A WARPSTONE PUBLICATION

LEGION issue five - january 2006

readable at a glance, without duplication. Include

HELLO the Critical Hit Effect table. Perhaps include
Welcome to the latest issue of Legion. For those weapon qualities and action descriptions.
new to Legion, it is an irregular newsletter in
support of Warpstone. This is the first issue that In the booklet, keep the scenario and Buildings of
will only be available from the website. Our the Old World. Use the remaining pages for: an
original intention to send Legion to subscribers Empire map; a brief timeline of the Empire; a
has now come to a halt due to costs. What we who’s who of the Empire describing key political
hope to do is make Legion available more and religious figures; a web diagram of political
frequently, so do keep an eye out for it. allegiances; a brief gazetteer of Imperial provinces
and key cities. In other words, a source of quick
Legion contains articles that are not suitable for answers to questions players are likely to ask
publication in Warpstone. There is a variety of about the world. Perhaps include expanded
reasons for this and is not a comment on quality. Critical Hit tables.
The articles in Legion are good, and we are sure
you will enjoy them. CHARACTER PACK
Two character sheets: a detailed sheet for
This issue we bring you a nice little piece from recording and tracking advancement between
Robin Low inspired by the Ian Miller's cover of sessions and an essentials-only, game-time sheet
Warpstone 22, some thoughts on the GM and with large uncluttered text.
Character packs, as well as a location and
cameos from the Talabheim Project (Warpstone Keep equipment lists, spell lists and spell record
issues 16-22) that we did not have space for at sheets. Keep the names, but as lists, not tables, to
the time. save space; include some background on the
meanings of names.

GM & CHARACTER PACKS

PACKS Include a What Your Character Knows about
the Old World article - a clear, simple introduction
BY R obin Low & John F
Robin Foo o dy to the world for new players, describing common
knowledge and experience. (An excellent example
We were pretty disappointed with both these
of this can be found in A Private War by Tim
products. Here is what we might have done.
Eccles. It was also given away to Warpstone
subscribers.)
GM’S PACK
Both sides of the GM screens should carry
information. Features: essential tables only,

Editors: The usual suspects.

Legion is a Warpstone publication. Warpstone can be contacted at 47 Snowden Avenue, Hillingdon, Middlesex, UB10 0SD or contact us by e-mail at
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Warhammer, White Dwarf and Games Workshop are registered trademarks and Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, The Enemy Within, Shadows Over Bogenhafen, Death
on the Reik, Power Behind the Throne, Carrion up the Reik, Marienburg: Sold Down the River, Apocrypha Now, Apocrypha 2: Charts of Darkness, Doomstones,
Middenheim: City of Chaos, Empire in Flames, Empire in Chaos, Realms of Sorcery and the names of all prominent imagery, places and characters within the Warhammer
world are trademarks of Games Workshop Ltd. and are used without permission. Warpstone recognises the status and ownership of all copyrights, trade marks and
registered names that may be used herein and the use of the aforementioned within this publication should not be construed as a challenge to such status and ownership.
Warpstone (ISSN 1465-6604) & Legion are independently produced magazines, and not owned, licensed or approved by Games Workshop Ltd, Black Industries or
Green Ronin. All original material is copyright to the respective author/artist.
 THE MURDER TREE
In spire
spiredd by Ian Miller's T
Inspire he Ghoul T
The re
Tre e, from W
ree, arpstone 22
Warpstone
by Robin Low

There is a tree. No, I lie; there are three trees. The watched it grow from the rock for a hundred years.
first is an oak tree, and it is ancient. The bark of its Its roots went deep.
broad, knotted trunk is deeply lined and holed with
age; its many twisting branches spread wide and There is a blackened wound in the trunk. With axe
shadow the earth beneath. Hugging one side of the and flame, a woman once sought to destroy the tree
oak is the second tree, a rose tree, and it too is for a wrong it had done her and her loved ones, but
ancient. Its hard, talon-studded stems are inches in she met frightful resistance and was driven away,
diameter; they climb and coil up the oak’s trunk and never to return. The Murder Tree can protect itself,
along its branches; roses bloom scarlet among the you see, and there are those who would come to its
oak’s green leaves. The third tree aid or travel forth to do its
is an apple tree, growing from a bidding.
deep crack in the oak’s trunk. It
too rises against the trunk up A party of travellers slept
through the canopy, its white beneath the branches of the tree.
flowers becoming small, bitter Even the one who sat guard
crab apples in autumn. Mistletoe shared in their dreams of a
flourishes among the branches. terrible battle fought long ago.
The travellers dreamt they fought
The apples of the Murder Tree in the battle, and the wounds they
can be made into cider. It is foul dreamt they took followed them
and dry and bitter, but if you drink into the waking world. They
enough of it you are granted remembered a hidden temple
visions of death: your own death, dedicated to blood, containing a
the death of others, perhaps even prize worth risking death for, but
a vision of Morr himself, or none knew what the prize was.
maybe Khaine. Who would wish Signs and landmarks in the
to see such things? The paranoid, perhaps? The dream were the clues to the location of the temple.
cautious? A Necromancer? Those who simply need Perhaps the travellers still search for the temple;
to know what will be in order to avoid it, or at least perhaps they are yet to dream of it.
try? But would the knowledge be worth the side-
effects? There is a Beastwoman. She is called Makragg
Bloody-Thighs. She has curled sheep-horns and the
There is a story: if you dance backwards around the legs of a goat, making her a Caprigor Truegor. She
Murder Tree seven times when Morrslieb is full, is also a shaman, leading a small pack of bloody-
chanting the name of your enemy, then your enemy fanged Brays. The Murder Tree is sacred to her and
will be slain. But maybe something else is required she leads her pack to it in pilgrimage once a year.
by the ritual before it can truly work, and if so, what, She rips her flesh on the rose thorns and allows her
and is this black magic worth the price? pack to lap at her bleeding wounds. Her blood
excites them to kill her and eat her flesh, but they
A young Dwarf came from Middenheim. He picked fear her too much to give in to their temptation.
a fallen acorn from the dirt and carried it back with Makragg knows this, and the knowledge of her
him to the City of the White Wolf. The Dwarf planted power over them makes her ambitious for power
the acorn in the rocky side of the Fauschlag. He over yet more followers. She knows there are

2 legion - issue five

Humans who would follow her and drink her blood matters for them. Other scenarios would involve a
in the belief it would give them savage strength. Every lot of information gathering and conspiring on the part
year that she bleeds on the tree, her belief that the of PCs as the Star Chamber is a secret everyone
tree makes her blood special increases, as does her involved wants to keep.
desire to feed it to devoted adorers.
Oi, you with the big nose...
A Wizard cut a rosewood staff from the Murder Tree. If the PCs were to offend one of the directors, he
He trimmed the prickles from all but the end of the may institute a Star Chamber warrant and the PCs
staff. His magic has become stronger, but all his spells may get some hints as to a relationship between
are now somehow tainted with pain and blood. assassins and the Warrant Execution Company. But,
who do they tell if they do not know which of the
There is a man. He is non-descript; no-one would directors runs the Star Chamber? The PCs may not
look at him twice. He has slain fourteen men and even realise the Oath Sworn Keepers would want
women, and will slay more if given the chance. The to stop the Star Chamber’s work. This is likely to be
man is a poisoner, and his favoured venom is brewed a combat heavy scenario, but having the contract
from the apples and mistleberries gathered from the lifted could involve a lot of role-playing and thought.
Murder Tree. (The antidote can be made from the
petals of the roses.) He accepts written contracts Blackmail is such an ugly word
that are left in a split in the tree’s trunk. The nobility always say you cannot trust commoners;
now someone is blackmailing an important personage
An orphan climbed the branches of the Murder Tree. over an old Star Chamber job. So, it seems they
The child looked out and saw a party of wanderers were right. The noble, possibly a Syber-Gronzy
and was inspired to lead them to the tree, making up family member, would normally just kill the
a reason to get them to follow. The Murder Tree has blackmailer but as the assassin was hired through
need of them, you see? the Star Chamber the assassin’s identity is unknown
to them. Enter the PCs, for whatever reason;
blackmail, being framed for a murder or threats to
family work best. The noble hires the PCs to join the
TALABHEIM company (even better if you let them join earlier)
and then join the Star Chamber (the noble has a few
Outcuts and Longbits details and could recommend the PCs to Mellinger)
By Ze Zenono Collin
Collinss to find out who did the job, who knew about it and
finally to track down and kill the blackmailer. Having
the PCs spy on the guild they just joined in the hope
of tracking down an assassin should make things very
tense. After all, they will have to perform at least one
assassination to get in and become trusted. However,
everyone will get suspicious when they start asking
questions, and assassins have only one way of dealing
THE WARRANT with people they do not trust.
EXECUTION COMP COMPANY ANY
CAMEOS Keep your enemies close, but your
Plot Lines friends closer
The PCs could meet a company man at any time in Richleau is a man after power. He has avoided Chaos
Talabheim, executing a warrant, interviewing a as he knows from his wizard’s training that it only
target’s friends or family or just walking about the destroys in the end. His chosen route to power is via
city. Joining the company may involve some the company. By building influence and favours,
entertaining role-playing. It does give the GM an easy Richleau has reached the board of directors. His work
way to drag PCs into scenarios, or just complicate for the Star Chamber has given him money and

legion - issue five 3

information that will be used to manipulate the city. but all the rich men she finds keep dying without
Assassination, blackmail, betrayal, or extortion: leaving her any money. The majority of her income
nothing is beneath him, and now he is ready. comes from wise investments in business ventures
Richleau’s plan is to take over the company and a and a share of the profits from the Hare and Hounds.
couple of major merchant enterprises, but in such a Dwarfs originally built the inn and this shows in its
way that no one will know he’s running things. solid, sturdy construction. The cellars have flagstone
Assassins in the Star Chamber will do his killing, floors and brick-lined walls with vents that lead to
and blackmailed merchants will sign businesses over the roof letting fresh air in. Windows in the inn are of
to a lawyer retained by a Herr Schmidt who is being thick leaded glass with latches and bolts.
threatened by heavies unconnected with the The smithy is located off the main courtyard. It is
company. Bribed clerks will destroy, lose or forge so cramped that only a Dwarf can work there
any problematic paperwork, accidents will happen, comfortably, it is used to offer horse shoeing to
people will die, and Richleau will then become the customers and repairs to weapons and armour for
head of the Star Chamber. He will go on to reap the company men. The Dwarven smith Hans Jorgsunn
profits of companies run by lawyers acting on behalf also works as handyman, barman and bouncer. A
of a Herr Schmidt whom they have never met. member of the guild in good standing, he is on good
Richleau’s ultimate goal is to take control of several terms with most of their Bounty Hunters.
noble families. This would be a long running story The main doors open to a drinking area full of tables
and would shake up the company quite a bit. and chairs with eight two-foot thick oak pillars
supporting the wooden-beamed ceiling. The 30’ long
bar is on the left where the barrels of beer are kept.
Behind the bar, shelves of wines and spirits line the
wall and doors lead to the kitchen and pantry. The
fire is always burning and is built up to a large roaring
mass in winter. Other light is provided by lanterns.
Doors on the right lead to a snug dining room for
THE HARE & HOUNDS more refined guests. Stairs from the upper rooms
(FULL TEXT) head down here making it easier for well-to-do
Where you find criminals, you will find those who guests to dine without going outside. The current
live off them. Though obviously not popular, the manager is Pieter Schuzbar. An ex-sailor in his late
Warrant Execution Company likes to maintain a forties, he is tall, of average build with lank dark
presence here to support its people who work in brown hair, watery brown eyes, a full brown beard
Talagraad and assist the City Watch and River and a tanned complexion from his sea days.
Wardens. To this end, the company bought an inn in Schuzbar is morose, depressed and generally
Talagraad that serves as a base of operation for their miserable; he can make you forget your worries
people. It still does business as a normal inn, but because after a few minutes speaking to him the
has sleeping quarters, storage and offices for Bounty whole world seems brighter. Since taking over, the
Hunters and wardens. As the riff-raff are kept out widow Gratz has insisted that Pieter concentrate on
and people think twice about robbing here, the Hare organising and stocking the bar, not serving (except
and Hounds is popular with the more well-to-do towards the end of the evening when they want
locals and those passing through Talagraad. people to leave).
The widow Gratz is a thief turned merchant hired Arno Horst, an ex-assassin trained by Halfling
by the company to run its inn. Gratz is actually her chefs, does the cooking. In his late forties, he has
maiden name and the title “widow” is a bit of a joke. retired and has money invested with a couple of local
Married four times already at thirty-three she keeps merchants. He was an expert with knives and
outliving her husbands, though only one of those was poisons before he took up cooking as a hobby from
under fifty when she married him. Contrary to what which he now makes a less risky living. After all,
some people say she did not kill any of them. Helene few cooks get killed by bodyguards. Arno also does
Gratz would not mind a nice, rich husband who some minor surgery on the side, since he knows a
actually stayed alive so she does not have to work, lot about stab wounds and poison.

4 legion - issue five

 The Hare and Hounds is a good place for the PCs Brotherhood, helping out with the chores and
to use as a base. If they ask the Widow nicely, they teaching ex-pit-fighters to read and write.
can store weapons and armour here that they cannot Unfortunately, someone saw him outside the house
take into the city and they can eat, sleep, and drink and now Viktor needs to be smuggled out of the
here in relative safety. city before a warrant can be written for him.
Emmerich knows his people are not going to be
able to get him out, so he hires the PCs to get Viktor
to a group of Markovite sympathisers over the
border.
This scenario could be a running battle, the PCs
constantly under attack from city militia, Bounty
Hunters and young nobles. Or, for more thoughtful
PCs it could involve a complex plan to smuggle
Viktor out in disguise or via a tunnel while the
HARE & HOUND Brotherhood’s house is being watched. A sort of
CAMEO prison escape scenario avoiding the city militia and
Oh, ficklety, thy name is woman Bounty Hunters by stealth and guile rather than brute
The family of one of Widow Gratz’s late husbands force.
is not happy about his death and more importantly,
his money. Why they have waited until now is up to “Whose army? Well, this army.”
the GM (a long trip away or sudden financial Crime lords have long memories and the Schultz
problems that the Widow’s money could fix) and incident has not been forgotten. One of the other
they retain the PCs to find evidence that she was crime lords, maybe an associate of Schultz’s who
responsible. The only problem is, she was not. But survived, has been biding their time and now thinks
maybe the family does not care about evidence, just they have enough people to take out the
that her money becomes theirs. How honest are the Brotherhood. Again, this could go either way. Fans
PCs and do they realise they are investigating (and of the Godfather movies may want a long drawn
possibly framing) a woman who has friends in high out struggle with both groups making alliances and
places, working for a company that has nasty hiring assassins to take out prominent members of
employees? the opposition, with the PCs acting as hit-men,
planners and advisors, spies and informants. Or it
THE BROTERHO
BROTERHOOD OD could be all out war, an overwhelming assault on
CAMEOS the Brotherhood house by every thug and hit-man
The Levellers the crime lord has. The PCs can either be hired to
Viktor Sorbas is an agitator with a capital A. A slim, organise and lead the assault or could just be hanging
plain looking young man of Kislevite extraction, he out with the Brotherhood when it happens and are
grew up in a nice middle class home with plenty of added to the hit list.
privileges and a very bright future. Then he rebelled Perhaps the crime lord was not as discreet as she
against it all and went to live in the slums and become thought and Emmerich heard rumours. As the
a radical. Sorbas did follow the Markovite members of the brotherhood are known faces in
philosophy (Warpstone 10) for a while, but thought Talagraad, he hires the PCs to spy on the heavies
it was not radical enough and instead came up with and find out who hired them or what they are
his own theory of a “levelled society” where all planning. If they find out in time, the PCs could be
people are so equal that everyone has the same legal part of a force sent to hit the crime lord first or they
rights and access to food, healthcare and so on. He may warn the Brotherhood and be hired to help
is not too sure about how to put this into practice, with the defence of the house when the raid comes.
but he is very sure about his beliefs, and can and Either way, there is a lot of trouble brewing and the
will talk about this theoretical utopia for hours. shock waves of a major crime war in Talagraad
Naturally the authorities have seen his pamphlets and could have far-reaching effects, if the PCs last long
want to string him up now. He was staying with the enough to see them.

legion - issue five 5