVbrdYETSiP94]{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.
Grey Guardian @UUID[Actor.7M5OJZbbtV6DKUvG]{Christoph Engel} has called Ubersreik 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.
Engel is often bored with the responsibilities of his rank. He is not above quietly misusing his magic to create minor illusions to trick and disturb citizens for his own amusement. If he hears one of the party disparage wizards while out and about in disguise, he determines to make the party the butt of his jokes until they repent.
A coalition of local burghers, concerned at plummeting property prices on the Wizard’s Way, have clubbed together to pay a Witch Hunter to obtain proof of Engel’s misuse of magic, and have him evicted (or burned). The Witch Hunter, Mattheus Hüpfen, is not above framing his targets. He has decided to hire some local muscle to help him confront the wizard.
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Cordelia’s Apothecary lies on a small, cobbled platz at the end of the @UUID[.SI1GHUlvYSCofVcB]{Wizard’s Way}. A painted wooden mortar and pestle hang above a stout wooden door. Garlands of sweet-smelling flowers and herbs are strung above the wooden door in the hope of enticing more customers.
@UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-ua1.actors.N3hGHrY2P51BNTYO]{Cordelia Wesselingh} is a handsome woman with silver hair, though her eyes retain the sparkle of youth and vivacity. She has maintained the shop for decades now, having taken over from her mistress before her. Cordelia is a kind, friendly soul, always ready to lend an ear to listen or a shoulder to cry on. This makes her a good source of gossip, though she would never share anything salacious or mean-spirited. Her prices are fair, and for customers of good standing she is willing to offer a discount and credit.
Unknown to most, @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-ua1.actors.N3hGHrY2P51BNTYO]{Cordelia Wesselingh} apprenticed in the @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-wom.journals.Q9sQhbDN8NUHXYdA.JournalEntryPage.MVwOuM2YKhUvA1E1#the-jade-college]{Jade College} in @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.V6tkgQ9A2skppjyl]{Altdorf}, although she lacked the magical strength to become a fully trained wizard. However, she remains well-disposed towards the Colleges.
Cordelia is friendly with the local network of Hedgefolk. Many Hedgewitches from the surrounding area visit her, trading information and concoctions for ingredients and expertise. Ida Vernt, recently arrived from Niemberg, is concerned over malicious spirits in the area that are beyond her capabilities. Aiding Ida would earn Cordelia’s trust.
Cordelia hides a deeper secret; she provides intelligence to the Grey Order of wizards. Her shop’s cellar hides a secret entrance to @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-rnhd.actors.7M5OJZbbtV6DKUvG]{Christoph Engel’s} tower. When she finds the door open, a bloody trail leading into the passageway, she knows the wizard must need help. But who would be both brave enough to investigate and discreet enough to keep a secret?
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Of all Ubersreik’s slums, Wandiene rookery is the largest and most notorious. It lies in the north-west of the @UUID[.ZxGSVbrdYETSiP94]{Artisans’ Quarter}, packed tight to the high town-walls and the fortifications of @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.iuChMNeuKpG8Hy91]{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 Ubersreik’s 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.
Guido Falck has retreated to Wandiene after the arrival of @UUID[Actor.gfSfXHgfqW5QiUxu]{General von Dabernick} and his soldiers. A decorated captain of the Ubersreik State Army, now retired, Falck is utterly loyal to Duke @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-ua2.actors.KHU4UeFIP5yokI6u]{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.
Falck plans to blow up @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.Nhd3vUOVqhDhtRty]{Black Rock Castle} during an important gathering of Altdorf luminaries and their allies. He has access to the sewers beneath the castle. All he needs now are unfortunate fools willing to buy large quantities of blackpowder then deliver it to him in Wandiene. Of course, when the Watch investigate the explosions, Falck expects it’s the blackpowder buyers that will be pursued, giving him time to retreat from Ubersreik with his co-conspirators.
Karolus Dichens, author, journalist, and social critic is researching his next book, Nonnie Verdreh. He wants a tour of Wandiene, but can’t find any he trusts to guide him through the dangerous rookery. So, he’s taken to hovering near its periphery for hours on end, taking notes, asking questions, then retiring to the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.alatSQnvNobt63Gr]{Bridge House Inn} in the evenings. He doesn’t have much money, but will offer to include the party in his next book as incidental characters if they protect him during his slum expedition.
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.
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.
Johann Messing, one of Merkle’s rivals in the guild, is seeking to mount a coup. To do so, he needs a competitive edge. He is looking for adventurers to engage in a little river piracy. If the party can hijack one of the Jungfreud’s (well-guarded) coal barges before it enters the Hagercryb Canal, and bring it safely to Ubersreik, they will be richly rewarded.
Following a terrible accident in one of the city’s forges, Merkle is looking for someone to quietly investigate the explosion. Given the rumors of flickering green flames and unholy screams, volunteers are thin on the ground, so she is desperate. Should the players investigate, they will be noticed by Watch Sergeant Knopf, who is subtly ignoring the explosion, and by the Skaven who are paying him to do so.
Given that much of Ubersreik 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 @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.BQA04SKWoMFPjb7T]{the Docks}, as they work closely with the boatbuilders and coopers.
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 Ubersreik. He is a friend of the @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-core.items.Bn5MHz2G7LJZxtpo]{Burgomeister}, and a popular, prominent figure amongst the town’s burgeoning middle-classes. He is even a lay-member of the @UUID[JournalEntry.NcH9OhleJFfaUdon.JournalEntryPage.OclFlDGI5fC9ygoP]{Cult of Sigmar}, assisting @UUID[Actor.3iFI20RxtZFfygse]{Father Emming} with services in @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.MM6ubJbPOVCvlRcw]{The High Temple of Sigmar}.
Zimmerman is leading a double life, moonlighting as a thief. Much of the guild’s seeming affluence is a result of his illicit indiscretions. As a cabinet maker, he has access to his clients’ homes. He uses this to scout future burglaries. Some of his customers are growing suspicious, so he is on the lookout for bodyguards, or possibly scapegoats…
Quality timber is hard to secure given the demand for wood to burn now that coal is scarce in Ubersreik. The party are hired by Zimmerman to accompany him into the woods in search of a particular grove, little realizing it is home to a small herd of Beastmen driven into the area by something bigger…
The Grauer Palast is a squat keep to the north-east of @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.Nhd3vUOVqhDhtRty]{Black Rock Castle}. It was long used as the official residence of the @UUID[JournalEntry.70sJnVPsNmeNnqdC.JournalEntryPage.MQUgehvMI8ye8NQ7]{Baron of Lady’s Vale}, the heir to the @UUID[JournalEntry.70sJnVPsNmeNnqdC.JournalEntryPage.Dltz7FyeTVWKArL7]{Duchy of Ubersreik}. It contains the largest ballroom in the @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.0Cmr0LZ3boLbNt6p]{Vorbergland}, and is where the Jungfreuds once conducted their social functions and weddings.
The keep now houses @UUID[Actor.hcAF95tFaOdoZoeF]{Lady Emmanuelle Nacht}, the Imperial Herald, and the true power in Ubersreik. 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 @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.V6tkgQ9A2skppjyl]{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 Ubersreik.
" - }, - "Black Rock": { - "name": "Black Rock", - "text": "Black Rock 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 Black Rock, in the @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.w0YfGxsBuLoODCgc]{Grey Mountains}. It dominates Ubersreik, covering almost an eighth of the town. It is ringed by huge parapets connecting directly to the town’s walls, making it integral to Ubersreik’s defense. A secure tunnel leads from Black Rock to the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.tCh9vROs0eeTuEwA]{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.
The invading troops from @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.V6tkgQ9A2skppjyl]{Altdorf} made Black Rock 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.
Within Black Rock’s walls lies a bustling community. In many ways, it is a town within a town. The primary keep, @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.Nhd3vUOVqhDhtRty]{Black Rock Castle}, 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.
When Ubersreik was seized, any remaining Black Rock staff were forcibly ejected from the castle grounds, with the exception of @UUID[Actor.eQ0YuMXfmPnUU4UI]{Sister Habercorn} in the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.fXCf8wLZzVIDGpVG]{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 Ubersreik, 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 @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.V6tkgQ9A2skppjyl]{Altdorf}. Indeed, all five regiments led by @UUID[Actor.gfSfXHgfqW5QiUxu]{General von Dabernick} to seize Ubersreik are barracked in Black Rock. 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 Black Rock at any one time.
@UUID[.Nhd3vUOVqhDhtRty]{Black Rock Castle}
@UUID[.VNPOlc2JY624pOKe]{Grauer Palast}
@UUID[.fXCf8wLZzVIDGpVG]{Saint Arnold's Chapel}
A small group of locals is determined to wreak vengeance on the Altdorf forces for evicting them from their homes, and driving out the rightful rulers of Ubersreik. They are looking for accomplices to sneak into the castle and poison the garrison’s supplies, and @UUID[Actor.gfSfXHgfqW5QiUxu]{General von Dabernick's} dinner, with spritzenberries, a naturally powerful laxative.
In desperation, @UUID[Actor.eQ0YuMXfmPnUU4UI]{Sister Habercorn} has turned to the party to help her smuggle young lord @UUID[Actor.TKM7T6dQMde2jUWJ]{Wendelin} out of Black Rock. if he is caught, the Altdorfers may injure or even kill him, given their general’s attitude to the von Jungfreuds. They could seek out the rumored secret passageway, or try to brazenly smuggle him out a main gate.
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/ubersreik-black-rock.webp\")
@UUID[.Exvp9RN8shcIHrFm]{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.
Since the occupying forces took @UUID[.Exvp9RN8shcIHrFm]{Black Rock}, few now attend @UUID[Actor.eQ0YuMXfmPnUU4UI]{Sister Habercorn’s} services at the chapel. Often it is only the @UUID[Actor.hcAF95tFaOdoZoeF]{Imperial Herald} present, as @UUID[Actor.gfSfXHgfqW5QiUxu]{General von Dabernick} and his officers choose to attend throng in the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.MM6ubJbPOVCvlRcw]{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.
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/chapel.webp\")
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 @UUID[.Exvp9RN8shcIHrFm]{Black Rock} in the wake of the town’s destruction two centuries ago. @UUID[Actor.eQ0YuMXfmPnUU4UI]{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.
When the forces from @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.V6tkgQ9A2skppjyl]{Altdorf} swept into Ubersreik, @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-ua2.actors.KHU4UeFIP5yokI6u]{Graf Sigismund von Jungfreud} had already withdrawn, taking his wife and most of his forces and supporters with him. He joined his @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-ua2.actors.34yRS0R4e4grG3Fj]{eldest son}, also named Sigismund, in their ancestral seat in the @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.w0YfGxsBuLoODCgc]{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, @UUID[Actor.TKM7T6dQMde2jUWJ]{Wendelin} remained in Ubersreik. In the chaos of their departure he was overlooked when he hid under a bed. Wendelin was missing for several days before @UUID[Actor.eQ0YuMXfmPnUU4UI]{Sister Habercorn} found him. She immediately hid him in the tunnels beneath the chapel.
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/sister-habercorn.webp\")
@UUID[Actor.eQ0YuMXfmPnUU4UI]{Sister Habercorn}
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/wendelin.webp\")
@UUID[Actor.TKM7T6dQMde2jUWJ]{Wendelin Jungfreud}
Now the @UUID[Actor.eQ0YuMXfmPnUU4UI]{Sister} keeps @UUID[Actor.TKM7T6dQMde2jUWJ]{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 @UUID[.Exvp9RN8shcIHrFm]{Black Rock} 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.
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/temple-of-sigmar.webp\")
Black Rock Castle is enormous, easily the largest fortification in the southern @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.0Cmr0LZ3boLbNt6p]{Vorbergland}. Built 800 years ago by @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.U5fSG8wDw2ZCLIWG]{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 Ubersreik 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 @UUID[Actor.gfSfXHgfqW5QiUxu]{Jendrik von Dabernick} now rules the castle, and he puts on a good show of ruling the rest of Ubersreik 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 Ubersreik from centuries ago. An abrasive presence, he is determined to root out any sympathizers for the exiled Jungfreuds, which earns him few friends locally.
" - }, - "Khazalgirt": { - "name": "Khazalgirt", - "text": "Beneath @UUID[.A4x3cKwa1h875OlK]{Dawihafen}, a network of sturdy Dwarf-built tunnels forms its own subterranean street network. A large shrine to Grimnir lies at the nexus of the passages — a natural meeting point for local Slayers to gather. The tunnels lead to most major Dwarf locations in Ubersreik, including @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.wht9BofyQGmtinWN]{The Axe and Hammer}, @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.sTFp4j7DXF96VNvG]{Harataken Hold}, and the houses of other prominent Dwarf families. The Dwarf tunnels are separate and discrete from both the Human sewers, and the Dwarfs’ own sewer system, which lies deeper underground. The tunnels are regular, well-constructed, and well-lit, not to mention well-patrolled. Should any non-Dwarfs find their way into the network, they will be politely, if forcibly, ejected. Repeat offenders will not be treated gently.
When the party stumble across the body of a rat-like beastman, they discover a neatly detailed map of the Khazalgirt, with a crudely drawn addition indicating another tunnel network seemingly connecting to the Dwarfs’ passages. The party could warn the Dwarfs, which would avoid an impending Skaven attack. Or, they could keep the map, and perhaps use it to rob a number of wealthy Dwarf merchants. Decisions, decisions…
When the players wipe out a small party of Goblins beyond the town walls, they discover the entrance to a tunnel leading beneath the Khazalgirt. Should they follow the tunnel they will see it leads to a number of barrels, full of blackpowder with the letters ‘B-O-M’ crudely daubed on the side, and the fuses are already lit!
This suite of rooms within a large, squat block is the home of the Harataki clan of Dwarfs. A once noble line, they lost control of Karak Branar, their ancestral Hold, some 400 years before Sigmar’s birth. Since then the clan have frittered their fortune away on a series of fruitless attempts to regain their land. Following Ubersreik’s destruction, artisans from the clan assisted in the town’s reconstruction, also building for themselves the large block they now inhabit. Over the years they have sold off rooms and sections of the building, funding ill-fated expeditions, leaving them with only a handful of rooms to their name.
Queen Vilda is the clan leader and has overseen the dwindling resources of her clan for over a century. Though her family have become increasingly desperate, and their relationship with honor more estranged, she is determined to regain both their Lost Hold, and their lost status amongst other Dwarfs. As such, she is alert to any insult or disrespect, and keeps her clan’s Book of Grudges close to hand.
Queen Vilda is planning another expedition to Karak Branar’s ruins, which lie to the north of Grey Lady Pass. She needs a small party to range ahead, scouting and assessing the strength of the Greenskin forces arrayed against them. She will reward any volunteers handsomely, if she successfully retakes the Hold.
Gjur Farlson, @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-archives1.journals.De6yFCVO4shYbAUx]{Karak Azgaraz’s} ambassador, publicly supports the Harataki clan’s aspirations, but lacks the resources to offer any tangible support. If the players have any means to convince the ambassador to offer funds or troops, they will earn Queen Vilda’s respect (though they may earn Karak Azgaraz’s ire in the process).
A large, low-ceilinged building, Nordwander and Son’s prides itself on selling everything its clientele will need to mount expeditions into the @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.w0YfGxsBuLoODCgc]{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 Ubersreik’s south.
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 @UUID[.A4x3cKwa1h875OlK]{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.
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.
Belorn dreams of leaving Ubersreik 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.
Belorn Nordwander offers the party a discount if he can accompany them on their expedition. Though charming and intelligent, Belorn has little experience of life beyond Ubersreik’s walls, and will be something of a hindrance, a fact to which he is entirely oblivious.
Legendary explorer Ernst von Schäkeldorf is planning an expedition to climb Mount Frugelhorn, and the party are to travel with him. He has managed to upset Nordwander by expecting a hefty discount based on his fame. Can the party resolve the tensions and bring everyone to a mutually satisfactory agreement, or will the expedition — and the party’s generous payment — be called off?
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/dawihafen.webp\")
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/axe-and-hammer.webp\")
The Axe and Hammer is the only dedicated tavern in @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.A4x3cKwa1h875OlK]{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.
\nThe 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 @UUID[JournalEntry.NcH9OhleJFfaUdon.JournalEntryPage.pjudnfYkSbMxg3oh]{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 Ubersreik ever since. He is the de facto leader of the Dwarf community in Ubersreik. Visiting Dwarfs consider it a great honor to meet Surehammer, and often frequent the inn just to shake his hand.
\nTunnels connect the tavern to the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.vovKNLnGDLEDN5LT]{Khazalgirt}, and from thence to the homes of a number of prominent Dwarfs. In pursuit of a Skaven menace, the Characters find themselves blundering into the basement, bringing them face to face with a group of irate Dwarfs convinced they are raiding the inn!
\nIvar Broadthumb, a Dwarf metalworker, is enraptured by Dordean Mournflair, the Elf behind the The @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.i03nhLrTew82JjsU]{Worshipful Guild of Cutlers}. He wants to meet the secretive smith to discuss methodology, in defiance of traditional Dwarf attitudes to metalworking, and Elves. He needs the party to convey a message, secretly, and arrange a secure, private, neutral space for the meeting, if they can convince Mournflair to come.
\nDeep beneath the @UUID[.vovKNLnGDLEDN5LT]{Khazalgirt}, 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 @UUID[JournalEntry.NcH9OhleJFfaUdon.JournalEntryPage.pjudnfYkSbMxg3oh]{Dwarf Ancestor God} who established ancestor veneration after the loss of his mother. Gazul looks troubled, and leans heavily on a great runesword.
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 Ubersreik, and consoles the bereaved with her soft, leathery hands and heart-felt tears. There are none alive in Ubersreik who can remember when Nargrimi last left the cavern.
Reman Wardas and Gantz Ganev learn of the motherlode of corpses and artefacts hidden beneath their town from a drunk Harataki Dwarf. Hardly able to contain their excitement, the pair steal a map of the @UUID[.vovKNLnGDLEDN5LT]{Khazalgirt} and come up with a cunning plan: dig! Amazingly, after three months digging by a site near the bank of the @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.CqIczLRZI265nrAR]{River Teufel}, they break through to the Underearth. Spying from a dark corner, they soon realize the place is well guarded, so seek a party of capable folk to create a diversion, promising to share any loot they uncover. However, on the day of the planned robbery, just as the diversion occurs beneath, the river swells with meltwater from the @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.w0YfGxsBuLoODCgc]{Grey Mountains}. This water then floods down the dug passageway, flushing Reman, Gantz, and anyone with them into the Underearth, leaving them all with a lot of explaining to do.
Nargrimi is not just a living ancestor, she is the true Queen of Karak Zanda, a Lost Hold not far from @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.JSzzPHEHN8oOhd1z]{Helmgart}. When news arrives claiming the ruins of her former home were uncovered by explorers, and expeditions are being organized by treasure hunters and adventurers, Nargrimi writes a note, making it clear she wishes to speak, but only to outsiders. When Barick Bullicksson brings the party to her in the Underearth, she explains that her Lost Hold must never be investigated, and that no Dwarf with honor may ever approach Karak Zanda. She will speak no more, but will provide @Credit[10gc mode=split]{10 GC} to any party who closes all routes to the ruins of her former home.
Butted up against the @UUID[.wht9BofyQGmtinWN]{Axe and Hammer} lies Borgun’s Brewery, Ubersreik’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 @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.wht9BofyQGmtinWN]{The Axe and 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.
Pink-faced Brewmaster @UUID[Actor.zKJF414fbWr3cYoy]{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.
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.
The party discover that Foambeard is not, in truth, related to Josef Bugman, but has made the claim falsely to boost sales. Should he be confronted publicly, he would be shamed and would likely take the Slayer Oath. Perhaps the Characters can leverage this knowledge in some way that would be profitable?
Sahra Tanner, a human brewer from the @UUID[.ZxGSVbrdYETSiP94]{Artisan Quarter}, is jealous of Foambeard’s success. Her own brews, mimicking Dwarf methods, won’t sell because of his competition. She has poisoned a number of his barrels, bound for a reception on the Hill, with warpstone, little realising the danger this poses. Can the party intercept the contaminated beer before the nobles begin to drink from it?
Ubersreik 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, Ubersreik’s Dwarf Quarter, is a tightly knit community of local Dwarfs. Only a handful of Humans and Halflings inhabit the area; mostly just the town’s 1000 or so Dwarfs gather here. The Dwarf population largely keep to themselves.
@UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.qg1jxSce18k4kptb]{Borgun's Brewery}
@UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.sTFp4j7DXF96VNvG]{Harataken Hold}
@UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.vovKNLnGDLEDN5LT]{Khazalgirt}
@UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.3IL6xYjlSg6RZXsr]{Nordwander and Son's Expeditionary Supplies}
@UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.wht9BofyQGmtinWN]{The Axe and Hammer}
@UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.Aph7Asv8BZVYl8SC]{Lord Gazul's Underearth}
" - }, - "Boatmen's Guild": { - "name": "Boatmen's Guild", - "text": "
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/boatmens-guild.webp\")
The Boatmen’s Guild meets in a converted two-story riverfront warehouse in the southside of @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.CqIczLRZI265nrAR]{the Teufel}. The lower floor has a subsidized tavern and dormitory for its members with almost everything sold at cost, and several private rooms also available. The food and drink is decent and plentiful. The upper floor, looking down over the drinking hall, contains the guild’s offices and the guildmaster’s quarters. The guild is affiliated with the Boatmen’s Guilds of Auerswald, Kemperbad, and @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.V6tkgQ9A2skppjyl]{Altdorf}, meaning members of one guild are given all the benefits of all the other guilds, including access to the tavern and dormitories, pensions for widows and orphans, and access to guild contacts.
\nGuildmaster Karsten Rugger has forgotten more about the waters between Ubersreik and @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.V6tkgQ9A2skppjyl]{Altdorf} than most rivermen will ever know. He’s a cantankerous old man now, though still respected. Rumors that he runs the majority of the river smuggling in Upper Teufel have never been proven. Robbo Brambledown runs the kitchens, and prides himself on being able to reproduce Dwarf and Elf cuisine, though the Halfling is rarely ever asked to do so.
\nThe guild’s working relationship with @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.V6tkgQ9A2skppjyl]{Altdorf} has kept them neutral in the town’s political turmoil. For their part, the Altdorf troops have been turning a blind eye to any smuggling they discover. Should this be known publicly, it would undermine the authority of the Altdorfers, but will anger the guild.
\nA shipment of brandy from Bretonnia is due to be smuggled into Ubersreik tonight. Nixie Dunkelstange is overseeing things, but cannot use guild members, as she suspects someone is feeding information to Geldfinger in @UUID[.UtDzFPhCEkeMyMRe]{Customs House}. It’s a dangerous venture, but profit awaits those willing to take the risk.
\nGrodni Surehammer and his @UUID[.wht9BofyQGmtinWN]{Dwarf Engineers’ Guild} designed and built Ubersreik Bridge over 200 years ago. At that time, Ubersreik was little more than a ruin recently retaken by the State Army of Reikland. The newly crowned emperor, Magnus the Pious, was keen to rebuild what was lost, so commissioned his Dwarf allies to construct a new crossing over the Teufel; the previous bridge had collapsed during the battles to retake the town from stubborn Greenskins.
\nTwo centuries later, and bridge still dominated Ubersreik. It is supported by a number of great, stone pillars sunk deep into the riverbed, to a height making it visible from much of the town. The pillars, tightly grouped near the riverbank, open out in the center, offering two broad channels through which even tall masted river barges can safely pass. The bridge is inscribed with ancient Dwarf runes, ensuring strength and stability.
\nLocal laws prohibit building atop the bridge, meaning those traversing it are greeted with some fine views of both sides of the town and the river surging beneath. Unseen from this vantage, the homeless gather under the bridge when the river isn’t swollen. There they seek to avoid the worst the weather has to offer. Historically the Jungfreuds periodically swept this largely Human detritus away, though the poor and destitute would always return in foul weather.
\nOf late, the Altdorfers have shown no signs of clearing these unfortunates away. As a result, a small shanty town, known locally as Dunkelfeucht, has sprung up under the bridge’s shadow. The Jungfreud supporters in Ubersreik turn their noses up at this development, citing it as yet another failing of the interlopers from the north.
\nIndeed, even the most loyal supporter of the Emperor has to admit that any right-thinking citizen of Ubersreik should be concerned at the unchecked expansion of the Dunkelfeucht. It has not only garnered a particularly foul reputation for attracting the very worst folk Ubersreik has to offer, it is also martialing itself, meaning any future attempt to clear the folk from under the bridge will be met with significant resistance.
\nBecause of this, only the desperate now venture there. Gangs and footpads prowl, and few mornings pass without blood being shed or a fresh body found adrift on the river’s current. Unsurprisingly, the Altdorf-led Watch now avoids the place completely, knowing there is little to be gained by antagonizing the new powers-that-be below the bridge. This freedom from law-enforcement has allowed several makeshift jetties to be built by smuggling gangs. Finding their activities unchallenged, many of these gangs have become bold, often offloading large barges in broad daylight without fear of reprise. Of course, some onlookers mutter that such brazen criminality would never have been allowed when the Jungfreuds ruled, but such talk is divisive, and likely to start arguments, brawls, and even riots.
\nRecent rumors suggest the gangs of the Dunkelfeucht are being bound together by a new leader known only as @UUID[Actor.QRwasUALpkuwthhS]{‘The Baron’}. Though a new arrival to Ubersreik, this criminal mastermind is already known for his ambition and utter ruthlessness. Few outside Dunkelfeucht have ever clapped eyes on him, though most Ubersreikers have heard of him and fear him. If rumors are to be believed, he already has scores of thieves, thugs, and smugglers under his control, and he intends to spread from the docklands quickly, quashing any attempts to thwart the rise of his newly forged criminal empire.
\n![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/the-baron.webp\")
\n@UUID[Actor.QRwasUALpkuwthhS]{The Baron}
\n![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/the-eel.webp\")
\n@UUID[Actor.itvpbprrrMzX6oD6]{The Eel}
\nThe party have been hired by Klaus Osfer to locate his brother Ulli, who is somewhere in Dunkelfeucht. Ulli was kicked out of home by his father, who has now passed away, and Klaus wants him to come back. To get to him, the party will need to negotiate with @UUID[Actor.QRwasUALpkuwthhS]{the baron}, and her thugs, who seem more interested in selling the party’s trappings — and body parts.
\nBarrels of explosives have been reported stolen from the Miners’ Guild, and the trail seems to lead to Dunkelfeucht. If the party investigate, they will discover the explosives are being stockpiled against some of the pillars of the bridge, with a view to destroying it. This plan is being orchestrated by Ernst Elsen, a destitute Human mason resentful of Dwarf influence on Ubersreik.
\n![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/ubersreik-bridge.webp\")
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/dockers-arms.webp\")
This sprawling, timber and lathe tavern caters almost exclusively to the town’s stevedores and teamsters, who have a monopoly on the loading and unloading of all trade goods in Ubersreik. Without paying their fees, none of your cargo moves.
\nThe Dockers’ Arms is effectively the Guildhouse for the Dockers’ Guild. It not only acts as a center for all Docker activity, but is also owned and managed by the guildmaster: Wilhelm ‘Big Willi’ Docker. Big Willi is a giant of a man with arms bigger than most men’s thighs. The lower floor is given over to two tap rooms and a small kitchen. Upstairs is the Docker family living quarters, including a small kitchen, living space, and three bedrooms.
\nAt any one time, several teams of Dockers will be drinking in the tavern, and many more will be working the wharves, warehouses, merchant houses, or streets, with some policing to ensure none load or unload without proper documentation.
\nAloysius Thorncobble III, a Halfling merchant has employed the party. He is in dispute with the Dockers’ Guild, who are refusing to unload for him, until he settles an outstanding debt. As he believes he paid the debt (to the Dockers’ Guild in Altdorf ), he is unwilling to do so. As the party begin to unload his barge, a group of dockers arrive to point out the error in their ways.
\nLittle Willi, Big Willi’s even-taller son, has been running a side operation, smuggling luxury foodstuffs for the Lowhaven Clan. But when the Watch confiscated his last load, on @UUID[.UtDzFPhCEkeMyMRe]{Geldfinger’s} orders, that left him owing the Halflings a lot of money. He is willing to offer free Guild Membership to the party if they help him break into the warehouse where the confiscated goods are, and help him steal them back.
\nUbersreik docks of spread the length of @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.CqIczLRZI265nrAR]{The 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’.
@UUID[.AIMlOScGrg8pmSdl]{Boatmen's Guild}
@UUID[.UtDzFPhCEkeMyMRe]{Customs House}
@UUID[.pIrh6ASaL0C4Ufxq]{Dockers' Arms}
@UUID[.chjEuXyiPsOxpRNy]{Grail Chapel}
@UUID[.6dLEb6ZWuPhB2pRu]{Rugger's Boarding House}
@UUID[.Cdzowk6cSn0TPxYd]{Strohmann Markt}
@UUID[.XrD7HLaASDeDsVmR]{The Crooked Hammer}
@UUID[.b7O2qxgkBbDE6ip5]{The Guild of Boatbuilders and Chandlers}
@UUID[.SXL6nawwIBwPBkhL]{The Hog Pit}
@UUID[.ddQoNatt6T4Fd2ZY]{The Red Moon Inn}
@UUID[.hH4rYTzJjDf5JF6y]{The Kat House}
@UUID[.yY5DUbAdKg2MhDva]{Ubersreik Bridge}
" - }, - "The Red Moon Inn": { - "name": "The Red Moon Inn", - "text": "![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/red-moon-inn.webp\")
The two-story Red Moon Inn primarily caters to boatmen plying their trade up and down @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.CqIczLRZI265nrAR]{The 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@UUID[Actor.k7qn4SFIygpbL5GS]{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.
\nWhile enjoying a tasty stew, the party overhear plans to allow brigands in through the town gates at midnight. One of the conspirators is in the Watch, but they didn’t get a clear view of him, and without proof, the authorities will never believe them. The watchman had a distinctive voice, though. Have they got time to talk to all the watchmen in Ubersreik before nightfall?
\nAs the party are celebrating being paid by settling in to a round of good, strong beers, two masked hoodlums enter the Inn, bearing loaded pistols. Kürbis and Honighäschen, a pair of legendary married brigands, urge everyone to stay calm and hand over all their wealth. Honighäschen warns that should anyone move, she will execute every last patron in the inn.
\n![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/crooked-hammer.webp\")
The Crooked Hammer is a slightly seedy, rough-looking tavern typical of those found in the @UUID[.BQA04SKWoMFPjb7T]{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 @UUID[JournalEntry.NcH9OhleJFfaUdon.JournalEntryPage.vrUN2NZ9t9d37J6V]{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 Ubersreik.
\nGert 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 Ubersreik.
\nAt 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.
\nWhile most are aware of the gambling den run by the Crosses, less well known is the clandestine fencing operation run behind the book-keeper’s office. Here, the Crooked Fingers buy, sell, and trade stolen goods. Now, the party have been robbed and their goods will be there. That is, if they can talk their way past the Ranaldans.
\nDannel Meer, legendary thief, is putting together a crew to raid @UUID[.Nhd3vUOVqhDhtRty]{Black Rock Castle}. In the constitutional unrest, taxes from the Province of Ubersreik have been coming into the castle, but since the Jungfreuds were ejected, they have been piling up. Von Walfen, the Archduke, is too afraid of Altdorf ’s power to take the taxes for himself, and so they languish, unclaimed, in the vaults of Black Rock. There is a fortune there for the taking.
\nA 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.
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: @UUID[Actor.L0oHLYZcGQHDWKMo]{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.
The Kat House is ablaze. Onlookers panic, and a number of Alisha’s staff, as well as some wealthy patrons, are trapped in the burning building. It’s a deathtrap, but helping could be profitable, and possibly troublesome when evidence seems to point to an outraged Initiate of the @UUID[JournalEntry.NcH9OhleJFfaUdon.JournalEntryPage.OclFlDGI5fC9ygoP]{Cult of Sigmar}.
Albrecht Horsten, a wealthy grain merchant, is prone to weaknesses of the flesh and is a frequent visitor to the Kat House. Alisha believes he has fallen to the Prince of Pleasure, so he, noting her suspicion, has placed a bounty on her head. Alisha needs an escort to @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.iuChMNeuKpG8Hy91]{the Precinct}, to meet with @UUID[Actor.L0oHLYZcGQHDWKMo]{Captain Pfeffer}, but a high bounty can be very tempting…
Strohmann Markt lies at the edge of the @UUID[.BQA04SKWoMFPjb7T]{Teubrücke}, where it connects to the fortified @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.iuChMNeuKpG8Hy91]{Precinct} district. A relatively small, open square, it hosts a number of stalls by day, selling a wide variety of food and clothing.
Hocheim’s Livery Stables dominates one side of the platz, where visitors to Ubersreik can stable their horses. Civilians are prohibited from riding within @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.iuChMNeuKpG8Hy91]{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.
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.
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.
Hocheim has altered her will so her stables will be sold off on her death, the money being used to support soldiers’ widows and children. Her nephew, Tilman, would rather she support her more immediate family. Should the party be able to produce a good forgery of the will, they will stand to profit, following Sabina’s eventual demise.
Marlies Zeitflug needs some influential customers, in the hope that they may make her time-pieces more fashionable. Should the party be able to convince someone wealthy to buy a clock, they will earn a commission.
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/strohmann-markt.webp\")
The 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.
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 @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.f4qEdyACbY0OlYJU]{Carpenters’ Guild} ever since. @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-ua2.actors.PMwpeOsIYSYICoKu]{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.
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/grail-chapel.webp\")
Hugo was, in fact, a knight, but he left Bretonnia in disgrace over ungentlemanly conduct in a tourney. A recent visitor, Sir Pierre De L’Arbaque, recognized the old man, and, viewing him unfit to serve in the chapel, has forcibly ejected him from his home. Hugo is determined to fight the much younger Pierre, to reclaim his honor, but the party are convinced that if he does, he will be slaughtered.
Nils Scherzer, an agitator, has been whipping up a frenzy of anti-Bretonnian sentiment, determined to make Reikland great again. He has raised a mob, intent on driving Bretonnians out of Ubersreik. He plans to burn the chapel to the ground, killing those within and potentially spreading fire throughout the town. There is no time to summon the Watch, only the party can intervene!
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/ruggers-boarding-house.webp\")
@UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-ua1.scenes.4L8T2DLNp5V8VkpU]{Rugger's Boarding House}
Rugger’s is Ubersreik’s 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.
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 @UUID[.AIMlOScGrg8pmSdl]{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.
Gram’ma has a job. One of her lodgers, Herr Bleanich, passed away in the night. She’d rather not deal with the Watch, so make the body go away and Gram’ma will owe you.
Gram’ma has another job. This one’s a little bigger. Her husband, Karsten Rugger, is too scrupulous for her liking. She will be thankful if someone makes him vanish. Permanently.
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.
Gart Fünke, an old farmer of both pigs and gong, is the Hog Pit’s most influential man. Theoretically, any Ubersreik 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.
Dirk Schwengen, a protagonist who charges a toll to cross the Hog Pit, offers a choice: pay him, or end up in the muck.
Rumors claim Fünke feeds his pigs mortal remains. Fünke recently provided ‘pork’ to @UUID[.cQvTuhJqYQxXRqbC]{Satrioli’s Sausage Shop}, leading to whispers that he disposes bodies for the Lowhavens. When the Ghost of Benno Nusbaum, a gang enforcer, haunts his daughter, she seeks help to retrieve his remains from the Hog Pit without alienating the Halfling criminals who put it there.
" - }, - "The Guild of Boatbuilders and Chandlers": { - "name": "The Guild of Boatbuilders and Chandlers", - "text": "
This unassuming wooden building not far from Ubersreik’s 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.
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.
At the most recent @UUID[.zeGI8affMTVI0ot3#ubersreik-festivals]{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.
Prochnow’s latest prototype was stolen by river pirates. Should the riverwardens take it down, they will likely damage the boat or ask awkward questions, so he is willing to pay handsomely for a party to quietly recover the vessel, with a significant bonus should it be unscathed.
Prochnow’s travels and letters are a facade. He is a member of a widespread Cult, @UUID[JournalEntry.d8nvgs2H5MmtKhdM.JournalEntryPage.L5gV9pgaWXB3floP#the-fractured-eye]{The Fractured Eye}, who pursue knowledge at all costs. Beneath the guildhouse he keeps a profane and illegal library. He seeks a particular scroll from the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.ndJS6SUNVpcUc3ax]{Temple of Verena}, and would very much like some patsies to steal it for him.
All tax collected in Ubersreik 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 @UUID[.pIrh6ASaL0C4Ufxq]{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.
When the party witness Detlef Schädler, one of Geldfinger’s clerks, murdered enroute to his post at the northern gate, they see the glint of opportunity. If they hide the body, they could take his place and pocket the day’s taxes. All they need to do is fool the town guards and the merchants, keep the body hidden, and avoid whomever killed Schädler in the first place.
Geldfnger has noted a drop off on tax revenue on brandy, due to a smuggling ring operating on the river at night. He suspects one of his clerks is on the payroll, so he is looking to hire a group of ‘independent contractors’ to investigate quietly, and shut down the operation. He is willing to pay handsomely, as well as offer a letter of recommendation, should the party resolve the issue discreetly.
" - }, - "The High Temple of Sigmar": { - "name": "The High Temple of Sigmar", - "text": "Taxing Situation
Before the Jungfreuds were removed from power, taxes owed by the duchy of Ubersreik to the prince of Altdorf were collated in customs house and transferred to @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.Nhd3vUOVqhDhtRty]{Black Rock Castle}. 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 Ubersreik. But there is no duke. so, who collects the taxes and passes them to the Prince of Reikland?
No one knows. the vassals of the duke of Ubersreik 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 Ubersreik’s taxes by the Reikland crown, but there is no direct vassal to pass them to him. This leaves @UUID[Actor.gfSfXHgfqW5QiUxu]{General von Dabernick} and @UUID[Actor.hcAF95tFaOdoZoeF]{Lady Nacht}, the two figures currently governing Ubersreik, 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.
The High Temple of Sigmar, the Empire’s patron god, was the first building rebuilt on the orders of Magnus the Pious after the old one was levelled by Greenskins during the Great War Against Chaos. It is the largest temple in town, dwarfing those in other quarters. The facade is lined with pillars, and the temple itself can hold hundreds of worshippers.
On especially busy Festags (festival days), poorer worshippers huddle outside the doors, straining to hear the service. Recently, locals have found the temple significantly busier, as it is filled with officers and soldiers from @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.V6tkgQ9A2skppjyl]{Altdorf}.
Father @UUID[Actor.3iFI20RxtZFfygse]{Gunther Emming} is the High Priest. A stern looking man in his 50s with thinning silver hair, Emming is famed for the severity of his sermons, and the sobriety of his demeanor. Though not unkind, he laces even his praise and comforting words with dire warnings of the consequences of vice.
Irma Brantl, a pious if somewhat naive, young priestess of Sigmar has recently arrived in Ubersreik. @UUID[Actor.3iFI20RxtZFfygse]{Father Emming} finds her gentle nature and incessant blithe chat incompatible with his view of the world. He is seeking ways to keep her out of his hair. He will pay the party well to escort her on a tour of the surrounding villages, to meet with the priests there. He will pay double if they take their time. Two or three months should do…
Dark dreams haunt those who spend too much time in the basement. Recently a farmer’s child disappeared on Marktag. The clues seem to suggest it was taken to the temple of Sigmar. Ernst Ricker, of the Order of the Cleansing Flame, is the only person with rooms in the basement of the temple. He may have lost his mind to the Ruinous Powers, but who is righteous enough to accuse him of heresy?
Ubersreik’s Marktplatz quarter stands at the heart of the town. Every Marktag (the weekly market day), farmers bring their produce from the surrounding villages to trade in the busy market squares, while peddlers and merchants display cloth and other produce. Most retailers within Ubersreik also pitch stalls on Marktag, charging a little extra, in the knowledge that most customers favor convenience over trekking to the other side of town.
At the center of the Market Square, the largest square in the quarter, an imposing statue of Magnus the Pious stands, commemorating his pivotal role in rebuilding Ubersreik after the Great War Against Chaos. Though busiest on Marktag, the Marktplatz bustles with activity on most days, and it is often used as a meeting point, especially by those new to town.
@UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.3pf3VHHG0bVR2qxS]{Sprichstumpf}
@UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.MM6ubJbPOVCvlRcw]{The High Temple of Sigmar}
@UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.XXEYah0l4NQV0Uhs]{The Physicians' Guild}
@UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.YPtYlkm1obschPba]{The Temple of Shallya}
@UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.ndJS6SUNVpcUc3ax]{The Temple of Verena}
@UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.XwIhOxNlvrgkuqme]{Town Hall}
@UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.GXNNqy1wiejyIKx9]{Watchstation}
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/marktplatz.webp\")
The Temple of @UUID[JournalEntry.NcH9OhleJFfaUdon.JournalEntryPage.9bWE0Ayt5XGQf50r]{Verena, Goddess of Wisdom}, stands at the southeast corner of Handel Square. A modest building, its services are attended regularly by scholars, including members of Ubersreik’s judiciary. Behind the single-story temple lies the ‘Annexe’, a large library open to all. The Annexe contains a broad, well-lit reading room and many cases of books and scrolls, including the town’s charter and bylaws, and minutes of the Jungfreuds’ historical rulings. The more valuable, or dangerous, books are located in a locked room, only accessible with the high priest’s blessing.
@UUID[Actor.1D9An40z5DUHcj7M]{Heinrich Gutenberg} is the high priest of the temple. Gutenberg is assisted by Dagmar Schirma, a shortsighted librarian who is clearly besotted with the high priest. This is one piece of knowledge of which Gutenberg remains sadly ignorant.
After a theft from the Annexe, librarian Schirma asks the party to hunt down and bring back the books from various dealers and private collectors around town. She doesn’t want @UUID[Actor.1D9An40z5DUHcj7M]{Gutenberg} to know, so won’t involve the authorities. She will reimburse the party the cost of repurchasing the books plus a small amount for their time. If the party can secure the books without paying, they could turn a profit.
Andreas von Bruner (see @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.U5fSG8wDw2ZCLIWG]{Bruner Palace}) badly wants to read a restricted book, but @UUID[Actor.1D9An40z5DUHcj7M]{Gutenberg} refuses him. Any smuggling Andreas into the locked section will be paid handsomely. Of course, as he’s secretly a cultist in thrall to the Chaos God Slaanesh, doing so may prove a very bad idea.
This small building, not far from the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.XwIhOxNlvrgkuqme]{Town Hall}, is not more than four-foot across at its base. It has a heavy, oak door daubed with a crude rendition of the heraldry of Ubersreik. Inside, there is a waist-height metal pole against one wall with manacles attached. The Watch once used the Watchstation to hold drunks or to imprison criminals during night-time patrols. However, the keys to @UUID[.U4xIUC3CfKZAgVSR]{Marktplatz} Watchstation, and the other 11 Watchstations spread through Ubersreik, went missing during the Altdorf invasion.
@UUID[Actor.L0oHLYZcGQHDWKMo]{Captain Pfeffer}, wants access to the Watchstations. She is advertising for any with the relevant skills to help her gain entry without causing damage so she can then replace the locks. However, the existing locks are Dwarf-wrought, and require a Very Hard (−30) Pick Lock Test scoring +3 SL to open. If any do so, there is a reward of @Credit[2gc mode=split]{2 GC} on offer.
@UUID[Actor.QRwasUALpkuwthhS]{The Baron} has the keys for the Watchstations, and is using them to store smuggled goods. She will not be happy should others gain access, and will seek vengeance if her contraband is taken.
Across the square from @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.YPtYlkm1obschPba]{The Temple of Shallya} lies the Physicians’ Guild, a modest but well-appointed building. Ubersreik 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.
Doktor @UUID[Actor.aUPlT4HBdnEKjuM1]{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 @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-altdorf.journals.EmhvOkkzAir6pzCB.JournalEntryPage.OiAVm63T9JEFsVfR]{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.
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 Ubersreik. @UUID[Actor.aUPlT4HBdnEKjuM1]{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.
@UUID[Actor.aUPlT4HBdnEKjuM1]{Doktor Krupp} is willing to pay a bounty of a shilling to anyone who can provide proof of a barber surgeon performing restricted work (such as the stitching of wounds) within the walls of Ubersreik. Of course, doing so would mean one’s only future recourse for healing would be the Physicians’ Guild, and their fees are steep.
Doktor Grat is a member of @UUID[JournalEntry.d8nvgs2H5MmtKhdM.JournalEntryPage.L5gV9pgaWXB3floP#the-tinean-fellowship]{The Tinean Fellowship}. Her obsession with diseases led to her worshipping Nurgle, the Chaos God of Disease. She has a secret shrine to the Plague Lord in the cupboard of her office, and has been injecting her patients with @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-starter-set.items.BBYmXJ5jiRUk93IJ]{Bronze Fever} to observe the effects.
The Sprichstumpf is the stump of a great oak tree that once stood in what is now @UUID[.U4xIUC3CfKZAgVSR]{the Market Square}. It was felled during Magnus’ reconstruction of the town, and its timbers form the roof of the Nobles’ Court in the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.XwIhOxNlvrgkuqme]{Town Hall}.
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.
Anton Grimski, a firebrand agitator, has taken to visiting the Sprichstumpf most mornings, railing against the bourgeois corruption of Maler and the guilds, urging the common folk to rise up against their wealthier compatriots. Grimski is, in truth, in the pay of the Jungfreuds, who wish to show the Burgomeister is unable to maintain order.
On Festag, a wandering Sigmarite mendicant begins to preach of the decadence of the @UUID[JournalEntry.NcH9OhleJFfaUdon.JournalEntryPage.OclFlDGI5fC9ygoP]{Cult of Sigmar}, drawing quite a crowd. The mood of the crowd begins to turn sour. A riot may erupt, unless the players take action.
The white walls of the Temple of @UUID[JournalEntry.NcH9OhleJFfaUdon.JournalEntryPage.TjfeXu3fimHJ5I9Q]{Shallya, Goddess of Mercy}, soar skywards near @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.ndJS6SUNVpcUc3ax]{The Temple of 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.
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.
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.
Altenbum has plans. She wishes to expand into the vacant building next to the temple, to create a hospice and infirmary for the town’s poor. But to do so she will need donations and the blessing of the town’s rulers. Any party able to secure either, or both, will find themselves in her good graces, and in receipt of free healing in perpetuity!
Esther Schultz, a dairy farmer who lives a few days from Ubersreik was taken ill last Marktag. High Priestess Altenblum would like the party to escort Esther home, so that she may die in peace. Unfortunately, Esther is dying due to exposure to warpstone. Over the course of the journey, she will gradually mutate. The horrors awaiting at her farm can only be imagined. And what about anyone who ate her cheese?
Ubersreik’s Town Hall is an imposing stone building, two stories high with four towers, that looms over the northern side of @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.U4xIUC3CfKZAgVSR]{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 @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.FZ6VFcaXq1EzHmXF#town-council]{Town Council}, which meets weekly in the Town Hall, has risen dramatically, although the formal bounds of its power is very much in flux.
@UUID[Actor.nfeuQpvBdcemCuza]{Ernst Maler} is the current Burgomeister of Ubersreik and leader of the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.FZ6VFcaXq1EzHmXF#town-council]{Ubersreik 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.
Beneath the Town Hall, there is an old, disused gaol, with a half-dozen cells. Maler would like the cells cleared, ‘as a precaution, only!’. Unbeknownst to Maler, a colony of giant spiders are nesting there, so clearing the basement will take more than merely moving boxes.
If the party have made contact with Maler, they will immediately come to the attention of the aspiring guildmasters, any of whom may contract the characters to lobby Maler on their behalf. Should different guilds coerce different party-members, the fallout could be messy…
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.
Benedict Gurkenfeld was an actor and playwright of some renown, once a fierce rival of the famous @UUID[Actor.HVtHpEXhGGMOmGzy]{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 @UUID[.U4xIUC3CfKZAgVSR]{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.
Disaster has struck. On the night of a sell-out performance, all of Gurkenfeld’s performers have fallen ill after eating some dodgy shellfish. If the party have any skill at performing, this could be their big break.
Like all good theatres, the Theatre Varieté is haunted. The ghost is tormenting the visiting performers, and Gurkenfeld is desperate. Should the party investigate, they will discover that one of the stagehands, a Dwarf named Ragnar Torsson, has been faking the ghost in the hope of boosting ticket sales so he won’t be fired.
A large, two-story, stone building, the Corn Exchange used to be the primary market for all grain trading in Ubersreik. As Ubersreik and its population steadily grew, the trade it generated outgrew the space and moved to a larger site near the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.BQA04SKWoMFPjb7T]{Teubrücke}. Since then, the building has been reconfigured as an indoor market, with numerous small retail stalls present on most days. The ground floor is a maze of stalls selling clothes, food, homewares, and knick-knacks of all kinds. A mezzanine gallery circles the building. More expensive items may be purchased there, and guards circulate to ensure customers don’t give in to the temptations of @UUID[JournalEntry.NcH9OhleJFfaUdon.JournalEntryPage.vrUN2NZ9t9d37J6V]{Ranald, the God of Thieves and Trickery}, and try to lift stack without paying.
Numerous traders offer their wares here, including: Ekkehard Eich, trader in rare books; Heinz Giegerich, a scribe who will read or write letters for a fee; and Malasa Nusa, an Arabyan textile merchant. The stallholders all pay rent to scowling Elke Furlisdottir, the Dwarf landlord. Elke’s brother, ‘Mighty’ Borin Bozaksson, is responsible for security throughout the Corn Exchange. Only the fastest or most foolish of thieves consider shoplifting under Borin’s watch, as the girth of his biceps are obvious, and the sharpness of his eyes evident.
As the PCs browse the Corn Exchange’s stalls, a worried merchant asks them to cover his stall while he nips to the privy (‘got a touch of Rumster’s Revenge!’). After half a bell, the real owner returns, wondering what happened to his good-for-nothing nephew and the day’s takings.
Greta Klopstock, a young thief and initiate of the Crooked Fingers sect of the @UUID[JournalEntry.NcH9OhleJFfaUdon.JournalEntryPage.vrUN2NZ9t9d37J6V]{Cult of Ranald}, is on her way out of the market, pursued by Borin. The party could intervene on either party’s behalf, attempting to catch the thief in the hopes of a reward, or slowing the guard to ensure her escape in the hope of a future favor.
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/furlisdottirs-corn-exchange.webp\")
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/wahlunds-rat-catchers.webp\")
Until recently, the rat catchers of Ubersreik barely had a guild. They met once a month in @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.ddQoNatt6T4Fd2ZY]{The Red Moon Inn} to discuss rodent nests, but otherwise kept to themselves. The Duke of Ubersreik 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.
\nHowever, just a week later, @UUID[Actor.rlm60LyBWkTIpOWr]{Wahlund}, a foreign rat catcher, arrived in Ubersreik 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 @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.FZ6VFcaXq1EzHmXF#town-council]{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.
\nWahlund’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 Ubersreik’s sewer complex, which is why the inn was chosen.
\nThe guild comprises only nine members. It is led by @UUID[Actor.rlm60LyBWkTIpOWr]{Guildmaster Wahlund}, who arrived in Ubersreik 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: @UUID[Actor.HnEqymUdTW67MCq9]{Melina Heilbronn}, Günther Burkharrt, Reineke Rattenfanger, Fritz Vogelman, and Thormo Hakenbein.
\n![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/guildmaster-wahlund.webp\")
\n@UUID[Actor.rlm60LyBWkTIpOWr]{Guildmaster Wahlund}
\n![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/melina-heilbronn.webp\")
\n@UUID[Actor.HnEqymUdTW67MCq9]{Melina Heilbronn}
\n\n
@UUID[Actor.rlm60LyBWkTIpOWr]{Wahlund} wishes to hire the players to hunt rats, freeing him up to focus on hunting skaven. their discretion is appreciated and will be rewarded. of course, once down there, it’s likely they will inevitably encounter the four northerners on the hunt, and may well become embroiled in their secret quest for vengeance.
\nThormo Hakenbein, one of the guild’s most unassuming members, is secretly a Witch. With the guild’s expansion, he fears discovery and will hire the party to investigate @UUID[Actor.rlm60LyBWkTIpOWr]{Wahlund} and his friends, hoping that his coin will prevent them from looking into his own activities.
\n![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/sewers.webp\")
The Merchants’ Guild has become the political powerhouse of Ubersreik 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.
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.
Müller is secretly a member of the Brotherhood, part of the Cult of Ranald. She is instrumental in moving funds from the cult’s illicit activities in the Crooked Hammer to more legitimate ventures. If the party contains a Ranaldan, or have assisted the cult, she can smuggle them out of Ubersreik to Altdorf, as long as they don’t mind spending several days in the hold of a barge laden with cheese.
Bengt Hertie, whose Merchant House trades in cloth and clothing, is very much the junior partner in the guild. No Hertie has ever been guildmaster, and this burns Bengt up inside. Keen to remedy this state of affairs, Bengt wishes to acquire gossip on his Brauninger, Karstadt, or Müller rivals, and will pay for any dirt. However, he’s not the brightest man, and is easily fooled with any plausible ‘secrets’.
Seven small warehouses are ringfenced to the north of the @UUID[.lMkiSBk0fM2nkGZv]{Merchant’s District} and well-patrolled by private guards. They are owned by the Unterdaumen Merchant House, an Ubersreik 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.
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 @UUID[.FIx69aLJxrJczytP]{Merchant Guild} every morning to catch the best business.
Underdaumen deals with @UUID[Actor.QRwasUALpkuwthhS]{the Baron}, @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.cQvTuhJqYQxXRqbC]{the Lowhavens}, @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.ExTWORbrAGfPjoSu]{Guido Falk}, and several other criminal gangs. However, she doesn’t want her guards caught up in obvious unlawful activity, so hires cheap outsiders to run errands and collect contraband.
Fritzman is a @UUID[JournalEntry.d8nvgs2H5MmtKhdM.JournalEntryPage.L5gV9pgaWXB3floP#the-yellowbellies]{Yellowbelly} who spies on criminal families for his masters. He reports to Slippery Jacob, a bawd from @UUID[.BQA04SKWoMFPjb7T]{the Docks}, and is overheard sharing Lowhaven secrets. They could be lucrative if sold to the correct party.
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/exploding-pig.webp\")
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 Ubersreik’s chattering middle classes gather to discuss the latest developments concerning the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.FZ6VFcaXq1EzHmXF#town-council]{Town Council} and then jockey for influence.
Hanno Rader, the landlord, named the inn after an accident in @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.A4x3cKwa1h875OlK]{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.
Rader’s open support of the @UUID[Actor.nfeuQpvBdcemCuza]{Burgomeister’s} efforts to secure Freiburg status for Ubersreik has earned him the disdain of locals loyal to the Jungfreuds, who rarely frequent his establishment any more.
While exiting at closing time, masked brigands attack the party and other patrons. If they decide to report the assault to the Watch, they realize that one of the assailants was Watch Sergeant Tirza Bronstein. He’s quite prepared to lock up any with wild claims of corrupt watchmen, and not above permanently confiscating any coins he should find when he does so.
Rader uses one of his private rooms upstairs to host a group of guildmasters who are consolidating their efforts to influence the Burgomeister. Kurt Prochnow, guildmaster of the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.b7O2qxgkBbDE6ip5]{Boatbuilders and Chandlers’ Guild} who is not a part of this group, will pay the party @Credit[1gc mode=split]{1 GC} to spy on the meeting and report back what they discover.
" - }, - "Thulmannplatz": { - "name": "Thulmannplatz", - "text": "
A small square, Thulmannplatz is home to Ubersreik’s 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 @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.ovlGUalf14xyiTpC]{Sascha Sauer} cheap supplies for his slop.
Genoveva Grün, an agitator who supports the expulsion of the Jungfreuds, has taken to riling crowds up, exhorting them to pelt their supporters heavily with rancid fruit. Sharp-eyed Characters may note that she is being paid in turn by the Halflings for increasing their trade, making a hefty profit. She is also employed by a crooked Sergeant in the Altdorf troops, who ensures she is on hand when he locks up any dissenters. When the party find themselves in his crosshairs, will this knowledge protect them?
When Severin Pfister, a visiting wool merchant, is arrested on trumped up charges, just because some of his wool is dyed in Jungfreud colors, the crowd is so incensed that it swarms the stocks, intent on tearing him limb from limb. Will the party stand by and watch an innocent man be murdered? Will they step in and save him? Or join in, and loot his corpse?
" - }, - "Saint Bastian's Hospital": { - "name": "Saint Bastian's Hospital", - "text": "
Ubersreik’s @UUID[.FIx69aLJxrJczytP]{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 @UUID[.lMkiSBk0fM2nkGZv]{Merchant Quarter} (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. @UUID[Actor.MRtQM75DZK9SQ2lp]{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.
\nMistress Tüsch wishes to take some of the children on a field trip into @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.mdjl1WxjZLeuSWAN]{the Hagercrybs}, to observe the natural flora and fauna, and take some samples. Given rumors of bandits in the area, the @UUID[.FIx69aLJxrJczytP]{Merchants’ Guild} are willing to pay for an escort. In fact, there are no bandits there, but the children are sure to provide trouble enough!
\nUnbeknownst to his employers, or his wife, Gewinnguter is a Daemonologist. In the evenings, while ostensibly going over the hospital’s ledgers, he pores over his arcane grimoire, summoning lesser daemons, which he binds within an octagram. Despite dabbling in the dark arts, Gewinnguter is not yet in thrall to the ruinous powers, using the knowledge of these daemons to blackmail a number of rivals and quietly accrue more personal wealth. Gunther Grabbe, one of his victims, hires the party to investigate just how Gewinnguter gets his information.
\n![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/frederich-gewinnguter.webp\")
Dominating the skyline in the south of Ubersreik, 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 Ubersreik, 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.
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 Ubersreik’s 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.
Ruprecht Adelmann, a deeply tanned man with dark hair with tight curls, is the guild’s Ubersreik representative. Also a member of the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.FIx69aLJxrJczytP]{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 Ubersreik, are completely unaware of his frequent dalliances.
The troops from @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.V6tkgQ9A2skppjyl]{Altdorf} have come with their own supply of flour, which has driven down local prices and initiated a trade war between @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.V6tkgQ9A2skppjyl]{Altdorf} and Ubersreik. Should something happen to the Old Granary, it would devastate the local market, opening it up to importers. Marta Kroll, an Altdorfer merchant, is hoping this happens so she can trade with importers.
Adelmann’s system of chitties is efficient and visionary. It is also very easy to counterfeit. The party is asked to acquire a chitty and deliver it to a fence, who will meet them in @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.ddQoNatt6T4Fd2ZY]{The Red Moon Inn}. The ‘Fence’ is actually an agent of Captain Pfeffer of the Watch, on the lookout for a ring of counterfeiters. Quick-talking by the PCs might see them hired as her agents. A less spectacular result has them arrested as co-conspirators.
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/von-holzenauers.webp\")
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.
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.
Though von Holzenauer developed his @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-starter-set.items.vUGt1d6vzu3kuMYu]{Ameliorative Elixir} as a painkiller, it is often used recreationally (not that he realizes this). The potion is almost absurdly cheap, and is sold at a markup in seedy establishments in @UUID[.BQA04SKWoMFPjb7T]{the Docks}. Viktoria Häussler, a bawd, will pay the party to purchase large quantities of the potion and bring them to her.
Gustavus Guggenheimer, a Wizard Lord of the Gold Order attached to the Altdorf State Army, is concerned that von Holzenauer’s potions have unnatural effects. Given Holzenauer’s noble status, Guggenheimer is reluctant to officially intervene, so has asked the party to investigate and determine what goes into the mysterious potions.
" - }, - "Sisters' Bakery": { - "name": "Sisters' Bakery", - "text": "Potions For All Seasons
Von Holzenauer’s experimentation has resulted in some success. the following potions are available only in his shop.
Item
Cost
@UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-starter-set.items.vUGt1d6vzu3kuMYu]{Ameliorative Elixir}
@Pay[1ss4bp]{1/4}
@UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-starter-set.items.lTsRQp3AmDBcXg9L]{Focusing Philtre}
@Pay[5ss]{5/-}
@UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-starter-set.items.bycar0CfYqx6OOft]{Liquor of Luck}
@Pay[1gc]{1GC}
@UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-starter-set.items.D8jml7l6GANTVwXn]{Katya's Cordial}
@Pay[6ss]{6/-}
@UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-starter-set.items.9xOhhmZzKTPS2SnO]{The Marvelous Medicinal Mixture}
@Pay[8ss]{8/-}
@UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-starter-set.items.mZHMUtVLsASroIQH]{Reactionary Restorative}
@Pay[1gc]{1GC}
@UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-starter-set.items.AulAEeUVTGuCmQPX]{Tonic of Sight Beyond Sight}
@Pay[10ss]{10/-}
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.
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 @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.V6tkgQ9A2skppjyl]{Altdorf} recipes, such as her (immediately popular) lamprey pies.
Nom needs some very specific ingredients from @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.cQvTuhJqYQxXRqbC]{Satrioli's Sausage Shop}, but cannot buy them directly out of fear of the Lowhaven Clan. If the party can buy the ingredients without arousing suspicion, free pies all round!
The bakery is vandalized — the brick ovens hammered and the produce spoiled. When the short-staffed Watch take no interest in solving the crime, the Tumbleberrys turn to the party to investigate. If they follow the clues, they will discover a group of locals were riled up by Anton Grimski, an agitator, to target businesses fraternizing with troops from @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.V6tkgQ9A2skppjyl]{Altdorf}.
The Dog Pens, a wide square near the center of the @UUID[.lMkiSBk0fM2nkGZv]{Merchant Quarter}, 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.
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.
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 @Pay[3bp]{3d} for a bowl and pint (only @Pay[2bp]{2d} should you have your own cup and stein).
Perhaps the name ‘The Dog Pens’ is more accurate than many believe. Sauer frequently finds affordable meat hard to acquire, and will resort to unconventional sources when needs must. When the party, or a close ally, loses their small but vicious dog, they may not be consoled with a large portion of viscous slop.
Frau Dehne is a devout follower of @UUID[JournalEntry.NcH9OhleJFfaUdon.JournalEntryPage.9bWE0Ayt5XGQf50r]{Verena, the Goddess of Wisdom}. After the death of her alcoholic husband, she came to believes that alcohol is the root of the Empire’s current woes. She has started a temperance movement in Ubersreik, and it meets once a week in her tearoom. When she hears of the party’s deeds, she makes a request that it publicly abstains from drinking to help her garner support amongst the populace. She can’t pay much money, but her raspberry cordial is to die for.
Spirren-Hirsch and Gärtner are the foremost practitioners of law in Ubersreik. 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.
In addition to their numerous street-front entrances, and one in the back-alley, there is a secret entrance into the sewers. This secret entrance is used by some of the firm’s less savory clientele. Bjorn Fellstren, a skittish racketeer, requires an escort, and the firm will pay well for the party to offer protection from sewer jacks, rats, or anything nastier.
Prosperity Lowhaven, a lawyer and representative of the not-inconsiderable holdings of the Lowhaven Clan, is in litigation with one of Gärtner’s clients. He will pay the party handsomely, if they can pose as clients, infiltrate Gärtner’s office, and steal the relevant documents.
The Merchant Quarter extends eastwards from @UUID[.U4xIUC3CfKZAgVSR]{Marktplatz} to the base of @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.CI7BOaVBiL3tOBxR]{the Hill}. It contains the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.FIx69aLJxrJczytP]{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 Ubersreik 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.
@UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.NDUkdxnBpSffkYsI]{Furlisdottir's Corn Exchange}
@UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.FIx69aLJxrJczytP]{Merchant's Guild}
@UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.3v2cA4Cmw328xVfB]{Saint Bastian's Hospital}
@UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.XGrvKcTaGeDv8cNk]{Sisters' Bakery}
@UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.uOuZXEv6msA3K8k7]{Spirren-Hirsch and Gärtner}
@UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.ovlGUalf14xyiTpC]{The Dog Pens}
@UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.heftQyOHEycBpbGT]{The Exploding Pig}
@UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.eSk9k9fptVHLe6qg]{The Old Granary}
@UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.lrn5xDmRdlFmeUP0]{Thulmannplatz}
@UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.DCNUwnP2KTI7gdaA]{Unterdaumen Warehouses}
@UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.LvV7BRqPYMf5rlCp]{Von Holzenauer's Potion Shop}
@UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.B0LbHpx74tQkIdtH]{Wahlund's Rat Catchers}
" - }, - "Emperor's Rest Hostel": { - "name": "Emperor's Rest Hostel", - "text": "
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/emperors-rest.webp\")
The six-story Emperor’s Rest sits at the base of @UUID[.CI7BOaVBiL3tOBxR]{the Hill} by the northern end of the Osterstrasse and provides suites of rooms and fine dining for the wealthiest of Ubersreik. The prohibitive prices, and burly, if well-liveried, guards ensure the riff-raff are kept at bay. Political uncertainty following the change in Ubersreik’s status has led to a drop in business, which concerns the staff.
The fabulously wealthy Duke of Telland owns the impressive hostel. He won the establishment in a high stakes game of @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-rnhd.journals.OnhGK8IE9SCGAlRT.JournalEntryPage.vSnJs2wpgPfHzSaZ]{Scarlet Empress} during Black Powder Week in Nuln. Managing the hostel on his behalf, the scrupulously clean Hedrich Hann, a man of refined manners, careful movements, and somber moods, monitors his 37 staff of varying positions with a general’s eye and a firm tongue. He’s an especially devout man, and confesses to the priests of Sigmar in @UUID[.MM6ubJbPOVCvlRcw]{High Temple} every Festag, quite convinced his petty, inconsequential sins are soul-damningly awful.
Hann has a rodent problem. Should word of the rats in the basement get out, it could further affect trade, so he would like it taken care of quickly and quietly, which means no @UUID[.B0LbHpx74tQkIdtH]{Ratcatchers’ Guild}. The evidence of the rats is clear to see, though the holes seem awfully large…
One of the characters recognizes a customer staying at the Hostel. It’s Mikhail Ziegel, a Charlatan, posing as a noble, and clearly planning something bigger. The party could reveal the truth, earning Hann’s thanks. Or they could speak to Mikhail, and get in on his scam.
Luigi & Salvatore is where the wealthy and indulgent of Ubersreik shop. It is a dark granite, three-story building faced with large windows, and is one of the larger L&S outlets in the Empire. Within, shoppers encounter a labyrinthine tangle of columns and shelves with dozens of attendants ready to help customers, or eject time-wasters and riff-raff. All manner of high quality, high priced goods can be purchased here: clothing, arms and armor, supplies, writing materials, and so much more.
Adriana Corolla manages the opulent shop. She spends most of her time dealing with paperwork in her office in the basement. She will personally serve her most influential clientele, and takes regular breaks to stride the shopfloor, making loud, supportive comments in her distinctive Tilean accent.
The party are hired by Corolla to act as mystery shoppers. She believes one of her attendants, Tamara, is skimming. The party are given @Credit[20ss mode=split]{20 silver shillings} to spend, on the proviso that they catch Tamara in the act.
To ingratiate themselves with Silvi Kreutzhame, Priestess of Ranald (see @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.XrD7HLaASDeDsVmR]{The Crooked Hammer}), the party must each steal an item of value from the store and donate it to the poor. The item must be of use, and the theft must go unnoticed.
House Karstadt, the richest merchant family of Ubersreik, 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.
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.
House Karstadt is known for trading in ores, metal, and luxury goods, running mines, and, more recently, moneylending. It maintains a bank in @UUID[.lMkiSBk0fM2nkGZv]{Ubersreik’s Merchant Quarter}, and owns a number of well-guarded warehouses on the north bank of @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.CqIczLRZI265nrAR]{the Teufel}. The Karstadts also have offices in @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.V6tkgQ9A2skppjyl]{Altdorf} and Nuln, all managed by prominent family members, and finance several merchant trains crossing the Grey Lady Pass to Bretonnia and the Dwarf Holds.
Unknown to most, the Karstadts were formerly nobles of Ubersreik. 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.
@UUID[Actor.Je9bENZeEyEaQR9p]{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 @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-ua2.actors.KHU4UeFIP5yokI6u]{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 Ubersreik 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.
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 Ubersreik 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 @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.V6tkgQ9A2skppjyl]{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.
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 Ubersreik, and goes out of her way to attend to their every need, no matter how grand. Helping Hellin achieve this, @UUID[Actor.b7SY081CpP0aQndx]{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 Ubersreik presume Sprecht offers far more than simple financial advice to his mistress, for all it is widely known he is a happily married man.
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/hellin-karstadt-stampf.webp\")
@UUID[Actor.Je9bENZeEyEaQR9p]{Hellin Karstadt-Stampf}
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/josef-specht.webp\")
@UUID[Actor.b7SY081CpP0aQndx]{Josef Specht}
Hellin’s son, Alfred, yearns for a title to complement the wealth he will inherit when his mother passes. he is convinced the von Bruners retain his Grandfather’s patents of nobility. he will richly reward anyone who will break into the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.U5fSG8wDw2ZCLIWG]{Bruner Palace} to retrieve them.
Hellin’s daughter, Annika, has no interest in trade, longing instead to pursue a martial career. she will pay the party to train her in secret, hiring them to complete odd jobs around the estate to cover their furtive martial activities. but when Annika gets injured sparring, they will have to think fast.
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/karstadt-estate.webp\")
Owned by the Brauninger merchant family, this building is modest for @UUID[.CI7BOaVBiL3tOBxR]{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 @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.uMTRONU6hKqX56iH]{Metalworking Guild} is a close ally.
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.
Marius Strooper, a ‘freelance consultant’ from Marienburg, wants to hire a group to deliver a ‘message’ to Brauninger. The ‘message’ is to be secretly delivered directly into his office. Should his employees succeed, they will be ‘wealthy’. Should they fail, they may cause a diplomatic incident.
A shipment of Brauninger’s arms is missing. Tree wagons, containing blackpowder weapons, were enroute from Nuln to Ubersreik. In the power vacuum following Karl-Franz’s decree, Brauninger was keen to secure a contract with the burgomeister to supply the Watch. He will pay generously for a party to hunt down his missing weapons, and bring the, presumably well-armed, culprits to justice.
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.
One of Beaumarteau’s seamstresses, Lolly Skelfsider, has gone missing. Madame Beaumarteau believes the Lowhavens have kidnapped her, and are holding her in @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.cQvTuhJqYQxXRqbC]{Satrioli's Sausage Shop}. She will pay the party to return her, but the truth is that Lolly is in love with Sunny Lowhaven, one of the criminal gang’s most ruthless enforcers, and has recently eloped with him. The Lowhavens are not happy.
Given her position in society, Madame Beaumarteau is privy to all manner of secret intelligence regarding the comings and goings of Ubersreik’s upper classes. When the Characters pay a visit to her boutique, they find the owner missing and her staff in disarray. They believe a gang of brigands have kidnapped her, looking to extort information from her. They left no clues, though the door looks like it was forced with some kind of curved metal blade, like a boot hook, perhaps?
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 @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.mdjl1WxjZLeuSWAN]{the Hagercrybs}, and it spends lavishly on the palace. It is the largest building on @UUID[.CI7BOaVBiL3tOBxR]{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.
The estate is nominally controlled by @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-rnhd.actors.b3Y1LZUKkptLu0sc]{Heinrich von Bruner}, the @UUID[JournalEntry.70sJnVPsNmeNnqdC.JournalEntryPage.7Gdm2AkGTqgjkatM]{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, @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-ua2.actors.ySYxwgeetYujddRC]{Gutele}, and @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-ua2.actors.H4JTrhGvhlB8zc0a]{Boniel}. Andreas, the son of Heissman (her third son, a Magistrate in @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.V6tkgQ9A2skppjyl]{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.
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 @UUID[JournalEntry.NcH9OhleJFfaUdon.JournalEntryPage.OclFlDGI5fC9ygoP]{Cult of Sigmar}.
The party are invited to the Palace, not realizing they are the entertainment. Ordered to fight for their betters’ amusements. Do they fight one another, in the hopes of securing funds and patronage, or do they try to fight their way out, past the von Bruners’ guards?
Liesel Mair, an investigator, has been following up rumors of Andreas’s corruption. She (rightly) believes he is part of a profane cult, planning some kind of unholy ritual. But nobody at the Watch will take her seriously. Will the party help her uncover a monster?
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 Ubersreik, and the casual way in which the von Jungfreuds were removed from power, has persuaded the duke to retire to his lands in the @UUID[JournalEntry.70sJnVPsNmeNnqdC.JournalEntryPage.i5oKhDottkJmwCzj]{Duchy of 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 Ubersreik.
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.
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.
In the chaos and upheaval following the Duke's departure, Davieu’s daughter, Krystal, sought to secure a nest egg by pilfering some of the silver, assuming its loss would be ascribed to the dangers of transportation. Now the goods are to be sold in auction, she needs to get the silver back to avoid suspicion. The silver is in a warehouse in @UUID[.BQA04SKWoMFPjb7T]{the Docks} belonging to Pip Shufepig, Mercy Lowhaven’s nephew and a low ranking member of the @UUID[.cQvTuhJqYQxXRqbC]{Lowhaven} Clan.
A shifty stranger claiming to be working for Duchess Aschaffenberg wants to hire the party to disrupt the impending auction, by stealing Davieu’s list of goods. Entrance through the grounds should be relatively straightforward, there’s just the matter of the Duke's guards to contend with.
The Wings of the Pegasus is the finest eatery in Ubersreik, 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.
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.
Zustrass is about to entertain an influential customer, but he lacks a key ingredient: Manticore liver. His normal supplier hunts them in the foothills two days away, but is away on other business. Zustrass has a map and a wagon, and will pay the party to fetch a fresh @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-core.actors.XtVkAVgZRIIgrBXb]{Manticore} corpse.
Bonappetit is a fraud. He is really Dante Blau, a charlatan. He is trying to stay out of crime, but a noble lord he once conned out of a gold-plated harpsichord has a reservation for this evening. He has to work, so he is offering the party a free meal in exchange for them running interference, with one of them masquerading as Bonappetit while serving the lord in the private dining room.
Morgenseite, known locally as ‘The Hill’, is the most affluent quarter of Ubersreik. The homes of Ubersreik’s 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.
@UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.w5RHZtZ8jAxYXZ1F]{Aschaffenberg Manor}
@UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.WsIRmI7IWSdZk2zM]{Auld Odenhous Pantera}
@UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.oHB2TRKawm3ttJRJ]{Brauninger House}
@UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.U5fSG8wDw2ZCLIWG]{Bruner Palace}
@UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.vYOo2R7LreOyZcdB]{Emperor's Rest Hostel}
@UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.hKYVOZhK3VE53P87]{Karstadt Estate}
@UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.NyS9OLD4uJQh33pC]{Luigi & Salvatore}
@UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.UhE3siDxQIcqUVAr]{Madame Beaumarteau's}
@UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.OVCd5q9yGXF88pwv]{Wings of the Pegasus}
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/morgenseite.webp\")
Built in 1589 IC by the Knights Panther — a wealthy order of secular knights — this chapterhouse is a small, opulent building on @UUID[.CI7BOaVBiL3tOBxR]{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.
Man-at-arms Helrella Markel has waited all her 53 years to be Chamberlain, and will wait no longer. She needs a group willing to murder a 76 year-old grandmother, and will pay well. But she won’t mention Adella trained with Knights Panther all her life, and is likely the finest swordswomen in Ubersreik.
Knight-Captain Brander von Gerlbach of the Knights Panther is deeply suspicious of the motivations behind the seizure of Ubersreik, and has arrived to investigate. He works from the Odenhaus, and is looking for alert mercenaries to help him.
Though worship of @UUID[JournalEntry.NcH9OhleJFfaUdon.JournalEntryPage.jza73azXzLy0oVCy]{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 Ubersreik 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.
Denfather Holst Kretschmer, a heavily bearded Middenlander, tends the temple. 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.
Captain Steyer, an Altdorfer, believes that Father Kretschmer has been assisting the local troops in undermining his operations. Keen to discredit the Ulricans, he wants the party to enter the temple and douse the flame that burns within. Doing so is a blasphemous insult, and one the temple’s knights are unlikely to take kindly to. Then again, do the party want to make enemies of an influential officer in the Altdorf forces
Brother Yannik, a young priest of Ulric, joined the cult at his parents’ insistence, but is not especially devout. At a recent conclave of the town’s clergy, he encountered Sister Gabriela Brestrich, a Shallyan initiate. He tells the party that they have fallen deeply in love, and now plan to elope. Should the party help the love-struck teens, they may be surprised to discover she is unaware of his existence, let alone his feelings for her.
The Precinct is Ubersreik’s military district, centered around the fortress of @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.tCh9vROs0eeTuEwA]{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 Ubersreik 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.
The 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.
@UUID[.H4lW8llwfJ24iyj3]{Chapel of Ulric}
@UUID[.tCh9vROs0eeTuEwA]{Magnus's Tower}
@UUID[.mFDWA0V3INKy7NAM]{North Temple of Sigmar}
@UUID[.1WY6WefHb00X5iRM]{Reiniger's Outfitters}
@UUID[.IhtVeKv1asSueBJf]{The Mess and Bucket}
@UUID[.MXffpEW2uRaqI3xr]{Ubersreik 3rd Barracks}
@UUID[.ZIp8EucvZLoWbxV9]{Watch Barracks}
" - }, - "North Temple of Sigmar": { - "name": "North Temple of Sigmar", - "text": "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 @UUID[.MM6ubJbPOVCvlRcw]{High Temple}, and the social and political opportunities it confers.
The high priestess in residence, Mother Dorflinger, lost her arm fighting Greenskins in the @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.w0YfGxsBuLoODCgc]{Grey Mountains}. She was later stationed in Ubersreik 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.
Disgruntled locals are using the militia drills to train for an assault against the invading forces from Altdorf. Wise to this, @UUID[Actor.gfSfXHgfqW5QiUxu]{General von Dabernick} sends his men to infiltrate. When the party attend the temple, sparks fly.
News of Goblin attacks in nearby villages concerns Mother Dorflinger. She believes Skarrik, the Wolfrider that took her arm, leads the raids. She needs help and vengeance.
Reiniger’s has been the principal outfitters for Ubersreik’s 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.
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 @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.V6tkgQ9A2skppjyl]{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.
Florian is working for High Lord Holzgrug, the Imperial Spymaster. He is in a prime position to overhear important information from his clients. It was his intelligence that allowed Altdorf to take the town so quickly and effortlessly. Olla Olwin, a former colleague of Reiniger’s, knows Florian’s secret. Olla is languishing in the cells at the Watch Barracks, and is likely to spill the beans to @UUID[Actor.L0oHLYZcGQHDWKMo]{Captain Pfeffer} to escape punishment. So, Florian needs the PCs to infiltrate the cells and eliminate the threat.
Reiniger’s assistant, Herr Katz, has a secret. Reiniger rescued Katz from slavery over twenty years ago while sourcing exotic fabrics in Tilea. His former owner, Mario Malpensi, has a long memory and deep pockets. He has an agent, Davide Avido, in town, who will approach the PCs, seeking their assistance in returning Katz to captivity. The reward is great, but slavery is illegal in the Empire. Of course, should they refuse, they will have made an enemy in Malpensi…
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/mess-and-bucket.webp\")
The Mess and Bucket is an inn that caters almost exclusively to the soldiery of Ubersreik. 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.
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.
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.
Tensions in the Club have been strained after the Altdorfers arrived. When Lieutenant Eisner, an officer in an Altdorf handgunner regiment, seemingly breaks his neck falling down the stairs, Varttiger employs the party to tidy things up, without involving Cabbage, or the Watch.
Cabbage is always on the lookout for strong arms and brave hearts. PCs short on cash could work a few shifts breaking up brawling infantrymen, assuming they don’t mind losing a few teeth.
This sizeable barracks once billeted Ubersreik 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.
Aware the barracks may become a rallying point for Jungfreud sympathies, @UUID[Actor.gfSfXHgfqW5QiUxu]{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.
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 @UUID[JournalEntry.NcH9OhleJFfaUdon.JournalEntryPage.vrUN2NZ9t9d37J6V]{Ranald, God of Luck}, and another to @UUID[JournalEntry.NcH9OhleJFfaUdon.JournalEntryPage.jza73azXzLy0oVCy]{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.
The banner of the Fighting Stags hangs in the main refectory. Gunner Wictor Franko recently arrived from the @UUID[JournalEntry.70sJnVPsNmeNnqdC.JournalEntryPage.riRjmMKV9pjP4Xel]{duchy of Black Rock} intending to reclaim it for his regiment. However, he didn’t expect security in his old barracks to be so high, so he’s looking for help, or just a simple distraction…
Rikard really misses his pregnant wife, Hanna. She works in a Ranaldan gambling den in @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.V6tkgQ9A2skppjyl]{Altdorf}. Should Rikard die, he will not go quietly, and will persistently haunt any responsible until certain his wife is safe.
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.
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 @UUID[.UtDzFPhCEkeMyMRe]{Geldfinger’s} raids on smugglers. While their patrols should cover the entire town outside @UUID[.Exvp9RN8shcIHrFm]{Black Rock}, in practice they concentrate on wealthier areas, seldom venturing far into @UUID[.BQA04SKWoMFPjb7T]{the Docks} or the @UUID[.yY5DUbAdKg2MhDva]{Dunkelfeucht}.
Captain @UUID[Actor.L0oHLYZcGQHDWKMo]{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 Ubersreik.
Captain Pfeffer believes one of her watch sergeants, Trudi Shrieber, is on the pay of the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.cQvTuhJqYQxXRqbC]{Lowhaven Clan} of Halflings. Unable to trust her Watch, she enlists the party to follow Shrieber and secure evidence of her wrongdoing.
When resolving a bar fight in @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.heftQyOHEycBpbGT]{The Exploding Pig}, older members of the Watch want to arrest an off-duty Altdorfer, while his comrades, along with some ‘newer’ watch members, want him set free. The PCs stumble into this tense standoff...
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/watch-barracks.webp\")
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 Ubersreik, 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.
Captain @UUID[Actor.xJGrg8I8NsemrsNR]{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 @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.V6tkgQ9A2skppjyl]{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.
The Reiksguard are in a unique position to ease tensions in the town, acting as intermediaries between the forces of Altdorf and Ubersreik. Captain Preis, their de facto leader, is keen to do so, but cannot act without the Field Marshal’s explicit authorization, and he will not listen to her. However, it so happens he served with one of the Characters’ grandfathers, and is keen to reminisce. Perhaps they can convince him?
@UUID[Actor.xJGrg8I8NsemrsNR]{Blucher} is an arch-opportunist, and sees the chance for personal betterment in the current disarray. While most of his men still secretly support the ousted @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-ua2.ua2-actors.KHU4UeFIP5yokI6u]{Graf Sigismund}, he is enjoying the freedom being masterless affords. He is keen to ensure Ubersreik becomes a strong, independent Freiburg. If @UUID[Actor.xJGrg8I8NsemrsNR]{Blucher} is seen meeting with the Burgomeister, there will be mutiny, so he needs the party to smuggle him to the Town Hall, and ensure there are no interruptions.
Ubersreik’s sewers are extensive and a source of local pride. Indeed, many a visitor to Ubersreik has had the misfortune of receiving a guided tour when merely feigning polite interest!
Two distinct networks exist: one to the city’s north, and another to the south. Both networks discharge into the Teufel through wide, steel-grated culverts. The northern sewer-gate is named the Magnusschleuse, and the southern the Sigmarschleuse. Both are checked routinely to ensure no undesirables gain entrance to Ubersreik illicitly (or that those who do have bribed the right people). However, as responsibility for this task lay with the Jungfreuds, neither gate has been officially checked for some time.
Each network comprises around a dozen major, arterial sewers, through which a four-foot wide effluent channel flows, flanked by equally wide walkways. The ceilings are high to allow for the dispersal of noxious fumes and vapours. Smaller tunnels connect these arterial sewers. These have a lower ceiling and only a single walkway to one side. Vaulted chambers, twenty-feet across, sit at the junctions. Intricate carvings of Dwarf faces line the chambers’ columns, though few consider the splendid sight worth the appalling reek. Most waste reaches the sewers through narrow lead pipes, though larger houses and estates have wider pipes that are more akin to small tunnels. Sewer grates are also found on the streets of the more affluent areas on the south side, such as @UUID[.CI7BOaVBiL3tOBxR]{the Hill}, or the @UUID[.lMkiSBk0fM2nkGZv]{Merchant Quarter}.
When Greenskins razed the town 200 years ago, the sewers were untouched, and many hid beneath as Orcs and Goblins rampaged above. Later, when Magnus the Pious returned to the Empire and marched to retake Ubersreik, Empire infiltrators, led by Dwarf scouts, entered the town through the sewer grates. Once inside, they crept through the streets and opened the town gates, surprising the occupying Greenskin forces by simultaneously attacking from above and beneath. This story is well known locally, but the invading Altdorfers have no idea just how easily the town walls can be circumvented.
Despite the best efforts of the town’s ratcatchers, sewerjacks and Watch, the sewers remain host to a number of undesirable creatures. The southern network, known as the Sigmarsewers after its sewer-gate the Sigmarschleuse, is better maintained, especially of late, given the rat catchers’ regular patrols. Nonetheless, there have been numerous sightings of fast-moving Beastmen, with ratlike visages and high-pitched, chittering voices. Anyone blundering about in the sewers, especially after nightfall, is likely to encounter something they would rather forget.
The Magnussewers lie underneath the north half of the town. These are less regularly patrolled, and since the Jungfreuds were ejected from Ubersreik, no-one has been clearing them out. In addition to the omnipresent threat of ratmen, other creatures call the sewers home.
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/gutter-runner.webp\")
@UUID[Actor.xRNhtsO9EEWqTA8C]{Skaven Gutter Runner}
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/swarm-of-rats.webp\")
@UUID[Actor.lDizGNnhMbMdtTRI]{Skaven Giant Rat Swarm}
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/doppelganger.webp\")
@UUID[Actor.Ys5UBwxxIVQiEUmH]{Brandt - Doppelganger}
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/ubersreik-sewers.webp\")
The Tin Spur is a large, open-roofed, circular building near the southern Nuln Gate. It is used for various entertainments, including bear-baiting, dog fights, and pitfighting. It is occasionally used by entertainers to put on plays, both itinerant troupes or local players. The building lies outside the town’s walls, owing to a bylaw put in place a few decades ago, because the sight of blood offended the delicate sensibilities of @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-ua2.actors.W8OiMH3Pvn06tZL3]{Lady Jungfreud}. There are three floors of galleries for watching the performances. A series of pens lie attached to the rear of the timber and lathe building, where the animals are kept, alongside a meagre collection of costumes and props.
The Esteemed Company of Ubersreik Players own and maintain the building. Chief among them is their playwright, Wilhelm Shütteln, whose works tend to be overlong and wordy. Nonetheless, as the chief stakeholder in the company, he chooses the plays performed. It is a source of constant frustration for Shütteln that animal and pit fights always make significantly more money, meaning he performs but rarely.
The Lowhaven Clan of Halflings plan to run their own pitfights in the Docks, but need a main attraction. As such, they’re willing to pay the party to get Felix Seite, The Tin Spur’s champion, drunk, before kidnapping him and taking him to their warehouse.
Ubersreik’s Animals Front (UAF) is an active group of concerned citizens of Ubersreik, led by a Shallyan initiate, Konstance Pfleger. They plan to sneak backstage during one of Shütteln’s interminable plays and set all the animals free. As the members of UAF lack any real physical skills, they have hired the party to assist, without any real consideration of what bears and dogs trained to fight would do to strangers releasing them.
FIGHTING DOGS AND BEARS, OH MY!
Use the following statistics for the dogs and bears that fight in the Tin Spur. Most days there will be a single bear and [[/r 1d10]] dogs kennelled behind the arena. During festivals and fairs, there will be significantly more.
@UUID[Actor.aZsA9tS9nYWiC8Ft]{Fighting Dog}
@UUID[Actor.zOLFN5jyCuh7pFh5]{Fighting Bear}
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/tin-spur.webp\")
Beyond Ubersreik’s 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 Ubersreik 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.
@UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.cFxqWjGHX9zWvDNA]{Fleshmarket}
@UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.eoXBXibg4X0OnT7p]{Morr's Field}
@UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.U2JMbu5g9oyCT4eH]{The Tin Spur}
" - }, - "Fleshmarket": { - "name": "Fleshmarket", - "text": "The Ubersreik 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.
Juna Sattelrücken is Ubersreik’s 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.
On their way to Ubersreik, the party meet a downhearted farmer, Jan Boehm, whose precious pigs were stolen by bandits. When they arrive, they see the pigs have already been sold to @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.cQvTuhJqYQxXRqbC]{Satrioli's Sausage Shop}. All they need to do is ask the Halfling crime family who sold them their pigs, and hope they weren’t in on the theft.
Juna Sattelrücken has heard there are wild horses, of good Bretonnian stock, loose in the foothills of the @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.w0YfGxsBuLoODCgc]{Grey Mountains}. She needs an escort to accompany her as she tries to capture them. Unfortunately, there are monsters out there, but she can pay, or offer a good deal on a steed…
To the northwest of Ubersreik 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 Ubersreik. 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.
Schadrach Bürke is the ranking priest of @UUID[JournalEntry.NcH9OhleJFfaUdon.JournalEntryPage.HfmrIexylrgxIz2x]{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.
Holst Rosenstock is a graverobber and a drunk. Having recently incapacitated himself by falling into the jakes of the @UUID[.XrD7HLaASDeDsVmR]{Crooked Hammer}, he is unable to fulfil a contract, and owes Doktor Krupp in the @UUID[.XXEYah0l4NQV0Uhs]{Physician’s Guild} a body. Holst will pay the party over the odds (up to @Credit[2gc mode=each]{2 GC} each) to do the job for him in order to preserve his reputation.
Father Bürke has noticed someone or something disturbing the graves, and he would like to pay the party to deal with it. If they accept, and are brave enough to spend the night, they will discover a group of @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-core.actors.6B7LMdYtunAftsFN]{Ghouls} that have been feasting on the dead.
‘So, this is Ubersreik? Smaller than I expected. Seize the castle and granaries, and if there are any Jungfreuds left, bring them to me. Put any who resist to the sword. For Karl-Franz!’
— General @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-rnhd.actors.gfSfXHgfqW5QiUxu]{Jendrick von Dabernick}
Nestled in the craggy shadows of the @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.w0YfGxsBuLoODCgc]{Grey Mountains}, the fortress-town of Ubersreik guards the Grey Lady Pass, the only reliable trade route from the @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-core.journals.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD]{Reikland} into the Bretonnian duchy of Parravon. It stands in the fertile Lady’s Vale astride the @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-core.journals.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.CqIczLRZI265nrAR]{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.
Ubersreik’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 Ubersreik in search of work.
All this traffic makes the town surprisingly cosmopolitan. In addition to a sizeable @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.A4x3cKwa1h875OlK]{Dwarf quarter}, many Halflings 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.
Prospectors, hunters and adventures strike out from Ubersreik to delve into the @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.w0YfGxsBuLoODCgc]{Grey Mountains}, seeking gold, fame, or infamy amongst those jagged peaks.
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.
Recently, Ubersreik’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, @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.V6tkgQ9A2skppjyl]{Altdorf}, and compliance was mercilessly secured. This occupying force garrisons in @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.Nhd3vUOVqhDhtRty]{Black Rock Castle}, Ubersreik’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.
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/ubersreik-unrest.webp\")
Ubersreik’s first founding is lost to the mists of time, but Dwarf scholars from @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-archives1.journals.De6yFCVO4shYbAUx]{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.
Following Sigmar’s triumph at the Battle for Blackfire Pass, treaties with the Dwarfs bound the two races closer together, and Ubersreik flourished from the resulting increase in trade. In later centuries, further treaties with the neighbouring Kingdom of Bretonnia ensured that Ubersreik continued to grow and prosper, its coffers filled with revenues gleaned from the steady flow of goods and people.
However, Parravon, the Bretonnian duchy lying to the far side of the Grey Lady Pass, frequently warred with Ubersreik, mostly over control of the pass. So, while the treaties they signed brought mutual prosperity, they rarely lasted long.
Ubersreik 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.
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.
DRACHENFELS
Despite the veritable litany of enemies that laid waste to Ubersreik down through the centuries — Bretonnians, Greenskins, the Skaven, the Restless Dead — one ancient foe haunts Ubersreik and its environs more than any other: Constant Drachenfels. Drachenfels the Great Enchanter, Daemonologist, Necromancer, and Emperor-Killer, has lurked in the @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.w0YfGxsBuLoODCgc]{Grey Mountains} since before the founding of Ubersreik. His foul schemes frequently ensnared the folk of the @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.0Cmr0LZ3boLbNt6p]{Vorbergland}. His fell legacy still lingers like a shadow over the town, his name whispered in hushed, fearful tones or hurled at wayward children as a threat or warning.
Perhaps the greatest terror he unleashed was the Rift of 2203 IC. It is said that Drachenfels caused a great tear to open directly into the Realms of Chaos, unleashing terror, mutation and madness upon those living near the Grey Mountains. Chaos reigned for a week. The dark, malevolent presence of the Ruinous Powers could be felt everywhere: Daemons stalked the land, the skies bled, and liquid fire burned in the air.
In that week, almost all living souls from @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.OONgV24fbQ8ZEqSr]{Bögenhafen} to Ubersreik were annihilated. The few who survived were forever changed. Though no-one knows exactly how or why the Rift appeared and disappeared, all live in fear of the day it will return.
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.
As Magnus led the armies of Humanity north to face the hordes of Chaos, Greenskins took advantage of the lowered defenses of Ubersreik and razed it. When the Great War Against Chaos came to an end, and Magnus was crowned emperor, he commissioned the Dwarfs of @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-archives1.journals.De6yFCVO4shYbAUx]{Karak Azgaraz} to rebuild Ubersreik with help from the artisans of Nuln and Altdorf, once bitter rivals. Soon, new walls soared high, linking the still-standing Black Rock Castle to the new fortress of Magnus’s Tower. Buildings were restored, made stronger, taller, sturdier, and a mighty bridge spanning the Teufel was built.
Within a few decades, Ubersreik 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 Ubersreik 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.
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.
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 capitalised on their provinces’ regrowth, tightly controlling trade and reaping the benefits of greater autonomy.
In the decades since its reconstruction, Ubersreik’s fortunes increased steadily, as did those of the Jungfreuds. Ores and precious metals were funnelled from rich seams in the Grey Mountains. Trade flowing through Ubersreik brought merchants, traders, artisans, and all manner of travellers by road and river, all of which significantly increased the tax yield.
This new-found wealth drew the attention and ire of the Dukes of Parravon across the Grey Lady Pass. When trade deals offered by Ubersreik 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 Ubersreik was besieged more than once. Eventually, a fragile peace emerged, with a treaty signed that recognised neutral territory in the Grey Mountains. But that treaty is frequently broken by both sides.
This conflict and success bred a succession of strong-willed, politically astute grafs in Ubersreik. 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 @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.U5fSG8wDw2ZCLIWG]{Bruners}, @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.hKYVOZhK3VE53P87]{Karstadts}, and newly ennobled @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.w5RHZtZ8jAxYXZ1F]{Aschaffenbergs}. With their seemingly endless source of wealth in the @UUID[JournalEntry.70sJnVPsNmeNnqdC.JournalEntryPage.riRjmMKV9pjP4Xel]{Duchy of Black Rock} and the loyalty and respect (if not outright friendship) of several neighbouring provinces, the Jungfreuds’ status and position seemed unassailable.
BESIEGED
Ubersreik has been besieged many times, as often by Human forces from Bretonnia or neighbouring 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 Ubersreik’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.
After the sacking of the town by Skaven, Ubersreik was rebuilt with the help of the Dwarfs of Karak Azgaraz. This began a pattern which was to be repeated over the centuries: Ubersreik was threatened; it appealed to its Dwarf allies, who refused to help; the town was destroyed; then the Dwarfs rebuild Ubersreik, and charged handsomely for their efforts. This led to some resentment among Ubersreik’s patriotic inhabitants, all of whom felt they were being exploited by their so-called allies.
The most recent instance of this cycle came during the Great War Against Chaos. Ubersreik’s defenders marched north, leaving the town vulnerable to a great horde of Greenskins that poured out from the @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.w0YfGxsBuLoODCgc]{Grey Mountains}, occupying and then destroying the town. Once again, the Dwarfs of @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-archives1.journals.De6yFCVO4shYbAUx]{Karak Azgaraz} were commissioned to rebuild, but Magnus, ever the astute politician, ensured this would be the last time Ubersreik 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 Ubersreik.
The latest change to Ubersreik’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 Ubersreik from House Jungfreud.
The Emperor’s army was poised not far from Ubersreik 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 Ubersreik, sending them fleeing to their ancestral lands in the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.A4x3cKwa1h875OlK]{duchy of Black Rock}.
Whilst the uproar this caused among the terrified Reikland noble houses was pronounced, reaction in Ubersreik itself was mixed, though the rough behaviour of the invading Altdorf soldiers skewed many opinions negatively. The handful of Jungfreud troops caught in Ubersreik were killed, their bodies displayed as traitors, despite the lack of treasonous activities.
Altdorfer State Soldiers replaced the town Watch and enforced the new rule of the Emperor. And though many inhabitants of Ubersreik 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.
These tensions were mirrored politically across the province, and through the Reikland itself. While lesser families were keen to capitalise 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?
The obvious answer to this question was particularly troubling. So, many of most powerful nobles of the Reikland travelled to speak at the @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.sVFygKRicWFw6BsT#the-reikland-diet]{Reikland Diet} in @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.V6tkgQ9A2skppjyl]{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.
As the nobles scrabbled, Ubersreik’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 Ubersreik 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.
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 Ubersreik. Indeed, the bill placed before the @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.sVFygKRicWFw6BsT#the-reikland-diet]{Reikland Diet} in the small hours of the morning cited @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-ua2.actors.KHU4UeFIP5yokI6u]{Graf Sigismund’s} belligerent and aggressive military build-up that challenged the limitations of his ducal rights as a primary reason for his removal.
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 @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.w0YfGxsBuLoODCgc]{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.
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.
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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 @UUID[JournalEntry.70sJnVPsNmeNnqdC.JournalEntryPage.riRjmMKV9pjP4Xel]{duchy of Black Rock}. This left Ubersreik with a population of some 5000 Humans within its walls, alongside a few hundred Halflings dispersed throughout the town, and a further 1000 Dwarfs in @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.A4x3cKwa1h875OlK]{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 @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-archives1.journals.De6yFCVO4shYbAUx]{Karak Azgaraz}, also reside in Ubersreik, overseeing trade for their kin in the @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.w0YfGxsBuLoODCgc]{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.
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, capitalising on the chaos to replace or acquire extant criminal organisations. There has been some push back against this — in the slums under the bridge, a gang leader known only as @UUID[Actor.QRwasUALpkuwthhS]{'The Baron'} is organising local thugs, thieves, and ne’er-do-wells, mobilising them to resist any Lowhaven infiltration or crackdowns from the Watch. Because of this, @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-rnhd.actors.3iFI20RxtZFfygse]{Father Emming} of the Cult of Sigmar is actively supporting the Altdorf forces, calling for calm and unity to see Ubersreik through these troubled times.
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/spot-rat-torch.webp\")
Without @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-ua2.actors.KHU4UeFIP5yokI6u]{Graf Sigismund von Jungfreud}, Ubersreik has no formal ruler. Although Arch-Duke von Walfen, the liege-lord of the southern @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.0Cmr0LZ3boLbNt6p]{Vorbergland's} duchies, could claim Ubersreik, 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, @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-rnhd.actors.hcAF95tFaOdoZoeF]{Lady Nacht} and @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-rnhd.actors.gfSfXHgfqW5QiUxu]{General von Dabernick}, and the local @UUID[.FZ6VFcaXq1EzHmXF#town-council]{Town Council}. The Town Council is a body whose role had hitherto been largely advisory and ceremonial, but now wields unexpected and genuine power.
The Emperor ordered over five hundred soldiers to seize and hold Ubersreik. Now two strikingly different nobles represent his will in the town. @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-rnhd.actors.gfSfXHgfqW5QiUxu]{General Jendrick 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.
However, despite @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-rnhd.actors.gfSfXHgfqW5QiUxu]{von Dabernick’s} seeming authority, the true power lies in the hands of the quietly spoken Imperial Herald, @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-rnhd.actors.hcAF95tFaOdoZoeF]{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 @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-core.actors.XtVkAVgZRIIgrBXb]{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.
While the Burgomeister and guildmasters scrape and bow to bellowing @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-rnhd.actors.gfSfXHgfqW5QiUxu]{von Dabernick}, most of the Ubersreik’s noble households — most notably the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.w5RHZtZ8jAxYXZ1F]{Aschaffenbergs} and @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.U5fSG8wDw2ZCLIWG]{Bruners}— seek to curry favour with elusive Nacht.
WHAT YEAR IS IT?
This book presumes the year is 2512 IC, and the reasons for the recent seizure of Ubersreik are directly tied to the events described in The Enemy Within campaign. Refer to The Enemy in Shadows for more on this. If you wish your Ubersreik to chart the same course as ours, it will eventually become a Freiburg in 2516, ruled by a council of guildmasters and clerics, and will later suffer terrible attacks by Skaven and Beastmen in the early 2520s. Of course, your game may go in a very different direction, especially if your Characters take a direct hand in Ubersreik’s future. For more on this possibility, refer to the adventures in @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-rnhd.journals.MAfRuWyvI1pHjvPB]{Rough Nights & Hard Days}.
When the Jungfreuds ruled Ubersreik, the Town Council had little influence beyond occasionally advising the duke. However, when the Imperial Herald replaced @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-ua2.actors.KHU4UeFIP5yokI6u]{Duke Sigismund}, she declared it was the Emperor’s will that the council maintained the status quo whilst new rulership for Ubersreik was decided. So, the burgomeister suddenly found himself thrust onto a wider political stage, replete with threats and pitfalls, not to mention opportunities.
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.
Currently, Burgomeister @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-rnhd.actors.nfeuQpvBdcemCuza]{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 @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.FIx69aLJxrJczytP]{Merchant's Guild}, @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.AIMlOScGrg8pmSdl]{Boatmen's Guild}, @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.b7O2qxgkBbDE6ip5]{The Guild of Boatbuilders and Chandlers}, @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.uMTRONU6hKqX56iH]{Metalworkers’ Guild}, Carters, and @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.f4qEdyACbY0OlYJU]{Carpenters' Guild}}. Of those, the burgomeister’s closest ally is Guildmaster Hans Fuhrmann of the Carters’ Guild. 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.
The Cult of Sigmar’s is the most widespread in Ubersreik, 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.
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.
With the withdrawal of the Jungfreuds, the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.FZ6VFcaXq1EzHmXF#town-council]{Town Council} have approached the leaders of the cults of Sigmar, Verena, and Shallya to help organise town affairs, but, as of yet, none have accepted this offer.
Dozens of noble families call Ubersreik home, most connected to one another through labyrinthine webs of intermarriage, partnership and rivalry. Three houses stand tall above the others — @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.U5fSG8wDw2ZCLIWG]{Bruner}, @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.w5RHZtZ8jAxYXZ1F]{Aschaffenberg}, and the recently disgraced House Jungfreud — and most of the minor houses are their sworn vassals, acting as agents to accrue renown and favourable matches for the future.
All of their fortunes changed when the Jungfreuds were chased from the fortress-town. The fabulously wealthy @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.U5fSG8wDw2ZCLIWG]{Bruners} were best placed to make a powerplay, but they were too busy dancing with glee to care, so it turns to the ambitious @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.w5RHZtZ8jAxYXZ1F]{Aschaffenbergs} or an outside House to make the first move.
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/nobles.webp\")
Ubersreik, is not only a centre of trade, industry, and military strength, it also stands guard over the most fertile region in the Reikland and one of the most important trade routes of the Old World. This makes it a popular rendezvous for all types of folk. Further, for those looking to stock up on supplies before heading out on an expedition into the heights, Ubersreik has the widest range of goods in the Reikland, barring maybe Altdorf, making it a favoured waypoint for explorers, antiquarians, and those foolish enough to believe the rumours of gold in the @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.w0YfGxsBuLoODCgc]{Grey Mountains}.
Whilst there are many reasons to visit the fortress-town, for those looking to weave Ubersreik into their existing campaigns, the following provides some sample reasons for any group to head there.
A courier has an accident on the road and is laid up with a broken leg. His company will pay if the urgent missive he carries is delivered to the post office in the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.alatSQnvNobt63Gr]{Bridge House Inn}, and will pay double if the courier is delivered safely, too.
A couple with a child on the way are heading to Ubersreik to find steady work. They are worried by stories of travellers going missing or being harassed by patrolling Altdorf soldiers, so need protection on their way. In truth, they are secret mutants seeking to avoid confrontation. When they arrive, they head for the Dunkelfeucht under @UUID[.yY5DUbAdKg2MhDva]{Ubersreik Bridge}, there to join their fellow @UUID[JournalEntry.d8nvgs2H5MmtKhdM.JournalEntryPage.L5gV9pgaWXB3floP#the-shifting-grasp]{Shifting Grasp} cultists.
Hansel von Grausee receives a letter demanding he return to Ubersreik to support an Aschaffenberg play for power in Ubersreik. Not only is he hiring guards to escort him, he is seeking a fast, reliable group to privately take word to the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.w5RHZtZ8jAxYXZ1F]{Aschaffenberg Manor} of his impending arrival before any rivals can respond.
A bitter, long-running border dispute has finally been resolved between two smallholders. The presiding Magistrate is keen that the solution lasts for more than a few years, so is lodging it with the distant @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.ndJS6SUNVpcUc3ax]{Temple of Verena} in Ubersreik. She is looking for someone to deliver the paperwork for her, but both landholders now regret the deal, and are looking to make sure the paperwork never arrives.
The State Army of Ubersreik needs new recruits after the majority of the town’s soldiers fled with the Jungfreuds to the duchy of Black Rock. Troops from Altdorf currently fulfill the majority of military, road warden, and Watch duties, and @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-rnhd.actors.gfSfXHgfqW5QiUxu]{General von Dabernick} doesn’t like it. So, billposters are placed across southern Reikland recruiting any with interest to join Ubersreik’s finest. There they will be trained to act as watchmen, soldiers, and road wardens, all loyal to the Emperor, not to the Jungfreuds.
@UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.NyS9OLD4uJQh33pC]{Luigi & Salvatore} sells luxury items in its many outlets across the Empire. Little known to most, the well-regarded company also employs fences in all major cities to buy high-end stolen goods at a cut price. These are then smuggled to L&S stores far from the original theft, and sold at an enormous mark-up. With the recent turmoil in Ubersreik, L&S are looking for thieves and burglars to ransack poorly guarded noble and merchant households. They are also recruiting smugglers to take goods to and from the town.
From across the Karaz Ankor (the Dwarf ‘Everlasting Realm’), disappointed diplomatic deputations head for Ubersreik. Most of the Dwarf Holds made deals with the Jungfreuds down through the centuries, and word that these deals have ended demands answers. These groups need guides through unknown terrain, huffers to help navigate rivers, and solid Dwarf muscle for support through dangerous territory. These groups will all make their way to @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.A4x3cKwa1h875OlK]{Dawihafen}, and from there make their dissatisfaction known to @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-rnhd.actors.hcAF95tFaOdoZoeF]{Lady Nacht}. Repeatedly.
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/orc-ambush.webp\")
Being a summary of the major events in the history of the province of Ubersreik:
The Unberogen tribe of Humans settles the foothills of the Grey Mountains. A fortress town, a twin to the first Unberogen settlement of Reichsdorf (modern-day Altdorf), is founded and called Übersreichdorf (Over Reichsdorf). As centuries pass, this becomes Übersreich, and later Ubersreik.
Under the light of a twin-tailed comet, Sigmar, prince of the Unberogens, is born. According to Vorbergland tradition, this happens in Ubersreik. Orcs, maddened
by the comet, come pouring from the Grey Mountains and attack. This, it is claimed, drove Sigmar’s family to retreat to Reichsdorf in the north. This is hotly contested by the Cult of Sigmar in Altdorf.
A temple of Sigmar is completed in Ubersreik, and consecrated by the first Grand Theogonist, Johann Helstrum. It is the third ever temple of Sigmar.
A lesser branch of the Frewida Clan of Unberogen Tribe, the Junge Frewida, come to prominence in Ubersreik.
The founder of House Jungfreud, Odalrich von Jungefrewida, takes Ubersreik, becoming ‘Herizogo’, a title somewhat equivalent to duke. This is the earliest ancestor claimed by House Jungfreud.
According to @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-archives1.journals.De6yFCVO4shYbAUx]{Karak Azgaraz’s} records, Ubersreik population reaches 10,000, which causes the High King to send emissaries to monitor the fast-growing town, and maintain cordial relations.
The First Parravon War. Reikland assaults across the Grey Lady Pass and captures a wide swathe of fertile land from native Bretonii tribesman, driving back the local ‘Duc de Paréfon’. However, the land proves difficult to keep as the locals refuse subjugation, instead conducting a guerilla war from the @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.w0YfGxsBuLoODCgc]{Grey Mountains}. The Empire presses on regardless, and colonises the area, forming a new province called Grauesland. However, it is impossible to hold for long, and eventually the Bretonni tribesmen, aided by a local warlord named Gilles, drive the Empire from the south side of the Grey Mountains.
The Human Bretonni tribes are bound together by Gilles the Uniter, founding Bretonnia. The existing lord of Parravon becomes one of Gilles’s dukes, consolidating Bretonnian power on the other side of the Grey Lady Pass to Ubersreik.
The Black Plague. The plague kills thousands, leaving only a few hundred souls alive in Ubersreik. The ruling Jungfreuds abandon Ubersreik and do not return. They withdraw to holdings in the @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.w0YfGxsBuLoODCgc]{Grey Mountains} to avoid the disease.
Ubersreik is razed by Skaven who pour out from the Teufel. The town acts as a staging point for Skaven raids for the next three years.
Grand Duke Mandred of Middenland liberates Ubersreik. Ubersreik is left in ruins. Later that year the Grand Duke is crowned Emperor.
Ubersreik is rebuilt with help from Dwarfs of @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-archives1.journals.De6yFCVO4shYbAUx]{Karak Azgaraz}. The Dwarfs also contribute a significant sewer system, large enough for a town many times its size, allowing for future growth. House Bruner from the southern @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.mdjl1WxjZLeuSWAN]{Hägercrybs} is installed as the new ruler. The town will pass through several noble families over the next four centuries, before eventually falling under Bruner rule once again.
The Night of the Restless Dead. Ubersreik’s population halves in a single night as the dead rise. In response, Duke Lambert of House Bruner commands the Cult of Morr to never site its Gardens within the boundary of Ubersreik again. ‘Morr’s Field’ is then established outside the town walls.
WAAAGH! GORKIL! Ubersreik is besieged by Greenskins. Dwarfs sent to reinforce the town from @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-archives1.journals.De6yFCVO4shYbAUx]{Karak Azgaraz} are driven back. Ubersreik is razed. Warboss Gorkil then invades the Grey Mountains and sacks Karak Branar, taking control of the ancient hold. Waaagh Gorkil! joins with Waaagh Gorbad! in 1711 IC.
The Bruners finance the building of Black Rock Castle upon the ruins of Ubersreik. Stone quarried from Jungfreud holdings in the Grey Mountains is purchased to build the fortress.
The Grey Lady Pass is sealed to prevent Red Pox spreading from Bretonnia into Reikland.
The Poisoned Feast. The Great Enchanter, Constant Drachenfels, poisons the entire Bruner line of Ubersreik. Most of the other ruling families of Reikland, including Emperor Carolus of House Abernauer, are also poisoned. House Jungfreud marches and quickly takes control of Ubersreik and Black Rock Castle. The few remaining Bruners go into hiding in the nearby duchy of Walfen.
The Jungfreuds are formally recognised by the Reikland Diet as the rightful rulers of the Duchy of Ubersreik. This decree causes outrage from House Walfen, who believe they have the rightful claim, having married into House Bruner.
Duke Wiprecht von Walfen declares himself independent from the Prince of Reikland after talks concerning Ubersreik break down.
The forces of Duke Wiprecht besiege Ubersreik. Eventually, the Jungfreuds agree to swear fealty if they can continue ruling Ubersreik and all its surrounding lands. Wiprecht agrees, takes Jungfreud children as hostages to compel obedience, then moves on to conquest neighbouring lands.
Having conquered the duchies of @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.sVFygKRicWFw6BsT#sample-reikland-estate]{Böhrn}, Dunkelberg, Falkenhayn, Haalstein, Stimmeswald, Ubersreik, and Wallenstein, Wiprecht von Walfen binds them together under one flag. Then declares himself King of all Suden Vorbergland.
During the First Vampire Wars (2010–2051 IC), the Vampire Lord Vlad von Carstein besieges Ubersreik with an Undead host and mortal subjects from Sylvania. Appeals for aid from @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-archives1.journals.De6yFCVO4shYbAUx]{Karak Azgaraz} are ignored, and the city is sacked in the early autumn. Duchess Ilona von Jungfreud is captured from @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.Nhd3vUOVqhDhtRty]{Black Rock Castle} and never seen again.
The Second Parravon War. As Ubersreik troops are pulled by King Adalman of Suden Vorbergland to support Reikland allies to the north in their defence against the Undead hosts of Vampire Lord Mannfred von Carstein during the Third Vampire Wars (2124–2145 IC), the Duc of Parravon launches a surprise attack across the Grey Lady Pass aiming to secure Ubersreik. Ubersreik is sacked twice, though @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.Nhd3vUOVqhDhtRty]{Black Rock Castle} is never taken.
The Great Rift. A rift into the Realms of Chaos opens at Castle Drachenfels. A week of horror as Daemons walk the earth. Ubersreik’s population falls to just 1,500 from over 15,000.
The Great War Against Chaos. The soldiers of Ubersreik are drained from the town to support Magnus Bildhofen’s war effort in Kislev to hold back armies invading the Old World from the north.
Waaagh Zzadrag! Before the soldiers of Ubersreik return from the north, Greenskins pour from the @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.w0YfGxsBuLoODCgc]{Grey Mountains} and besiege Ubersreik. @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-archives1.journals.De6yFCVO4shYbAUx]{Karak Azgaraz} refuses to send help and Ubersreik is razed. The Greenskins move westwards and invade the Barony of Böhrn.
King Zaladrin of @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-archives1.journals.De6yFCVO4shYbAUx]{Karak Azgaraz} agrees to help rebuild Ubersreik after meeting with newly crowned Emperor Magnus I. Part of the agreement involves new walls for the city ‘at least 30 Dwarfs high!’ For the next three decades, the exact measurement of a ‘Dwarf’ is bitterly disputed, with Zaladrin once presenting his newborn daughter as a suggested length.
The Third Parravon War. Parravon attacks, finding Ubersreik’s recent military expansion to support the newly rebuilt town unacceptable. The Bretonnians are driven back in late 2309, and a force led by Graf Haldebrand of House Jungfreud besieges Parravon in return, before peace is brokered a year later by King Zaladrin of Karak Azgaraz.
The Fourth Parravon War. Even though Ubersreik is besieged twice, the second time for three years, it does not fall. However, the population drops by almost two thirds to less than 6,000.
Waaagh Grom! Ubersreik weathers a storm as uncounted thousands of Greenskins roam freely across the @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.0Cmr0LZ3boLbNt6p]{Vorbergland} largely uncontested as Emperor Dieter IV hides with most of his State Armies in Altdorf. The continued sieges leave Ubersreik’s population at a little over 3,000.
The Fifth Parravon War. Duc Gaston of Parravon attacks in the spring, besieging Ubersreik. Before the State Armies of Reikland can respond, most of the province of Ubersreik is burning. After sixth months of skirmishes, Parravon withdraws through the Grey Lady Pass.
The Battle for la Maisontaal. Skaven allied with Undead invade the Grey Lady Pass. They are eventually driven back by Bretonnians. The lack of aid from Ubersreik increases tensions with Parravon.
@UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-ua2.actors.KHU4UeFIP5yokI6u]{Graf Sigismund} of House Jungfreud inherits the Duchy of Ubersreik after his father dies. He immediately moves his court from his estates in the mountain @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.A4x3cKwa1h875OlK]{duchy of Black Rock} and takes up residence in @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.Nhd3vUOVqhDhtRty]{Black Rock Castle} in the town of Ubersreik.
He soon establishes himself as one of the finest political and military minds of his generation, though he is known for his absolute ruthlessness and dedication to his family over all others.
Ubersreik Freed! Emperor Karl-Franz I passes a surprise edict through the @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.sVFygKRicWFw6BsT#the-reikland-diet]{Reikland Diet} at midnight and uses it to seize Ubersreik, forcing @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-ua2.actors.KHU4UeFIP5yokI6u]{Graf Sigismund} to retreat to the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.A4x3cKwa1h875OlK]{Duchy of Black Rock}. The town, and its surrounding province, are left without a formal ruler, although an @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-rnhd.actors.hcAF95tFaOdoZoeF]{Imperial Herald} representing Karl-Franz fulfils almost all of that role. What this means for the future of Ubersreik, and the Empire, is uncertain.
" - } - } - }, - "Reference Sheets & Handouts": { - "name": "Reference Sheets & Handouts", - "pages": { - "Rumours You Have Heard I": { - "name": "Rumours You Have Heard I", - "text": "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 Ubersreik.
Rumour 1: My cousin’s just back from Altdorf, and he says the Emperor’s ill. Never did recover from that business in Drachenfels castle, or so he reckons. I reckon it’s all the eels they eat there. Probably just ate a dodgy one.
Rumour 2: Ubersreik is home to one of the best stonemasons in the Reikland. I travelled halfway across the Empire to employ him on behalf of my master, but sadly it seems he vanished just a few weeks ago. I tried reporting it to the Watch in the Precinct, but they didn’t care.
Rumour 3: Listen, it’s the truth, there is a monster in the Ortschlamm marsh, and even the gods are afraid of it. Can’t be killed, they say. Stay out the Grey Mountains to the south-west is what I’m saying. You’ve been warned.
Use these rumours to spark conversations with the other Players before playing @UUID[JournalEntry.1nxjKAYE9G3Nyk0o]{Making the Rounds}.
" - }, - "Rumours You Have Heard II": { - "name": "Rumours You Have Heard II", - "text": "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 Ubersreik.
Rumour 1: Bloody Bögenhafen has all the luck. While we here in Ubersreik have the Emperor kicking our nobles out, over there the nobles take a back seat and let Merchant Houses like the Teugens pretty much rule the place. If we had that here, we’d all be rich!
Rumour 2: The Bridge? Yeah, it’s impressive, eh? Just don’t go under it. The Baron and his men live in the shanty there. Not safe, if you know what I mean. And I hear there is much worse than just criminals down there…
Rumour 3: Yup, enormous quantities of glass being shipped up to the Tower of Vane. No idea why. Mistress Glazer was the one making it. What’s the Tower of Vane? No idea, mate.
Use these rumours to spark conversations with the other Players before playing @UUID[JournalEntry.1nxjKAYE9G3Nyk0o]{Making the Rounds}.
" - }, - "Rumours You Have Heard III": { - "name": "Rumours You Have Heard III", - "text": "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 Ubersreik.
Rumour 1: There was a witch burning over in Stimmigen. Put him up on the stake for reading corrupt books or summink. But, according to my barber, he didn’t burn. Instead, this tattoo like a splayed hand lit up on his chest like a purple candle. And then he was gone! Probably nonsense, coz if you can’t burn a witch, we’d all be in trouble!
Rumour 2: Naw, me mate told me, and it’s true! There’s goblins in the sewers. And they comes out at night, right. And they’re stealing children and bread and meat and cheese and… uhh… shoes, probably. Anyway, don’t go down the sewers is what I’m saying.
Rumour 3: There’s these fights up in the Precinct that you have to proper wrap your hands for. No blood. Done for fun, I hear. But the same soldier that told me these fights were happening then told me they didn’t. What’s he on about? I’ll never understand Altdorfers.
Use these rumours to spark conversations with the other Players before playing @UUID[JournalEntry.1nxjKAYE9G3Nyk0o]{Making the Rounds}.
" - }, - "Rumours You Have Heard IV": { - "name": "Rumours You Have Heard IV", - "text": "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 Ubersreik.
Rumour 1: I hear the Emperor is proper fed up with the Colleges of Magic. That why he’s been building those semaphore towers to pass messages about. Our good ol’ Karl-Franz is sticking it one to those cursed wizards!
Rumour 2: Don’t trust no one, mate. Everyone works for someone else in Ubersreik, and it ain’t who they say, and that’s the truth! Whether it’s them Jungfreuds or them from Altdorf over in Black Rock Castle, it’s all the same. Schemes within schemes. Still, great time to make a bit of coin, eh?
Rumour 3: Watch out for that Hannah Baumann, I’m told. Witch killer. Kills anything that can do magic, even those trained legally at the Colleges of Magic. Good on her, I say. Then again, the reward for catching her is 100 shillings…
Use these rumours to spark conversations with the other Players before playing @UUID[JournalEntry.1nxjKAYE9G3Nyk0o]{Making the Rounds}.
" - }, - "Rumours You Have Heard V": { - "name": "Rumours You Have Heard V", - "text": "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 Ubersreik.
Rumour 1: Just last week there was a mutant attack on the Teufel. Birdmen, I hear. Swept out of the trees and nabbed folk up into the branches. Best stay in Ubersreik, I say.
Rumour 2: Ol’ Betse Wooster? Ah, I know, brilliant, eh? So glad they came back to Ubersreik. She’s got clowns and jugglers and storytellers and everything. No way I’m missing out on the Cavalcade this time!
Rumour 3: Have you heard that Lena Stein play? She’s passing through, might catch her busking or at that theatre place if you got the coin. I’m telling you, it’s like the gods themselves have taught her. I ain’t heard nothing like it!
Use these rumours to spark conversations with the other Players before playing @UUID[JournalEntry.1nxjKAYE9G3Nyk0o]{Making the Rounds}.
" - }, - "Rumours You Have Heard VI": { - "name": "Rumours You Have Heard VI", - "text": "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 Ubersreik.
Rumour 1: I hear the Crown Prince of Ostland is mounting an expedition to Grey Mountains. Is hiring in Altdorf. Seems a long way to go just to come back here, though...
Rumour 2: Osanna’s the best lawyer in Ubersreik. Ain’t no doubting that. Used to serve the royalty she did. Wish I could afford her to sort that business I have with me neighbour’s pigs!
Rumour 3: Bumped into that Wilhelm Wey fellah just three weeks ago in the Red Moon. Writing one of his itinerary whotsits, he said. Well, let me tell you, he may be a good drinking mate, but the nonsense he was writing about the Red Claw temple. Let me tell you, it was like he’d never visited it! I’ve been there. I will not go again.
Use these rumours to spark conversations with the other Players before playing @UUID[JournalEntry.1nxjKAYE9G3Nyk0o]{Making the Rounds}.
" - }, - "Going Shopping!": { - "name": "Going Shopping!", - "text": "There are many exciting things you can buy in Ubersreik’s Marktplatz. Your Character Sheet shows you how much money you currently have.
The coins come in 3 denominations: Brass Pennies (d), Silver Shillings (/), and Gold Crowns (GC). Coin values are:
1 gold crown (1GC) = 20 silver shillings (20/–) = 240 brass pennies (240d)
1 silver shilling (1/–) = 12 brass pennies (12d)
This is usually abbreviated to: 1 GC = 20/– = 240d
Whilst 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 Haggle Test against the shopkeeper and pay the cheaper Haggle price as marked in the Trappings Table.
The following are the goods available in Ubersreik market and beyond. Strength Bonus is abbreviated to SB in any weapon rules.
Item | Price | Haggle | Special |
@UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-core.items.1zaqojk0Oq1m8vYv]{Sword/Axe/Mace} | 1 GC | 18/- |
|
@UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-core.items.ahlxlfIl8xUhBkic]{Dagger} | 16/- | 14/4 |
|
@UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-core.items.kOfcQJQOgmGsqA5U]{Knuckledusters} | 2/6 | 2/3 |
|
@UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-core.items.7Bpc5I8Arucy3w4q]{Sling} | 1/- | 11d | Range: 60 yards; Uses Stone Bullets |
@UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-core.items.mik7s6AqS8SMSaJ8]{Stone Bullet} | 2d | 2d |
|
@UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-core.items.xdAP96GGDb87m0Pr]{Bullet and Powder} | 3/3 | 2/9 |
|
@UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-core.items.OjcHE0VOGr1aRdy9]{Leather Jack} | 12 | 10/10 | 1 Armour Point to Body and Arms |
@UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-core.items.ipaDvYY3qS66o593]{Leather Jerkin} | 10 | 9/- | 1 Armour Point to Body |
@UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-core.items.hG90GkelSekqH7i8]{Waterskin} | 1/6 | 1/5 | Carries a gallon of liquid |
@UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-core.items.o51gUXXozGz4ON0h]{Tattoo} | 4/- | 3/8 | A simple tattoo |
@UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-core.items.N8HJlumE3hOgpPC2]{Pint of Ale} | 3d | - | Tasty! |
Rumster Pie | 3d | - | Comes in many flavours |
Full Imperal Breakfast | 8d | - | Best blood sausage in Ubersreik! |
@UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-core.items.USL6G7P9pbdWHodY]{Inn Meal} | 1/- | - | Expensive, but good! |
@UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-core.items.7CJfiEV10299s7c1]{Bottle of Wine} | 10d | 9d | A local grape |
@UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-core.items.M5rVGn8jfQXVkY57]{Chicken} | 5d | - | Uncooked. Unplucked. Hungry. |
@UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-core.items.gxdjLQoQUTYgD6fm]{Healing Draught} | 10/- | 9/- | Drink to Heal 1d10 Wounds. |
@UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-core.items.1wtW4N8l3UKwlLI3]{Bandage} | 4d | - | Remove 1 Bleeding Condition |
@UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-core.items.F65NP8BmRo66nQOm]{Deck of Cards} | 1/- | - | Brush up on your Gamble Skill |
@UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-core.items.horFAtaDz0EbuY3R]{Rope, 10 yards} | 8/4 | 7/6 | For tying up or climbing! |
Feel free to come up with other prices for other items the Characters may wish to purchase based on these amounts, or refer to @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-core.journals.JournalEntry.sLomXnc8R8518cWN]{The Consumers' Guide} in WFRP rulebook for many more options.
" - }, - "Combat Reference Sheet": { - "name": "Combat Reference Sheet", - "text": "
When Combat begins, we zoom into the action. Every Character receives a Turn to do something every Round, using dice to determine who gets hurt, and who doesn’t. You will need to read the @UUID[JournalEntry.XkP5kukwHbjU6NyL.JournalEntryPage.PlIfKND66A2k6Z3p]{Tests Reference Sheet} to understand these rules.
To determine the Turn order, combatants compare their Initiative Characteristics, and act from highest to lowest. Any ties are broken by comparing the Agility Characteristic.
Example: The Characters are caught in the midst of a riot, so it’s time to determine who goes first. From highest to lowest, it’s: Amris (I 56), Molrella (I 43), Gunnar (I 34), Salundra (I 32, Agi 33), Ferdinand (I 32, Agi 31), the Brawling Horde (I 30), then Else (I 29) last. Note: any Characters with a Surprised Condition cannot act for the first Round of combat.
You have a Move and an Action on your Turn. These can be taken in any order — it’s presumed you are probably doing both at the same time, and you are encouraged to describe them as one combined manoeuvre. Once every Character has taken a Turn, a new Round begins, and everyone has an opportunity to take another Turn, starting with the Character with the highest Initiative again.
A Move involves Walking, Charging into Combat, or Running. The GM decides how far you can move on your Turn. As a loose guide, you can move M×2 yards when walking and your M×4 yards when Charging and Running.
An Action involves figuring out what to do, and then testing a Skill to see if it’s successful. The most common Action in Combat is trying to hit someone with a weapon using WS for Melee or BS for Ranged, but any Skill can be tested on your Turn.
Example: Else would like to escape the crowded brawl as soon as possible, so the GM tells her Player to attempt a Simple Dodge Test for her Action.
When you want to attack an opponent, you perform a Weapon Skill (WS) Test (for melee attacks), or Ballistic Skill (BS) Test (for ranged attacks) for your Action. Melee attacks are always Opposed Tests, unless the defender has the @Condition[Unconscious] or @Condition[Surprised] Condition. The defender uses their WS or Dodge Skill to oppose the attack. If the Attacker scores more SL than the defender, it’s a successful hit. Ranged attacks are Dramatic but unopposed, and hit if the Character passes the BS Test.
If an attacker hits, reverse the attack roll (e.g.: a roll of ‘25’ becomes a ‘52’) to determine where on the body the hit landed: 01–09 Head, 10–24 Left Arm, 25–44 Right Arm, 45–79 Body, 80–89 Left Leg, or 90–00 Right Leg. The Hit Location is used to see if there is any armour protecting the area.
The attack deals an amount of Damage equal to the Test’s SL + the Weapon’s Damage + the attacker’s Strength Bonus (for melee attacks). This Damage is reduced by the defender’s Toughness Bonus + the Armour Points on that area of the body. Any excess is subtracted from their Wounds. See the @UUID[JournalEntry.XkP5kukwHbjU6NyL.JournalEntryPage.7h3tPYMgdgDcOJVR]{Injury Reference Sheet} for more on how to handle Wounds, and what happens when Wounds fall to 0!
Example: Molrella shoots her sling at an Entertainer for her Action, so attempts a Dramatic Ballistic Skill Test. She rolls 13 against her BS of 39. Because it is a ranged attack, the Entertainer cannot defend, so this is not an Opposed Test. Molrella scored +2 SL, and her Sling has +6 Damage, which equals a total of 8 Damage. Molrella reverses the Test roll of 13 for Hit Location, scoring a 31 — right arm! The Entertainer has no Armour on the Right Arm, and Toughness Bonus 3, so loses 5 Wounds (8 − 3 = 5). The Entertainer started with 12 Wounds, but now only has 7 Wounds remaining!
Combat has a momentum to it, with success bringing greater feats of glory. In WFRP this is called Advantage, with each Advantage token giving the roller a +10 bonus to all combat Actions. +1 Advantage is gained for each of the following:
Attacking an opponent with the Surprised Condition.
Spending your Move Charging headlong into combat.
Defeating an important NPC.
Winning an Opposed Test during combat.
Causing Damage to an opponent without making an Opposed Test.
Characters lose all accrued Advantage if they lose any Opposed Tests or take a Wound.
Example: Having dodged free of the Riot, Salundra Charges a Jungfreud Agitator harassing Molli for her Move, gaining +1 Advantage. She then uses her Action to attack with her blade, so attempts an Opposed WS Test. She rolls 30 against her WS of 59 (49 + 10 (from the Advantage) = 59), thus scores +2 SL . The Agitator defends, rolling 91 against his WS of 30, thus −6 SL! So, Salundra wins the Opposed Test with +8 SL . Her Sword has +4 Damage, and she has a Strength Bonus of 3, so she has caused 15 Damage (8 + 4 + 3 = 15)! She reverses her Test roll of 30 to determine Hit Location, which is 03 — a head hit. The Agitator has 0 Armour there. So, the blow deals 15 − Armour 0 − Toughness Bonus 3 = 12 Wounds. The Agitator only has 12 Wounds, so it is defeated. Salundra’s player describes the blade whacking off the Agitator’s head, knocking him out cold with a single blow. Triumphant, Salundra gains +1 Advantage for winning an Opposed Test. As she now has 2 Advantage, next Round she will gain a bonus of +20 for her Action.
" - }, - "Injury Reference Sheet": { - "name": "Injury Reference Sheet", - "text": "In games of WFRP it is very likely you will be hurt. The following explains the different ways of taking Damage, and how to deal with each.
Every Character has a number of Wounds. Loss of these represents cuts, bruises, and abrasions.
Wounds are lost whenever you take Damage. Damage is most commonly caused by Combat (refer to the @UUID[JournalEntry.XkP5kukwHbjU6NyL.JournalEntryPage.vRBnsTqZnNwtGt7h]{Combat Reference Sheet} for more on that). Each point of Damage you suffer causes you to lose 1 Wound. So, if you suffer 5 points of Damage, you lose 5 Wounds. Often, especially in combat, your Toughness Bonus and Armour Points can reduce any Damage you suffer.
If you fall to 0 Wounds, you gain the @Condition[Prone] Condition, which you cannot remove until you return to at least 1 Wound. Worse, if you stay at 0 Wounds for more than Toughness Bonus Rounds, the Prone Condition becomes an @Condition[Unconscious] Condition and you pass out. If you would ever be reduced to negative Wounds, you take a Critical Wound instead.
To recover your Wounds, you need rest or medical attention. You can attempt an Average (+20) Endurance Test after a good sleep once a day, and may heal Wounds equal to the SL + your Toughness Bonus. A Character can also perform a Challenging (+0) Heal Test to heal a further SL + Intelligence Bonus Wounds, although each Wound loss can only be treated once per day. You can never have more Wounds than your initial Wound total.
Some blows are so terrible they cause Critical Wounds. These occur in the following circumstances:
If you are reduced to negative Wounds, suffer a Critical Wound instead and set your Wounds to 0.
If an opponent rolls a Critical Hit (a double under their WS; ie: 11, 22, and 33 for a WS of 35). Further, you also suffer extra Wounds as detailed in the Crit. Column of the Critical Wound Table.
When a Critical Wound is suffered, roll 1d100 and consult the Critical Wound Table to determine what Critical Wound you suffer and its Effects. If you suffered a Critical Hit, you also suffer the Crit. Column as Damage that is not modified by Toughness Bonus or Armour Points (so, you lose that many extra Wounds). This extra Wound Loss will not lower you below 0 Wounds, so cannot trigger a second Critical Wound.
If a Character ever suffers more Critical Wounds than their Toughness Bonus whilst having the Unconscious Condition, they die. For minor characters, dropping to 0 Wounds results in death or unconsciousness, as determined by the GM.
" - }, - "Conditions Reference Sheet": { - "name": "Conditions Reference Sheet", - "text": "The Starter Set's Critical Wound Table has been omitted as it is not used in favor of the Core Rulebook's tables
WFRP uses a selection of Conditions to cover commonly encountered penalties you may face. Each Condition has its own special rules. The Conditions reference the rules found on the @UUID[JournalEntry.XkP5kukwHbjU6NyL.JournalEntryPage.PlIfKND66A2k6Z3p]{Tests Reference Sheet} so it is recommended you read them before reading this sheet.
The @UUID[JournalEntry.XkP5kukwHbjU6NyL.JournalEntryPage.7h3tPYMgdgDcOJVR]{Injury Reference Sheet} or the GM explain when you receive a Condition. If this happens, you immediately lose all Advantage tokens. Players should mark what Conditions they currently have on a scrap piece of paper.
Each Condition has its own rules for removing it. You can also spend a Resolve point to remove a single Condition.
The following is a list of the Conditions used in the WFRP Starter Set.
You are on fire! At the end of every Round, you suffer [[/r 1d10]] Wounds, modified by Toughness Bonus and the Armour Points on your least protected Hit Location, with a minimum of 1 Wound suffered. Each extra Ablaze Condition you have adds +1 to the Damage suffered; so, if you have 3 Ablaze Conditions, you suffer in 1d10+2 Damage at the end of the Round. One Ablaze Condition can be removed with a successful Dramatic Athletics Test, with each SL removing an extra Ablaze Condition.
You are bleeding badly. Lose 1 Wound at the end of every Round per Bleeding Condition you have, ignoring all modifiers. One Bleeding Condition can be removed with a successful Dramatic Heal Test, with each SL removing an additional Bleeding Condition. When you remove all Bleeding Conditions, gain a @Condition[Fatigued] Condition.
You are fleeing. On your turn, your Move and Action must be used to run away as fast as possible until you are in a good hiding place beyond the sight of any enemy; then you can use your Action on a Skill that allows you to hide more effectively. You also receive a penalty of –10 to all Tests not involving running and hiding. If you are not in combat at the end of a Round, you may attempt a Dramatic Cool Test to remove a Broken Condition, with each SL removing an extra Broken Condition. If you spend a full Round in hiding out of line-of-sight of any enemy, you automatically remove 1 Broken Condition.
You are very tired and in need of a breather. Suffer a penalty of –10 to all Tests per Fatigued Condition you have, to a maximum of –30. You lose one Fatigued Condition per hour of good rest, preferably in a warm bed.
You have fallen to the ground. Your Move can only be used to stand up or crawl at half your Movement in yards. You suffer a 20 penalty to all Tests involving movement of any kind, and any opponent trying to strike you in Melee Combat gains +20 to hit you. You lose all Prone Conditions when you stand up.
You have been disoriented or confused. You are incapable of taking an Action on your Turn, and can only use your Move to stagger at half your normal movement. You also suffer a –10 penalty per Stunned Condition to all Tests, but can defend yourself with Opposed Tests. Any opponent trying to strike you in Melee Combat gains +1 Advantage before rolling the attack. At the end of each Round, you may attempt a Dramatic Endurance Test. If successful, remove a Stunned Condition, with each SL removing an extra Stunned Condition.
You have been caught unawares. You can take no Action or Move and cannot defend yourself in Opposed Tests. The first opponent trying to strike you in Melee Combat gains a bonus of +20 to hit. At the end of the Round, you lose all Surprised Conditions.
You are knocked out, asleep, helpless, or otherwise insensible. You can do nothing on your Turn and are completely unaware of your surroundings. Any Melee attack targeting you automatically hits as if you had rolled 01 to determine your SL, and also inflicts a Critical Wound. You recover from the Unconscious Condition when you are in a safe location and have time to rest (as determined by the GM).
" - }, - "Attributes and Skills Reference Sheet": { - "name": "Attributes and Skills Reference Sheet", - "text": "The following summarises WFRP’s 10 Characteristics. Each has a number typically ranging from 20–90. These numbers are used by Tests (see the @UUID[JournalEntry.XkP5kukwHbjU6NyL.JournalEntryPage.PlIfKND66A2k6Z3p]{Tests Reference Sheet}).
Weapon Skill (WS): Your skill at fighting hand-to-hand combat.
Ballistic Skill (BS): Your effectiveness at hitting with ranged weapons like bows or pistols.
Strength (S): How strong you are, impacting how much damage you inflict in combat, how much you can lift, and how good you are at activities like swimming and climbing.
Toughness (T): Your endurance. It helps you survive damage in combat but will also help with things like surviving harsh conditions and standing up to poison.
Initiative (I): Speed of thought and reaction, especially in the heat of battle and when under pressure. It determines combat order, and helps you be the first to react to danger. It also determines your powers of intuition and perception.
Agility (Ag): Physical coordination and the basis for things like running, riding, and hiding. Agility is also used for dodging blows in combat.
Dexterity (Dex): Your affinity for performing fine and delicate manual tasks like playing a musical instrument or skilled manufacturing. It will also help you with things like sleight of hand and picking pockets.
Intelligence (Int): Your powers of thought, analysis, and understanding. Useful for healing, evaluating, and general knowledge, and vital for the understanding and casting of magical spells.
Willpower (WP): General strength of mind, and your ability to shrug off difficulty and plough on with the job in hand. It helps with resisting all sorts of influence and coercion, and guards against fear and terror.
Fellowship (Fel): Your ability to get on with people and come across as generally pleasant and acceptable. It will help you when chatting to locals or commanding people in battle, charming the guards or attempting to bribe them, and, for pious characters, communicating with your deity.
The first or ‘tens’ digit of each Characteristic is its bonus value. So Strength 35 has a Strength Bonus of 3, and a Toughness of 47 has a Toughness Bonus of 4. Characteristic Bonuses are used in a variety of different ways throughout the rules, especially in combat.
Movement (M): Your Movement describes how quickly you can move.
Wounds (W): Your Wounds show how much Damage you can endure based on your physical power and your force of will to shrug off injury. See the Injury Reference Sheet for more on Wounds.
Characters who are trained or practiced will have Skills to show this. Skills are used in the place of Characteristics for Test.
Athletics: Run, jump, and heft.
Bribery: Bribe someone.
Channelling: Manipulate Magic.
Charm: Charm others.
Charm Animal: Charm animals.
Climb: Scale surfaces.
Consume Alcohol: Tolerate alcohol.
Cool: Keep in control.
Dodge: Avoid things.
Endurance: Ignore hardships.
Haggle: Make a bargain.
Heal: Heal Wounds.
Intimidate: Coerce others.
Intuition: Read others.
Language (Magick): Cast spells.
Leadership: Command others.
Lore (Various): Know something.
Navigation: Find your way.
Outdoor Survival: Subsist out-of-doors.
Perception: Spot details.
Pick Lock: Bypass locks.
Ride: Ride a horse.
Stealth: Creep around.
Track: Follow a trail.
Trade (Various): Craft something.
" - }, - "Tests Reference Sheet": { - "name": "Tests Reference Sheet", - "text": "Most Tests are Simple Tests. These tell you if you succeed or fail. Roll 1d100, and if the result is less than or equal to your Skill or Characteristic, you succeed! Otherwise, you fail. Failing can mean things simply take longer, not that the attempt is completely fruitless, as the GM decides.
\nExample: Salundra is searching the market for a new leather jacket. The GM calls for a Simple Perception Test. So, Salundra’s Player rolls 1d100 and scores 43. Salundra’s Perception Skill is 32. Because 43 is higher than 32, Salundra fails in her attempt, and the GM decides it takes quite some time to find the jacket in the crowded market, and asks what the other Players are doing as Salundra searches. If Salundra’s Player had rolled 32 or less, the Perception attempt would have succeeded, and the GM would explain that Salundra spots a clothes stall almost immediately!
\nSome Tests are more difficult than others — climbing a sheer wall is much harder than climbing a tree. To simulate this, the GM can assign a Difficulty to any Test. This will either add a positive bonus or a negative penalty, making the Test easier or harder to pass.
\nThe following Difficulty levels may be applied as the GM feels is appropriate: Very Easy (+60), Easy (+40), Average (+20), Challenging (+0), Difficult (−10), Hard (−20), or Very Hard (−30). The modifier is applied directly to the tested Skill, either lowering or raising the target number of the Test. If a Test has no marked modifier, it is assumed to be Challenging (+0).
\nExample: Molli decides to chat to the passing Ubersreikers to ask where the nearest bun shop is. The GM calls for an Average (+20) Gossip Test. Molli’s Gossip Skill is 50, but that is increased by +20 to 70 because of the Average Difficulty. Molrella’s player rolls 59. Normally, a roll over her Skill of 50 would be a fail, but because of the Difficulty bonus, the Test is a success, and Molli is pointed in the direction of the nearest food stall. Molli would only fail that Test if she rolled over her modified Skill of 70.
\n\n\nOutcomes Table
\n\n\n
\n\n \nSL \nResult \nHave You Succeeded? \n\n \n \n+6 or more \nAstounding Success \nYes, perfectly! You achieved your goals perfectly. \n\n \n \n+4 to +5 \nImpressive Success \nYes, and… You achieved your goals, and exceeded expectations. \n\n \n \n+2 to +3 \nSuccess \nYes. You achieved your goals. \n\n \n \n+0 to +1 \nMarginal Success \nYes, but… You achieved your goals, but there is an unintended side effect or flaw. \n\n \n \n-1 to -0 \nMarginal Failure \nNo, but… You only partially achieved your goals, or have made progress. \n\n \n \n-2 to -3 \nFailure \nNo. You did not achieve your goals. \n\n \n \n-4 to -5 \nImpressive Failure \nNo, and… You did not achieve your goals, and you made matters a little worse. \n\n \n \n\n-6 or less \nAstounding Failure \nNo, not in any way! You could not have performed worse, and have made matters much worse. \n\n
\n" - } - } - }, - "Dark Cults": { - "name": "Dark Cults", - "pages": { - "Dark Cults": { - "name": "Dark Cults", - "text": "Dramatic and Opposed Tests
\nDramatic Tests explains how well a task is performed. Like Simple Tests, roll 1d100 to determine if a Test is a success or a failure. Then subtract the ‘tens’ number of the 1d100 roll from the ‘tens’ number of the Skill or Characteristic being Tested. The result is your Success Level (SL). A positive SL occurs when you succeed at a Test — the higher the number, the better a Test succeeds. A negative SL occurs when you fail — the lower the number, the worse it has failed. Use the Outcomes Table below to understand what each SL means for your Tests.
\nExample: Gunnar has grown bored of the market and decides to push through the crowds to reach the entertainers he can hear playing music in the distance. Gunnar decides to gruffly push his way through, so the GM asks for an Average (+20) Dramatic Intimidate Test. Gunnar’s Player rolls 26 against his Intimidate of 63 (43 for his Skill, plus 20 for the Difficulty). The tens number of his Intimidate of 63 is 6, and the tens number of his roll of 26 is 2. So, Gunnar scores +4 SL (6 – 2 = 4). According to the Outcomes Table, that’s an Impressive Success! Clearly, no one wants to interfere with the Dwarf Slayer, and the crowds part as soon as they see Gunnar’s distinctive orange hair.
\nOPPOSED TESTS
\nTwo Characters can directly compare Tests to see who performs better. Doing this requires an Opposed Test. An Opposed Test compares the results of a Dramatic Test from each Character. The Character with the higher SL
\non the Outcomes Table is declared the Winner, and the difference between the individual SLs is used as the final SL for the Opposed Test. On a draw, the Characters should reroll their Tests to secure a Winner.
\nExample: Amris decides he wants to buy a new hat. The GM calls for an Opposed Haggle Test against the vendor. Amris’s Player rolls 51 against his Haggle Skill of 48, a fail with −1 SL. The vendor rolls 69 against his Haggle Skill of 40, also failing with −2 SL. As Amris has the higher SL (−1 SL, whilst a fail, is still higher than −2 SL), he is the Winner with a final SL of +1 (the difference between the rolled SLs). It was a clumsy exchange, and neither spoke well, but Amris performed marginally better to win the Opposed Test, letting him buy the hat for the Haggle Price.
\nOpposed Tests often compare different Skills.
\nExample: An angry wizard-hating burgher confronts Ferdinand. Ferdinand’s Player asks if he can use the Charm Skill to calm the irate woman. The GM calls for an Opposed Charm/Cool Test. Ferdinand rolls 12 against his Charm Skill of 23 for a success with +1 SL. The GM rolls 34 against the burgher’s Cool Skill of 35 for a success with +0 SL. So, even though the burgher rolled a success, Ferdinand rolled a better success. Therefore, Ferdinand is the Winner with +1 SL. The GM states this enough to calm the burgher down, but not for long…
\n
While many Reiklanders find solace in the tears of @UUID[JournalEntry.NcH9OhleJFfaUdon.JournalEntryPage.TjfeXu3fimHJ5I9Q]{Shallya}, @UUID[JournalEntry.NcH9OhleJFfaUdon.JournalEntryPage.jza73azXzLy0oVCy]{Ulric’s} fury, or the uncompromising rigour of the @UUID[JournalEntry.NcH9OhleJFfaUdon.JournalEntryPage.OclFlDGI5fC9ygoP]{Cult of Sigmar}, others succumb to darker impulses. Beneath the veneer of civilisation, the Empire is riddled with corruption and moral decay. Scratch the surface and you will find secret cults and fanatics willing to risk their very souls (and the lives of their neighbours) to appease and placate whatever dark master has them in thrall, whatever form they may take.
Those who fall to Khorne, the Chaos God of Bloodshed, tend to be violent and unrestrained in their savagery — such displays of wanton ferocity run contrary to conventional Reiklander decorum, meaning cults of the Blood God are relatively rare. Thus, Khornate cultists tend to be visitors from the wilder northern realms such as Middenland and Nordland.
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/the-crimson-skull.webp\")
The Crimson Skull dates back to before the Great War Against Chaos. Rare amongst Khorne cults, its adherents understand the need to be circumspect in their bloodletting, ensuring their continued survival. To that end, the cult infiltrates military organisations, offering plausible justifications for extreme violence.
The Redclaw Monastery in the @UUID[JournalEntry.70sJnVPsNmeNnqdC.JournalEntryPage.i5oKhDottkJmwCzj]{Duchy of Aschaffenberg} is home to a cell of the cult. The Redclaw sect is not only not recognized by the Cult of Ulric, it was, in fact, founded by a cultist of the Crimson Skull to attract Ulricans and convert them. Abbot Hölleblut, and his inner sanctum of seven monks, secretly worship Khorne, dedicating their own kills, and those deceived Ulricans at the monastery, in service of the skull throne.
Hölleblut has heard a rumor that a servant of Ulric, with the ability to shift his form into that of a great hound or wolf, is residing in Ubersreik. Should they capture and convert such a figure, they would become a powerful champion in the Blood God’s serried ranks, so they are willing to pay others to capture him.
The Redclaw Monks wage a near constant battle against the Creeping Death tribe of Goblins. Characters of a martial bent will have many opportunities to fight there, earning favor with Ulric or, if especially savage, a bloodier god...
Sickness is everywhere in the Reikland, and wherever a soul should succumb to the ravages of disease, the infected, afflicted followers of the Plague Lord are sure to be lurking close by.
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/tinean-fellowship.webp\")
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, @UUID[JournalEntry.NcH9OhleJFfaUdon.JournalEntryPage.9bWE0Ayt5XGQf50r]{Verena, the Goddess of Wisdom}.
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.
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.
Doktor Grat, of @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.XXEYah0l4NQV0Uhs]{The Physicians' Guild} of Ubersreik, is a recent convert to the cult. In addition to her experimentation with @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-starter-set.items.BBYmXJ5jiRUk93IJ]{Bronze Fever}, she is planning to release her variation of @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-core.items.UAwTqZ3hqNb7vq9s]{Itching Pox} (which can affect those who have suffered Itching Pox before, and afflicts sufferers with a visible rash) into the canalside community of Halheim. From here the cult plans to observe its spread to Nuln and Carroburg, where other cult members await, ready to record the illness in the Fly Lord’s pox-laden ledger.
Viktor Felken is another member of the cult recently arrived in Ubersreik, and is currently residing in the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.yY5DUbAdKg2MhDva]{Dunkelfeucht}. Felken is operating as a Barber Surgeon, offering reasonable rates for quick and dirty medical treatment. He charges half the going rate for treatment. Anyone treated by Felken must pass a Challenging (+0) Endurance Test, or contract a @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-core.items.1hQuVFZt9QnnbWzg]{Minor Infection}.
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/villagers-of-saal.webp\")
The village of Saal has lost all hope. Ever since the Greenskins sacked Saalenschloss decades ago @UUID[JournalEntry.70sJnVPsNmeNnqdC.JournalEntryPage.depCha3wADmJNilH]{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…
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.
Abbot Berrener leads the Monastery of Blessed Saal. He has grown concerned with the Saal villagers’ extreme actions, and is looking for some devout Sigmarites (or those who seem such) to investigate.
Should the Characters offer assistance to the folk of Saal, they will be received as heroes, sent by Father Saal to aid them. Given the villagers are unwittingly worshipping the Chaos God of Disease, this may prove... unfortunate.
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.
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/unblinking-eye.webp\")
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.
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.
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 Ubersreik, plotting exquisite revenge. He entered the service of Heissman’s only son, Andreas, and slowly corrupted him. Thus, the Order was reborn and Piersson’s vengeance was secured.
Andreas owns a special painting, one touched by Slaanesh’s profane influence. When the Characters are hired to steal it by agents of @UUID[.L5gV9pgaWXB3floP#the-fractured-eye]{The Fractured Eye}, they don’t quite realise what they are getting themselves into.
@UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-ua2.ua2-actors.ySYxwgeetYujddRC]{Gutele} and @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-ua2.ua2-actors.H4JTrhGvhlB8zc0a]{Boniel} are deeply suspicious of their secretive and moody cousin. They will pay well to find out where Andreas goes every week. Following him is uneventful until he is attacked in @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.BQA04SKWoMFPjb7T]{the Docks}. Should any step in, Andreas will be effusively thankful, and will be very keen they meet his servant, Gregor, who will want to thank them personally...
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/unmarred-flesh.webp\")
The Circle of Unmarred Flesh only recently arrived in Ubersreik, 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.
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 Ubersreik. 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.
Anyone skilled in close quarters fighting and serving in the Watch will be invited to join one of the Circle’s bouts as a trial. Should the Character take pleasure in the fight, and refrain from spilling blood, Vielfrass will groom them for eventual indoctrination into the Circle.
Silvi Kreutzhame has suspicions about the Circle. Though she has no concrete information, something is troubling her about their clandestine fights. Any PCs connected to her may be asked to investigate on her behalf.
Chaos Cults worshipping the Ever-Changing Lord arise wherever Humans gather and ideas foment. Change is Tzeentch’s purview, and humanity’s constant companion. Often the Great Architect’s followers can be found amongst students, freethinkers, and agitators, and wherever people seek to alter their lot in life or the world around them. @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-eis.journals.IZVgB7zmTm4rK2yJ]{The Cult of the Purple Hand} is particularly pervasive, and is directly responsible for the current political mess in Ubersreik (for more details concerning this influential cult, see The Enemy in Shadows).
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/the-shifting-grasp.webp\")
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.
The Shifting Grasp now has adherents all along the Stir, @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.Zhp59VXYiv6dGfhR]{Reik}, and up many of Reikland’s richer rivers. However, the cult is strongest in poorer districts, such as the rickety shanties of @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.9WswKDPgqHAo8AcB]{Kemperbad} and the slums and rookeries of Ubersreik. 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.
In Ubersreik, 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.
Elmeric Herzog, a smuggler for the cult, needs help moving a very special shipment (a crate of wyrdstone), but @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.UtDzFPhCEkeMyMRe]{Geldfinger’s} clerks are tailing his usual operatives. Herzog approaches the Characters for their assistance in causing a ‘significant distraction’ that will draw attention from the docks at just the right moment.
Now the Jungfreud trade is bypassing Ubersreik, Niedlich needs a cult member in their Waystation. If the party have any ties to the Jungfreuds, or the boatmen or dockers’ guilds, they will be asked to offer a letter of recommendation. After all: what’s the harm?
![](\"modules/wfrp4e-starter-set/art/the-fractured-eye.webp\")
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.
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.
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.
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 @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.b7O2qxgkBbDE6ip5]{Boatbuilders and Chandlers Guild}, represents the cult in Ubersreik.
Kurt Prochnow is known as a collector of obscure texts and antiquities. Those looking for a buyer of such can hear word of the guildmaster with a Simple Average (+20) Gossip Test. He pays well, and is always looking for more.
If the party are skilled in any particular area (with more than 15 Advances in a given Skill), Guildmaster Prochnow will orchestrate a demonstration of that skill in order to catalogue it, and consider the candidate’s suitability for recruitment. The party may feel uncomfortable during this process, especially any characters with no Corruption and a high Intuition Skill or the @UUID[Compendium.wfrp4e-core.items.Nj3tC8A5fZ3zEdMR]{Holy Visions} Talent
Not all that glitters is gold, and not all that corrupts is Chaos. In their weakness, depravity, and desperation, many Reiklanders are ensnared by other dark cults. And though not in thrall to the Ruinous Powers, such acts still lead inexorably down the path to damnation.
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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.
In Ubersreik, 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 Ubersreik, 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.
If the party are not local to Ubersreik, they may find themselves approached by Slippery Jacob, a garrulous bawd who will offer to introduce them to all manner of earthly delights. Should the players pass out in any of the taverns, weirdroot dens, or brothels to which he takes them, they will awake the following morning in chains, in a tunnel far beneath the streets of Ubersreik…
In the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.yJlaZDmJgb5rIkHM]{Magnussewers} a shadow war is being waged amongst the Skaven clans. Clan Skaab have sent a party of Skaven to eliminate the Yellowbellies, but their intelligence is faulty. Instead of the Yellowbellies’ secret layer in the Docks, they arrive in the basement of the building where the party are staying, convinced everyone there is a member of the cult, and determined to eradicate them.
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Constant Drachenfels remains the great bogeyman of the Reikland, his name used as a threat by mothers across the realm, but barely whispered by the superstitious. The vile deeds and horrid depravities of the Great Enchanter are too many and too foul to consider, yet their fetid legend remains, lingering in the dark recess of the mind, and on the tongues of those seeking the torrid thrill of forbidden lore.
Despite being finally killed, something of Drachenfels remains, lurking in the ruins of his castle in @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.w0YfGxsBuLoODCgc]{The Grey Mountains}. His spirit calls out to the weak-willed, great tendrils of malice and spite infiltrating the souls of the unwary. A cult serving their dark master’s wishes has arisen in the Suden Vorbergland, whose members wear masks when they meet, to venerate their lord and shield their identities.
Benedict Gurkenfeld, owner of the @UUID[JournalEntry.TSyoR9nSk7cehypG.JournalEntryPage.szPqoGEOOQQ308mU]{Theatre Varieté}, is planning a revival of The Tragedy of Oswald, @UUID[Actor.HVtHpEXhGGMOmGzy]{Detlef Sierck}’s play recounting Drachenfel’s demise. The Faceless Ones work to disrupt the performance, poisoning refreshments and inciting a riot to begin as the curtains part. Of course, the party have been invited to the premiere…
A town councillor is a Faceless One, and plans to resurrect Drachenfels using the body parts of peers. But which one?
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Decades ago, in the small town of Ablegen, local residents began worshipping a creature from the miry banks of @UUID[JournalEntry.ozE2DMCMK64eE5pD.JournalEntryPage.CqIczLRZI265nrAR]{The Teufel}. Known as @UUID[Actor.LB1Qv7lfSY0b02HH]{The Bog King}, it was a mutated Bog Octopus, gifted with unnatural intelligence and the ability to communicate telepathically. As it learned of the Reikland, and the Reiklanders’ ways, it yearned for more.
Since then, the @UUID[Actor.LB1Qv7lfSY0b02HH]{Bog King} and its followers have moved to Ubersreik. A close-knit community of gong farmers and plumbers living near the docks on the Teufel’s northern bank, they meet regularly in their basement. Here they place their victims upon the sacrificial throne, a large, sturdy commode through which the Bog King can extend his mighty tentacles, and withdraw the unfortunate souls chosen for this ‘honor’.
Marius Klempner, newly arrived from Nuln, disappeared shortly after his application to join the Plumbers’ Guild was rejected. Now his brother Ludwig has hired the party to locate him, little realizing he has long since been pulled down a commode and digested by a giant, intelligent cephalopod. Unfortunately, if the party investigate too closely, they may suffer a similar fate.
When passing by sewer grates, one Character hears whispers offering great wealth and influence in return for nothing more than information. For each night the Character agrees to discuss the finer intricacies of being Human, the @UUID[Actor.LB1Qv7lfSY0b02HH]{Bog King} leaves behind @Credit[5ss ONCE]{5 silver shillings}. The longer the Character engages, the more likely it is the Bog King will grow petulant and angry should it ever be denied. And the Bog King’s rage is terrible to behold.