fmt Patt kao ee aed(DAY axe J Plundered Vaults - oo Design and Writing: Ben Counter, Graeme Davis, Brian E. Kirby, Nathan Greavey, and Carl Sargent Additional Material: Kate Flack and Chris Pramas New Edition Updates: Brian E. Kirby Development: Chris Pramas Editing: Evan Sass Graphic Design and Art Direction: Hal Mangold Cover Art: Karl Kopinsky Interior Art: Tony Ackland, Russ Nicholson, Tony Parker Cartography: Shawn Brown, Charles Elliot, ‘H? WERP Development Manager: Kate Flack Project Manager: Ewan Lamont Head of Black Industries: Simon Butler rt a: 5 & (oo A Black Industries Publication bis baer ling ext od insignia, marks, names, characters, illustrations, First published in 2005 by Black cand images from the Warhammer universe are Industries, an imprint of BL Publishing cither®, TM, andlor © Games Workshop Led 2000-2004, variably registered in the permission of the publishers. Permission is given vwwreblackindustries.com to copy the handouts on pages 95 and 96 for personal use only. © Copyright Games Workshop Limited 2005. All Rights Reserved. Games Workshop, the Games Workshop logo, Warhammer, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay logo, Black Industries, the Black Industries ogo, BL Publishing, The BL Reece UK and ater countries around the world 3K |] Willow Road pi reps erat } Nottingham Green Ronin and the Gren Ronin logo are NG72WS Trademarks of Green Ronin Publishing, LLC UK and are used with permission No part ofthis publication may be reproduced, Product Code: 60040283003 stored in a reiieal sytem, or transmitted in any form . is by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, pee eos Dy) recording or otherwise without the prior Black Industries World Wide Web si Green Ronin World Wide Web site: www.greenronin.com Playtesters: Tim Cart, Bruce Harlick, Jess Lebow, Nicole Lindroos, Evan Sas, James Aitken, John Johnson, Robert Lawson, Kim Prat, Simon Butler, Kate Flack, =Welcome to Plundered Veuls, the fist adventure anthology for the new edition of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay. Coming up with adventures is always the GM's biggest stumbling block, so we wanted to provide some good adventures for the new rules right away. Plundered Vaults contains si ready-to-play scenarios, Three of them ate updates of classics from the original WERP-era, while the other three are brand new, All of them pull you right into the grim world of perilous adventure that is Warhammer The old adventures are Graeme Davis! Rough Night at the Three Feathers (which originally appeared in White Desarf Magazine #94), Cart Sargent’s Grapes of Wrath (which originally appeared in White Dwarf Magazine #98), and the Haunting Horror (which originally appeared in the Revzlest Dead adventure anthology). Brian E. Kisby updated all these adventure to the new rules. Mr, Kirby also penned For Love or Money, one ofthe new adventures. The other two are Ben Counters Carrion Call and Nathan Greavey’s Sing For Your Supper. These adventutes cover a range of play styles, from investigation to intrigue to horror to combat. Before you dive in, let me make a few comments. Fist, we have tried to keep these adventures furly generic a fir as ime and place 0. All of them can be used in a variety of locales and in just about any era of the Empire’s history. They do not assume, for example, thatthe Storm of Chaos has come co pass. This makes them easy to drop into your campaign, whenever is set. You should consider the setting of your campaign before sunning these, however—if you add an encounter here or there o reinforce your chosen time and place, ill make the integration of these adventures into your ‘game thae much easier You should also consider how you want to handle social skills ‘when running these adventures. Throughout, youl find call for Charm and Gossip Tests. Youll also see many other spots where E Beginning The Village of Pritastod 4 ‘Running the Adventure. = ‘The Wizard in the Woods as The Adventurers? Lair ‘Concluding the Adventure . For Love or Money.. Synopsis ‘Mittleresdorf Part One: The Merchant's Daughter ‘Part Two: Into the Woods such teste could be made, but arent specifically called for. The right balance of actual roleplaying and dice tolling is delicate, and one every group must sete on for ise Some groups never rol for social skills, preferring to le roleplaying determine the outcome of every encounter. Thats fine approach, particularly if your players are verbal by nature. Some players arent so golden tongued, but ‘they might want to play characters who are. For these folks, is more than appropriate to let thet skills do the convincing, This fant to sy they shoulda’ attempe to roleplay, but dont penalize characters because theie players areit great talkers Ifyou plan to run Through she Dradwald from the core book and move into Pash: ofthe Damned: Ashe of Middenheim, several of these adventures can be used asa segue. ‘The two that work est ate Carron Call and Grapes of Wrath. Carron Callcan easly be slotted in afer the climax of Through the Drakwald but before the PCs reach Middenhelm. It would surely be no surprise to find a traveller slain by Beastmen in the Drakwald! The setting of Grapes af Wrath, Pitstock, is conveniently near Middenheim already. All akes isa red herting to get the PCs out ofthe city and you are ‘good t0g0. I you ate stating 2 new campaign, Sing For Your Suppers a good choice. Iestats out asa straight-up kidnapping story, but then ‘veers right into Warhammer terttory. IF your players are used to a more generic style of fantasy RPG, this adventure can show them how WERPis quite a different beast. For Love or Money can be used the same way, and for similar reasons. Enough alk! Time to play. We hope you enjoy Pundered Vals Stay tuned for more adventuce in Paths ofthe Damned: she of Middenbei (Chris Pramas December 31, 2004 — Tani oF Conmants — Rough Night at the Three Feathers . Events .. F : s For Your Supper Red HeringsSOTO Yas of Wrath = MIN FIER GIRUNBES) he Grapes of Wrath isa scenario for characters (ideally 4-6) ‘who should be just beginning ther second careers. ‘The adventure is set inthe vine growing village of Pritzstock, which is southwest of the city of Middenheim (though the OF village could be relocated neaily anywhere in the Empire that is convenient for your campaign). More important than location is, the time of yar, since events of this advencute take place during the annual grape-harvest at Prtastock (sometime during the month of Exntczcit of “Harvest-Tide") — BRGNNING THE ADVENTURE — Micntonases stows ooo evils ut f Middenbeim, At the stat ofthe adventure, the PCs are assumed tobe travelling by coach towards Middenkeim along the AltdorMiddeahicim road. The woods through which the road runsare known to harbour evil and chaotic creatures (parciclarly after the Storm of Chao), so coaches travel quickly without seopping. ‘The coach ‘That the PCs arc travelling in has thre other passengers: Elise and Bertha Jung, and theie bodyguard, Gunder. Both women are young (19 and 17 respectively), blue-eyed blondes of good breeding, being daughters of a prosperous Altdorf ‘wool merchant Gunder isa giant ofa man, but a bie dim. His brow is thick and sloping and his massive jaws seem to jut further forward than hs twisted and flattened nose. He is clad in a leather jerkin and armed with a huge woodeutte’s axe, The girls are travelling to xe well-mannered and are used to being treated politely (especially when Gunder is in attendance), THE Cras The journey is without incident until the coach has just crossed the junction with the Grubentieich road, a few hours before sunset. From out of the trees ahead and travelling about 15 feet above the ground, an evil-looking skull with glowing eyes comes hustling towards the coach. Shouting a prayer to Sigmar, the coachman drops the reins to cover his eyes, while the horses scream and rear up in terror. As they bole wildly to avoid the Bying skull, the horses careen the coach against the crunk of a massive oak, and the whole thing overturns, smashing both righthand wheels inthe process Anyone on the toof of the coach must male a Fear Test in order to beable to do anything other than quiver with fight. Ajump from the coach should be treated asa distance of 6 yards. Hanging. ‘onto the coach will require a Strength Test—success results inthe character taking a Damage 3 hit that ignores armout, while fulure ‘means that the character falls 4 yards and is ung clear. See WFRP, page 138, for details on jumping and falling.Having had no real warning, all those within the coach must make 4 Challenging (-10%) Agility Test co avoid raking a Damage 3 hic chat ignores armour. As the passengers begin to disentangle themselves, one of them (chosen at random) sees the skull peering into the coach. Afier a couple of seconds the skull les off, but any character not sill inside the wreck will se it heading west over the trees, For a further description of the skull, consult the Bestiary at the end ofthis adventure ‘The coach is beyond repair; only two wheels remain intact, and both ales are smashed. Hledric the coachman is lying inthe road battered and bruised, bur otherwise unhurt, Gunder, alas, sulfered fatal injuries during the crash, when a trunk containing Elis’ ball gowns fal from the luggage rack and broke his neck. Two horses have run off a third has a badly fractured leg, and the other stands shiverin nearby. The two gil are very upset but will be calmed by reassuring ‘words, They will not he calmed by Hedric's wide-eyed babble about the ‘novoping,red-eyed monster from the farthest frozen wart!” A CHOICE oF ACTIONS ‘The party has a number of options available. They could stay put, bout this would mean a night in the forest. Hedric will point out that no other coach is due today, and in any case, would nor stop for fear they were highwaymen. The group could head for the ‘nearest coaching inn, The Mutane’s Head, bus since itis over 20 miles away, it could not be reached before nightfall (ome 3 hours away). The third choice, and the one favoured by Elise and Bertha, ‘would be to set off towards the village of Grubentreich. ‘The gies have relatives there who would put the PCs up forthe night and lend transport for chee etutn journey to a coaching ino, Furthermore, the gitls are sure the adventurers will be rewarded for safe escort Ie is about 10 miles ro Grubentreich, and, walking a che girls pace ‘of 3 mph, could be reached soon after dark. Given the girl? refusal to even consider any other plan, this is the bes course of ation. Hedri, a brave fellow who takes his responsibilities seriously, undertakes to ride the one remaining horse ro the coaching inn and inform the Roadwardens “The PCs can reach Gruentreich by the end ofthe day ifthey make a determined march, although Bertha may slow them down alitle towards nightfall Any good-looking male PC who carries Bertha over the lst half-mile or so will win her sincere gratitude. (A succesful Fellowship Test wil also win a friendly kiss on the cheek!) GRUBENTREICH “The village itself comprises some 88 simple country folk, who make a moderate living ftom agriculture and livestock. No map is provided asthe layout ofthe place is unimportant ro the adventure, ‘Mathilde and Eduard Jung—aunt and uncle tothe gir—run the Black Sheep tavern, and will be pleased with the PCs for hhaving rescued their nieces. Asa token of gratitude, the party will be allowed free accommodations, food, and drink for the night. (Unfortunately the inns wo guestrooms have already been taken, bbut the main tavern is clean and warm.) Ifthe PCs donit mention the fying skull, one ofthe gies will. This ‘may happen while the bar is stl fll oF locals, or las thing at night, as Eduard locks up the tavern. Talking with the locals brings nothing, ‘more than sceptical comments about “bumps on the bea” obcained luring the crash Eduard, however, is not so dismissive. The description ofthe crash backs up the rumour he heard two days ag0 from Wemer Gelahals, a wine merchant recurning from the nearby village of Priastock (ce Maps 1 and 3a). According to Geithals, (ho is now in Middenheim), the villagers gave him the impression thatthe village was cused, thatthe corpses ofthe dead had risen from the ground and were prowling around che outskirs ofthe village, and, more specifically, that ‘phantom, fling skulls were haunting the woods. "Jung will broach ‘the subject when the tavern is empty. Ic has occurred co him that the skulls ought co be deal with before they start to bother Grubentreich, and who better to deal with them than the recently arrived adventurers Ifthe PCs loa like they do not intend to investigate, Jung will elaborate on the rumour, saying that the skulls are thought ro be guarding some long-lost treasure hoard. (If Bertha has shown signs of iking one of the adventurers, Eduard will make the story even more attractive, hoping to make the PCs leave before any romance can develop!) [As chance would have i, hice ofthe inis guests will be traveling, chvough Piztock the fllowing day: namely the frmer Hans Keag with handymen Pieter Klammererand Albrecht Krupp. hese thee retired erly, but are returning to Leichlinberg (via Pritstock—sce Map 1) tomorrow. The PCs could doubiless ga Lito the wilage om Krug’ cares if they wished. “The PCs need to rise ealy to ask Hans Krug fora lif (50 woe betide those who over-indulged on Eduards hospitality). The farmer agres willingly enough, but ass for | shilling each as payment, He can be bargained down to 6 pennies each, but being pot he tris to make money whenever he can. Ifyour players really need encouraging to go investigate, Eduard will pay the fre, ‘They need have no further concern about Elise and Bertha; Eduard sssures them that he will personally escore chem to Middenheim fn the next coach. “The 15-mile journey to Pitestock takes about 3 hours on Krug’s cart. The only other way thatthe characters could make the tip is ‘on foot, as there are no horses available for hire or sale. The farmer and his asistants know nothing of events at Prtastock, having just recurned from a long selling rip to Middenbeim. ‘Petes sa syria of 8 ol ad children). Map 2 deals the local area and Map 3 shows the village proper. In addition to farmhouse, each household has 2 Tage fermenting shed where casks of wine ae stored and the grapes are presed, Bote of the better vinages are usually kept in cellars beneath the farmhouses Livestock is limited to a few pigs, goats, and hens. The latter are allowed to wander freely and spend alot oftheir time scratching round the northwest area ofthe village, since this is where people are buried and the worms grow fat as result. ‘Surrounding the village are vineyards grown on man-made terraces that have been cleared from the forest; the wine produced provides, the sole source of income forthe inhabitants. Pritastock Reisling is, a light delicate wine that is gaining in popularity throughout the ‘Western Empire. In recene years harvests have been particularly ‘good and the village has prospered as a result: buildings and cartsThe Grapes of Wrath RATH MARS I AND 2 GRAPES OF W sa ‘Aras A and B on Map 2 are detailed in the main text.are in a good state of repair, animals are sturdy, and the people are ‘well fed. Surprisingly (to some) the village does not have an inn and socialising takes the form of Frequent “wine-tastings” at one hhouse or another; his is a very closely knit community. By far the ‘most popular sessions take place atthe home of Henti-Philippe Rocheteau, the Burgomeister, or Mayor, of Prtestock. ‘The village is its busiest during the grape harvest, and the timing ofthis is crucial to the villages continued prospercy. The grapes ‘mus be picked within a 7-day period, ifthe wine is to beat its best Judging jus when to star requires year of experience, and the adventurers arcve just ewo days before the harvest of chis years crop must begin ifthe wine is not to e ruined. Migrant workers from the surrounding areas have yt to arrive bur some wine merchants have already vsced. The grapes have been assessed, and prospects look good —provided the harvest starts on time Past AND PRESENT ‘The origins ofthe current trouble lie 3 years in the past. A young Altdorf wine merchant, Stefan Maranaeut, began an affie with Henti-Phillippe’ wife, Elisabet. Unfortunately, Hene-Phillippe leamed oftheir relationship, having chanced upon aloveletcer (from Stefan) to his wife. If he had been able co act immediately ‘things would have come toa head, as Henr-Phillippe confronted his wife in a cypical Bretonnian rage. As it was, Elisabet was avay in Altdort, presumably with her lover, giving Henri-Phillippe's burning rage time to curn to ice and fil his thoughts wich revenge. A month later, Henti-Phillippe sent his wife to Aledorf with ‘money to purchase new clothes. Elisabet readily agreed, secing a further opportunity to meet her lover. But Hens-Phillippe had other plans for Stefin, and had simultaneously invited him 0 Pritstock, without Elisabet's knowledge, ostensibly to taste a new wine. Stefan duly arrived, and a day spent discussing business ended with one of Hent-Philippe’s famous wine tastings, to which the rest of the village was also invited. ‘As par ofthe evening's conversation Stefan learned that Elisabet had gone to Aledorf. Cursing his luck, Stefan moderated his drinking in anticipation of an early start, commenting that he ‘mast return next morning and attend to important busines."That night, however, Henti-Phillippe atacked Stefan ashe slept, ‘clubbing him senseless. Rocheteau dragged the body down to the cellar where a special alcove had been prepared. Having chained Stefan to the wall, Henti-Philippe waited until the young wine merchant recovered. With cate and precision Henri-Philippe then began to seal the alcove with stone and mortar, oblivious to the desperate pleas fren Stefan, Finally che work was completed, leaving Hensi-Philippe satisfied. He had lea barel of wine within reach o ease Srfans thirst, planning that Stefan would experience a slow death from starvation All chat remained was to dispose of Stefani horse, With the village still sleeping off the effoers ofthe wine, Henti-Philippe had no trouble slipping our unnoticed. Seatering Stfans belongings by the road he ler the horse loose and returned to Pritstock ‘Three days later, Stefan’ saddle and pack were spotted. Everyone had assumed he had left easly without waiting to say farewell Despite a search organised by the Mayor of Pritstock, his body was never found. Fora while the disappearance, and presumed death, ofthe young, wine merchant caused much talk and anxiety in the area. However, with no further incidents to fuel speculation, the name of Stefan Maranacur was forgotten, ora least chats what Hent-Philippe hhoped and thought. And so things might have been, save for one person: Scefans rwin brother, Dieter. [At the time of Stefais imprisonment, Dieter Maranacur was nating the end ofa succesful wizard’ apprenticeship at “Middenheit. Yer, as che days of Stfurs ordeal passed, his brother began to suffer in much the same way Linked by kinship, Dieter a first suffered sleepless nights but within a week showed signs of severe wasting disease. Soon afer, the apprentice wizard collapsed into delirium, and as his condition worsened the physicians feared for hs life. Suddenly (eat the moment of Stefanis death), the ‘month-long illness vanished and Dieter began to recover. Only then was he told of his brother's disappearance while on a business trip to Pritastack. In the three years that have passed, Dieter has learned of his late brother’ affair with lisaber (from letters he found at Stefans Aledorf residence) and the invitation from Henti-Philippe. Discussing these matters, along with the mysterious illness, his superiors, Dieter has finally managed to piece together the nature of his brother's demise Dieter, now a master wizard of the Bright Order, has come £0 the village consumed by the idea of revenge. Driven by his own (lightly irational) belies, Dieter is also affected by the sprit of his dead brother; Stefan Maranaeur now exerts a hateful force from beyond the grave and Dieter is being influenced to ruin Pritastock and kill Rochetea The wizard’ first move was to scout the local country and find a safe base for himself and his hired bodyguard, Kurt Schule “This is when he got lucky, after fashion. In a cave well-hidden by vegetation they discovered numerous human and humanoid slells, grim remnants of an ancient batle, Dieter a once sensed thac they were magical in some way. After experimentation, Dieter learned that they could be controlled, to some extent a least. Since then he has been unleashing them to atack the village of Pritastock; they are a perfect way of terrfying the villagers and forcing them to abandon the place. What Dieter doesnt know is that the magical qualities of the skulls are due to trace elements cof warpstone present in the cave. What neither Dieter nor the residents ofthe village know is thac there is alteady a group of adventurers investigating the disturbance—a group that is likely to think thar the PCs are in league with the wizard! “The remainder of the adventure i et out as follows, Afer setting the initial scene as the PCs ative inthe village, there isa section on NPCs in Pritstock: what they do, who they arc, whae they know. and suggestions on how they will spond to various PC actions and conversation. This i followed by descriptions of Dieter, Kurt, and their cave: details ofthe other adventurer camp are also given. ‘An imporant aspect o the adventure concerns time: Dieter will ‘fctvely win if the grape harvest is prevented. The atmosphere in the village will become increasingly desperate a the days pass ARRIVING IN PRITZSTOCK “The rough track from Grubentreich emerges from the forest :0 reveal a smal valley, intensively cultivated with ae upon aere ‘of healthy-looking vines. Ifthe party is travelling with Hans Krug they will hea a grunt of surprise. If they enquire furcher the farmer will state his curiosity that nobody is working theUse Wall estion Ince tena farmer of Rechte Numbers 1a, 1b, 2, 3 and 4 ‘on Map 3a are detailed in the main text. GRawes OF Wiurn MATS 3p 34 AND 4 Areas A, B, C, D and E on ‘Map 4 are all detailed in the main text.vineyards, The GM shoul assume that the PCs ative on Day 0; events are timed accordingly. Arriving in the village proper (across a well-maintained bur rather Inadequate ditch), the PCs will be struck by both its prosperity and quiemnes. Pritstock’ location served to protect it fom the Storm of Chaos. Life largely continued as normal here while thousands died in nearby Middenheim. The village has seen a few army patrols and had some food requisitioned, but has remained largely untouched. Furthermore, a couple of houses have crude planks nailed actos the windows, and large sprays of fowers on the front doors, A successful Challenging (-10%) Common Knowledge (the Empire) Skill Test will reveal they are “nanny's fingers” generally considered to ward off evil spits. The doors of these houses are also inscribed with meaningless symbols, but it requizes a succesful Secret Signs (Ranges) Skill Test vo appreciate thar they are indeed meaningles. Travelling further with Krug or general investigation will reveal tha all the villagers are attending a meeting outside the house of Henri-Phllippe. The scene is quite confusing, with many people speaking and shouting a once. Things will quiet down when strangers ate sported, and at this stage che villagers will be wary of newcomers and act accordingly. Taking advantage ofthe ll, Hent-Philippe wil speak. “Look ‘heres no poine arguing until weve all ale down and can dic ‘hing rationally. And there n ese blaming people withou ca Artis theres 2 general murmur of dissent, bu Heni-Philippe continues. “Everyone go home and well meet again in a couple of ‘ours. Tiss met with broad approval and the villagers begin to disperse. Ifthe PCs areived with Krug, the farmer and assistants will drop them aff and continue on their way (but not before Visiting the loca store find out whats going on). (Once the meeting is concluded, Henri-Phllippe will be fre to greet the party, and reference should be made to his de: the NPC listing, RE&cENT EVENTS A lie overa month ago a child, See Baldurich, came running igo the village having seen “a ghost ia the woods ice Sighting, Ton Map 3a, and Seels entry in the NPC listing). Sel is well known in the village for his various tall ales and tis one was put down to imagination. However, afew wecks later, Isolde Gauderian was out collecting frit when she noticed a skal iting on a branch. The sll did not move bu when she returned with 2 couple of militiamen the skull had gone Gee Sighting 2). "The villagers didnot ake her seriously: However, three days ago ovo farm workers, Sigmund Halsbret and Knud Gropenfioteur, both chimed to have seen a glowing skull” floating in the woods while ‘out working (ce Sighting 3). This was aken seriously, bua full- seal search bythe mila fled to reveal any clues, Finally, on the morning of the PCS arsival, rier Surharde was aacked, again while working the vines. Thee other workers heard her scream and rushed over to where Eretta was last seen, They dliscovered her unconscious and bleeding, but worse stil, a skull was resting on her body (ee Sighting 4). The skull :ook tothe ar, but instead of aracking flew off into the forest. Eretta was carted back and now lies in the Rocheteau house, attended by Elisabet, An already frightened village had gathered to “do something” ‘when it was noted that Sigismund Halsbret (one of the witnesses ) in Sighting 3), was missing. A search ofthe village has failed to find him and this has unnerved the villagers further. (Actually, a very scared Sigismund left secretly before dawn. He had no relatives in the village and decided to pack his bags and run.) Wich the grape harvest due to begin in 2 days time, the villagers are now worried about their livelihood: they are frightened to go into the fields, and migrant workers are sure to hear of events and stay away. All the above s common knowledge, but the PCs are likely to ‘obtain a more coherent version from Hens-Philippe. Speculation in the village is rife and ie willbe recalled how a young wine ‘merchant disappeared afew years ago. In addition, there are various rumouts/explanations of recent events +The graves of dead wartiors from an ancient battle have bbeen disturbed by clearing the forest. Local rumour, based ‘on truth, has ie chat & Chaos hoard from the Drakwald Forest was lain over tothe southwest. Perhaps some were also sain near Prtestocle +The skulls have been sent as a punishment from the gods for noc making proper sacrifice in respect of the recent excellent harvests. + Hensi-Phllippe is somehow involved in order to buy land cheap when all the villagers hae lft or been killed. Who clse has the capital co buy land? “The last rumour isthe blackest and will only be spoken if things are getting very bad (and Henri-Philippe isnt around) “The villagers are also angry thatthe militia has not done anything to stop the skulls and this has created some bad feling beeween people. Just whac the militia (our farmers and a warior) are supposed to do nobody says, bu that doesnt stop them from complaining, THE INHABITANTS ‘Note: Many of the villagers have the skill Trade (Vinenet). ‘This is similar to the Trade (Brewing) skill, But applies only to wines, including knowledge of vine growing and other aspects of. winemaking, ‘Henri-PHILLIPPE ROCHETEAU Hensi-Philippe isa large, stoutly built 42-year-old man, with an olive complexion and shoulder-length black hair. A decade of good living has made him slightly overweight but he still enjoys robust health. Originally a wine merchant from Breton, Henr-Phillippe visited the area on business and recognised the excellent potential of soil and climate for cultivating a Bretonnian grape. With borrowed sone Henri-Philippe purchased a substantial amount of land from the locals (at fair price) and sete in the area 14 years ago, ‘These locals now work the land as tenant farmers, The new vine soon got established and, having paid off che initial loan, Henri- Phillippe has enjoyed increasing profits ever since. He marsed Elisabet, a local gil, wo years after arriving, being attracted by er god looks and innocent nature. However, since learning ofthe afar with Stefan Maranacurhe has been very bitte towards her, and now eats he sa servant rather than a wife. He ako blames Elisaber for nor beating any children fact noticed25°) (BO * Hf The Grapes of Wrath by the rest of the village, who believe this o be the reason for the mariage’ failure. Henri-Phillippe is very much the typical Bretonnian, given to exuberance and “theatrical” displays of emotion. He has alot © lose if the harvest does not go ahead on time and will welcome the PCs as potential rescuers. He will therefore offer 750 ge if the party deals withthe slls before the harvest begins. For each harvest day lost the money on offer will fall by 100 ge. He believes thatthe sulls have indeed come from some disturbed batlefield; perhaps all the getting out, During theie period of hire PCs may sleep in the fermenting shed and will receive fee food and drink nceded is to seal up some comb entrance to stop the skulls Ifyou are y wish to have Rocheteau offering a percentage profit from the harvest as payment. A good harvest will net Henti-Phllippe 5,000 ge in ‘one year’s ime, rising by 1000 ge for each extra year the wine is matured, (fall maturity being reached in five years). Rocheteau will ‘open negotiation at 15% but may be bargained to 20%. The party ‘must state how many years they wish to-waie and individuals must return atthe appropriate harvest-time to collect their share of the agreed sum, For each harvest day lost, Rocheteaus profit falls by 10% The Cellar Rocheteats house is nor mapped, but searchin i this scenario as part ofa campaign you m: he cella will reveal fairly ecent brickwork behind one of the large wine barrels, (chere is only 1 of space berween wall and barrel). Ifasked about this, Rocheteau (who may be wondering what people were doing rooting in the cellar since the only entrance is via the kitchen) wil state tha the alcove was sealed to combat damp. Dwarfs o¢ those who make a successful Trade (Mining) ‘Skull Test will notice thatthe brickwork is less than 5 years old and thar thete is no sign of damp anywhere in the cellar (which, Rocheteas will noe, is proof cha it was 2 sound idea) Getting into the sealed alcove i difficult. Lack of space prevents the use ofa sledgehammer: If che wall isto be knocked down then the large (heavy) swine barrel must frst be moved or smashed. If access to the alcove is gained, a desiccated body can be seen, hand chained to the wall. A wine barrel and ladle are next to the body. Ifthe body is searched a letter ean be found. Parc ofthe lester has been eaten by mould the remaining text is as follows: keep up the pretence ea ae ‘see you when you visit for fear tat the lok in my eyes wl evel the love in my ~ / heart. Can you not see.the way I tremble when our hands ‘meet in greeting, do my eyes not follow you when- The leter, naturally enough, is from Elisabet Rocheteau Reaction to Events If, during the course of the adventure, Hensi-Philippe comes face to-face with Dieter Maranaeus, he will urn pale, as if seeing a ‘ghost, He had no idea that his victim had a twin and will assume ‘Stefan somehow managed to escape. The GM may wish to have Henti-Philippe break down and confess a this point, peshaps running into the cellar in temporary madness ro check on the “cell” Alternatively, Henti-Philippe might be overcome with anger thac his enemy stl lives and attack Dieter immediately, saying something like, “You! I dont know how you did it but you're not _going to ecape death a second time.” However, ifcongonted with the evidence of his crime (Le, a body in the cella) Rocheteau will temp to bluf, bribe, or fight his way out Henri-Philippe Rocheteau, Mayor of Pritzstock (Career: Merchant (ex-Tiadesman) Race: Human To a oe Common Knowledge (Bretonni, the Empire), Drive, Evaluate +10%, Gossip, Haggle +109, Read/Write Secret Language (Guild Tongue), Speak Language (Breton, Reikpiel), Trade (Merchant +10%, Vintner) “Talents: Dealmaker, Savy, Super Numerate ‘Armour: Light Armour (Leather Jekin) “Armout Points: Head 0, Arms 0, Body 1, Legs 0 ‘Weapons: Dagger, Hand Weapon (Sword; usually kept a home) Trappings: Purse with 10 ge te T= se ek 30The Grapes of Wrath LD Es [oe S Elisabet is 33 years old and of slender build, with plated blonde hair and deep blue eyes She isa quiet countrywoman who says litle when her husband is around. Her parents, now dead, persuaded her to marry Rocheteas, and fora while the marriage worked, despite the fat she was always overawed by Hensi-Philippe’s extravagant personality. Over the lst few years though, her husband has become increasingly domineering, Not ‘suprisingly, she has become unhappy asa result. [n par, she blames herself for not be for it by behaving as a dif wife any children and tries to make up The disappearance of. wore by having ta be kept hidden. She sil remembers their afaie and often daydreams that her lover will return one day and make hher happy again She sil keeps the few letters that he secretly gave hher hidden in a hatbox inthe bedroom n affected her deeply, her grief made Reaction to Events Flisabet knew that Stefan had a ewin brother, but her reaction on seeing Dieter will be that her wis enough spirit to try and kill Henti-Philippe ifshe leans the ruth about Stein's death. Otherwise she will o her utmost to get him executed for murder. has come tee She still has atom |e | | ceo | psig | oR | Skills: Blather, Common Knowledge (the Empire), Dodge Blow, Evaluate, Gossip, Perception, Read/Write, Seatch, Speake (Reikspiel), Trade (Cook) ‘Talents: Acute Hearing, Etiquete, Excellent Vision, Lightning. Reflexes, Srong-minded Armour: None Armour Points: Head 0, Arms 0, Body 0, Legs 0 Weapons: Dagger ‘Trappings: Purse with 2 go, 15,13.» PAaRZIVAL TRISTAN ASCHAFFENBERG Aschaffenberg isa good-looking 22-year-old male: 6 2” tall blue ‘eyes and pearly white teeth. Parzval i the son of an Altdorf noble (leading to the false village opinion that he isa bastard son of the Emperor), and is half way through a two-year stay with the militia haere (of which he is in charge). Parzval elly want to be night bur his father, ile of Rocheteau, insisted he get some experince of adventuring” frst and sent him to Pritzstock to organise the militia. His faher believes this ‘would be an easy inuoduction to adventuring, Parival has spent mich of his time taining the mia all 4 members) in advanced inches and drills. The rest ofthe time hasbeen spent courting the local bear, Isolde Gudesian. Acall times Paraval displays the chase symptoms of the noble born: he is ich, vain, arogant, and tediousl chauvinstic. Parzival views the skull attacks a gift from the gods allowing him to show his worth at last. Unforeunately, the skulls have not played fair and he has noc even seen one, let alone fought one. He is more concerned with gaining glory and will therefore greet any plan to go skull bashing with enthusiasm. However, s he is wel ware thatthe militia i being blamed for not doing enough, he will co-operate with any plan that looks like i wil yield results (providing he has a high-profile par in it). Despite his annoying personality the PCs would do well ro get him on their side, The militia under his command consists of Josef Bleue, Manfred Fleiss, Hans-Friedtich Kallman, and Gunter Sermelwess, Parzival Tristan Aschaffenberg, Militia Leader we | Fal 36% 30% | 45% 4 | w [ss | 1p | M | Mg] w | rp oa asia | om | el [Be Skills: Academic Knowledge (Genealogy/Heraldry), Animal Care, Animal Training, Charm, Command, Common Knowledge (the Empire), Dodge Blow, Gossip, Ride, Speak (Reikspeil +1096) “Talents: Exiquette, Specialist Weapon Group (Cavalry), Strike Mighty Blow, Very Resilient, Warrior Born Armour: Medium Armour (Helmet, Mail Coat, Full Leather ‘Armout) Armour Points: Head 3, Arms 1, Body 3, Legs 3 ‘Weapons: Hand Weapon (Sword) and Shield ‘Trappings: Noble’ garb, jewellery worth 40 ge, light warhorse (Friedrich) Tsoipe GUDERIAN Isolde isa ravishingly beautiful 20 year old with black hale, green «yes, and a perfectly proportioned figure. clfect her presence has on the men-folk but hides this knowledge under an air of innocence. She openly wears a small gold brooch ‘hae was a gift from Partival 1 is well aware ofthe Any human or even male adventurer with a Fellowship of 409%+ will et her serious interest since she i seeking a husband to take her away from Pritstoc, but she will fire with male adventurers in general. She does this in part to see the reaction of Paczval, her ‘current “boyfriend.” He has long boasted of his martial prowess, and she would like co put ic to the es For his pare, Parival wil challenge ta duel any male getting too fiiendly with hs woman. Unles taunted, Paraval wil not engage in a due othe death. "Things could get very bad forthe adventures i Paria is ile i such a manner, Rocheteau will disparch news to AltdoFat once and the GM should follow this "ups he thinks fi. In any case, Isolde wll praise Parival ihe wins (and discontinue flirting), and comfort him if he loses. Aer all, he ‘might bean arrogant bore, but hes nobleTBD 7 The Grapes of Wrath we 1 Isolde’ encounter with a skull is Sighting 2.on Map 3a. Her only other information i tha ic appeared to be the skull of an animal, pethaps a badger or something similar (in fac, Isolde saw a Skaven shall), She is nor sure, but if asked, she will say tha the eyes of the sll were glowing di tunable co locate the specific tree. Searching the area will not reveal anything of interes] Isolde Guderian, Local Beauty (Career: Peasant Race: Human. iy. I taken back ro the area she will be ws | ss [os [1 | Ag | im | wr | ra 2996 | 29% | 3106 | 35% | 380% | 34% [ 27% | 41% a | w | se [te | M | Mag] or | Ti] ves | cas [ass | ea [oe UN | Skills: Charm, Common Knowledge (the Empire), Concealment, Drive, Gossip, Outdoor Survival, Performer (Dancer), Rove Silent Move, Speak (Reikspel), Swim, Trade (Cook) Talents: An Armour: None ‘Armour Points: Head 0, Arms 0, Body 0, Legs 0 ‘Weapons: Dagger ‘Trappings: Jewellery worth 100 ge, purse with 6 ge, 1.27 p Wober LecHART Wier appeus asa grubby, drunken village idiot. Inthe best tradition of village idiots, he sts on fenecs sucking straws and winking, knowingly at passersby. The young Wader arived in Prestock asa ‘migrant worker 10 years ago, and stayed when the harvest was over. He began to act strangely 3 yeas later and is now complecey insane Lucky the villagers ook pity on him and feed im scraps. idextrous, le!, Rover, Savvy Wader wanders freely around the whole area of Priastock, roaming deep into the forest when the mood takes him. He will talk to anyone who gives him food, and leyaly follow anyone who gives him something shiny (lke a silver shilling). Waders speech is almost incomprehensible. Fora stat he no longer has any teeth, he is often drunk and/or delirious, but more importantly he speaks a mixture of Reikspil and Dark Tongue! PCs who know the Dark Tongue language will recognise it on a successful Perception Skill ‘Test; a successful test by other PCs will simply reveal that Wuder is speaking a mixture of several languages. ‘Asa young man Wader was interested in the rumours concerning abatte sie in the area. He spent houts searching the forest and by ‘chance came actoss the cave containing the warpstone (and skal), ‘Wiader began to dig where the skulls lay, hoping to find some tueasure, All he found was abit of rock and would have dug deeper had not one of the skulls moved! He Red clutching the rock, which was kept as a lucky charm, He now uses it in place of his teeth to help chew tough bits of food. ‘Warpstone dacs not make fora lucky charm and Wuder's brain began to suffer asa result. He lost many of is skills, while ax the same his speech began to include elements of Dark Tongue. However, Wader’s body benefited from the Chaos source, gevting ingly cough and resilient asthe years have passed. With his red, Wader is immune to longer feels any pain. All these atributes will be lose permanently if Waader is separated from his bit of warpstone for more chan a day, becoming in all respects a normal idiot. He cannot be cured, of his insanity by any seandard means. If Wder loses his “lucky charm” (and he won't give it to anyone without a struggle), he wil get very upset. Soon afterwards he will se off back to the cave to obrain another piece. Being so attuned to Chaos, he will have no trouble locating its curious PCs may learn something to their advantage. However, if he does get a new piece of warpstone, he will change in new and different ways. Wider Lechart, Village Idiot Race: Human ws | ps | s [1 | Ag | tm | wr | ra 11% | 99 | 21% | 24% | 14% | 5% [2% | 1196 a | w [sp [eM | Mog] ir | re nae ie ee Skills- Blather, Consume Alcohol, Silent Move, Speak (Dark Tongue, Reikspiel) “Talents: Fearless, Night Vision, Resistance to Disease, Resistance to Poison, Sixth Sense Armour: None Armoue Points: Head 0, Arms 0, Body 0, Weapons: Insanities: The Glorious Corruption ‘Trappings: Borie of alcohol, bowl, piece of warpstone, ragsThe Grapes of Wrath EF Fi [| o=® Notes Wader will permanently lose 8 Wounds and the following, stalls and talents if separated from his “Lucky Chara” for more than 24 hours: Fearless, Resistance to Disease, Resistance to Poison, and Speak Language (Dark Tong OTHER VILLAGERS Map 3 lists all che households in Priastock, and any villagers not listed above have he following typical profile: Typical Villager Caren Peisant Race: Haman rent, Drive, Gamble, Gossip, Set Trap, Scale Sheer Surface, Speak (Reikspiel), Trade (Vintner) ‘Talents: Fle!, Hardy, Resistance to Disease, Very Resilient ‘Armour: None Armour Points: Head 0, Arms 0, Body 0, Legs 0 Weapons: Dagger ‘Trappings: Pouch with 1d10 s, 2410 p Typical Militiamen Career Miaman ees ae we | Fat Skills: Animal Care, Common Knowledge (the Empire) Dodge Blow, Drive, Gamble, Gossip, Outdoor Survival, Perception, Search, Speak (Reikspiel), Trade (Vintnes) Talents: Ambidextrous, Night Vision, Specialist Weapon Group (Two-handed), Srike Mighty Blow Armour: Light Armous (Leather Jerkin) Armour Points: Head 0, Arms 0, Body 1, Legs 0 Weapons: Hand Weapon (Club) and Shield ‘Teappings: Uniform, pouch with 1d10 , 2410 p Deuals on some of these villagers ate given below: ‘Seel Baldurich Seel isa quite obnoxious, snoty-nosed young boy. He was playing in the woods when he saw a skall at Location la on the Sightings ‘map, and ran back frightened. However, having been warned “time and time again” not to play so fa ftom the village, he lied abous its position, claiming hat he saw it at Location Ib Under close questioning, the PCs may make a Challenging. (10%) Perception Skill Test to realize that Seel may not be telling them the entire truth IFchallenged, Seel will admit to the deception. If Seel rakes the party to Area Tb mv should be allowed a Navigate Skill Test ro not is different (See! is only seven) than once, PCs thar the location Scel saw a skull heading away from him, that is all. However, his imagination has elaborated this quite abit, “breathing fie,” howling,” “covered in horns and spikes,” and so on. Since the young lad half believes this by now, let the PCs determine the truth ofthe matter. Not long ser his encounter, Sel wrowa lever to his uncle Ono Bade, a journeyman wizard ofthe Light Onder dying in nearby Middeniin, Sel described the skull his uncle in the same cragrated language he wtes with the adventures and bepged (Oto to “help save the town.” At he never recived a response See prompt forgot about the matter. He as no Wea tha is uncle Oxo—hohas a sof spo for his nephew and was aed seking, to mle ouon his own tok the lee quis stow andi new encamped wth his compatriots inthe woods ouside town. Sigismund Halsbret One of the wicmeas to Sigheing 3, Si «0 pack up and go. He wotked atthe Reuter household and inspection of hs room (comer ofthe hay, wl reveal hat alls clothes and few blogiags have sso gone Hl employes considered him a lary woter and ae not to distewed about hs lappearance KNuD GROPENFROTTEUR Knud isthe other witness to Sighting 3. He works forthe Kallman farm and is somewhat stupid, needing to be prompted often in order to reveal the litle he knows. He and Halsbret were out working when they spotted a skull heading towards them, Sigismund scarted running buc Knud waited co hie e with his pet shovel, “Clod.” For whatever reason, the skull rurned and flew back into the trees. Knua cates his shovel everywhere and even takes i vo bed Erietta Surhardt This young woman currently ies unconscious in the Rocheteatt hhouse, tended by her mother and Elisabet Rochereau. She wil recover consciousness in about 2 days but will still be weak from blood loss. A successful Heal Skill Tee will result in her regaining. consciousness a halEhout later and will also reveal that she was bien ewice. Noce that neither her mother nor Elisabet will llow any grubby litle adventurer to grope Eriewals body and must be convinced ether ofthe individual's medical training, or the need to discover information about the atack, Erietta was attacked by surprise and her only recollection is a “gleaming white face with ted eyes” (Sighting 4 on Map 3a). More information ean be gained from her “rescuers.” Wanda and, Hilda Klop, and Imogen Uderlast. They heard a scream and ran corer to help, bur on seeing a skull on Exiecta they immediately ran back. Their courage returned when they saw the sell ying off into the forest. 2 \\ R _\ RS EEfs [TF oSST TRO" 7 The Grapes of Wrath Note: Wanda and Hilda are twins and continually repeat what the other has just sad and/or confirm the ruth ofthe same statement, Ludovic and Mathilda Reuter This snobbish couple runs the only store inthe village. Items commonly needed by farming folk are stocked at normal prices and, since the village is quite prosperous, they aso stock some fancy goods as well. These ate invariably useless; flding card tables, toast racks, garden gnomes, and so on. These items are sold a 254% more than the normal price. ‘Mathilda isthe village gossip and knows many “truths” about people in and around Privstock: + Henri-Philippe has a mistress in Altdorf and Middenheim. (False: he only has a mistress in Middenheim.) = Aschaffenberg has been disowned for an “indiscretion.” (False: bu he did get a servant gel pregnant.) + Knud Gropenfrotteu i wanted for murder in Middenheim. (False: Knud has never been t0 Middenheim.) + Elisabet Rochetea flaunts lovers before her husband. (False) Gunter Semmelweis spends alot of time inthe pig-shed. (True: hea miser and hoards money in the pig-pen.) + Iuolde Guderian got her gold brooch by “being nice” (Fase) © And soon. ‘Mathilda has no time for legends, myths, and the like. asked about Stefan Maranacur (unlikely), she will recall him as good: looking wine merchant from Aldor, “..and they do say e had «a woonan in every place he did business. "If stuck fora true bit of ‘gossip Mathilda will invariably make something up (ofa typically, unsavoury nacure), — RUNNING THE ADVENTURE — $F the PCs have behaved intelligently they should find themselves ed to deal with the problem of the skulls soon after reaching, the village. The PCs have two days aftr arriving before the scart, of the harvest is du, and unl this time the village need co venture beyond the boundary. Ifthe skull problem sil remains, villages will no work che vineyards unless guarded by 4 personal escort thei livhood may suffer but its beter than boeing killed. Even ifthe PCs are willing and able to guard the villagers ic will have litle effect as far as the harvest is concemed, since without migrant workers (scared offby rumours and the skulls west and east), the amount of grapes harvested will be negligible The militia, led by Parzival, sat the PCs’ disposal. However, unlike their leader, chey harbour no desie to go skull-hunting. Parzival wil therefore instruct chem to maintain a watch along the village boundary. Parcval will be all to eager to engage the skull have no real The adventurers will probably form three objectives: gaining information about attacks (dealt wth previously), eying t0 capture a skull, nd artempring to locate where they are coming from. The last two ate dealt with below. CAPTURING A SKULL “This is not an easy tat. The intial problem is chat chere is simply nothing to capture, Over the last month or so, only four sightings, have occurred (plus the one which wrecked the coach). Like it or not, the PCs will have to wait fora skull to come to ther. Beating the undergrowth around Pritstock is unlikely to have any effect. Unknown tothe PCs, the skull are following a timerable laid down by Dieter: Most ofthe last months’ sightings have been the results of Dieter experiments in control; moving, hiding, watching, following, and attacking. The attack on Eritta marked the end of Dieters experiments. After the attack, Dieter ad the skull return {0 inspect ie for damage. Having done this Dieter sent skal to take ‘up postions north, west, and east ofthe village. These will be in position by approximately 2:00 pm in the afternoon following the attack on Erieta (ic, the day the PCs arsive), and are discussed in the Timetable of Events. Sightings of futher suls will depend on Dicer imetable and any activiey on the part of the PCs. “Assuming the party has a skull in sight chen it ean be caprured jst like any other creature. However, i the skull is fighting, PCs will need to use a net or something similar since i is not possible to simply grab hold of one (just as it’s nor possible wo grab hold ‘of someone's sword arm). Various skills may be tied and the GM should consider each on its merits. Its not impossible to capture a stall, but nether is like catching ball Usine A CarTuRED SKULL ‘Skulls cannot be interrogated but may come in useful nevertheless. ‘The behaviour of a captured skull depends on its state. active‘The Grapes of the skull will do whatever Dieter tll it If passive the sll will keep on trying to carryout its last instructions. If che skull isin a dormant state, the PCs may make use of its orientation ability (say by using it asa compass or by putting icon a lead) or attempt ro gain control (and pethaps use i to follow other skulls). Further detals ate provided in che Bestiary. However, the villagers will nt be roo happy ac the prospect of a magical skull, no matter how tame, lying around the village, If Wuder Lechhare approaches within 5 yards ofa dormant skull i will sense his bic of warpstone and try to move towards it. IF its able to move, the skull will ly slowly up co Wade (wo will watch in fascination), and then smuggle up to him like a pet cat, gesting as close to the warpstone as posible, TRACKING A SKULL ‘Although the skulls do not tavel fat, they re able co fy, which ‘makes conventional use ofthe Follow Trai skill impossible, Their ability co fly and small size allows them to lose themselves in the forest fairly easily. Under no circumstances will Dieter’ lai be discovered by chance; the area to search is too big and the cave fen for that to happen. Inventive PCs may ‘work out various plans to follow a skull and the GM must again judge each on its merit. The skulls have a Flying Movement 8 and they never tire, so they are difficult to follow for long distances. Characters running fll-tl in the forest must make a Challenging (1026) Agility Test every round to avoid ripping over roots, smashing into low branches, and so on. Characters that fil ill down and must use the stand action to regain theit feet. Such delays cost precious time and likely allow the skulls co escape. TIMETABLE OF EVENTS This timetable breaks down the events ofthe adventure, from the day the PCs arrive (Day 0) to Day 9, when itl be ove one way ‘or another. The timeuable's, of course, subject to change, either because of PC activity or if the GM wants ro increase the pace ofthe adventure. Dieters motivations ate of diect relevance tothe activity of. the skulls, andthe GM should refer to his description for fle derail Day o (afternoon) ‘One skull rakes up a vantage position % mile north of Prezstoc, to watch over the village and vineyards. One skull takes up a position 2 miles west of Pritzstock by the road, and another 5 miles east of Pritastock, also by the road. The west and east skull are programmed to atack any humanoid they see, but to break off the atack ifthe victim flees, The north skull is programmed t0 sitand wait. Dieter assumes active control of this skull every 30 ‘minutes in order to gaze upon the area I villagers are working the Selds, Dieter will keep control and have the skull attack. If Dieter ‘can see nothing of interest he will set the skull to continue waiting, entrance too well (On the fist occasion Dieter spots adventurers (ia a skull) he will investigate further, br will not ateake unless provoked. During the night Dieter wil assume control of the north skull every 4 hours and will chen ly ic around the area to spy on activities in the village. Days randa Dieter will keep up the “watch-and-wai pattern, Day 3 Dieter will have the north skull sneak to the village and attack a Tone individual for a couple of rounds Day 4 ‘As Day 3, but Diecr wil try and attack an on-duty miliiaman, He will also have the skull ateacka second person while the injured lookout is being attended to. Days Acthe end ofthe day Dieter will initiate his ise night attack. The skull will go from one house to another, breaking windows and. briefly attacking the occupants, atacking some six houses in total. Day 6 Under increasing pressure from “Stefan,” Dicer will have the north skull attack the Rocheteau house, entering via the chimney if the windows are boarded, or battering a door open ifthe chimney is blocked. Elisabet will be ignored, buc Rocheceau will be attacked and, if possible, killed. You may wish to have this attack take place as Rocheteau and the parry are discussing what to do ‘over meal or drink Day7 If Rochereau is dead the skulls will restrict their activities to ‘stopping work in the fields. IPhe is stil alive, then before dawn Dieter will also have a skull scrape a message inthe ground outside his house, “Death to Rocheteas,” and the events for Days 8 and 9 will rake place. Day 8 Dieter will recall all skulls in preparation for mass attack, so some ‘workin the vineyards is possible. However, at dusk he will have ‘one ofthe skulls fly over with a message in its mouth, “Hand over Rocheteau by dawn and you may go in peace.” The message will be delivered to one of che adventurers Day9 ‘At dawn Dieter will have all 4 skull laying siege to the village. If Rochereau is waiting to be handed over (presumably bound nd gagged), the skulls will perform a very messy execution. If Rocheteau is not so delivered, anything that moves wil be attacked and killed but che skulls will concentrate theie effort into finding) attacking Rochetea. “The skulls will systemarcally search each house in turn: One active sll will atempe co gain entry, while the other 3 warch and wait. On gaining entry the skulls will tack anyone inside, finishing their atack by causing as much damage as possible, including setting houses alight by knocking over lanterns, etc. Dieter will keep up this siege until all houses have been searched or Rocherea is killed, replacing any skulls that are destroyed in the process. His final act wil be to have the skulls carry burning torches to the fields inorder to destroy the vineyards as wel ‘Once the village has been razed to the ground then Diter will consider his revenge complete, irrespective of whether Rocheteaut Is stil alive. His final act will be to have a skull inseribe the words “For Stefan” in the ashes near the Rocheteau house,4 shows the underground lar of Dieter Maranaeur and ‘mercenary bodyguard, Kutt Schule The cave is some 7¥4 miles northeast of Privstock (marked 4 on Map 2). The ‘entrance is very well hidden and effectively impossible o locate by normal searching on a small scale. However, if the party has an approximate fx on the cave (say 4 mile radius) a line-search using the whole village will prove succesful i the villagers can be persuaded). Even ifthe PCs fil to find the cave entrance they may discover something unusual. Characters making a Hard (-20%) Perception Test will spot caefilly concealed bundles of wood dotted about the forest. Otto Baldurich and his companions gathered and placed these bundles near the cave in the event they decide to smoke out Dieter and his bodyguard, The wood is, therefore dry but contains a lot of green stuf r0 produce smoke, Assuming the party locates the cave and keeps it under ‘observation, the following facts will be revealed during the day (excluding changes due to play) ‘+ 3 skulls arsive at about 1:00am and 3 skulls leave shortly afer + A rough-looking fighter type leaves at around dawn and reeurns d10-3 hours later, sometimes with some game (asually rabbit) + Inthe easly evening a wild-looking man emerges, has a stretch and a few deep breaths, and returs to the cave after taking a shore walk. He is followed by a skull, which flts from tre to wee wherever the man goes. "This individual looks very ragged round the edges, with matted hair and greasy stubble. ‘Of course the party muse make sure they are not sported by any of the eave’ inhabitants Is also possible that the pary is sported by the Middenheim gang, who have posted a watch some 200 yards away to the northwest ofthe cave (only 30 yards away during, the night). Any sighting will be immediately reported to Oxco at Location B on Map 2 (details of Oxco Baldurich and the other adventures can be found in the next section) If Dieter learns of individuals ouside he will, ifgiven time, use a skull co investigate. He normally has one waiting passively in the cave while the other three are out Ifat any time it looks like he will be attacked the wizard will terminate control of any skulls far away and begin to assert control of skulls inthe cave (but this takes time). Both Dieter and Kure wil realise the eave could become a trap and will wane to ac quickly. As soon as Dieter has 2 full complement ‘of skulls, he will use ther to initiate an attack. Once all the skulls are engaged he and Kurt will emerge and act appropriately. Only ‘when Dieter is attempting to gain control of a skll (or isin active control of one) does he need to spend time in concentration. If subjected to a surprise attack in the cave, the two men will simply make the bes of it. Dieter will again try to assert control ‘over skulls in he cave rather than wait for skulls already under his ‘command to return, Dieter is driven by an obsession and will fight to the biter end. Kurt is simply a mercenary and will surrender if reduced to 2 Wounds or below. — Tim Wizann W THE Woons — It's possible forthe party to deal withthe wizard without resorting toviolence, If they have knowledge about Stefan’ death and can persuade Dieter they have dealt with Rocheteau then a truce might be arranged. Dieter will want proof, but will be willing to send a skull co investigate. Tue ErrEcts OF SMOKE Teis quite possible for the PCs to decide on using fire to drive ‘out those inthe eave. Gathering suitable material will ake about 2 man-hours, and in their seach, the bundles already prepared by the Middenheimers may be spotted as described above. If dry ‘wood is sed then people inthe cave willbe forced to leave after about 30 minutes IF"greenwood” is used much more smoke will be produced, forcing people to leave in 10 minutes. If they stay beyond these times, the normal rules for suffocation apply. THE CAVE Arca A “Two candles provide faint illumination in the passage leading into the cave. The passage shows signs of foorprints ifa successful Follow Trail Skill Testis made. Anza B “The passage turns a cis point, and on the south wall a skull can be scen resting on a ledge. A candle rests on the skull and has covered it with melted wax. “his is a normal sell but as the spell magi alarm cast on it. A Perception Test will reveal thatthe footprints stay clear ofthe stall. The spell wll activate if creature comes within 2 yards, informing Dieter that intruders are presen. “The passage opens up beyond the skull ro reveal a large candletc ‘ave tothe right and a oth screen ahead. Unless forewarned, Dicter and Kirt will havea torch burning in Area E and the light from this will appear under the curtain. The party may hear the men talking or snoring depending on the time of day and how ‘cautious they have been, Area C This area is used asa store of iron rations and water barrels, bout 6 man-weeks worth in total. Torches, candles, exc. are also here. Dieter and Kurt ate self-sufficient in food and wate, but Kure still goes out hunting fresh game. A small individual could hide behind the stores but would be automatically spoted ifthe scores were utilised, Ara D About 32 human, beastman, and ratman skulls are laid in this area ina weird pattem. The cave was the site of Chaos activity but was, abandoned long ago. Depressions can be seen in the sand where 10 other skulls were laid. Some 6 inches below each depression, buried in the sand, is a small nugget of warpstone. That i, there should be. One of the depressions actualy shows signs of diggingThe Grapes of Wrath AP 5 [oe and the piece of warpstone under the skull is missing, removed by Wider Lechart about a decade ago. Altogether the 42 pieces of warpstone weigh about ¥ Ib, Four ofthe skulls are now under Dieter's control the other six are in a heap tothe south (the result of failed attempts to gnin control). Obviously these numbers will alter if skulls ate destroyed. If Dieter is tying to gain control of one ofthe remaining skulls, he will be found in this ara, This area is soaked with magical energy, as a Very Easy (+30%) Magical Sense Skill Tes reveals. Casting Rolls made within the cave receive a +1 bonus for exch 1410 rolled. Area E Behind a sackcloth curtain is che living quarters of Dieter and Kurt. A torch provides light. The only furnishings are makeshift beds Dieter and Kure spend most of ther time in here. When neither have anything to do (which is often) chey play draughts. Under Dieter’ inseructions Kuse is making a simple chess set from odd bits of wood. Dieter reckons that teaching Ku chess would help time pass for another month, When not out hunting (which he does around dawn), Kut is busy whiting. Dieter is often resting but during the day can be found ina wance-ike state as he concentrates on controlling a skull (20% chance). At night the chance of finding him controlling a skull drops to 10%, Dieter will also havea skull in here as extra protection. ‘The skull is normally pasive soit would take Dieter 1 round to establish active control, and another round to give it 2 new set of instructions if desived DiETER MARANAEUR Approaching 30 and of medium build, Dieter is beginning to look. fairly mad. He has not washed, combed, or shaved for two weeks, and his only set of clothes are creased and dirtridden. Despite his appearance, Dieter is (initlly) reasonably sane, apart from his obsession with ruining Prtzstock. However, under the influence ofthe cave and Stefan’ spirit, the bright wizard will become in the behaviour ofthe skulls—early on they simply frighten people, bur are later used to atack and kil. sasingly unstable asthe days pass. This is reflected in If captured (and Rochetcau is stil alive) Dieter will no reveal much without being tortured. If brought face-to-face with Rocheteau, Dieter wll fall into a mad rage and aetempt to kill hhim. If Rocheteau has already been killed chen he will be proud of his activi his brother. Dieter and the Skulls All previous sightings were part of Dieters expetiments. The attack ‘on the coach was 0 Se if Dieter could conteo a skull while he was away fiom the cave, Asa result of these experiments Dieter knows ‘most of wha i described in the Bestiary. However, he does not know thata metal barrier will negate control or chat a dormant skull ovientates itself with respect to the cave and, having done so, will artempe to return home. Under normal circumstances Dieter would have probably investigated the source ofthe skulls’ power, but in his present state of mind, rational choughts are not common,