The Niederhafen Pike

Help Wanted (1)

"Can you handle a ten foot monster? We need fishermen who can catch the Niederhafen Pike. Bring your own boat, net and club. Contact the Hafenmeisterei today!"

- Help wanted post on the North Gate Dead Tree

The Old World practice of posting notes advertising jobs all over the cities and villages can be a very good way of giving the characters opportunities to somewhat take control of their destiny. Of course, not every job offer have to have a fully fledged adventure behind it, sometimes it's enough with just an idea of how to run an encounter.

For example, the Niederhafen Pike could be a monster, it could be a myth. It could be a real threat or just a rumour spread to cover up another sinister plot. Characters investigating might find clues that points to the involvement of one of the Guilds, or one of the Dockside gangs like the Fish or the Hooks (see Beasts in Velvet, by Jack Yeovil for more information on those two gangs).

Some help wanted posters might just be colourful jokes, provided to the players to help them understand the texture and the atmosphere of Altdorf. There is a really great thread with help wanted suggestions at the Black Industries forum. Click here to find it.

Magnus

Gossip (2)

"A giant mutated pike haunts the waterfront of the Niederhafen Bezirk. It preys on the local fishermen and the dockers, and it's taken three just this month! What's the Guild doing about it? Nothing! It's almost as if they didn't care ..."

- Rumour picked up from two sailors at The Burning Table

Gossip (1)

"The Emperor is marrying countess Emanuelle von Liebwitz! I heard it from my cousin who has a friend who works at the palace! It's not official yet, and there will be hell to pay from the other electors when they find out!"

- Rumour picked up from a pie seller at the Königsplatz

Have you heard?

There are a few common ways of keeping abreast with what's going on in Altdorf. It's a large city with over a hundred thousand inhabitants, and a multitude of things going on. And Altdorfers have a disposition towards the curious, some might even say nosy. Maybe it is of little surprise. There are politics going on in the capital that influence their lives, there's the Storm of Chaos, the mutant purge, the hunt for witches ... there's plenty of things that the Altdorfers need to know to avoid getting into trouble.

The two most common channels of information is through leaflets or poster, and through gossip. Since most people of Altdorf, and indeed of the Empire, are illiterate it is my belief that mouth to mouth gossip is the grease that makes the wheels of the capital turn. Without gossiping there would be no common ground for people to build their lives upon, no shared experiences, fables, stories or advice. So people gossip. Where ever and when ever they meet they exchange greetings and a choice gossip or two. It comes as easily as talking about the weather, and the people of Altdorf do much rather gossip than pontificate about meteorological phenomena. The rumours and stories they exchange can be trivial, such as the best price of eggs, or of major political importance such as a new tax, or a set back in the war against chaos.

One very interesting part of the gossip phenomena of Altdorf is the role of the semi-literates, those who know how to read just a little. It is my firm belief that these people are, as a group, the origin of most of the political and more absurd and erroneous rumors that are spread. They read the official proclamations, news leaflets and posters and as they don't understand but half of what is written they fill in the blanks using their own fevered imagination.

Adolphus Altdorfer
Aubentag, Nachexen 6, 2522 IC

Is there a scholar in the house?

I soon realised that I had to find another way of earning money. Since Professor Gutbelesen would not pay me until my I took up my position, which he himself had postponed for over a week, I'd have to put some Karls in my purse to pay for food and other necessities. So I went to the North gate and crowded with adventurers, vagrants and other riffraff, trying to find a job on the Dead Tree. I was temporarily distracted as a fight broke out by the gate, evidently a group of refugees had desperately tried to storm into the city, hoping to overrun the North Gate Guards. As most people moved to investigate or just gawk at the spectacle, I got a closer look at the offerings. One in particular caught my eye.

"If you can read this you might fit the bill! The Ratchett Lines needs a scribe or a scholar to help expand its services! Apply at the Ratchett Stables in the Bankbezirk!"

I vaguely remembered the Ratchett Lines as one of the smaller coaching companies that had routes to Middenheim. I had ended up travelling with Cartak Lines, but it seemed to me that both of them was the same kind of company. I tore down the paper, and made my way towards the Bankbezirk, which conveniently was the neighbourhood district. As I left I saw the North Gate Guards subdue the last of the desperate refugees, and the reinforcements were moving out among the tents to deal out some preventive violence. I remembered the bribe I had to pay to enter Altdorf, a sum none of the people living just outside the walls could afford.

Adolphus Altdorfer
Aubentag, Nachexen 6, 2522 IC

The Ratchett Line and the Cartak Line were first mentioned in The Enemy Within, if my sources are correct. They are listed as operating out of Altdorf, and as being in competition with the dominant WFRP coaching line; Four Seasons Coaches. No other information was given, so it will be interesting to see what Adolphus finds out.

I have placed the coaching companies in the Bankbezirk, all fairly close to each other. I hope to establish a running rivalry between the lines, which should give ample opportunity for work for adventurers. The most obvious job is hiring on as a guard for one of the coaches, or even as a driver if you posses the appropriate skill. This works well if you want the characters to leave Altdorf, and for such occasions they might just get paid to do a one way trip, if that suits your needs.

But I feel that there are plenty of other venues for adventures associated with coaching lines, and not all of them means that the characters have to leave Altdorf. I'll look into those opportunities later.

Magnus

Do you schnoodle?

One thing that I remembered from entering the capital was a big black tree by the North Gate. It was long dead, almost petrified but even at this cold and wintery time it bore leaves. Paper leaves. When I looked closer at it I noticed that it was covered with small and large notices, asking for help, asking for jobs, asking for information, asking for just about anything you can imagine. I was told that this is one way for the people of Altdorf to communicate with each other. If I can find the time to read every such tree in the city, I will probably learn much about the life of the people here.

Adolphus Altdorfer
Wellentag, Nachexen 5, 2522 IC

I found a great thread at the Black Industries forum, and threw together the following picture, based on a post by Steve Darlington (co-author of Children of the Horned Rat). Open the picture in a seperate window to view it full-size, or just save it to your hard drive and open it which ever way you want to.


This poster is not adapted for my version of Altdorf, but I will check with Steve again to see if he allows some small changes. He was kind enough to give me the go ahead to put it up here, so I'm sure he won't mind. I'll just ask him first, since that is the right thing to do.

Magnus

Old Hattie

Things that go bump in the night

I awoke with a start. It was in the middle of the night, again. It seems as if my sleep here in Altdorf is destined to be interrupted. At first I didn't know where I was, and after groping around for a candle and some flint and tinder I had some time to wake up. The events of the last couple of days came back to me, and I remembered where I was. In one of the towers of the University of Altdorf. Again I heard the noise that had awakened me, something was moving outside my window. I struck light and made my way to the south window, from which the sound was coming. I leaned forward, shielding the light with my free hand, so that I could spy that which was moving. Then with a crash, something threw itself at the window. Through the snow and sleet I saw a nightmarish face, a woman as pale as a corpse, her features distorted into a hideous grin. Claws scratched at the window panes. I screamed out and the candle fell from my powerless hands. The monster's hideous laughter overwhelmed me and I sank to my knees, begging to Sigmar for protection against all evil powers. Then the monster was gone, and as I write this, I'm not sure if I dreamed the entire incident.

Adolphus Altdorfer
Wellentag, Nachexen 5, 2522 IC

There are monsters in Altdorf. It's just a case of figuring out which monsters are appropriate for the capital. There are powerful military forces stationed in and near Altdorf and a fairly active (albeit also fairly corrupt) City Watch which should be able to deal with most threats. And the city is the home of the Emperor so no open threats to him, or to the nobles of his court would be allowed.

From this follows that the monsters that are known to the public of Altdorf, are monsters that will be under the direct control of an upstanding and respected citizen, such as the beasts in the Imperial Zoo. Maybe a noble has a ferocious warhound, a warhawk or even a wolf to boast about in front of his friends. But such beasts will only be a problem if they escape, and if they do they will surely be hunted. Such a situation can provide a good short adventure for one session.

Of greater alarm, and far more dangerous are the hidden monsters. Altdorf is a large city, and there are plenty of places to hide. Dank cellars, secluded mansions, derelict towers, abandoned sewers or dark water fronts. Even the parks or the forest just outside Altdorf can be the home of monsters that bring peril and fear to the citizens and the characters. And even though most monsters are supposed to live in the wild, a bit of creative thinking can give you lots of ideas for urbanising beastly foes. A great example of this can be found in issue 26 of Warpstone. The adventure The Harpies of Vindell's Folly, written by Robin Low, introduces ... hmmm ... well, harpies to a city environment. Although I'd likely rework the plot and the background of the adventure before using it in Altdorf, the basic premise is sound and showcases an interesting use of a monster that supposedly only lives in the wilderness.

For sure, not every monster is suitable for adaption to an urban setting. The undead, Skaven, Mutants (anyone can be a Mutant), Cultists and Giant Animals of ordinary animals seem most likely to be of use for a Game Master. Looking through the Old World Bestiary, I can immediately think of ideas that would involve the following monsters in an Altdorf campaign;

Chaos Cultists (obviously)
Giant Rats
Giant Spiders
Great Eagles
Harpies (see Warpstone issue 26)
Skaven
Undead of all stripes (especially Ghouls)
Vampire Bats
Warhawks
Werecreatures

Of course, there is always room for a random attack by crazed beastmen infiltrating the city, or a chaos beast such as a manticore to descend on the poor folk of Altdorf, but I prefer to use monsters that can be a long term threat. Who is responsible for the latest upheaval in the cemeteries? Grave robbers or Ghouls? Or even Strigoi Vampires? Who is to blame for the disappearance of many children in the Drecksack slums? Slavers, Giant Rats or Skaven? Or are they carried away by Harpies or Great Eagles?

So expect to encounter some monsters here and there in my version of Altdorf. They are always there, hiding and biding their time ... and there's a fog rolling in from the river.

Magnus

The imperfect jigsaw

The accounts of life in Altdorf are many and varied. Taken together they speak of wretched slums and indulgant luxuries, steam powered engineering marvels and mystical winds of magic, of high and low. It's the imperfect jigsaw of a city seething with life and passions, filled with dreams come true and nightmares come to life, uplifting hope and crushing despair, and I can never hope to paint one true picture of the city. I can offer glimpses, I can lay the puzzle with a myriad of pieces. But I can never paint the whole picture, never show the endless layers of life that lie beneath the surface. So I'm sad to realise that my work will be just one voice in a crowd of others.

Adolphus Altdorfer
Festag, Nachexen 4, 2522 IC

Much like Adolphus, I can only hope to cover bits and pieces of Altdorf. That is one of the reasons I chose a blog as a vehicle for this task, since it is eminent for laying out little pieces one at a time. But I have to limit my scope, I have to decide what goes into my entries, who to describe and what to cover.

At its roots this blog comes from the work I do preparing my own WFRP campaign. So that campaign will be the basis for everything I do. And I have made some ... let's say ... non-canon ... decisions which will influence this blog. High magic is right out. So I will not cover the colleges as they appear in Realms of Sorcery. I will not cover magic as a common occurrence in Altdorf. If I touch upon magic, it will be as a force unknown and feared. Halflings are gone, they don't exist. Elves are fantastically rare (rumoured to be a race of vampiric ghosts). Chaos is a threat, but I emphasise an enemy within, rather than a storm of chaos.

So 99% of the NPCs you will see here will be humans. The occasional dwarf, like Krag Jorgensen the famed dwarven weaponsmith, will make appearences and become a part of my jigsaw puzzle. Also, the subplots (of which I already have hinted at) will mostly concern human behaviour and implications of that. With the taint of chaos ever present, of course.

Magnus

Emeritus Gutbelesen

Say hello to Professor Gutbelesen

As I sit down at my makeshift desk I can't help to wonder how all this is going to turn out. The wind outside the window is harsh and unforgiving, much as I have experienced Altdorf since I came here a scant three days ago. I miss the peace and warmth of Middenheim ... or at least the Middenheim that was before the Storm of Chaos broke. Now ... not so much. There is filth and despair and war all over the Empire. What will the new year bring? At least now I have a roof over my head. Very close to my head actually. After lugging my suitcases to the University I met with Emeritus Gutbelesen, the Professor of Societal Studies in Altdorf. He was in a mean temper, and very dismayed that I had showed up four days early. He even seemed somewhat discomforted, and when I asked if I could have access to my office even though I was somewhat early, a look of panic passed over his features. I'm not sure what that means, but he told me that the office was being rebuilt after an explosive accident, and that his regards for my safety demanded that I wasn't allowed until Wellentag 13. That is 10 days from now. I tried to persuade him to let me have a look myself, but he insisted on me waiting for the room to be properly repaired. Instead he showed me up a rickety staircase to one of the myriads of towers that crown the University. Gutbelesen produced a huge keychain from under his velvet cloaks and unlocked a solid door which led to a small and dusty attic. This was to be my home until I could find a more suitable accommodation. He left me there, with an old desk, a handful of candles and a bed with a rock hard mattress for company. I unpacked as much as I could, after hauling my luggage from the bottom floor to the top of the spire all my myself. Actually, I find the University strangely empty and devoid of life. For sure, I startled Gutbelesen when I finally found him, so it seems most staff and stundents are off for holidays. Well, lonely and cramped as my room is, at least the view over Altdorf is unrivalled. I have windows in all four directions, and I hope to spy more of the capital once the sun comes up tomorrow.

Adolphus Altdorfer
Angestag, Nachexen 3, 2522 IC

The University

After a long while and several wrong turns I finally made it to the University. In hindsight it wasn't difficult to find it, but the twisting and turning alleyways of Friedwang Bezirk surprised me many times. Finally I had to give a pie seller a penny to show me the right way, and finally I arrived. Now that I think of it, it was obvious that the Uniersity would be the largest structure of the Universität Bezirk. I came in via the Ruckusplatz, or Speaker's Corner as it is also called. Due to the wintry conditions only a few rabble rousers and agitators were poised on their crates and barrels delivering their fiery dogma onto the cats and dogs that made up the audience.



Adolphus Altdorfer

Angestag, Nachexen 3, 2522 IC







The University is made up of several small and large buildings, societies, museums, clubs, libraries, and so on so forth. On the map above you find a few of the more noteworthy, but exploring the University can be an adventure in itself, and a place where you as a GM can start many adventures, or use as a place for researching clues or asking old professors for advice.



Magnus

Update to Matthias Tafel

Those of you who downloaded the write up of Matthias Tafel from 7 January might want to download it again. I've corrected two mistakes I discovered while creating Fat Pappy Brown. Nothing game breaking, just Haggle that was duplicated, and a full stop that should have been a comma.

UPDATE: And yes, I have now corrected a spelling mistake in the write up of Martin Braun as well. "Palying" indeed!

What to say, I'm keeping up with the WFRP tradition of typus!

Magnus

Martin "Fat Pappy" Braun

Meeting Fat Pappy Braun

As I continued my labourious trip towards warmth and a roaring fire at the University, an enormously fat man sauntered towards me. I was astonished by the girth of the man, and totally engrossed in curious contemplation on how he could have grown to such a size that I totally missed his uniform. He was a man of the Watch, and evidently he had witnessed the whole falling down incident, and the theft of my book. Enraged I called out and confronted him, asking why he hadn't given chase.
"Pfui, too much hard work. We won't catch the Collector that way," was the lazy answer I got.
"The Collector?"
"Aye, sire," he replied in a deep and booming voice. The fat man probably had a good singing voice in there somewhere. There was room enough in there for sure. "He steals books. We gather that he collects them himself, since none of the tomes have turned up in any of the bookshops or pawnshops."
I debated with the man for a full half hour but got nowhere. He wouldn't give chase, and if I wanted the book back he suggested I put up posters offering a reward.
"But you are the City Watch!" I burst out.
"Aye, sire. We keep the peace. But we don't around solving crimes. Imagine how that would be, we'd have no time for anything else!"

Adolphus Altdorfer
Angestag, Nachexen 3, 2522 IC

Our poor scholar was unfortunate enough to run into Fat Pappy Braun. He is infamous in Friedwang for his enormous belly, his equally voluminous wife and their litter of children. Fat Pappy is also one of the laziest Watch Men in Altdorf, and easily bribed. The fact that he can keep his job is telling of the state of the City Watch in the capital. They are there to keep the peace, which they most often do by banging two heads together and dragging the unconscious unfortunates to a cell for the night. The Watch Men have few or no investigative skills, and the task of actually investigating crimes are given to specially formed commissions or one of the numerous Kabinetts.

Today our dear Adolphus was unfortunate, since Friedwang actually is one of the most peaceful Bezirks in Altdorf. About the only spot of trouble is the Collector, a mysterious man who steals books. This is a source of much frustration in the Bezirk, since it is inhabited ta large extent by scholars and scribes. The Collector steals any book he can lay his hands on, but favours hard bound books with plenty of colour illuminations and fancy letters.

Magnus

Cold, slippery and dark

I left The Burning Table and dragged my suitcases after me. It was rather empty on the streets, since it was fairly early. Mostly deliveries and the occassional Watch Man. As I was at the edge of the Friedwang Bezirk and wanted to get to the Univserität Bezirk, I could either take the main street down until I saw the university and then turn right, or cut through Friedwang. It was snowing lightly from grey skies and the cobble stones were wet and slippery so I decided to take the shortest route. Which of course turned out to be a mistake. As I made my way through the buildings in the Friedwang, I stumbled and slipped. As I fell down I landed on my suitcase with reading materials and it split right open, spilling books and papers into the street. A man hurried towards me, and I anticipated help in gathering my materials before the wind carried them away, or they became ruined by the wet snow. I was thunderstruck as the stranger picked up a heavy tome, and then ran for it. All I could do was shout for help, but no one seemed intent on aiding me. And I couldn't leave my other books for fear of losing them as well. I quickly gathered my possessions, closed the suitcase again and started towards the University. I was cold and wet, and I'm sure I cracked a rib landing on the hard stone cobbles.

Adolphus Altdorfer
Angestag, Nachexen 3, 2522 IC

Bezirk? What's that?

As I packed my suitcases, filling them with my books and clothes and other parapharnelia I pondered my further plans. I had to leave The Burning Table, simply because I couldn't afford to stay there another night. And I couldn't pay for lodging anywhere else either. So my only recourse was to find the University and locate professor Emeritus Gutbelesen, who was to be my superior at the faculty. There were still some days before he had agreed to accept me, but my dire economical circumstances dictated that I find him as quick as I could. So I bid farewell to herr Tafel, who were cleaning up after the last night's brawl. He wished me luck in my endeavors and suggested a pawn shop close by if I couldn't find any other means of aquiring financial means. So I dragged my luggage after me and left for the Unviersität Bezirk.

Adolphus Altdorfer
Angestag, Nachexen 3, 2522 IC

So what is this Bezirk thing that Adolphus goes on about? Well, in Alfred Nünez's document about Altdorf a host of districts are identified and described. They offer a great way of getting to know Altdorf, and a great way to for the players to quickly get a grip of what can be found where. For example there is the University District, the Palace District and so on. And slums of course. The districts themselves will what I are most likely to place there in regards to buildings, shops and people, but also the response levels of the City Watch and the relative risks of muggings or other ... accidents.

And Bezirk is simply the german word for District. So I just continued on the route suggested by Nünez and appended all names to sound more german, ending up with this list:

1. Amtsbezirk - Civic District
2. Bankbezirk - Banking or Financial District
3. Domplatz Bezirk - Cathedral or Religious District
4. Drecksack Bezirk - Wretched Slum District
5. Friedwang Bezirk - Scholar's District
6. Metallschlack Bezirk - Engineer's and Metalworker's District
7. Morrwies Bezirk - Realm of Morr District
8. Niederhafen Bezirk - Dockside District
9. Obereik Bezirk - Upper Reik or Minor Noble District
10. Oberhausen Bezirk - Upper Class District
11. Palast Bezirk - Palace District
12. Reikerbahn Bezirk - Lower Class District
13. Reikhoch Bezirk - Old Town District
14. Reikmarkt - South Market District
15. Sindelfingen Bezirk - Sewer or Slum District
16. Süderich Bezirk - Middle Class District
17. Universität Bezirk - University District
18. Werksviertel Bezirk - Manufacturing or Worker Class District
19. Tempelplatz - Temple Square
20. Kaiserliche Palast - The Imperial Palace

So there you have it. Right now Altdorfer is heading towards number 17, the Universität Bezirk. Oh, and by the way, if anyone happens to actually know german, feel free to correct any and all lingustic mistakes I make. I'm working from the similarities between swedish and german, and there might be mistakes in there. Or rather, there will be mistakes in there ...

Magnus

Menu at The Burning Table

Before I left The Burning Table, the innkeeper Tafel was kind enough to give me a discount on the eggs, bacon and sops breakfast. And I must say that the Table serves some of the best sops I've ever eaten! It's the usual bread soaked in broth, but Tafel adds a helping of apple cider to give it a special tang! Delicious, and I only had to pay 3p. Great fellow, that Matthias Tafel!

Adolphus Altdorfer
Angestag, Nachexen 3, 2522 IC

The Burning Table offers a fairly standard menu for Altdorf and the Empire. Nothing fancy, just something to fill your stomach and quench your thirst. Tafel offers fresh bread for free with every meal which is somewhat unusual, but something which makes his inn popular among the local residents.



Background is © Andreas Blicher, 2006, and is used by permission. Border is © Melissa Snell, 1998-2003, and is used by permission.

Magnus

Matthias Tafel, Innkeeper

Waking up at The Burning Table

As I awoke to screaming and the smell of fire I hastily donned my britches and my overcoat and ran downstairs. I was certain that the inn I was stying in was being overrun by mutants and beastmen, and I was intent on making my way out of the building and find refuge with the City Watch before being slaughtered for my sins! As I burst down the stairs I found myself in the middle of a colossal drunken brawl. One of the … clients … had tried to lift the purse of a gigantic Kislevite warrior passed out at the bar. The man from the east had woken up in the middle of the process and the ensuing chaos had shaken me from my sleep. It was still night, and I retreated to my room. After a while the din died down, and quiet once again settled over the inn. Finally I fell asleep again. I was staying at The Burning Table in the Friedwang Bezirk, an inn along the main street not far from the North Gate. It was supposedly a clean and reasonable place to stay, and at least the innkeeper Matthias Tafel was a friendly fellow. But his clientèle was not. When I arrived I spotted a filthy group of thugs or adventurers and overheard them talking about a wizard and some magical item they needed to find, but I soon moved along when they noticed my presence. There were a few sell swords, ruffians and harlots there as well. My money could only pay for one night at the inn but I was too tired to look for other accommodations so I stayed.

Adolphus Altdorfer
Angestag, Nachexen 3, 2522 IC

The Burning Table inn appeared on page 48 in Spires of Altdorf (SoA), the second installment of Paths of the Damned (PotD). I was disappointed that SoA didn't include a more detailed map of Altdorf and also that it didn't place the locations or gave clear information as to where they are to be found. Although I haven't used the PotD I have gone through SoA and tried to place all the locations somewhere on my campaign map. I placed The Burning Table close to the North Gate which seemed a logical choice given the fact that the characters were coming from Middenheim.

Magnus

Visions in my head

I dreamt the other night. I dreamt of towering spires, of gleaming stars and showers of comets. I dreamt of marching feet and children’s laughter and a thunderclap so loud it tore the sky apart. I dreamt of treachery and death, of heroism and defeat, of blood and bile. And then I woke up to the screams, and that was not a dream.

Adolphus Altdorfer
Konigstag, Nachexen 2, 2522 IC

What has the poor Altdorfer gotten himself into? Probably nothing he won’t survive, cause I’ve still got some mileage to get out of him in this blog. Anyway, I speculate that his dreams were visions of the newly hinted at adventure campaign for WFRP, or adventure path as the D&D crowd calls those things. A set of connected adventures which reach a splendid climax in the last chapter, raining doom and fire on the hapless characters. Or something like that. I like the ideas of campaign presented that way, my favourite being Masks of Nyarlathotep and The Enemy Within. There’s just one catch; I never get to finish the damn things.

Anyways, Kate Flack has hinted about a new campaign at the BI forums, and from what little we know about it, I think it sounds intriguing. It’s a one book deal and ties in with Tome of Salvation, Realms of the Ice Queen and Night’s Dark Masters. Supposedly Marienburg will be featured in the book, and the new stuff will be compatible with the old stuff. I like the fact that it’s one book, I can’t be arsed to wait for stuff any longer than I have too (I’m looking at you WH40k), and the larger format probably means that the book will be in colour and 256 pages thick (or something like that).

More interesting though is the revelation that the writing team are actively using the forms of communication offered by the Internet to keep the ideas and writing coordinated. Just like I was hoping for in my previous post about the future for 2007. Also of interest is the stated goal of consistency with earlier published material and a comment stating that the new WFB campaign, Nemesis Crown, will not have a huge impact on the WFRP timeline.

Oh, and the inspiration for the campaign; the Children's Crusade.

Looks good so far.

Magnus

The North Gate

I scribble these words hastily before my stump of candle burns out. I have found a place to stay for a couple of days and I'll write more on that tomorrow. I'm disappointed to say that my arrival at the gates of the Imperial capital was less than grand. One of the wheels of our coach shattered some miles outside the city, and we hade to trudge through mud and ice cold puddles of slush, as we watched the sun hang lower and lower in the sky. At six it was almost dark and I imagined I could hear the rustle of leaves and the snapping of branches as beastmen and mutants prepared to slaughter us all. But my prayers to Verena was answered and we happened upon a small contingent of mercenaries heading for Altdorf looking for employment in the wake of the Storm of Chaos. Among ourselves we collected enough gold to hire the sellswords as protectors for the rest of the journey. I am grateful for this even though my funds were sorely depleted as a result. It was late when we finally spied the imposing walls of the city, and the multitude of tents erected just outside the walls, their canvas weighted down with ice cold water from the sleet and the winter rains we have suffered during the last of the year. The tents belonged to refugees from the Storm of Chaos, too poor or too dishevelled to gain admittance to the city within. They came from all over the Empire, and many had grevious wounds or racking coughs. I stayed as far from them as I could, but the road was lined with beggars, harlots, thieves and ruffians. I'm sure they would have made short order of me had we not been in the company of the mercenaries. Still we were dirty and tired after the trip and was rudely pushed to the end of a long line of peasants and commoners waiting to be admitted. No amount of protests from me or my travelling companions impressed the guards at the gate. After waiting for over an hour we were brought before a bored and unkempt guard captain who casually glanced at our papers and docked us each four gold crowns before he let us in. I'm sure the gate tax is set a one crown per leg, but I was in no condition to offer any opposition to his larcenous ways. And finally, I was in Altdorf.



Adolphus Altdorfer

Bezahltag, Nachexen 1, 2522 IC

Getting settled

I was hoping to get settled as soon as I arrived, but I talked to professor Skilling before I left Middenheim and he had heard that there seemed to be a lot of work to be done at the University lodgings normally offered to visiting scholars. So I'll have to start looking for accommodations of my own. Ideally I would like to make my bed in the Universität Bezirk, close to the faculty, but I am afraid that my meagre income will force me to find more modest lodgings. The people I have spoken to who have spent time in Altdorf have recommended the Werksviertel Bezirk where I'm likely to find some artisan or other that will let out a room for an academic man in pursuit of knowledge. I hope to offer help with writing and reading to make my chances of finding a good place higher. So it is with some optimism I write this. I expect to be in Altdorf tomorrow.

Adolphus Altdorfer
Hexentag, Nachexen, 2522 IC

As the poor and confused Altdorfer heads towards the capital to find a place to stay, so have I looked into the lodgings here at Blogger. I have finally managed to get the template to look like I want it to, and have installed little code snippets to track the number of visitors. Needless to say I hope that this blog will in time be a popular and well read source of inspiration for other people's WFRP game.

In the beginning things might look a little rough and all but I hope to straighten everything out as soon as possible. Oh, and a happy new year to all WFRP fans out there!

Magnus