GM Blog: Episode 16 (Patreon)

Wait, what? Two blogs IN A ROW!

Are you ill Andy?

No, quite the opposite. Hence, the pickup in speed again. We all know I've had (well, have) health issues that basically suck, but I'm in a better place than I have been for a long time.

So, let's take advantage of that, huh?

Episode 16 has the party resolve the physician's surgery in Wittgendorf then meet up the outlaws resisting the horror of the Wittgensteins.

There's no point beating around the bush. Let's get bullet-pointing!

• Why Make Barrakul A Runefang? So, the party now has Barrakul, a supposedly lost Runefang. But why did I choose to make Barrakul a Runefang? If you didn't know, Barrakul being a Runefang is definitely not in Death on the Reik, and there are many reasons I made the change, most of which involve the story our version of the Enemy Within is telling. I wanted the sword to be tied to the overall plot of the campaign (I prefer every subplot or diversion to be working towards the overall whole - if not, it's getting cut as we don't have time to waste; this is already a big enough campaign!) and I wanted a full intro to the Runefangs as they are important to the campaign's core plot (this was particularly needed for players new to Warhammer like Sage and Cath). I also wanted to explore the Runefangs' political impact and importance to the Empire before we got to Middenheim, where a lost Runefang will become a plot point. The Runefang's history also allowed me to highlight humanity's fallibility, another core motif of our campaign. But, really, that can all be summed as: it builds a better story as it develops, explains, and expands the plot. So, Barrakul as a lost Runefang serves the campaign much better than if Barrakul was just a random blade tied to nothing important in our campaign. Further, with this version, the blade becomes a plot point of its own come Empire in Ruins, so that makes things even better.

• Lindsay Changes Ambition. Lindsay again makes it clear that Alamennowyth is looking for lore concerning Dryas Gaudems (see Blog 15) by making it her short-term ambition. This is Lindsay again foreshadowing the 'drug problems' that Alamennowyth has.

• Wait? Alamennowyth has Drug Problems? Yes. But no. The drug problems are a part of the 'Alamennowyth' identity from her Secret Identity Talent. Lindsay's character isn't really 'Alamennowyth' in the same way that Sage's character isn't really 'Yume'. Lindsay is actually playing a character called 'Maruviel' - but we'll get to that later when it becomes a plot point later.

• 'He is challenged once a week.' Is Absolem Trott really challenged once a week for the ownership of his runeblade by random passers and Dwarfs? No, this is a massive exaggeration by Greta Trott who is using hyperbole to make a point that publicly carrying Barrakul will likely make the party a target, which is not an unfair point. Of course, Absolem is sometimes accosted, but only because he isn't above flaunting his big magic sword (ahem!) for exactly that outcome. Absolem likes a challenge. However, Greta's comment about Absolem being taken to court over the ownership of the blade by the Colleges of Magic is true, and is potentially a future the party faces if the PCs are not careful with Barrakul, although they are more likely to be challenged by the Order of the Anvil.

• 'If the Cult of Sigmar accepted it.' Greta points out that Barrakul is incredibly important because it could be a rallying point around which a new Grand Province is created, or it could spark a war with Kislev, or it could have significant religious implications for the Sigmarites. This is all theoretically correct, but in reality is, Greta believes, largely nonsense. Greta is again using hyperbole to impress upon others that being circumspect with the runeblade is wise. And, in this instance, she is absolutely correct. Flaunting that blade could be very dangerous.

• 'Time and politics'. Alamennowyth suggests it is simply time and politics that have eroded the Empire's awareness of 15 Runefangs to just 12, not anything supernatural or particularly malicious. She is correct in this, as is much of her commentary concerning entire human Empires rising, falling, and being forgotten in just one of her generations. 'There are a thousand perfectly reasonable explanations for why you would forget three of your tribes.' Spoken like an Elf, but no less accurate for it.

• Ungols and Black Fire Pass. Just another note here that the Ungols did fight at Black Fire pass with Sigmar, as Luitpold recalls. This is an established bit of Warhammer lore and is not a LAWhammer addition. The Ungol tribe and Sigmar were once allies.

• The Empire Used to Include Most of Kislev. Is that true? Yes. Absolutely. Right up to around a thousand years ago when the Gospodars arrived over the World's Edge Mountains and slew across the oblasts, pushing back the Empire, subjugating the Ungol tribe, then later founding Kislev. Again, this is not a LAWhammer addition; it's an established part of the Warhammer setting.

• 'Corrupted for a reason'. Greta suggests that Wittgenstein was corrupted because Barrakul and its Remembrance Hall was there, perhaps to hide it or lessen its influence. This is complete conjecture on Greta's part and, outside the machinations of impossible entities like Tzeentch, is wholly wrong.

• So, What Did Happen? Okay, let's do this semi-properly. TIMELINE TIME! And be aware this is going to diverge heavily from the canon version (and certainly not match the details for Barrakul presented in the Dwarf's Player Guide)
  1000IC. A dwarf delegation from High King Elmador attends the opening of the first Cathedral of Sigmar in Altdorf. The dwarfs are appalled at all the historical inaccuracies on display, especially in the so-called eight-tome 'Life of Sigmar'. They make their complaints known and then leave the ceremonies frustrated by Umgi (what they call 'Humans') memory.
  1020IC To resolve the historical inaccuracies on display in Altdorf, High King Elmador sends a loremaster with masons to inscribe 'proper history' in a number of Remembrance Halls. These halls are gifted to the Order of the Anvil, the Sigmarite order responsible for protecting and preserving Sigmar's Word, Sigmar Cult Law, and the truth of the life of Sigmar.
  This intention is carved into Elmador's official statement to the Empire:
  Nadaldrin gholak utal gnolongral a dawaz singkazar a utal gromthi. Nu ut dawi a Karak Ankor ghalaken utgoz thongi a ganaz lok elaz a durak-dawaz. Nuk-arha!
  
  Copy of the 'Elmador's Gift' held in The Monastery of the Holy Word, Reikland. 
  That officially translates to: 'There is no better way to honour our proven friends than with proper remembrance of our ancestors. So we, the dwarfs of Karak Ankor, honour our greatest allies with such a praiseworthy gift of stone memory. At this time, let it be so.'
  1021IC. The sites of the Remembrance Halls are chosen. Each is located on the River Reik with positions ranging from the Black Mountains down to Altdorf.
  1028IC. One of the Remembrance Halls is completed on Mackenstein lands. It records the history of the Runefangs. When completed, the Cult of Sigmar officially responds with:
  'We thank High King Elmador of the Karak Ankor for his help in clarifying what the Dwarfs believe was involved with founding of Sigmar's Empire'
  And the cult quietly believed none of it. Why? The new Remembrance Hall includes inscriptions claiming Sigmar bound 15 tribes of Humanity together at Black Fire Pass and that 15 Runefangs were commissioned to celebrate this. The cult believes this is obvious nonsense borne of a lack of dwarf understanding of humans, their tribes, and how they worked. For example, the Ungols were never a tribe of Sigmar, they were just allies at the time. So, the cult believes the hall includes simple misunderstandings that are easy to ignore once the Dwarfs move on. There is no need to kick up a fuss about it.
  1020IC. A new Order of the Anvil abbey is constructed over the Mackenstein Remembrance Hall and dedicated to St Arnold of Sigmar.
  1035IC. The Mackenstein Hall is closed to anyone outside the upper ranks of the Order of the Anvil as its contents will likely confuse the uneducated.
  1113IC. The Black Death wipes out almost everyone living in the area around the Mackenstein Hall and the abbey is abandoned.
  1152IC. The Age of Wars begins after the assassination of Emperor Mandred II. By this point, the abbey is already a ruin.
  1160IC. To shore up defences on the River Reik, the Dukes of Mackenstein invests a new 'Baron von Wittgenstein' to guard the riverways leading into Mackenstein lands.
  
  Heraldry of the Barony of Wittgenstein as recorded in the Reikland College of Arms, Altdorf, 1160IC.
  1175IC. The primary keep of Castle Wittgenstein is completed.
  1186IC. The ruins of St Arnold's Abbey are handed over to the Order of the Anvil and reconsecrated. Construction of a new abbey begins.
  1191IC. The Abbey of St Mandred is completed.
  1253IC. The Remembrance Hall is rediscovered by Anvil clerics who immediately inform their superiors. The hall is closed and the clerics are told to keep all but ranking members of the Anvil order out until the newly discovered hall can be properly understood.
  1342IC. Reikland invades Talabecland to gain control over territory close to Altdorf. In retaliation, Talabecland invades Reikland further south and conquors Wittgenstein. 
  1344IC. The 'truth' held in the Mackenstein hall is uncovered by the new Talabeclander liege-lord of the Wittgensteins. The Elector Count of Talabheim, Grand Duchess Ottilia, visits soon afterwards.
  1347IC After gathering more evidence, Grand Duchess Ottilia accuses the Cult of Sigmar of purposefully keeping secrets and of accepting lies that suit their preference of balancing power in the west, specifically in Reikland. She cites the inscriptions of the Wittgenstein Remembrance Hall in her official complaint. Her complaint states that there should be at least two more Electoral Provinces in the east and another in the north.
  1352IC. Grand Duchess Ottilia makes overtures to the other elector counts about the duplicity of the Cult of Sigmar and how she believes the Empire should be restructured.
  1354IC. Grand Duchess of Ottilia receives 'proof' of the lack of divinity of Sigmar. She reaches out to several of her peers with this proof, called the 'Sigmarian Heresy'.
  1355IC. Stirland invades Talabecland with the support of the Cult of Sigmar and Reikland. It's a bitter and bloody war.
  1359IC. The emperor dies in Marienburg. Grand Duchess Ottilia loses out in the following vote for the next emperor to her rival in Stirland.
  1360IC. Grand Duchess Ottilia proclaims herself Empress, founding the Ottilian Emperors of Talabecland, and declares the lying Cult of Sigmar is outlawed from her Empire. She has the support of both the Cult of Ulric, which moves its High Temple to Talabheim, and the Cult of Taal.
  1361IC. The Barony of Wittgenstein is reclaimed by the Duchy of Mackenstein and brought back under its rule. The Abbey of Blessed Mandred is immediately seized and sealed by order of the emperor in Stirland.
  1480IC. The last visit by a ranking member of the Order of the Anvil. The abbey and what it protects has fallen from living memory. The 'Dwarf inaccuracies' it contains are now considered too inflammatory to be recorded anywhere outside the abbey itself given how Grand Duchess Ottilia weaponised them over a century earlier, so all records are expunged.
  1560IC. Capitalising on its favourable position on the River Reik, Wittgendorf flourishes, reaching a population of 5,000 for the first time.
  1593IC. Baron Wittgenstein appoints a new lord-steward of Wittgendorf to handle taxes and administer to the swelling population.
  
  Heraldry of the Town of Wittgendord as recorded in the Reikland College of Arms, Altdorf, 1593IC.
  1654IC. Abbess Ingeborg, the current caretaker of the Blessed Mandred Abbey and its secrets, believes what she reads in the Remembrance Hall is a true record. So, she sets her clerics to hunting down the supposed 'lost Runefangs', thinking they will be important weapons against the enemies of the Empire if reclaimed.
  1734IC. Barrakul is found in an ancient barrow near the marshes by the Cliffs of Shargun in Kislev. It is brought back to Abbot Aldred, who claims it as a symbol of office for the abbey.
  1839IC. The search for the remaining lost Runefangs ends at the order of Abbess Maevery.
  2002IC. Abbot Siegfried von Kesselring is compelled by Barrakul to head north during the incursion of Khaardun the Gloried, Everchosen, and is killed by Chaos Marauders. His wife, St Helga (and Luitpold's ancestor), determines that Barrakul is cursed and buries it with Siegfried's remains in an antechamber attached to the Remembrance Hall.
  2393IC. Dagmar von Wittgenstein invested as the 35th Baron of Wittgenstein.
  2402IC. Baron Dagmar von Wittgenstein brings warpstone to Castle Wittgenstein and the corruption begins.
  2402IC. Baron Dagmar updates his heraldry at the Reikland College of Arms after meeting the Duke of Mackenstein.
  
  Heraldry of the Baron Dagmar von Wittgenstein as recorded in the Reikland College of Arms, Altdorf, 2403IC (Note: I kept the stars with just 3 'sparkles' each to maintain the eight points of the original).
  2405IC. Baron Dagmar closes his borders to outsiders to cover his experiments in Wittgenstein. They will never formally reopen.
  2412IC. Upon the death of Lord Kaster, the current steward of Wittgendorf, Baron Dagmar refuses to appoint someone to replace him, claiming the town requires no additional leadership.
  2420IC. Plague grips Wittgenstein. Wittgendorf's population is reduced to below 2000 for the first time in almost 1,000 years.
  2450IC. Wet fungus and bloated insect life have spread throughout Wittgenstein. Horrendous creatures also haunt the woods and sickness is the norm. The population of Wittgendorf has fallen to less than a quarter of its previous size. The wilds have reclaimed almost all the outlying villages and farms.
  2492IC. The last cleric protecting the Remembrance Hall below Blessed Mandred's Abbey dies and is not replaced by the Order of the Anvil. This is at Dagmar's insistence. He wants more freedom to experiment without the influence of the pesky Cult of Sigmar watching over him.
  2502IC. At the coronation of Emperor Karl-Franz I, Wittgendorf's population has fallen to just a few hundred unfortunate souls. Dagmar is completely unconcerned about this as he has a higher purpose (more on this later).
  2512IC. The PCs arrive. Father Luitpold, a cleric drawn to the divine, uncovers the Remembrance Hall. After learning the hall's secrets, his party steals Barrakul from Siegfried's sarcophagus. Coz PCs.

• Wait? Dagmar this, Dagmar that... Is Dagmar Still Alive? Yes. In LAWhammer he is a necromancer who has extended his life using warpstone and ritual. The last handout in Blog 14 makes clear that Dagmar intended to become the 'Heir to Nagash' - ie: to do what Nagash did before him and become immortal. And he has kinda succeeded in this goal. Indeed, Dagmar is a core character for the entire LAWhammer version of the Enemy Within. More on this later when we arrive in Middenheim. In short, our Dagmar leads the Purple Hand (and sometimes likes to claim he founded it, but he did not), so he is likely to feature in many future episodes.

• But, But, But... Yes, I know, this isn't anything like what Death on the Reik suggests. But you're going to find that much ahead in Castle Wittgenstein is not as expected. Just accept that in LAWhammer Dagmar is a primary antagonist and, not some distant figure from the past. He's going to be a core NPC for quite some time.

• 'And I happen to be carrying her remains'. Let's note that, again, Luitpold is not carrying St Helga's remains, no matter what he claims - he carries the sacred bones of St Arnold. I don't correct the error because, again, Andy is playing Shadow Luitpold. And Shadow Luitpold occasionally gets stuff wrong.

• 'There is more to the erasure!' Luitpold's claim that the erasure of Barrakul, the stories of St Helga and Siegfried, and the 15 instead of 12 Runefangs is more than simple loss to history is pretty much incorrect. Sure, there was a concerted effort by the Order of the Anvil to suppress the information, but when you consider what happened when Ottilia get her hands on the 'truth', a 'truth' the Cult of Sigmar does not even believe, it's no surprise to see the order keeping it quiet.

• 'Sigmar led us to the sword!' No, Sigmar did not lead the PCs to the runeblade, Luitpold did. All claims that the gods are revealing the blade to the party because it is a great time of need, such as Birdie suggests, are unfounded. But, it seems such words are persuasive as they are believed by the party as the conversation develops. 'It's probably been waiting for a member of your family to come for a thousand years, Luitpold!' Yeah, nah. The sword wasn't 'waiting'. It's not sentient. And Sigmar isn't the guiding hand here. Luitpold is.
  Ie: No SIGMARWATCH here.

• 'Maybe I Should Carry It?' Alamennowyth offers to carry Barrakul as Elves are known for carrying silly longsword, she may disguise it with her presence, and if the blade is wrapped, it will appear relatively mundane on her. I wonder how long her carrying it will last?

• The Metal Tarok. There is an easily missed plot point here that will possibly be coming up again in future episodes, but likely not for a very long time. Alamennowyth, when still a seer, sent messages to her future self in the form of metal playing cards. In this episode, Alamennowyth shows Luitpold the Sigmar card she found, which she believes means that she had to find Luitpold first before she could find Gerhardt. We'll discuss these cards again in a much later blog.

• Greta Sigmars Out. Greta claims that the party only exists because of Alamennowyth's drive and Luitpold's guidance by Sigmar. She attacks the idea that the Chaos powers are manipulating events because, she claims, she strongly believes that Sigmar works against such outcomes and that Luitpold is Sigmar's voice, showing they are protected. But she's lying. At heart, Greta cares nothing for the gods - indeed, she has been raised to be deeply suspicious of them. She says what she says because she fears the party may conclude that Barrakul is too dangerous to use and may even be a tool of the Ruinous Powers. Greta, always practical, would much rather see the runeblade carried and be used when needed. So, she claims that Barrakul obviously comes from Sigmar. After all, Luitpold was guided there by his god, right? She doesn't believe that as she strongly believes in the power of self-determination and not trusting gods, but she's not above using any rhetorical route she can to best protect herself and her child.

• Gerhard Mistrusts Greta. Gerhardt doesn't trust Greta's contributions here. He thinks that she's lying, and he's correct. To confirm: Greta is saying whatever is most likely to secure the outcome she is looking for: in this instance, protection for her and her child.

• Greta's Called Out. Alamennowyth calls out Greta for not including Ume in her list of people that should be listened to. After all, Ume is blessed by Ranald, right? Greta has no interest in that as she doesn't trust Ume at all, and certainly doesn't trust Ranald (or any god) but she nevertheless agrees with Alamennowyth and apologises to Ume, mostly to reinforce that Alamennowyth should be listened to.

• Lukas's Fear. Lukas makes a lovely wee speech about his father and doing the right things even when you are afraid. 'You can't have courage without being afraid. So, I'm the most courageous man you've met.' He may be saying this in jest, but it's still a nice moment.

• Lukas's Father. Also, I took this opportunity to put the mystery of who Lukas's father is at the front and centre of the story as it will be a plot point in our version of Power Behind the Throne. It's also good to bring in some Ulrican chat whenever Sigmar is raised when appropriate. Keeping both cults in the players' minds is worthwhile as the sectarian divides between the cults will be a primary driver of future plots.

• Gerhardt is Still Reading 'the Book'. Gerhard's dodgy book is mentioned as he receives his breakfast from the-definitely-not-a-Red-Crown-Cultist Halfing Chif (not a spelling error), Dumpling. Alamennowyth challenges him about some of the book's contents, which Gerhardt claims he will translate for her. In truth, Gerhardt has no clear recollection of anything he has read, so he is prevaricating. Oh dear...

• Dr Pflaster Makes Demands. Doctor Pflaster interjects to request that the source of Wittgendorf's mutation be found and destroyed. She suspects, after interviewing the villagers, that it the village's dead was responsible with the 'rotgut' he was handing out as medicine, but is uncertain if that is the case. Pflaster is a practical woman who believes there is always an answer to any problem before her and is happy to send the younger folk to resolve things to her satisfaction. NPCs like this are always helpful for a GM, as they can provide believable direction when required. It's one of the reasons I like having many NPCs around: at least one can hopefully contribute to the ongoing pace without it feeling forced. After all, Pflaster wants to solve this problem, so she makes her demands in a way that fits her character and player expectations. In no time, the PCs are off, and that's great.

• Lukas Tells Off Gerhardt. Going against all the advice that Pflaster had previously given him (See One of the Lads), Lukas scolds Gerhardt for burdening Pflaster with the knowledge of Barrakul and what it represents. This is bad form on Lukas's part, even if he has a point. But his growing feelings for Dr Pflaster make him act rashly. Gerhardt doesn't appreciate Lukas's direct language, especially when everyone else agrees with Lukas and piles on, belittling Gerhardt's choices. That leaves Lukas feeling justified in attacking Gerhardt and not regretting his actions. Dr Pflaster would not be impressed.

• Wittgendorf. Lukas names the village correctly just before the PCs head off for the physician's house. Up to this point, almost everyone had been calling the village Wittgenstein out of ignorance.

• 15 Mins To Get There... As I mentioned in Blog 15, this version of Wittgendorf is bigger than the one presented in Death on the Reik. The fact that it takes the PCs 15 minutes to get from their barge up to the Physician's Surgery should make that clear. As I mentioned before, this was decided because I wanted the place to feel like it had properly fallen from being a larger, more prosperous settlement in the past. Check the timeline above for more on how big Wittgendorf used to be in LAWhammer.

• Physician's Surgery. The version of the surgery presented in LAWhammer is similar to the printed version, but already raided by Etelka. That said, I added some extra refined warpstone goodness for Birdie to investigate. A core reason she is playing an ex-Skaven slave is to add awareness of warpstone and what it does to the party knowledge base, so I figured it was worth dialling a little harder on that. It doesn't change any core plot points, but it does give Birdie some things to do and potentially opens up her backstory to the other PCs a little.

• Refined Warpstone? Yes, Dagmar has learned how to refine warpstone, a process the Skaven have also mastered. Dagmar learned this from one of the Books of Nagash that he secured. This refinement has significantly increased the utility of the warpstone he found in the Barren Hills and provides him with a much safer substance. But not actually safe.

• Safe for Birdie, though? Yes, Birdie is immune to refined warpstone for... reasons. I'm sure the reasons for this will come out at some point, but it hasn't yet. As a small aside, this immunity is what excited Thanquol so much in Episode 2.5 - humans can't normally consume refined warpstone without mutating, but Birdie can. When he witnessed this, Thanquol immediately came to the wrong conclusions concerning what it means - but more on that when we eventually catch up with Thanquol's crazy schemes.

• 'Is it possible that's why the flames rose so high?' Luitpold asks Elrick if the refined warpstone's proximity may have caused Elrick's flames to rise in the previous episode. The answer to that is no. It was the proximity of the beggars that were laced through with small quantities of refined warpstone that caused the flare.

• Etelka Did The Right Thing.  Elrick concludes that Eltelka did the right thing in sealing off the surgery because of the taint it contained. However, he obviously doesn't know Etelka didn't seal it off for those reasons. This observation provided me with another opportunity to make Etelka appear potentially sympathetic should the PCs encounter her in the future (after all, she's done good things, right?), which she will abuse in any way she can. She is legitimately a bad guy.

• Birdie Admits She Can Identify Warpstone. Initially, nobody picks her up on this when she tells everyone. Alamennowyth queries what refined Warpstone is, and how much refined warpstone you can create from pure warpstone (the answer, as it turns out, is A LOT!). Then Gerhardt eventually asks how Birdie, a simple rat catcher, knows about 'wierdstone'. Birdie avoids answering the question and pockets the vial of refined warpstone.

• Death on the Reik. Alamennowyth suggests that the refined warpstone may be being prepared to poison the Reik. She concludes this because the End Times prophecy states Morr, resplendent in green, will stand astride Sigmar's Great River leading to 'Death on the Reik' (from Enemy in Shadows, p36, and first mentioned back in Episode 2). It's not a bad guess, but it's wrong.

• FIRE! Elrick burns the surgery, but the nearby warpstone dust provides a nearly inexhaustible source of aqshy . This results in an almighty explosion, obliterating many buildings, then a roaring pillar of reddish-green flame. To quote the Bangles: 'Is this burning (burning) an eternal flame?' Erm... yeah, near as dammit! Well, done, Elrick! The flames may end up lasting longer than you.

• 'Normally Rats Don't Explode.' Birdie kills one of the bloated rats living in the local forests, and it's... explosive. The rampant ghyran, the green wind of magic, has caused life to go overripe and quite wrong.

• Skaven and Mushrooms. As the PCs follow Hilda into the forest, the Skaven pursuing Birdie are spotted and, in the kerfuffle to resolve this, spores from fungus in the forest are released. And it goes... well... yeah. Given how Wittgenstein Castle could resolve, the PCs needed to spot the Skaven at least once, so we had the perfect opportunity here.

• Spores. The spores in the forest are obviously hallucinogenic. The party, once exposed to them, had a trip. This gave me a handy way to reference other parts of the plot that are not currently important. Amongst other things, Alamennowyth hears Zenechar Trott ('Come home, Petal' - a reference to the petals he hooked Alamennowyth on) and her sister Marrasith ('You have failed'), Birdie hears Thanquol ('I shall reign supreme!'), Ume hears her old palace guard ('Princess!') and sees her mother wearing incorrect finery (her mother is not of the Imperial family, and is also 'impure' - more on that later), Luitpold hears Beastmen and their war horns (this foreshadowing some horrible things to come for him), Elrick hears spreading flames from his recently created eternal flame, and Gerhardt? Well, he starts lecturing everyone on the differences between the materium and the immaterium, something he should know nothing about at all (he's picked it up from his 'book'). In general, it all goes... trippy.

• Elrick Burns The Spores Away. Elrick unleashes a spell, the spores are dispersed, and the party manages to make its way through the forest.

• The Outlaws. The party finally meet the Outlaws. They provide information about the situation at Castle Wittgenstein and drop a host of small plot points, none of which are much different from how things are presented in Death on the Reik. However, the Outlaws themselves are definitely a bit different. I'll discuss that later when 'the truth' is revealed.

• Elrick Senses the Stone Circle. Elrick's a partially trained druid of the Old Faith so can feel the purity in the stone circle where the Outlaws camp.

• Birdie Loses the Refined Warpstone. It's stolen by one of the Outlaw kids. Not great. But she gets it back quickly enough. Nevertheless, the fact it was so easy to lift from her pockets and that the kid is utterly obsessed with it should be seen as a warning.

• Mother Sigrid. Yeah, the LAWhammer Mother Sigrid is not at all what she claims to be. Luitpold incorrectly identifies her as holy to Ulric. Ume, by comparison, correctly identifies that something is wrong, sensing that the priestess wants to eat her. Probably alive. But Sage incorrectly assumes that's because of Ulrican antipathy to Ranald. On her side, Sigrid recognises both Luitpold and Ume as blessed by Sigmar and Ranald, which concerns her deeply. But when they present themselves as somewhat gullible and guileless, she risks using the party much as she uses the rest of the Outlaws.

• Elrick Calls The Stone Circle 'Holy'. This statement from Elrick confuses Sigrid deeply. She does not perceive the stone circle to be holy or special in any way. She thought the stones were disliked by the Wittgensteins and their crew for superstitious reasons only.

• Sigrid Provides a Plan. Mother Sigrid, who wishes to take the outer keep for her own reasons, pitches a plan to the PCs to storm it. The party agrees almost instantly. Sigrid is stunned that the party is so quick to agree but is also delighted. It's time to plan an assault on a castle!

• Outlaw Career Offered. I offered all the PCs a free Career change to Outlaw if they wished. However, I warned them that if they entered the Career, the news of their activities would spread, and they would become actual Outlaws, meaning they would officially no longer be protected by Imperial Law (i.e., anyone could kill them and suffer no consequence, for example). No one thought that was a good idea.

• Barge Taken. As the party plans, their barge is requisitioned by the forces of the Wittgensteins. Shit's heating up...

• Etelka News. The episode ends with the party hearing that Etelka has been stripped, shaved, and imprisoned for her crimes in Wittgendorf (her crimes being killing the physician). This will hopefully illicit a small amount of sympathy for her should the PCs stumble upon her when they eventually raid the castle!

And that's us done with yet another episode. Up next is Episode 17: Castle Wittgenstein. Shit, meet fan.

Phew!

As always, if you have any comments or questions about this blog or feel I missed some important stuff from Episode 16 that needs to be discussed, post here on Patreon, where the PCs can't see, or in the #all-access-lawhammer channel in LAWhammer, where, it's worth again noting, the PCs can't see!

Until next time!

Andy

EDIT: I redrew the Wittgendorf Heraldry. The first was just too awful to let it stand.