A Cold Night in Klettwitz 

A short adventure designed for The Five Page Fiction contest by Hugh mcCluskey aka miniPhil
Special thanks to Brian for proofreading; Matt, Sean and Kris for playtesting.
Skull and crossbones by ​Dawn Hudson​. Header and footer by ​Ella Fitness​.

Luras Duskblade cursed under his breath as the cold cut through his tattered purple clothes. He had
managed to ride a piece of driftwood to shore and had been pushing through the woods ever since. Even
after two nights of battling the elements with no food or warmth, Luras would not give in. His tenacity
had rewarded him, for in the distance he spotted the flicker of light. This was the small hamlet of
Klettwitz.

 
Synopsis 
This is a short adventure designed for 3-5 players in their starting career though can be played with more
experience characters if Luras’ stats are adjusted. It takes place on a snowy night in Klettwitz, a small hamlet in
Nordland, between Dietershafen and Hargendorf. Klettwitz was once the home of a bustling lumber mill that has
since been decommissioned as the local nobel, Lord Lubin Schechter, found cheaper alternatives at superior
locations. The village is currently home to the abandoned mill, a run down tavern(Storm's End) and six huts.
The hamlet’s storytell, Marious Leicher, passed away last week. As per tradition, the inhabitants of Klettwitz are
holding a competition to determine the next official storyteller of Kelttwitz. Altmann Jung and Kirsa Egidius are
planning to use the competition as a distraction to elope together. Unfortunately for these star crossed lovers,
Luras Duskblade has taken refuge in the abandoned mill and is formulating plans to kill everyone in Klettwitz.
You can use this adventure in a campaign rather than a one shot with some simple changes. If your campaign is in
the summer make it a windy night rather than a snowy one. Luras’ reasoning for being there will also need to
change. He could be retreating after a failed assassination attempt and his wounds aren’t from the elements but
rather from guards who caught him sneaking around.

 
  
Cast of Characters 
Luras Duskblade ​is a Dark Elf and the last surviving member of a Slave Ship that was sunk in a clash with a
Nordland fleet vessel. Having survived the harsh winters and society of Naggaroth he is both ​careful and
cunning​. Luras is hungry and looking for a place to recuperate before planning his next move. He carries a dagger
and a hand crossbow. ​His motivation is to capture and control Klettwitz.​ Keeping a handful alive as slaves.
Either to force them to build a new ship or use as hostages.

Rolf ​is the owner of the tavern “Storm’s End”. He purchased the tavern when Klettwitz seemed like it would be a
bustling town thanks to its location and lumber mill. However, after the mill was closed his patrons vanished and
now he scratches out a living, accommodating travelers caught in bad weather. He is a ​timid​ man but has a
strong moral compass​. His morality wrestles daily with his desperation to leave Klettwitz and start a life
elsewhere. ​Not dying in Klettwitz is his greatest motivation.

Altmann Jung​ was a logger who became a hunter to provide for himself following the mills closure. Altmann is
selfish and insular​ though he has a soft spot for Wilburg Egidius’ daughter, Kirsa. Most of the village dislike
Altmann due to his introverted nature. Kirsa is the only one who cares for him and ​being with her is his greatest
motivation.

Kirsa Egidius​ is a ​wild woman​ with an affinity for the woods. She fell for Altmann after running into him in the
wilds and they have been having a secret affair for several weeks now. Kirsa is betrothed to Wolfgang Wanner’s
son Edwin. She ​detests Edwin​ and plans to run away with Altmann tonight where they will make a life for
themselves in the woods. ​Her greatest motivation is being with Altmann.

Wilburg Egidius​ is a ​stoic​ man though he has a​ short temper with regards to his daughter ​whom he blames
for his wife's death. ​Wilburg wants nothing more than to bury his memories with drink and wed away his
daughter.

Dietmar Jungreif​ is an ​energetic and fanciful​ man. He is a fisherman by trade though wishes he was born in the
city so that he could have been an entertainer. He writes regularly though rarely shares his work with anyone
besides his wife. ​Making others happy is Dietmar’s greatest desire.

Linde Jungreif​ is Dietmar’s wife. She is a ​pious and quiet​ woman who only opens her mouth to whisper advice
to Dietmar or pray to Sigmar. ​She wants to lead a good life and keep Dietmar on the straight and narrow.

Wolfgang Wanner ​is a ​loud and commanding​ man. He sees himself as the hamlets leaders(despite there being
no elected representative) and likes to bully Rolf and Dietmar, whom he views as weak men. He sees Wilburg as
his best friend and second in command. ​He wants to be respected more than anything.

Edwin Wanner​ is ​young and ambitious​. He looks up to his father and can’t wait to marry Kirsa who he views
more as property than a person. ​Edwin’s biggest drive is impressing his father.

Mathilda Leicher​ is the widow of Marious Leicher, the hamlets former storyteller. She is a ​strong-willed and
patient ​woman. Though right now her heart is filled with grief. ​She wants nothing more than to end her pain
and has taken up knitting to distract herself.

 
 Arriving in Klettwitz 
The players arrive at Klettwitz sometime in the early night. It offers a welcome respite from the falling snow.
Likely their first port of call will be the tavern Storm’s End, where a competition for Klettwitz’ official story teller
will soon be underway.
If they go to the abandoned mill they will likely find nothing. The place was stripped for parts years ago and there
is little inside besides the logs the villagers keep for fires. Luras is hiding here in the rafters, but he won’t engage
unless there is only one party member and they look unarmed. If they do search the rafters they will only spot
Luras on a very difficult perception roll.
If they approach the houses, all but one will be empty and locked. Altmann is the only one at home and will rebuke
anyone who knocks on his door. Once he realises it’s not a resident of Klettwitz he’ll relax a little but offer no help
beyond instructing them to go to the Storms End.
Inside Storm’s End, the party will find the rest of the villagers relaxing and enjoying some drinks. Wolgang sits at a
table in the center of the room with his son, Wilburg and Kirsa. Near a window, at a small table, Dietmar is writing
on some parchment while his wife nurses a cup of ale. Mathilda sits on her own facing the rest of the Inn. Rolf is
busy cleaning mugs. Everyone will look up as the players enter. Visitors are a rare sight in Klettwitz.
Rolf will immediately try and sell the players on staying the night with the snow falling outside. He’ll be sure to
charge double or even triple the usual price of board. This is left to GM’s discretion based on the wealth the party
has. If they protest or haggle in any way, he will back down on a very easy test. For example, if they plead with
Rolf not to leave them outside in the cold to die, give them a +60 charm test. If they succeed with more than +1 SL
Rolf will immediately back down and apologise. Confessing that business is slow. He’ll be apologetic to the group
from now on. He may even offer cheaper than standard rates with exceptional rolls or roleplaying. On a marginal
success he’ll offer them cheaper rates but still higher than normal. If they fail Rolf’s conscience eats away at him
and he’ll apologise to the players, either refunding paid money or chasing after them in the snow if they have left.
It should be obvious that Rolf desperately wants to get away from Klettwitz and that he dislikes the town and it’s
residents.

The Competition 
At some point before the competition starts, Wolfgang will approach the players. Introducing himself as someone
of importance around the town. He’ll tell the players about the upcoming competition and his intentions to enter.
Since they are in Klettwitz tonight, they have the right to vote or participate in the competition.
The exchange should end with Wolfgang gently suggesting there’s no need for the players to bother themselves
with competing. They should relax and enjoy the show put on by the locals. Finally he’ll attempt to bribe them for
votes in his favour by sliding a coin across the table and exclaiming ‘My good folks, I’m sure you’ll find this more
than fair’. It is, of course, a copper coin. If they refuse, Wolfgang will be insulted thinking this is a large sum. He’ll
either be in a foul mood and distrust the players or will have their backs for the rest of the night depending on if
they side with him or not.
Eventually Mathilda will stand and announce to the tavern that the competition is to commence. Rolf will bring
over a large heavy chest and place it on the table beside Mathilda. He will then hand her a wooden medallion with
a campfire carved into it. “The winner of the competition will receive the storytellers medallion, so that you will
be recognised as a true entertainer wherever you may go. As well as the villages savings for the year” She places a
hand on the chest as she mentions this.
Mechanically, the medallion will allow the bearer to improve the skill Entertain(Storytelling). The chest only
contains one gold coin sitting on a piece of felt. This is not a secret, though Mathilda will only open the box on
request. She assumes everyone already knows the contents. ​Wolfgang​ and ​Dietmar​ are the only members of
Klettwitz to submit stories. Mathilda will remind the players that anyone can compete if they haven’t shown
interest. If anyone interrupts a story they will be chastised harshly by Mathilda.
 Key Events  
 
● During Wolfgang’s tale, Linde will rise and leave the tavern. She has no interest in listening to his
blasphemies and will be praying nearby for Sigmar to give Dietmar the strength to beat Wolfgang.
● Rolf will leave the bar several times to check on the stew or clean around the back area. If he hasn’t returned
the players overcharged money yet he can be seen muttering to himself and pacing back and forth as his
conscious eats away at him for scamming the players.
● Kirsa will be looking worried at the window and constantly fidgeting in her seat. Edwin will repeatedly try
and calm her thinking her fears are the storm outside.
● Wilburg will get up to take a piss during Dietmar’s story
● If the players haven’t already witnessed Mathilda’s scorn then Wolfgang will interrupt Dietmar’s tale with a
long ‘Booooring’. He will promptly sit up straight and be quiet after Mathilda rebukes him.
● The snow will stop falling.
Once everyone who wants to compete has done so the voting begins. Wolfgang and Edwin will vote for Wolfgang
regardless of the circumstances. Wilburg will also vote for Wolfgang unless the players have made great effort in
emasculating Wolfgang. The rest of the npc’s votes are left to GM discretion. If no player has competed in the
competition then Dietmar and Kirsa will also vote for Wolfgang out of necessity(Dietmar is too self conscious to
vote for himself). The rest of the town will vote for Dietmar. With someone being crowned the victor the
celebrations commence. If a player has won Mathilda will ask them to take the mantle ‘Storyteller of Klettwitz’
and put in place plans to hold a competition similar to this one in the eventuality of their death. After she will sit
by herself and begin knitting a purple scarf. ​Kirsa will get up and leave the room.​ Dietmar will want to discuss
in detail any stories the players told.
The celebrations don’t last long, as a terrifying scream pierces the night. Every villager will rush to the source of
the sound. If the players have no source of light then Rolf has a lantern. They find Kirsa in the old Lumber mill
standing over the corpse of her secret lover, Altmann. His throat has been slit and he’s only been dead a short time
though the cold makes this difficult to deduce. His clothes are ruffled as if someone has tore something from him.
Two sacks sit nearby, opened, some of the contents missing. Particularly perceptive players will notice a pair of
very faint footprints in the snow as well as a small patch of purple fabric.
Luras killed Altmann as he was waiting for Kirsa. Stole some rations from the travel sacks as well as Altmann’s
leather jack before fleeing as Kirsa approached. If the players don’t keep an eye on the body he’ll return for the
leather leggings and skullcap.
At this point the rest of the events are left to the GM’s discretion based on the players interaction. Kirsa could flee
in grief or to escape her father’s scorn. Maybe Edwin follows. Perhaps they sided with Wolfgang during the
competition and he will defend them from any accusations or the opposite. It’s entirely possible the players
decide to ignore the storytelling competition and hang around the old Lumber mill. If so then Altmann won’t
approach, thus saving his life. Focus on the ​npcs motivations and traits​ as well as ​Luras’ tactics​. Intersperse Luras’
moments of horror with npc’s fears and accusations. Divide players and npcs. Think classic slasher films.

Luras’ Stat Block 

M WS BS S T I Ag Dex Int WP Fel W

5 52 60 31 44 57 43 42 41 64 24 13

Trait Animosity (Norscans), Arboreal, Armour (Light 1), Elite, Hatred (High Elves), Night Vision, Prejudice
(Dwarfs and Humans), Ranged+8(20), Stealthy, Tough, Tracker, Weapon +7
Note: Luras only has Light armour 1 if he successfully kills and loots Altmann. Otherwise he just has his tattered
purple clothes.
  
Luras’ tactics.  
Luras will try and single out as many people as possible. If Luras finds an npc alone, assume he kills them in one
hit. He will almost never engage in a fight that isn’t one on one. If caught in an ambush or rushed he will retreat
and GM should use the pursuit rules. He will abuse his night vision and attempt to destroy lights.
If the hamlet groups up, he will attempt crossbow shots through the windows or smoke them out by blocking the
chimney. If these options aren’t available, he will board up the exits to the house before lining the outside with
firewood from the mill. He will then set the building on fire and retreat to a safe distance to pick off stragglers.
Luras will use any underhanded or dirty tactics the GM can think of the enable him to take fights one at a time.
If Luras kills a player on their own and a fate point is used he will tie them up and leave them in one of the houses
of an npc he has killed. Luras just can’t shake his slaver instincts.

 
Wolfgang’s story 
Back when Gaston used to live with us we traveled out to Dietershafen with the latest lumber load. After we left
off the goods we went to that inn with the two horses on the sign. Few casks later and we’re putting the locals to
shame. We even started beating them in contests of strength. I threw whatever so called champion they had to the
ground and the whole inn applauded. Meanwhile Gaston finished the last of his drinks, now at this point he was
beyond saving, I could still hold my ale of course but Gaston needed the latrine and fast. So he wanders out to the
outhouse and with one kick blasts open the door. Then he projectile vomits straight into it(Wolfgang laughs). Only
there was someone already there. Pitiful looking lad is sitting there covered in vomit and staring up at Gaston.
Now Gaston’s a smart man and he immediately realises that if he was in this fools position he’d summon Ulrics
fury and knock the stuffing out of the culprit. So Gaston preemptively strikes and gives that sorry prick one solid
right to his nose(Wolfgang lets out another laugh). Went and left him out cold in the outhouse covered in vomit.

 
Dietmar’s story 
This is the tale of Theobald the Roadwarden. It was a cold misty night upon the Great North Road when Theobald
was escorting a coach to the nearest roadside inn. The two drivers were whispering quietly to each other.
Theobald wondered if they were involved in some nefarious plot. Perhaps they were thieves escaping from their
latest heist. Or foreign spies masquerading in the Empire as coachmen. Could they be assassins, out to eliminate a
local lord? Theobald tried to put such fanciful thoughts out of his head. It had been a while since anything
interesting had happened on the job. Nowadays he just escorted others for some social interaction. Boring days
traveling to and fro were a good thing, he told himself as he looked up to the night sky. He couldn’t see it, but
could feel its presence as the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. Moorsleib. The witching Moon. It bathed the
mist around them in a soft green hue. It was when he straightened up in his saddle that Theobald herd it.
“Help me!”
A woman's voice, soft, but terrified.
“Wait here”, he called to the coachmen as he charged forward into the mist. The call was coming from the
woods,she must have gotten lost. In his zeal to be the hero, Theobald misjudged his horse’s ability to travel at such
speeds. The mare got its leg caught on a branch and sent poor Theobald through the air. With a heavy thud
Theobald crashed into a tree. Shakily getting to his feet, he found his right arm was bent at an unnatural angle.
Something moved in the mists. Desperately fumbling with his left arm Theobald drew his sword in panic.
“Miss, is that you?”
He called out in panic. Instead a terrifying creature emerged from the mists. Long goat like legs and thick furred
arms. The creature carried a hefty stone axe. Its head was that of a deer, the skin torn in patches revealing bone. It
threw out a powerful kick and Theobald was knocked to the ground. The beast raised its weapon and opened its
mouth to speak.
“Please help”
The frightened woman's voice was the last thing Theobald would ever hear.