My group finally got into the meat of the module.  I started them off in two sessions of "Pit Fighter prison" partly to relearn the combat system (fighting each other, then fighting ogres as a team) and partly to make sure they were broke and *had* to go to the docks when they got out!

Group dynamic: There are 4 of us who played the original TEW and all speak to each other about how great it was but none of us actually remember any details (except it was awesome…and before we had kids).  There is one person who played through the Stormdorf module and two others who are completely new to Warhammer (both are 3rd edition D&D lubbers).

CAST OF CHARACTERS

DAY 1 I gave my players a list of people they could "get intel from" or a disappearance they could "ask a lot of people about.  Note that I did not give them the option to talk to characters "B & C" as these two seem way to close to solving the mystery on Day 1 (I'll probably let players notice them on Day 3).  Also, I started off by having them talk with Frederick Grosz (get all his rumors) to get the ball rolling from a "friendly" face.

Good stuff.  I too made a point of mentioning that the dockers are more "trade halls" and while involved in "things falling off the back of barges" etc. they are really a working man's association not a criminal organization.  Waterfront union kind of criminal not mugging/drugs/extortion kind.

I see the Black Cowl's criminal unification drive leaving the dockers alone (part of indicating Rolf vanishing wasn't considered by locals to be related to the Black Cowl's strong arm tactics on membership).

GLORY HOUND BACKGROUND

This group was started in Pit Fighter prison.  Well 3 of them were: Mace (Battlescarred vet Merc), Roderick (Agitatin outcast) & Jacquez (Gamblin crook).  The Barber-Surgeon Academic & The Smuggling Gently Born started on the outside and they all conspired together for a “jail break.”

There is some “legal” dispute going on as to whether it is ok to “rush onto the arena floor and attack” during an “epic pit-fighter bout for freedom.”  Roderick did just this after a representative was appointed for his bout during the contest.  The other 2 got out (free but broke!) but the Gently Born Halfling Smuggler, Blotzkinwich the younger, spent 2 gold crowns bribing the ogre to take a dive.  We did a session about jail-breaking an ogre down the docks to the smuggler’s warehouse (located on the far side of Fish territory just off the map).

SECOND TEW SESSION (there were a couple pit-fighter pre sessions)

With most of the rumors talked out of the NPCs and the info on the mystery missing gathered from the first session and over email (PM me if you want rumors xls), we set about the events.

Late night on Backertag (the 18^th day 1) they found the body of “I’m not joining the BC Klauss Keller” and had to talk down some fish and the rats from fighting (a Rat saw them see the body and started yelling it was Rolf).  Stealing some from Valvorik here, when they Barber-Surgeon passed the first aid check on the wounds I reiterated “soft like Bretonnian cheese, you’d expect it to be rigid.”

Morning of Bezahltag (the 19^th day 2) they woke up to the burning barge encounter.  Instead of letting the democracy drag on about what action they take, I gave each of them a red, green and white die and said you gotta pick one:

Red is help Adolph straight away; Green is look for a bucket (it helps!); White is chase the perps.  Put one die in a hand, hold out for 3 count and….

Two chasin the perps - Opposed checks on 3 STR for Mace (4 STR) & Gambler Crook skilled shooter Jacquez (2 STR).  The opposed check rules are brutal if you have a lower attribute but Jacquez went straight to shooting one anyway.  He rolled 5 hammers, a boon and a chaos star on “trying to shoot for the leg to cripple one.”  I called it a kill.  Mace gained on the other perp.  He totally whiffed on the observation roll for the open back door but said “I go out the back door” and ran him down.

The Barber-Surgeon Academic Kastion Von Schewinsteiger searched the smugglers warehouse for buckets while the Outcast Agitator Roderick (of Reikland) rushed to the boat.  Opposed checks for these guys on the fire were fun.  Average Agility checks (2d) vs. their Agility of 2 ha ha.  They pulled a lot of fortune dice and rolled nice to make some progress but stalled out and lost the buckets to chaos stars. 

Jacquez, the gambler crook shooter, decided to drag the corpse back to the smuggler’s warehouse instead of fighting the fire.  Agility 5 would have helped but instead he is making ‘dragging a corpse through the street’ roles (his STR 2 vs. 3 purples ha ha).  They are still debating about how to dispose the body.

Mace subdued, hogtied and took the surviving perp to the guard house across the bridge while Jacquez finally made his way 7 rounds of dragging the corpse later over to the boat to put out the fire.  Kastion had abandoned the fanning the flames effort and had moved to rescue one of the twins.  A 3d Athletics (STR) check is tough even for STR 4 character; he eeked out success with a chaos star which put the 2^nd twin in the mudflats (following behind and fell ‘don’t leave without my sister’).  Important points about the mudflats are reiterated at this point…

Mace interrogates the prisoner at the guard shack and the rest join Adolphus (merchant I)  for breakfast, wine and info.  The Glory Hound crew colludes and decides what they wanna do:

Kastion Von Schweinsteiger has got to stay with the ogre.  Somebody’s gotta do it and the ogre trusts him and him alone (he fixed his arm once in pit-fighter prison, I believe the medical term is ‘Reduction’).  Note KVS actually paid the ogre the 2 GC bribe orchestrated by the gently-born smuggler.  The majority of the group wanted to kill the ogre and keep the coins but KVS stood his ground and paid out.

Mace LeBrot wants an audience with BEERFAST to shut down the Pig.  With the events (bodies!  Burning barges that could spread!) that are going on and the intel they’ve gathered that the Pig is the heart of the BC operation, he wants it shut down and everyone questioned.  He gets an audience with Arta Schaffer who says she will run it by BEERFAST.  I’m considering Arta as my BC.  She’d have all the motivations of the Captain but be willing to turn to the dark side…hmmmm…IDK

Jacquez and Roderick go into the pig and ask around about what you gotta do to join up for the BC org.  I’m not sure if they want to do some undercover or if I have them so broke that they will do anything for some shillings. 

The few shillings they do have are on Jacqez who of course is targeted by Fritz (M).  The PP succeeds but is spotted by Roderick, who I gave an observation check to because these 2 were operatin on the buddy system.  Jacquez doesn’t spot anything (tanked INT) of course; Roderick catches the 2 boon spot as the thief scampers off.

Jacquez knows who lifted his purse and I think he is gonna shoot poor Fritz.  Instead, he uses his 5 Agility and expert skulldudgery to cut Fritz's purse!  Sometime later he approaches Fritz and says “Hey hey.  Don’t be coming for my coins anymore.  We are on the same team with BC.  We don’t want any black on black crime you know.”

THIRD TEW SESSION:

Day 3 my three main players are into:

Battle Scarred Merc LeBrot gets an audience with BEERFAST about shutting down the Pig.  The Capt. agrees the evidence is mounting but complains of a corrupt magistrate that overseas the lower city and no elector to appeal to for sanity (not that the previous one would've helped).

Criminal Gambler & Agitating Outcast (Jacquez and Roderick) pursue joining up with the Black Cowl.  Their first assignment is to "NEUTRALIZE" Mace Lebrot; someone they are known to be associated with that is causing a ruckus.  They convince Mace to stage a fight in the Pig with Jacquez and then lay low for awhile and toss the body from the barge encounter on the docks dressed up as Mace (mangled face; signature shield on back).  They squirmed and debated long about where to drop it when I asked "point exactly where on the Mudflats" but before they decided this…

Mace wanted to stage a fight where Jacquez fakely shoots him into a rigged to explode with tomatoes breastplate and he swims to the bottom of the Aver into a barrell that had trapped air for him to breath while he takes off his breastplate.  Yeah; dumping a fake body with Mace's clothes and shield was a good idea.

Oh and Mace refused to drag his own fake body to the dump sight.  The Gambler and Agitator both have STR 2.  Ha ha.

Day 4 morning:

Jacquez and Roderick head to the coaching office as the body of "Mace" is discovered.  They are over the moon about the 5 shilling advance.  They are going to "claim the kill" at the Pig on their way out of town and smuggle Mace over the river (gently born halfling smuggler Blotzkinwitch).

So they'll head out and do the track down the shipment encounter.  Back on the Docks…I think BEERFAST will bring a force of guards to the Pig and do some intimidation and questioning.  Battle Scarred Merc LeBrot has been nothing but loyal; if he is the BC this will help him appear like he cares and if he isn't then he actually cares!  Pig folk will finger criminal Jacquez who will be on the wanted posters when he comes back to town.  Jacquez is either headed to the gallows or Mace is going to have to show up as not dead…  

The Glory Hounds easily dispatched the day 4 mutants, kept the one with “pendulous wattles” alive and questioned him until he cracked.  Battle-scarred Merc Mace Lebrot, Criminal Gambler Jacquez, Agitatin Outcast Roderick and KV Scheinsteiger the Barber-Surgeon Academic headed back to the docks.

Jacquez was arrested upon returning to the city for the murder of Mace Lebrot. Mace snuck across on a Blotzkinwich smuggling boat and
immediately sought out Lt Arta. She was happy to see him alive but a bit upset about the circumstances. She took him to Capt Beerfast for a
full debrief.

LeBrot detailed their ruse and beseeched them to let him "stay dead" and "release the gambler" because now they have some real inroads into the
BCs organization. "If I reveal myself, then we are not just back to square one - the gambler and the agitator will be 'marked for death' by
the BC." LeBrot explained how the BC is not just involved on the docks…the mutants they encountered outside of town were also under his
direction.  

Mace asked the gambler be released on lack of evidence but Beerfast explained that it would be difficult to just let him go. Multiple folks
at the Pig saw them arguing the night before, his signature xbow bolt to throat was found at the scene and the populace already thinks that the
docks are too unruly - the people need justice. Also, the Capt is no fool - obviously it wasn't Mace but it was indeed a dead body and maybe Jacquez
is still the killer (indeed he is the killer although none of the Glory Hounds will cop to it). Beerfast says he will think about and
dismisses Mace.  This convo was during the night of day4 (thus no capt day 5 dock visit).

Late into the night of Day 5, Capt Beerfast makes his way to centralbooking and interrogates Jacquez. He asks the gambler if given a second
chance how squeaky clean he would be while in the city limits. The gambler makes promises of course but they aren't all that convincing and
the Capt just doesn't trust him. However, he does leave the door open when he leaves while giving instructions to the guards…basically
opening a huge window of escape that Jacquez sneaks through.

Roderick (Outcast Agitator) and KVS (Barber-Surgeon Academic) spend the morning of day 5 dumping the Mutant’s heads on Curd’s desk.  They haggle him up to 70 shillings and agree to come back tomorrow for more work for the ‘Golden Arrow’ coaching line (changed to avoid confusion with Red Crown).  These guys are punch drunk over being “rich” and start adding up all the stuff they will buy and of course Fritz is in action when they head back to the warehouse.  Roderick is trained in observation but his 4 blues, yellow and white all come up BLANKS vs. 2 swords on the single purple die LMAO!!!  Beatrice is certainly not going to get any help now…

We break with Roderick having to decide how much he wants to push into the night if/when the BCs henchman makes contact.  If he does, he now has the ability to meet the henchmen and get the inside scoop from the men inside the criminal empire.  Of course they have no f’n clue why the folk are disappearing and they all think “one of the other ones” is the one killing the racketeers!

Roderick falls in with the BC rank & file thugs, loansharks etc. easily with his fellowship skillz and street cred.  He doesn't even bother to ask about the missing folk who have taken a back stage but he does talk up the racketeer slayings.

Jacquez, who *might* have been let go by Beerfast or Arta, certainly is not a free man.  He is very concerned about pinning the fake murder of Battle-Scarred Mace LeBrot on somebody…they attempt to frame a southlands expedition survivor now BC thug recently reinstated to the docks. 

And of course "dead" Mace is disguised and keeping quiet.  Both Jacquez and Mace are keeping a low profile at the coaching office and let the gently born halfling do the dealings (player isn't able to make it, but the other 3 are so toxic I feel I have to use him). 

DAY 6

Jacquez is now going by "Alexander" and hops in the carriage with Clothilde.  Roderick chooses to be a hanger on outside the back and Mace rides a horse in front of the carriage.  They get to the blockage, fail a round of observe checks and clear the roadblock.  They are on edge that the attack is going to happen here right now when Roderick spots the tracks.  Mace charges the bush slashing with his sword and barely avoids killing Gert (a hit would've killed her…he missed!)  He dumps her bag out, finds the horn and stomps on it until it is crushed.  The screams bring Clothilde out of the carriage; she demands Mace let the young girl go.

A bit later down the road Roderick spots the outlaws riding hard to catch them and the quote of the night is "oh I wish I had a horn to blow" (broken horn blowing ensues).  The carriage draws to a halt and Jacquez wants to start shooting before I can even read the flavor text.  Roderick performs a stunt to get on top of the coach and hide!  Mace, who is not all that observant, continues riding himself away from the engagement (misses first round, last in initiative 2nd round).

Criminal Gambler Jacquez, er I mean Alexander, uses all his tricks on the first xbow bolt unleashed and slays an outlaw right out.  He now is the main target though and he takes a beating.  Finally Mace arrives and, as Roderick relays some inspiring words, the Outlaws are routed.  They subdue and hog tie one, one escapes and there are 2 pin cushion corpses.  Clothilde wants to get "Alexander" to her house for medical attention and they agree. 

I talked up the V Altraum mansion like they just won the survivor awards challenge.  After they torture their prisoner and get him to spill the beans, they get a bath with some warm water, a meal and a very little bit of good wine.  This is a looooong way from Pit Fighter prison and the stench of the docks with all its missing people and murders has been completely forgotten.

And then it is time to leave and head back to all of it.  Mace and Alexander decide it is best to get smuggled back in the city on a boat.  Roderick tells the outlaw prisoner, who is now very injured and needs medical attention, if he makes a scene at the entrance he will turn him over to the watch but if he keeps his mouth shut he will drop him off at the PIG.  I thought he was just using charm and still going to take him to Curd but the outcast agitator actually drops the outlaw off at the PIG!!!

Next session we are rolling into the Menagerie scene.  If you have any ideas on what I should do with this motley cew I'd love to hear them :D

<<This is what i'm sending my players ;D >>

You have made it to the end of book 1 part 1.  The gently-born Halfling & Roderick (outcast) have negotiated a “good deal” from VonKMAN for your services at “a small fete in the Averburg gardens to show off some of the wonders the Southland expedition brought back.”  Here is some recap and some story fill-in to set up next session’s “A DAY AT THE MENAGERIE” B1P2:

********************************* 

Our forked tongue Halfling got a small ‘finder’s fee’ for introducing the ogre to Curd.   GorWack now works for VonKMAN.  On the lamb Jacquez is now going by Alexander.  Playing possum Mace probably also needs a new name.  Cut throat Meinhardt is after Roderick; the framing didn’t work (he uses handaxes and has too many connections). 

As Roderick, Alexander and the battle-scarred mercenary formerly known as Mace keep low profiles on the docks, Kastion Von Schweinsteiger has taken up the cause of the missing people.  He is helped by a strange elf who claims he has mystical sight.  “I can see into the spirit world you humassholes…” this loon from Ulthoooan has staked out the White Horse vicinity for almost a week and is trying to rally a mob to hunt some river monster.  “No not the red bellied pirahnas nor a pariaba but maybe a sahuagin although shorter in height, the ‘cripply-mutant-leper’ in the dark cloak is to be feared.” 

While the G Hounds have been on their business dealings and hobnobbing with noble chicks, MORE PEOPLE ARE NOW MISSING ON THE DOCKS!!!  The good doctor has noted the following:

Date # & Warhammer Day name – Missing Person (job)

10 Backertag - Jurgen Klinski (fisherman)

11 Bezahltag – Rolf (Wharf Rat) & Franz (beggar/part time servant for Amalie Steiner)

19 Bezahltag – Ute (musician); 8 days in a week

23 Wellentag – Fritz (pickpocket) & Kurt (beggar)

Roderick heard some genuine concern from the Black Cowl’s “Brotherhood” about Ute missing.  You know Fritz (the pickpocket) was one of their own; he went missing the night of the “escorting the noblewoman fight with outlaws” day.  The missing “brass ass dockers” and the assassinated racketeers seem to be unrelated, the former seeming to have no explanation.  The recent murdering of racketeers and the corpse of (*cough*) a famed pit fighter, Greatsword veteran with a short stint as a watchman (*cough*) solidified the BC’s “Brotherhood” grip on the docks.

You have met a number of DRAMATIS PERSONAE:

Captain Marcus Baerfaust aka BEERFAST – Trying to keep order in the “wild west city”; Veteran of 3^rd Black Fire (where Mad Count Leitdorf died). 

Lt Arta Schaffer – She is the Captain’s “right hand”

Graf Friedrich Von Kaufman aka VonKMAN – A low ranking noble with a number of business interests including the “Golden Arrow” coaching line; he financed the Southlands expedition.

Curd Weiss – The right hand of VonKMAN is typically found at the Golden Arrow office

Luminary Konrad Mauer – A white wizard doing “field work” in Averland; he has been to the docks investigating the murders (at the request of BEERFAST)

Gravin Clothilde Von Alptraum – A very well liked noblewoman from Averland’s “second family” 

Frederick Grosz – A notorious criminal who has not thrown in with the Brotherhood of the Black Cowl

And there are some DRAMATIS PERSONAE you have heard about but not yet met:

Witchhunter Adele Ketzenblum – She and Falcon both lost their hands in pursuit of the Red Crown some years back in a strange ritual they barely survived; rumored to be in town (some employees of the Golden Arrow did dump mutant heads on Curd’s desk)

Katrina Mauer – Mathilda mentioned (to Jacquez, while he was still Jacquez) that the Luminary came to Averland searching for his sister.

The Black Cowl – Not the same ‘person’ as the ‘cripply-mutant-leper’ in the dark cloak, he wears a mask and is connected with many in the gold tier; or maybe you have met ‘him’

TEW Book 1 Par2 Act 1 RECAP

THE Major Plotline is Revealed

A man named Templeman was hired by VonKMAN to lead the Southland’s expedition.  He died in the Southlands.

Witchhunter Adele Ketzenblum “crashed” the Menagerie party.  She has evidence that connects Templeman to the Red Crown (mutant org) and wanted to burn him at the stake.  Given the Templeman/Red crown connection she believes everyone involved in the Southland’s expedition to be suspect.  Ketzenblum has also been on the trail of “The Man in the Black Hood” and is convinced that person is associated with the Southland’s expedition AND an influential person in Averheim.  She rattled some cages at the Menagerie party, making accusations at the likely suspects:

·         VonKMAN was the main financial backer of the Southland’s expedition

·         BEERFAST was consulted on who to hire for security

·         Luminary MAUER was influential in determining where the expedition went and what relics to look for

The Glory Hounds* Witness the Political Situation

VonKMAN, a minor landless noble, is seeking the extremely popular Clothhilde Von Alptraum’s hand in marriage.  The Von Alptraum family ranks #2 in Averheim and could potentially win the next elector seat. 

The #1 ranking family, the Leitdorfs, have not put forward a strong candidate.   Claudia Leitdorf is dismayed at the sight of the VonKMAN ladies in waiting “having a grand old time” with Clothhilde.  Waldemarius is the top Halfling in Averheim and he too warms up to Clothhilde.  The Leitdorf’s are despised by the Halfling community because of how the moot riots were handled years ago. 

The #3 family, and it is a distant 3^rd, is the Tuchtenhagen family.  Theodosious arrives with a jester, a “pet” fat Gold Wizard and a single lady in waiting who is out of place.  The jester cracks bad jokes at both Clothhilde and Waldemarius.  They are all very annoying except for Wanda, who seems to have a lot in common with the Brass tier Glory Hounds.

BEERFAST has a heated discussion with the Leitdorfs over how he should be given more power until the elector succession is settled.  He is extremely mad that his soldiers are not permitted on the grounds during the Menagerie party (VonKMANs doing, with evidence gathered from the Glory Hounds on deserters being Highwaymen).  His request is dismissed “We will not turn over power to any temporary authority, the one thing we all agree on is preserving established privilege for the noble houses…even landless ones with no title claims.”

After the Falconry show, the Southland’s Expedition Exhibits are Unveiled

VonKMAN is quite the showman and he is always most focused on what Clothhilde likes.  If she seems interested in an item he certainly points that out saying “Oh you like this one my dear” etc.  The revealed exhibits include:

·         Many Ivory Carvings of Savage Figures and Strange Gods

·         Large Green Egg - advertised as a “flightless Southland’s Dragon” egg

·         A Golden Plaque – Exotic Square patterned sigils and cryptic writings are carved onto this extremely valuable item.

·         A Leering-Faced Effigy of Smoky Jade – Luminary MAUER demands this item be turned over to him to be destroyed.  VonKMAN says it is the pride of his collection and the two argue.  Clothhilde interjects saying there is another wizard in attendance who can give an opinion on if it is evil.  Theodosious “pet” fat Gold Wizard can’t take his eyes off the Golden Plaque and quickly agrees with VonKMAN before anyone realizes he wasn’t paying attention. 

A Game is Proposed to Break the Tension

Amalie Steiner (LIW of the VonKMAN retinue) proposes a game that she will go into the Hedge Maze and wait at the Statue of Verena.  Those who want to participate will wait 5 minutes and then try and find her.  The first to find her will be rewarded with “many honours.” 

THIS IS WHERE WE ENDED.  NEXT SESSION’S starting location for each player and brief notes on what they did during Book 1 Part 2 Act 1 follow:

Alexander (formerly Jacquez) – Is following Amalie Steiner in the hedge maze.  He spent the majority of the Act flirting with the various Ladies in Waiting and Clothhilde Von Alptraum.

Blotzkinwich the Younger – Stands just outside the Hedge Maze with Waldemarius drinking a now half gone bottle of wine.  He started off perusing the artwork and bought the “stressful to gaze upon depiction of the death of Templeman.”  He convinced the Halfling elder not to leave after the jester’s poor taste joke (wine used).      

Kastion Von Schweinsteiger – Is at the entrance next to Arta Schaffer and a couple other of the Captain’s men who aren’t allowed inside the Menagerie grounds.  He followed Witchhunter Ketzenblum out after she intimidated/interrogated VonKMAN & Luminary Mauer and witnessed her have a go at BEERFAST (witnessed all of her convos and therefore is the best source of the Major Plotline info above).  He also spent time learning the hedge maze before the guests arrived.

Roderick of Reikland – Spent the majority of his time at the Menagerie speaking with Luminary MAUER (infatuated with the new creatures from the Southlands) and the Falconer Albrun.  He is currently in a hedge behind the bear cave where a strange smell was coming from.  Thinking that someone has infiltrated the party has him quite on edge however for some reason he cannot stop giggling about it.

Cestus (formerly Mace Lebrot) – Tried to calm down BEERFAST “Now now you might be forced outside but I’m your man and I’m on the inside.  We got this!”  Of course Mace isn’t so sure what side Roderick is on anymore and he knows “Alexander” will start shooting way before shooting should be started.  Cestus can choose his starting point.

* The group has chosen a new idiom, Gang of Thugs IIRC, but I will continue to refer to them in notes as the Glory Hounds as it has a much better ring to it…