Fear On The Delb, Fire On The Reik - WFRP Episode Two

Episode Two

Daemonic Imp

The PCs began at the point episode one ended, rowing Ulrike's small smuggling boat down the river Delb away from Suderburg. As the early morning mist cleared there were no signs of life on the banks of the river - they were alone on the water. After discussing the necessity of finding food as quickly as possible, they sighted a lock keeper's cottage ahead of them. The weir could not be passed (the boat was too large to take safely out of the waters) so the lock needed to be opened. Ulrike and Mordrin set about this task while Gustav and Albert scouted around the building and its walled yard - all the doors and windows were secured with iron grills and the wooden shutters inside were tightly closed.

Once the boat was safely on the other side of the lock, Ulrike and Mordrin joined the others in surveying the dwelling for possible dangers and opportunities. Looking over the wall into the yard Ulrike spotted a smugglers' entrance concealed behind a barrel and some shrubs. Albert scaled the wall with Gustav's help, unbolted the gate, and all the PCs worked to clear the entrance.

Following plenty of cautious assessment the wooden hatch was opened, Albert undertook a quick safety check of the dark cellar beyond the partially collapsed shaft, before he and Mordrin entered to search for supplies. Unfortunately, a mishap during the recovery of some barrels resulted in the full collapse of the shaft, leaving Mordrin trapped alone in the cellar. Stumbling through the dark he found some stone steps and made his way with great care through a wooden hatch in the celling and into the building above. Once he had found the kitchen, Mordrin managed to force open a small window, and began helping the rest of the party through. This task became all the more urgent as an unnatural screeching and beating of leathery wings could be heard approaching from the tree line across the river. Ulrike and Albert made it through, but Gustav was forced to turn and face a Daemon Imp - he vanquished it cooly and with barely breaking a sweat. 

Lovely property with river views (including ottars)

Meanwhile, the adventurers inside the house were confronted by a large, growling hound. Mordrin readied to attack, but Albert managed to calm the beast and befriend it - the two quickly becoming inseparable. A cautious search of all the rooms meant the PCs garnered a number of useful items in addition to several weeks worth of food supplies. The group decided it was wise to be on their way before dusk in case other Imps - or worse - found them.

As yet unnamed hound - about the right
size for Albert to ride though, if he
likes the idea of being
halfling cavalry...

Following a few days of steady progress, down the river where the Delb joined the Reik they were faced with a blockade of military barges from the garrison at Altdorf. The massed army halted their progress and they were turned away curtly by a heavily armed captain, who informed them that  passage to the city was closed to all: their only option was to head upriver. So reluctantly they headed southward toward the Upper Reik, passing numerous refugees along the way.

Eventually, as dusk began to fall and they found themselves alone on the water, they turned a bend in the river and were confronted by a number of burning boats and ships. Ulrike slowly streared a path through the stricken vessels as Mordrin and Gustav used oars to push away any of the floating wreaks that drifted too close. The body of a dwarf was signed in the water and dragged aboard - Mordrin immediately saw that this was a fellow rune bearer, and with his final words this kinsman passed on a warning of a rampaging hoard of forest goblins - along with the parchment bound message that fate (and several arrows) had decided he would not carry to its destination. Mordrin swore to deliver it in his stead... making their next destination... the dwarf hold of Karak Azgal...

An insurance job?

The GM's Perspective

A hugely enjoyable session with plenty of tension, cooperation and conflict within the adventuring party. A good deal of well thought through role playing from all the PCs enhanced the sketched storyline that I had mapped out, and we progressed at a good pace through to the 'narrative device' of the stabbed/drowned/dying rune bearer. The wheels are now set in motion for the progressively grander adventuring to commence!