Session 8: Bolts in the Dark

As the group is making its way around the base of the Middle Mountains, the track becomes very bad. No coaching inns along the way to rest, they are forces to take refuge in wayside shrines and shelters.

On the third night, they take shelter in a cave, leaving Mungo outside with the cart. During Castian's watch, he notices that the halfling has lit a fire. The driver gives him a wave and Castian considers all to be safe. Shortly afterwards, two large bundles of straw are hurdled into the cave entrance, waking everyone up. The cave starts to fill up with smoke quickly. A voice outside yells for them to hand over Castor Lieberung. Ludwig gets on his feet and makes his way out, but gets shot at immediately. The bolts go wide and he runs down, followed by Gotwin and Lothar. Castian moves to the left, hoping to flank their attackers, a glancing bolt cuts his robe as he engages with a lone flanking attacker.
In the meantime Christina tries to stomp the flames out, but not succeeding in that, decides to help Wigand out.
Gotwin is involved in a hard fight, having picked the leader of the bunch of attackers (Who Ludwig has identified as the man he saw outside the window after the two shady characters were killed by crossbow bolts in Ferlangen). Victorious Castian decides to flank them in return. Lothar gets shot at point blank by a crossbow and struggles to fight off his opponent, who shanks him a few times with a dagger. In the end he overcomes the brigand, cleaving him in half, but is severely wounded.
Ludwig is able to overcome his opponent, and joins Gotwin. The leader, seeing Ludwig, ignores Gotwin and attacks the young man with a vengeance. Having the advantage over the gang leader, the two are able to overcome him, Ludwig severing an artery in the man's leg which causes him to bleed out in a matter of seconds.
Castian was moving in to join the combat, quickly realizing that there will be a victory celebration as he is shocked to see Herr Lothar, and the likely fatal wound in his chest. After searching the contents of the leader's pockets and finding some papers, it is decided that they will remain here, and carefully make their way onweards in the morning, while Gotwin will ride on through the night, to get help in the Shallyan temple of Wolfenburg.
Lothar has a few harsh words with Ludwig in regards to the whole mistaken identity situation, explaining that this is a serious situation, clearly a group of well-meaning Imperials are chasing this Lieberung, and they have the money and contacts to send well-trained hunters after him...

Gotwin makes it to Wolfenburg and hurries back, joined by the Priestess of Shallya, Isolde Ulricht. They find the rest of the part in the Coaching Inn Sigmar's Hammer, one day from the city.
The priestess stabilizes Lothar and the next day they continue to Wolfenburg, where Lothar, Wigand and Ludwig are taken to the temple of Shallya for further care.

The approach to the city shows a marked improvement in the standard of the roads, and a number of large, decent farmsteads.

The land around seems intensively farmed, with both arable and cattle. Locals in the fields will be politely wary, but not unfriendly. A mile from the city is a way station with smithing and stabling facilities and a barracks for road wardens. The staff here is friendly, and offer temporary  accommodations to visitors arriving too late to enter the city. The road towards the city is lined with stone burial markers, as is the usual custom in Ostland. However, the PCs will notice that within the intensive farmland are small copses maintained as burial places, and each holding many markers dating back centuries.

Wolfenburg is an impressive city, surrounded by a thick wall and dominated by a large church standing on a rise to the east. To those in military careers, the walls have a practicality to them; most towers are circular, the wall is buttressed and skirted and angular sections break the uniformity of the wall. To a general observer, the walls might appear squat, but they are thick and will withstand the most powerful siege guns for some time. Indeed, sections of the wall are clearly extended to hold defensive guns.

There are two primary gates into the city, one each located in the north and south walls. A third gate, set in the east wall, is only opened to facilitate market days when farmers arrive from the east to sell their goods. Walking through the gateway, they will note that an herb festoons the entrance. Wigand identifies it as wolfsbane.
The gate to the north is the widest of the city, particularly built for land traffic. Inside, the north section of the city contains warehouses for unloading. However, this is some distance from the docks, and walled as a separate section of the city. Large carts need to be unloaded and their goods placed onto smaller carts that can travel on the narrow roads within the city. This is done by a city licensee and carried out by members of the Stevedore’s Guild.
On entering the city, the group is beset by number of hawkers and urchins. In particular, most taverns and inns pay hawkers to drum up customers, and they will vie with an assortment of street pedlars and beggars for the newcomers’ attention.
Set against the wall is another small booth, advertising official guides. This is a further monopoly sold by the city and for 1GC per day, one can hire a local urchin to show them around. Whilst expensive, the service is a good one and is operated by the Cult of Shallya. They use the income for good works, and ensure that the guides are fed, clothed and educated.

Trade streets
Wolfenburg is the centre of the Ostland pewter trade, and its main street Zinnwaren Straße reflects that in name. However, the city has no particular commercial specialism, and thus no dedicated streets to any particular activity. Most shops consist of a ground floor workshop (where manufacture is carried out), a second floor storage (and possibly display) area, and third floor living apartments. More luxurious shops consist of larger living areas, individual rooms for apprentices and greater distance between the workshop and other areas. All shops are identifiable by universal signs indicating their business.
Residential housing fills in behind the larger thoroughfares, and acts as home to many of the journeymen and poorer masters.
First thing every morning a guild crier announces various orders and work details from the steps of the Guildenhaus. This building houses the offices for those guilds in the city that cannot afford their own individual premises. Inside is a bustling warren of corridors and people. 

Public criers are crying the various bye-laws and the following official news items:

• The foul bandits, known as the Cult of the Howling One continues to attack merchants travelling north. A reward of 50GCs is offered for their destruction, or of 5/- per head of the bandits.
• Citizens are reminded that gambling is a crime against both the Emperor and Sigmar. The self-titled Public Lottery is illegal. Anyone caught playing is subject to a 5GCs fine. Anyone caught selling tickets is subject to imprisonment. Citizens should instead consider investing in the Grand Prince’s Kriegsanleihe scheme, offering fee-free protection of savings and an annual 1% return. Details and applications are available from the Citadel.
• Citizens are warned that the madman Barthel Bugenhagen has escaped his cell. He is not thought to be dangerous, but citizens should be on their guard and report any sighting to their nearest Watch station. 
• Rumours of a new bridge development are untrue and unpatriotic. Citizens are assured that their Prince will consider the merits of any scheme only in the interests of the city. 
• Doktor Hubertus von Bora has need for a secretary and guards. Applicants should apply to the house of Magdalena Amman in the Estates district.

Caravan Yard
A caravan yard is also located within the city, but generally acts as stabling and accommodation for normal visitors. The yard was originally developed as a staging post for supplying Magnus the Pious’ crusade, and shows the lack of maintenance since. However, occasional caravans still set out to and from Kislev and the western Empire, and some prefer to avoid the Wolfen. There are three yards, one each for horses, mules and fantastic creatures. The latter has not been used in a long time, even in its alternative role as an overspill facility.

Town Square
The town square is dominated by a statue diorama containing ‘Magnus the Pious’ and ‘Sigmar the Great’ overseeing the ‘Holy Sigmarite Empire’. Here can be found any number of criers, but the official town criers perform at first light.
 
Temple District
The following temples are located within Wolfenburg: Mórr, Myrmidia, Sigmar, Shallya and Verena. There are small shrines to Taal and Ulric. Within this district, and in addition to the City Watch, might be found a patrol of the Officium Arbitrorum. They are the police force of the Cult of Sigmar, and part of the Order of the Torch. Whilst it is purely an internal organisation, normally without authority beyond the cult or laws where the cult holds authority, the city have granted them joint authority over this district and the other temples. In theory, therefore, the Officium Arbitrorum may enter any other temple in pursuit of a fugitive.

• Shallyan Temple
  The chief cleric is Gammer Isolde Ulricht, a priestess. She is a caring middle-aged woman, who has the look of the care-worn and an occasional descent into cynical despair.
  Isolde is helped by two Initiates, each approaching advancement: Hermann Roeging, who has the bearing of a nobleman, and a young girl, Hilde Muntz. Hilde has accompanied Isolde to the inn to care for Lothar, and some of the group notices her talking to Cheristina, in a way thayt indicated they know each other. When they noticed being observed, they quickly stopped talking.
  The cult operates the Hospital for the Maintenance and Education of Exposed and Deserted Children.
• Sigmar's Temple, known as The Cathedral
  An impressive piece of massive architecture standing on a hill overlooking the rest of the city.
  Inside Castian was impressed, perhaps even overwhelmed with the abundance of fine sculptures, paintings and tapestries. The central altar stood out, as it featured a massive Imp overlooking altar. According to very old legend, a chaos lord sent his imps out to play, and the wind blew one down from the Chaos Wastes to Wolfenburg.
  
  
  At first, it was so awe-struck by the splendour of the Sigmarite Cathedral, that it was terrified. However, it saw a priest entering the church, and swooped down to steal his prayer book, and tear it into pieces. It then proceeded to fly around the church doing damage. “Come down and stop that at once”, demanded the Arch Lector (who happened to be visiting). “No,” shrieked the vile imp, “you will have to stop me if you can”. At which, the beloved of Sigmar turned the imp to stone as it sat over the altar, and where it can be seen to this day. Close inspection revealed the imp to be a carved figure, half human and half beast. It appears to be feathered and have bovine legs. The work is exquisite, and of ordinary (if very fine) stone. A small cemetery is attached to the church, but most of the deceased who select burial are interred by the cult of Mórr.
  Castian met some of the priest and informed them of his intention to enter the priesthood.

Next Castian and Gotwin visited the Physicians' Guild. Jaie Schraeder was Secretary for the guild, and had been for 10 years. Danel Koberger, the current Under-Secretary, is an elderly man, and tells them that Jaie has passed away. Also, his house burnt down.  His body was found by a local farmer near The Forest Inn on the evening of the 3rd Jahrdrung (this is an inn near Wolgenburg, not the Forest Inn where the group fought the Ghouls.) He recalls that Schraeder was appointed on the suggestion of the then guildmaster, Professor Melancthon, as both arrived from Altdorf around the same time. Professor Melancthon retired to Altdorf some 5 years ago. It was rather sudden at the time, but he had been offered some sort of promotion at the University.

No one at the guild knew Schraeder socially as he was simply a (good) clerk and secretary.

A visit to the Watch and meeting with Captain Crais brings some more information: 

• Two bodies were found in the fire. Both were badly burnt beyond recognition, but one was male and one female. They are assumed to be Gerd Breytenbach, the servant, and Louisa May, the maid. The fire was localised to one room.
• The Cult of the Howling One are suspected in the murder of Herr Schraeder, and might be linked in with the professor and other murders. 

General Rumours

• The Grand Prince needs to keep an eye on Valmir von Raukov. He was only made Grand Prince behind the other’s back, and there will be trouble yet.
• Valmir von Raukov is too honourable to bring the province to civil war over the Electorship.
• Valmir von Raukov is too honourable to bring the province to civil war over the Electorship, and too clever to think he could win that way. Still, don’t be too surprised if something happens to the von Tasseninck family.
• Valmir von Raukov will never be Elector. I am fed up of those Kislevites thinking they rule this province. We are Imperial, with good Imperialist people. They are simply a group of immigrants who need to remember their place.
• Valmir von Raukov is dealing with some shady mercenary group calling themselves the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Kislev. He is clearly up to no good.
• Crown Prince Hergard von Tasseninck has been sent off to Altdorf for safety. The Grand Prince is no fool as to his family’s safety.
• Crown Prince Hergard von Tasseninck has been sent out by his father to obtain some military experience and a reputation as a soldier in order to improve his popularity. 
• Crown Prince Hergard von Tasseninck has deserted his family to become an adventurer. The Grand Prince is livid. 
• Merchants will not use the road to Ferlangen anymore, because it is too dangerous.
• The Tsar has led his army in a victorious campaign against the rebellious city of Erengrad, and brought it to heel.