Session 11: The Welcome Rest

Castian had entered the Cathedral, in order to go through the trials of ordainment. After an in-depth interrogation of his knowledge of the Twelve Prayers of Righteousness, and singing the Canticles of Sigmar without error, followed by intensive questioning by ranking members of the cult, he was led away for a night of meditation at the Cathedral's altar.

The next morning, he was given a new set of priestly robes, and led in front of the leading priest of the Wolfburg Temple, Father Heinrich, and upon a gem-encrusted, gold (plated) warhammer he took the oath.

“I, Novitiate Castian, swear on the holy hammer with all of you present as my witness, that I will uphold the laws and words of Sigmar Heldenhammer, until my final dying breath.”

As he did, he realised that none of this pomp and circumstance mattered, Sigmar never wandered through the Empire in velvet robes, or stayed in massive cathedrals with exuberant stained glass domes. This would not be his path.

He left the cathedral, and made his way back to the temple of Shallya, when Christina was waiting for him with Gerd and Hilde. apparently Lothar left the day before and had given her instructions.

The left Wolfenburg and headed east, in the footsteps of the others.

On the way, Castian has a dream. Waking up, he can see through the window a comet, making a trail in the sky, heading eastwards. Two days later they arrived at Levudaldorf, but were denied entry to the manor, as the Count was "entertaining guests", and had to wait until the next day to rejoin their friends.

The Count had organised for some alterations to be made to the cart (much to Mungo's displeasure...) to accommodate the prisoner. Once on the road, which had much improved compared to its conditions the previous day, the group started to make conversation with Pankratz Zucker. He explained he was actually caught whilst visiting his sister in the village. She is a member of the Cult of Sigmar and a devout follower of Father Teschitz’s one god-one nation creed, and believes her brother is a heretic, a bandit and a disgrace to her family. He simply finds her misguided, but was shocked – to say the least – after she had set him up.

Although he is initially reluctant to discuss the Cult of the Howling one, he quickly got the measure of this group, realizing these were not the typical close-minded bumpkins, and shared some of his knowledge with them, making sure not to reveal his part in the whole situation. He explained how some believed the cult to be a sect of extremist Ulricans, others that they're a bunch of bandits, but within Ostland, there exist a number of traditions concerning lycanthropy. There is nothing innately chaotic or evil about the ability to change into the form of a wolf, and there was a strong tradition of this amongst the Thurini and early Ostland nobility. It is likely that Levudal was a werewolf. The early werewolf was linked strongly to worship of natural spirits, particularly the wolf. These were called Wulfen, and it is from a corruption of this term that the River Wolfen and Wolfenburg are both named. Whilst not innately chaotic, they were very susceptible to the call of chaos and their hunger for blood was easily corrupted by the followers of the dark gods. There also were other lycanthropes, introduced via immigration from Norsca and Kislev. bringing with them shapeshifting beings that were believed born of Ulric’s unions with mortal women. They too were also able to take

the form of man or wolf. The Norscan Ulfwerenar, also called Olricsbarn, the children of Olric, thus began to replace the wulfen in the same manner that Kislevite worship of nature spirits displaced the earlier Ostland beliefs. Again, whilst not innately chaotic, the ulfwerenar are particularly susceptible to its lure.

Finally, there is a third form of lycanthropy and worship of the wolf spirit, which is tainted by chaos. There are werewolf creatures within Ostland that are indeed chaotic and the worship of the wolf spirit to them is now a fearful sacrifice to an aspect of Khorne.
So, the description of the cult as a single unit reflects an assumption of there being a single organisation, rather than a reality. In actual fact, the cult is a disparate group of individuals worshiping different aspects of the same spirit, together with a number of simple bandit groups that have adopted the cult’s name as a front, as well as an Ulrican fringe Cult.
Doktor von Bora, who wsas very interested in all this, asked Ludwig to share his notes with him when they would stop for the night.

That night, the arrived at the Welcome Rest coaching inn, which looked more like a fortified farmstead than an actual inn, ans was operated by a number of Sigmarite Sisters, priestesses and initiates.
Rumours overheard:

• Kislevite raiders invaded Sigmar’s Holy Land again. They raided some farms to the east.
• Magnus Greel, the Butcher of Brizban, must be brought here for trial. He murdered dozens of villagers at Brizban, as well as some of the temple soldiers. Apparently he fled into Kislev – so he should feel right at home.
• Imperial poll tax collectors were forcibly ejected from Talabheim after the Plenipotentiary for Taxation and Population was thrown through a window at the Peerhaus. This could mean war.
• The Church of Sigmar has denounced some academic at the University of Altdorf for heresy. This has led to a rise in attacks on students, a firebomb attack upon the university gatehouse and withdrawal of funding by a number of benefactors
• The templars have employed a private mercenary company containing sappers and engineers to do something to the Border Line coaching inn. There was a raid by Kislevites upon it.

The group set up an area in the stables where the prisoner could be kept safe, and took turns in keeping an eye on the man. Gotwin feared the prisoner to be a werewolf, and since it was close to full moon, he expected the man to try and break loose. A test with a silver coin didn't convince him, and he asked Wigand to get Christine, who, as a witch-hunter, surely had ways to find out whether or not this was true.
Wigand picked up feeling of unease in the inn, and noticed the Sisters to be looking warily, almost fearful at Christina and Castian. Blending in the background, he was able to overhear part of their conversations, and heard things as "have they been sent by the Grand Theogenist?", "Have the Templars revoked their protection?" "Is he after us?"
He pointed this out to Christina, who considered this. Noticing the sign of the circle with crossed hammers near the door, she realised something and nodded, filling Wigand in on what she remembered.

Sigmarite Sister

The Sisters of Sigmar are a sect of the Cult of Sigmar though their origin is now shrouded in history. One version describes them as a reputed female Warrior Convent under the orders of an Abbess, located in the city of Mordheim. Another suggests that they administered to the sick and the poor, tended to the needs of orphans, cured the diseased and worshipped a more humble aspect of Sigmar than the usual martial representations. In any event, it is known that the Holy Convent of Merciful Sisters of Sigmar was well established on a Sigmar’s Rock in the middle of the River Stir in
Mordheim prior to that town’s destruction in 2000 IC. They were founded sometime in the period 1610-1645 IC as a predominantly Eastern Empire order. At one time, the Sisters were regarded as an ideal home for wayward and troublesome daughters of the nobility, but by the end of the Second Millennium they had become unpopular within the cult, even within their eastern heartland. Coupled with the troubles throughout The Empire, the flow of noble entrants dried up, and the sisters increasingly came from humble backgrounds. The Sisterhood had supported the emperorship of Margaritha, was popular with the commoners (and not with the nobility), were an eastern cult within a largely western organisation, and were said to have the Gift of Prophecy. The latter in particular infuriated and undermined the Grand Theogonist, who claimed to be the earthly representative of Sigmar. After the destruction of the city, the Grand Theogonist took the opportunity to  excommunicate the leadership of the Sisters for heresy, claiming that women had no right to teach the
holy word of Sigmar, and that their purported Gift was in fact heretical witchcraft.
The Abbesses of the Sisterhood having made themselves increasingly unpopular with the hierarchy of the cult by their wealth, heretical (at that time) doctrines, and continued political support for an
alternative Emperor to that of the Grand Theogonist, had few allies within the cult. Indeed, many genuinely believe(d) that the fall of Mordheim was punishment for the blasphemy of the Sisters, and mistrusted their initial survival. It is true that the Sisters had foreseen the disaster and retreated to their stronghold, after failing to persuade the city authorities of the danger. They were also seen competing for pieces of the wyrdstone that fell on the city, which was taken as another sign of their guilt.
Attacked by the legitimate forces of the cult’s witch-hunters and the many gangs and beasts that arose from the fall of the city, it was assumed that any survivors were destroyed by the ravaging undead army of von Carstein that razed the eastern Empire ten years later.

It is known within the church hierarchy that two groups survived the fall; those who were absent at the time, and a small number who escaped the hunters and the chaotics. They centred themselves upon offering service to travelers.

Later that night, Ludwig heard some braying noises in the forest. This was something they had gotten used to over the course of their travels, but it quickly became clear that the braying grew, and a few sounds of horns were interspersed with them. They quickly prepared and got the group together, discussing with Lothar how to defend the farmstead, which clearly was not built to withstand a concentrated attack. Lathar decided to send Gotwin and Wigand to the north-west corner, while he and Ludwig would defend the gatehouse. The sound of beastmen pulling and pushing the wooden fence became clear as Castian and Pankratz (who had been released of his chains) took position near the southern side of the building. Christina and von Bora moved to the east, where they would defend the area near the pens.

A few times, some of the group had the impression they heard human voices outside the walls as well, but it wasn't until they heard a female voice scream "Bring me his skull!" that they were sure. Next, a rain of axeblows hit the flimsy wooden barriers, and large hairy hands and claws were seen, pulling at broken wooden planks. Wigand took aim and was able to hit a number of these creatures, who pulled back in pain, but now their blood was up they threw them in full force against the protective barrier, shattering it in places with their horns and hooves, as well as hammers and axes.

A frantic fight erupted, and at all sides the heroes were outnumbered by a mix of Gors and Ungors as well as dirty humans wearing a mix of armour, but all of them showing the same, bone-deep scars that rant verticall down their faces. Wigand checked through the window, and saw that the Sisters had pulled out a few chests and were donning chainmail armour and distributing weapons, but if they had counted on reinforcements from that area, they were to be disappointed. a loud crash, followed be female scream, indicated that the Beastmen has found a way into the main building and had engaged the Sigmarite nuns.

Castian and Pankratz were struggling with their opponent, even though they somehow seemed to have gotten stuck in cthe vines that grew on the fence they had just breached, while Gotwin and Wigand did what they could to hold their opponents off. One of the large Beastman had struck a blow on Gotwin's arms, shattering the chainmail and tearing it to bits with his axe. The blow almost incapacited the squire, and both him and the faithful servant adopted a more defensive stance, trying to parry and dodge the blows the creatures rained on them.

In the gatehouse, Ludwig did his best to take out his opponents, but it seemed that his rapier had little effect on them. They returned his precision attacks with fierce punched, kicks, spear jabs and axe blows, while next to him, the old Knight fought with the strength of a many a few decades younger than himself. Eventually, one of the attackers was able to him Ludwig in the groin, taking him down, while another one let his axe come down on the young diletant's hand, mangling it. The pain was too much and Ludwig passed out, bleeding profusely.
Seeing this, Lothat dispatched two of the attackers with single blows, covering himself and the walls in a shower fof blood and gore, while crying out to Castian.

The priest came running over, and knelt next to Ludwig, unable to administer first aid. Lothar told him to hold the gatehouse and ran out, charging into the the beasts that were still attacking the Taalite priest. In the northwestern corner, Gotwin and Wigand were still hard pressed, but had been able to kill the two larger beastmen, the brunt had been taken out of the attack, but the still risked being overwhelmed by the humans and small ungors.

After what seemed like an eternity, they heard the sound of the horns again. Fearing reinforcements, they were relieved to see their opponents trying to disengage and retreat into the forest.

Castian was able to take some time and bind the wound on Ludwig's arm, stopping the bleeding. Wigand had come over and threw another brand outside the gatehouse, in an attempt to lighten up that area and see if anything was left out there. As the branch landed, it illuminated the form of a heavily armoured woman, with a badly scarred face. She stood there observing the situation, wielding a large battleaxe and a shield. As she caught sight of Castian, who stepped out of the shadows of the gatehouse, she was unable to control herself and launched a charge at him, screaming something that sounded like "Horn!" while Wigand and Ludwig joined him. As they readied themselves, they noticed some kind of emblem on her breastplate, glowing a deep, dark red, pulsating and shifting before their eyes. Ludwig fell to his knees, vomiting and weeping tears of blood, while the woman rained axeblows onto Castian. He was able to stand his ground, slamming his hammer into her face, causing her to spit some teeth out, but it didn't slow her down. Gotwin has seen what was going on from the other side of the courtyard and charged in, joining the priest, followed seconds later by Lothar, but his attack glanced of the heavy armour of her greaves.
Castian, feeling empowered by his last, made ready to hit her once again in her unprotected face. As he stepped in, his foot got caught in a loop of beastmen intestine, and he slipped, coming down hard on his knee and losing the grip of his hammer, which slid away.
Lothar had a similar problem, as he slipped in the gore covered mud, retching as he went down, because he also had seen the blasphemous symbol on her breastplate.
Gotwin had positioned himself in such a way that she had to focus her attention on him, and was able to deflect and parry her blows, while everyone around him had gone down or were incapacitated in different ways. He waited for the right moment, ducking away from yet another blow, then sliced down hard as she pulled her axe back for another attack. His blade struck her jaw, breaking bones, severing tendons and showering the area in blood as his sword came to a halt halfway through her skull. The body of the woman slumped down, then fell sideways.
Castian caught his breath and got up, standing next to Gotwin as Lothar also struggled to get back up on his feet. The priest looked down on the still-warm corpse and spat, hitting the symbol on the breastplate. As he looked up, he saw the form of Pankratz at the edge of the forest. with a nod, the Taalite priets turned and disappeared into the the trees.

... and thus Gotwin had saved everyone!