0x02: Deadly Dispatch, Part 1

• The survivors recover: Queen Coppertong is retrieved from the place where she fell and treated; the two hostages are discovered to be Sister Brigitte Traue of the Cult of Shallya, taken when the bandits first went on their rampage that caused this, and Lord Rickard Aschaffenberg, taken from the massacre three days earlier; the long abandoned tower chosen by the bandits is explored and a way out of the mountains is discovered; the two surviving bandits are interrogated; Fat Farlsbag is decapitated and his head put in a box filled with ice and snow.
• They set out upon the morrow, using a wagon and donkey discovered in the camp, and head on toward civilization. Sören feigns friendship toward the bandits to learn more, but he cares little for them upon learning that they did in fact assault the beautiful Sister. From them, he learns that Farlsbag was obeying a nameless wizardess who filled him fear; her description sounds to Enfys as that of his brother’s mistress which troubles him.
• At Ubersreik, they are lauded for their actions and awarded the bounty. The two captured bandits are tried, sentenced and executed. Time flashes by as the survivors celebrate their victory and obtain replacement gear. Nearly a month passes.
• A courier finds them in Ubersreik’s Artisan’s Quarter. He is seeking Enfys Loom with a package. This package eventually turns out to be filled with necromantic paraphernalia and Enfys decides to seek out the true addressee, someone named Elke Loom. Sören knows a guy and leads the entire group to meet him. This fellow is a panhandler who points them toward Mistress Elke’s boat, The Deft Dancer.
• And then, in a sudden fit, he grabs Sören’s hand and exclaims in a voice not his own:
  

  ‘I see Darkness Gathering as the Last House of Joy Falls – beware, for Shadows Over Bögenhafen stir and the face of the enemy is your face! Then Beloved Morr, resplendent in Vestments of Green, stands astride Sigmar’s Great River. Yea, I see Death on the Reik and I despair! For then the Stained Hand guides the Once Mighty Lord, and this Power Behind the Throne curses us all. Lo, the Horned Rat then claims the Broken King atop is Throne of Lies, and the White Walls Fall, leaving our Empire in Ruins! Tremble in fear, ye mighty, for the End Times have come.’

• Disturbed, the survivors reach the docks where Enfys and Sören advance forward to speak with Mistress Elke while the others loiter behind. The riverwoman is visibly disturbed, moreso when Enfys reviews an urn he took from the box. A struggle ensues over the urn, but this causes it to be dropped where it shatters and reveals … a still beating heart.
• Mistress Elke lets out a horrified gasp, then turns and dives into the river, just as a wizened figure wearing dark clothes and a strange glowing eye piece emerges from her boat. He is visibly enraged and snarls something terrible at them.
• Violence ensues.

GM Notes:

• Second part of the session is from Cubicle 7’s adventure, Deadly Dispatch. Apart from Elke’s name, it was mostly used as-is. The panhandler’s prophecy comes directly from Enemy in Shadows, though, so we’re finally getting into that.
• I originally expected to be done with this entire adventure in one session, but we spent more time on the “Wal-Mart d6” than I expected/wanted to. I also ended up super frustrated with myself because I completely dropped the ball with the hostage NPCs or even Drori.
• Grognards will recognize Enfys’ brother’s wizard mistress from Death on the Reik which is intentional as I wanted her to have a presence from the get-go.
• Unfortunately, Enfys’ player will be out for the next two sessions, so … guess I need to incapacitate him at the get-go.