The Empire, greatest land in the Old World, is under attack, not from enemies on its borders but from within.

Lurking within the tangled depths of the vast forests are mutants, Beastmen and even the occasional dreaded Chaos Warrior. From time to time, these groups run amok, slaying and burning until their bestial appetites are sated with the blood and suffering of their victims. Mostly, though, they wait for the day when they shall pour out of the forests to burn the cities and claim The Empire for Chaos.

According to various omens, that day is coming; the Warpgates will again expand and the Gods will reward their chosen people with blood and the gifts of Chaos.

Dangerous as these bands are, they are not as great a threat as those Human servants of Chaos already in the towns and cities, plotting the downfall of The Empire and worshipping the Chaos Gods behind securely-locked doors.

As Chaos grows in strength, the nobles of The Empire continue to indulge themselves in parties and other glittering social events, and the middle classes go blithely on their way seeking to enrich themselves and join the ranks of the nobility. At the bottom the common folk struggle to do the best they can, worshipping their gods and praying that the harvest will be good.

But the times are changing, and the number of unnatural births is growing each year.

It is the evening of Festag,
24th Jahrdrung 2512,
the tenth year of Karl-Franz I
as elected Emperor.
In the woods somewhere
outside the town of Delberz,
four men take shelter
against the coming rain …

“Greetings! Welcome to the Horse and Coaches.”

Rumours.

Phillipe Descartes, a gambler from Bretonnia.

On coach leaving for Altdorf in the morning.

A man on the road.

Rolf Hurtsis, Axel’s old thieving companion from Delberz.

A travelling party ambushed by mutants.

Erich’s doppelgänger (“Kastor Lieberung”).

The Roadwardens.

Arrival at Königplatz in Altdorf. Two men try to communicate with the party by making strange gestures with their hands and fingers. They then leave with a third man.

John Kelly, Erich’s old friend. A job offer.

The Boatman Inn. A couple of obnoxious young nobles. Max Ernst.

Axel watches as his followers, the two men from the square, are being killed in a dark alley. Each man has a small tattoo on his right breast, depicting a purple hand.

News about the murder of one of the young nobles. The Watch are looking.

Leaving for Bögenhafen with John Kelly aboard his river barge.

Weissbruck.

Adolphus Kuftsos, a bounty hunter.

“For the personal attention of Adolphus Kuftsos

The Nine Stars Coaching Inn
The Middenheim Road
Altdorf

My Dear Herr Kuftsos,

You may recall a certain conversation we had last Brauzeit in the public bar of the Hook and Hatchet in Nuln. At that time you mentioned your interest in the activities of a certain society whose name I shall not mention here. In particular, you were very anxious to trace the whereabouts of a certain officer, known only as the Magister Impedimentae.

I am now able to confirm each and every one of your suspicions. After your departure I made some discrete enquiries and managed to ascertain that the ‘gentleman’ you are looking for uses the name Kastor Lieberung. In accordance with your plan, Herr Lieberung will be travelling towards Altdorf along the Middenheim road some time towards the end of the month of Jahrdrung.

I have also been fortunate enough to secure a likeness of Herr Lieberung, which I enclose with this letter.

I remain, Sir, your most obedient servant.

Q. F.”

Leaving Weissbruck with Wolmar on a small fishing boat.

A fight with Beastmen on the riverbank.

Arriving after dark at The Hooded Man. The rain falls in torrents. Overhead, lightning flashes across the sky.

A Roadwarden called Hans Jinkerst, the landlord Otto, and his staff member Fagor seem to be the only ones currently awake at the inn. The guests (a coach party) and the rest of the staff have all gone to bed for the night.

The horses in the stables are terrified. In the hayloft lies the body of a murdered stable boy, mutilated and partially eaten. A ladder smeared with blood leads up to the slippery roof. The Roadwarden tells Matthias that he will look into the matter at dawn, and then leaves.

Drugged from eating Otto’s food, Axel and Erich fight their sudden drowsiness in the common room. Jack slurs something about the stew tasting “funny” before he collapses into unconsciousness on the floor. Matthias, unaffected, barricades the door and looks out through the window.

The door to the stables is still visibly secured from the outside. Suddenly, the sound of restless and frightened horses can be heard coming from within.

“Don’t panic, Otto. They are only travellers. Tzeentch will be pleased to have their souls as well.”

A ceremony dedicated to the Chaos God Tzeentch, in a secret shrine hidden under the inn’s cellar.

Unaware of the binding ritual, Hans Jinkerst is strangled to death by the shrine’s Guardian Daemon, a Pink Horror. The mutants (Otto, Fagor, Grat, and Wilhem) have all been put to the sword.

Heironymus Blitzen, a grateful and eccentric-looking survivor from Delberz, birthplace of Axel and Matthias (“Thank you, lads! Come and see me next time you’re home!”).

Sergeant Krupp and the Roadwardens. They discover Hans Jinkerst’s dead body and the stolen uniform. After a brief investigation, the Roadwardens leave and escort the remains of the coaching party to Weissbruck.

The arrival of John Kelly and the Berebeli early in the morning. It is Angestag, 31st Jahrdrung. The Schaffenfest will begin in three days.

“Chaos will cover the land and we, the chosen servants, shall be exalted in HIS eyes.
Hail to Tzeentch, Changer of the Ways!”

The ghost of Johann Gespenst, the murdered Roadwarden (“Collect my bones and take them to town for decent burial!”).

A shrine to Taal, God of Nature and Wild Places, and an ancient graveyard in the woods. Two hungry Ghouls.

Bögenhafen. Arriving at Haagen’s Wharf on Mitterfruhl Day (the spring equinox).

The Journey’s End, a respectable inn recommended by John Kelly. Albert the landlord.

Father Heydrich, Cleric of Mórr at the Mourners′ Guild. The burial of Johann Gespenst. A visit to his old home on the Eisen Bahn brings a welcome reward.

Some shopping at Katz Armoury and in the commercial area near the Dreieckeplatz.

Going to the Schaffenfest. Doctor Malthusius and his freakshow. Axel catches the three-legged Goblin when it tries to escape from its cage. The thankful Doctor Malthusius invites them to come and see the show later that day.

The wrestling ring. Matthias puts up a good fight against “Crusher” Braugen, the champion, but is eventually knocked out cold.

Elvyra Kleinestun, a seller of herbal remedies. She offers Jack (and maybe Axel?) tuition at her home in Weissbruck.

During the freakshow the three-legged Goblin escapes into a breathing hole in the city wall and vanishes down into the sewers. Magistrate Heinz Richter and Doctor Malthusius offer a reward for its return.

Beneath the town. A slime creature.

A wooden door set into the wall of the sewer leads to a dimly-lit chamber. The eaten remains of the three-legged goblin can be seen inside. A large pentacle covers the floor. In its centre is a representation of a beast’s head, around which is written “Ordo Septenarius”. Suddenly, a stream of foul-smelling smoke begins to issue from the pentacle and fill the entire room.

A Daemon materialises. It advices the intruders to leave at once, which they do.

Wading across the effluent channel, Axel bumps into the mutilated body of the drunken dwarf from the stocks. He is missing one arm and his heart has been cut out. In his clenched fist is a large, silk handkerchief embroidered with monogram “F.S.”.

The sound of an unknown person running through the darkness leads to a rickety wooden door in the sewer wall. A thieves’ sign beside the door indicates the entrance to a safe house. Behind the door is a storage room where three men – Franz, Reinhold and Reinhardt – sit around a table. Suddenly, a hidden trapdoor opens up to a pit in the floor.

“Now, will you promise to keep our little secret? Just for me?
Good, I knew all along that you could be trusted.”

Out of the sewers. It is night and the streets are empty. A quick washing up by the docks, where a thick mist rises from the River Bögen. The town takes on an eerie, unpleasant appearance, with tendrils of mist swirling through the alleys and avenues.

Back at the Journey’s End. Albert the landlord says that the Goblin was caught and killed about an hour after they entered the sewers, and since they failed to recover it, the Town Hall is no longer prepared to pay for their accommodation. A kind man, Albert runs them all a hot bath and goes to bed.

Magistrate Richter:
“The Goblin was crushed by falling crates in one of Steinhäger’s warehouses on the Ostendamm.”
“That is Franz Steinhäger’s monogram.”
“I am not authorised to pay you any money. Call at the Town Hall.”

Doctor Malthusius:
“The Town Hall has refused my requests that they should return the Goblin’s body to me.”
“The Thieves’ Guild could be helpful to anyone with the right contacts.”
“The library in the Temple of Verena may hold useful information.”

Anton Breugel, the warehouseman:
“I beat the Goblin to death with my club!”

Ulthar the Unstable, the madman in the square:
“I see seven, and I see nine, all they had will be mine, mine, mine!”
“The star within the circle, is the sign of death.”
“Beware the man who is not a man.”

The clerk at the Town Hall:
“I have filled in your report. Come back tomorrow.”

There is no street called Garten Weg in Bögenhafen, and the law firm Lock, Stöck and Barl does not seem to exist.

The description given by the printers at Schultz and Friedman confirm that the man who bought the notepaper was Adolphus Kuftsos, the man who attacked the party in Weissbruck.

Doctor Malthusius is out looking for Grunni, his seedy-looking Dwarven assistant. Apparently Grunni went to see Gottri, the drunken Dwarf from the stocks, to collect some money that Gottri owed him.

Jack writes a blackmail letter to Franz Steinhäger. Steinhäger’s two bodyguards show up and ask Jack to come with them to Herr Steinhäger’s office. Jack refuses and the bodyguards leave.

Matthias gets his revenge when he defeats “Crusher” Braugen at the Schaffenfest in their second fight. The crowd goes wild.

Magistrate Richter has suddenly fallen ill and gone home. Andrea, his clerk, explains that Richter went to the Town Hall earlier. He returned after about half an hour and then had a brief visit by Reiner Goertrin, the Captain of the Watch. Richter looked pale and was shaking afterwards. There was something strange and creepy about the Captain, Andrea says. He gave her a mocking smile and seemed very amused, most unlike him, as he is usually very serious.

Andrea mentions that Gottri was finally released from the stocks about dusk yesterday. He was last seen going into the town accompanied by a young servant wearing the livery of the Teugen family.

Outside the Town Court, at the Dreieckeplatz, the party notice that Ulthar the Unstable is not present.

Magistrate Richter shares his chambers in the Town Courts with Gilda, his worried house-keeper. Richter is delirious, his eyes bulge from his head and his tongue has swollen up. Doctor Reinhold Heichtdorn confesses to being stumped and having no hope for Richter’s recovery. He says that he has seen this disease before when Karl Teugen died two years ago. Jack identifies it as purple brain fever, a magically induced disease, and knows of a rare herbal remedy which will affect a cure.

Heinrich Steinhäger offers the party 2000 GC if they murder his older brother Franz. Heinrich knows about Jack’s blackmail letter and appears somewhat deranged. He shows them a note that he found in Franz’s drawer.

“However, if my good brother were to meet with a fatal accident, and accidents do happen …”

“If he finds out, you’ll end up in the sewers too, bloated and maggot-ridden like the rest …”

Axel gets a bad feeling about Heinrich Steinhäger and his intentions.

Jack: “Ordo Septenarius? It probably means Order of Seven, or something like that, I think.”

Ulthar the Unstable: “I see seven, and I see nine …!”

The two locations in the sewers can be traced to the Steinhäger offices and the Crossed Pikes, respectively.

Lunch at the Crossed Pikes. Phillipe Descartes, the Bretonnian gambler whom the party met a little more than a week ago, is one of the patrons, as well as many off-duty Watchmen from the nearby Watch Barracks.

Franz Baumann: “The sewer entrance is under the Steinhäger offices. It was installed between a year and eighteen months ago. Strange noises – chanting in some unfamiliar language, and the occasional scream – have been heard coming from the general direction of the door. We haven’t seen anyone or anything coming out of it, although mutilated bodies have been found occasionally in the sewers downstream. They have nearly always had their hearts cut out. Several beggars have died in a similar way over the last year.”

The party enter the sewers again through the tavern’s secret door in the cellar. Baumann tells them not to come back. “And watch out for the bloody rats! They are large down here.” He giggles and gives each man a torch, and shuts the door behind them.

The sewers revisited. The room where the Daemon appeared is now empty and has been stripped of all its contents. The pentagram and the copper circle on the floor have been removed.

The sides of the sewer pipe look weird. It reminds you of a section of human gut – raw red, and evenly ridged. As you watch, the red ridges seem to move slightly – contracting, then relaxing. It smells like a slaughterhouse here. You feel dizzy.

A group of rabid-looking Skaven attacks the party on their way out of the sewers. Six ratmen lie dead as Matthias and Erich cut their way through and press on towards the manhole.

Bad moon rising. While Jack is tending to Erich’s wounds, the others are watchful. The smaller of the two moons, Mórrslieb, instead of being a crescent as would be expected at this time of the month, is almost full. The first moon, Mannslieb, is consistent with its natural cycle.

Dragging a stolen cart from the festival area, Jack gets a glimpse of Captain Goertrin outside the Watch Barracks. Jack tries to trick the doorkeeper at the Steinhäger offices to let him in. Ol’ Gerhard refuses and angrily tells Jack to go back to the Moot.

The party go for an evening stroll on the Ostendamm. John Kelly is there, and they stop for a few drinks aboard his boat. He comments on their story: “Poor Richter. I have met Captain Goertrin many times, and this kind of behavior would be most unlike him. It’s that bloody clerk, he always keep you waiting. In my experience, it’s sometimes more useful to ask around at the Merchants’ Guild.”

A meeting with Councillor Teugen at the Town Hall. Teugen’s teeth seem unusually large. Around his neck hangs a gold chain bearing a medallion with his family’s symbol upon it. Teugen explains that the reward was conditional on the party recovering the Goblin, which they failed to do. He offers them 10 GC as a small compensation, and an additional 10 GC in return for sharing this vital information that they supposedly have found. When they decline, Teugen excuses himself and have them shown out. Before the party leave he recommend that they see Councillor Magirius at the Merchant’s Guild, who will be happy to answer any further questions that they might have.

While crossing the Dreieckeplatz, Axel gets a feeling that they are being watched.

The Pit. The party find Ulthar the Unstable in his hovel, contorted on the floor with his throat ripped out. He wears a medallion bearing the insignia of the House of Teugen. The hovel contains a remarkable large amount of scientific books as well as a small journal. Its final entries, written in a wild and shaky hand, read:

“Karl Teugen is suffering from a strange illness, the physicians have failed to help him and soon he will die. The Daemons walk and he has been taken.”

“Karl Teugen died today, his face was purple and his eyes bulged from his head. His tongue hung from his face like a great bloated snake. The Mark of Chaos is upon him and upon all of Bögenhafen.”

Father Renard:
“These are serious and painful accusations indeed. I am a member of the Council myself, and I know these people personally. They are both trusted and well-respected leaders of this town. Johannes Teugen also happens to be my friend, and one of our biggest patrons. You seem like an honest boy, but I must admit that what you’re saying is very hard for me to accept. Before we do anything, I need to confer with my colleagues on this matter. Please, leave now. Young Hänsel will show you out.”

Magirius:
“I can see how this series of misunderstandings has arisen. I suppose it’s only natural, since we prefer to keep the society confidential. The Ordo Septenarius is a club, if you like, and most of the members are drawn from the merchant families of the town. We represent a kind of Elite within the Merchants’ Guild, and co-operate with each other in order to reap the greatest profit for all. There are many who would reap great political advantage by discovering the membership of the Ordo, and some of our junior members might be tempted by their offers. We need to offer them some encouragement to abide by the rules of the society. Because of this, the workings of the Ordo are wrapped in a certain amount of ritual – or should I say the semblance of ritual – with various ceremonies, oaths and grades of initiation.”

“There are forty-nine members in all – forty-two ordinary members and an Inner Council of seven.”

A second visit to the Temple of Sigmar. The party find Father Renard dead, still in his chair as they left him. His facial expression shows fear or shock. In front of him lies an unwritten sheet of parchment. A set of ink-stained footprints are clearly visible upon it. The shape of the foot is tiny, smaller than a young child’s, and has four pointed claws. Brother Kristian explains to Axel that the church in Bögenhafen will not be able to assist him and his friends.

In the afternoon, a warm spring rain begins to fall. Jack notices that Mórrslieb is fuller and larger than normal. It appears to hang low over the town. As the evening progresses, a grinning face appears on the moon.

The Adel Ring after sunset. Hiding in the park, the party watch as Magirius, Franz Steinhäger, and five other people enter Teugen’s house. All arrive separately on foot, and each carries a bundle.

With some rope and a grappling hook, Matthias manages to climb the wall surrounding the grounds of the house. From his position, five metres above the others, he gets a glimpse of the guests who have gathered inside the main building. Their silhouettes are only vaguely visible behind the drawn curtains. He also sees a strange shadow flit across an upstairs window. It is only a fleeting glimpse, but he is left with the impression that it was some form of winged humanoid. The area seems to be guarded by at least four private guards and three free-roaming dogs.

Magirius shows a letter, signed “Etelka Herzen”, that Teugen received just a few days ago.

“The ritual will take place tonight. I don’t know where yet, but I will get word to you as soon as I can. Teugen said that a human sacrifice will be necessary to prepare the new temple, and that was too much for me. I didn’t realise that anyone would have to be killed.”

“WHSE” and a number, which might be 13 or 17.

“Help! Murder!”

“You know, you really should have minded your own business.”

“I see seven, and I see nine …!”

The showdown at Warehouse 13 begins. Two thugs from the Stevedores’ Guild lose their lives as Erich and the others rush past them and into the building. Inside, standing around a large pentagram on the floor, are nine people. All are dressed in white robes and they are apparently in the middle of some kind of ritual. The one in the centre holds a dagger and a scroll. On the ground beside him is a bloody heart. A sacrificial victim lies dead in a corner.

As the intruders swiftly barricade the entrance, the masked figures continue their chanting. Then one of them leaves the ceremony, and moves towards the party. Meanwhile, the thugs outside have begun to break down the doors.

“Avert your eyes! Don’t look at Gideon!”

The warehouse catches fire as “Gideon” throws a fire ball at Erich and Matthias. Badly burned, they return in force and kill the small but hideous creature.

Meanwhile, Teugen desperately tries to shepherd the rest of the cultists away from the scene of combat. When midnight strikes, a huge cloud of black smoke issues from the pentacle, taking the form of a massive Daemon.

“Your soul is mine. It always was; but you were more useful to me when you believed that you could save it.”

Teugen screams and begs for more time, but he is grasped in the Daemon’s hand which turns back into smoke and and disappears back through the pentacle.

Outside the warehouse, drawn by the fire and the noise, a crowd of townspeople have gathered. Axel seizes the opportunity and grabs two of the remaining cultists. Lying motionless on the ground and weeping softly, they are obviously in great shock. Axel forcefully presents them, along with the remains of “Gideon”, to a trio of Watchmen standing nearby. The party are immediately taken to the Watch barracks and interviewed by Captain Goertrin. After listening to their story, Goertrin lets them go.

John Kelly, who saw the party with the Watch earlier, convinces them to leave town with him at once. He is anxious and mentions that there are rumours of an outbreak of the Black Plague in northern Bretonnia, even as near as Helmgart on this side of the border.

Aboard the river boat again, with the stars above him, a slightly drunk Jack notices that Mórrslieb has returned to its normal aspect for this time of month – a crescent.

It is 4th Pflugzeit, a couple of hours after midnight.

The River Patrol and the Roadwardens are searching for the four characters. They know exactly what to look for, and they are making a lot of enquiries.

After three days on the river, a somewhat unnerved John Kelly decides to split up the party, in order to make them less conspicious. He drops Axel and Erich off in Weissbruck, while he and the others, including Jack and Matthias, continue to Carroburg on a quick business errand. John says that he will return a week later to pick them up.

Shortly after arriving in Weissbruck, Erich is confronted by an unknown man. From a distance, he is obviously trying to make contact, making strange and curious gestures with his hands around his face. Erich flips him off and the man, together with his companion, leaves.

“Help me, someone, please. They’ve got my father …”

Part 1: The rescue of Klauss Dralst. A house with a secret entrance to the sewers and an underground tunnel system. Axel and Erich put an end to a bloody ritual conducted by a group of Skaven, led by an insane specimen called Skretth, and their human minions. They manage to save a wealthy townsman, for which they are handsomely rewarded.

“This is your final warning! Deliver the goods to the red barn by sunset tonight.”

Part 2: The rescue of Elvyra Kleinestun. Nobody home. In an abandoned barn, just across the canal, there is a vicious fight with a trio of kidnappers, mere thugs but also loyal servants of the Horned Rat. Axel is about to lose his head, but he spends a Fate Point, makes a dive, and lives.