THE THOUSAND

THRONES
Expansion 2
A Supplement for Warhammer
Fantasy Roleplay
 — Introduction —
This booklet is the second in a series of free, downloadable expansions to augment The Thousand Thrones campaign
for Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay. If you expect to play this campaign in the future, you should stop reading now.
Major spoilers are contained within the first few paragraphs of the next page. Certain NPCs and adventure locations
may be useful outside The Thousand Thrones, but these web booklets are designed first and foremost to enhance the
printed campaign and thus their utility as standalones is limited. The campaign book can be purchased from www.
fantasyflightgames.com.

Writing and Design: Jude Hornborg, Wayde Zalken, Steven and Dawn Lewis,
Jerzy Smiałek, Dan White, Chuck Morrison, Simon Crowe,
Tim Eccles, Alexander Bateman, Rob Gonzalez

Original Concept: Robert J. Schwalb

Editing & Proofreading: Wayde Zalken, Jude Hornborg, Orbis Proszynski,

Jerzy Smiałek, Alexander Bateman, Lauri Maijala

Playtesting: Per Persson, Luke Walker, Francesco Calzimitto,

John-Paul Temple

Original Interior Art: Michael Prescott

Cartography: Thomas Detko, Michael Prescott,

Simon Dennett, Andrew Law

Handouts: Thomas Detko, Chuck Morrison,

Jude Hornborg, Steven Lewis

Layout & Graphic Design: Jude Hornborg

Additional Graphic Elements: Hal Mangold, Andreas Blicher

Additional Art: Clipart.com

© Copyright Games Workshop Limited 2010. All Rights Reserved. Games Workshop, the
Games Workshop logo, Warhammer, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, the Warhammer Fan-
tasy Roleplay logo, Fantasy Flight Games, the Fantasy Flight Games logo and all associated
races and race insignia, marks, names, characters, illustrations, and images from the War-
hammer universe are either ®, TM, and/or © Games Workshop Ltd 2000-2004, variably
registered in the UK and other countries around the world. All rights reserved.

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 — Contents —
Vampire Prophecies:
Necrarchs and Blood Dragons................................3
Featured Personality: Lord De Trois....................................6

The Vampires’ Curse........................................9

The Fall of Hollenbach....................................12

Featured Faction: The Strigany.......................15

Important Strigany NPCs................................................17
Using the Strigany........................................................20

The Claw of Nagash............................................25

Interlude: Murder on the Reikaak Express...................26

Ancient Song of the Elves.................................29

Wolfenburg Interludes..................................34
Death Cult of Nagash.....................................................38
Interlude 1: During the Investigation..................................42
Interlude 2: After the Passion Play.....................................45

Vale of the Necrarch.....................................48
Clan of the Cave Ghouls...................................................51
Herald Encampment.......................................................53
The Tower..................................................................54
The Big Showdown.......................................................65

Interlude 3: After the Necrarch’s Tower..............................68

Inn-Counter: The Tilted Chalice...................................70

Handouts...............................................................71

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 Vampire Prophecies

“Learned men postulate wisdom is but a subset of knowledge,

For life is a closed interval.
Yet immortal wisdom transverses life and knowledge,
Infinite and infinitesimal.”

- Excerpt from Vecrasi’s Historica Numeralis

Vampire Prophecies:
— Necrarchs and Blood Dragons —
The ancient conflict between Nagash and the vampires was introduced in The Thousand Thrones campaign (pg. 156-158), and
described further in the TTT Campaign Overview and Expansion #1 (pg. 3-4). Expansion #2 takes us deeper into death’s shadow,
revealing obscure lore of the Necrarch and Blood Dragon vampires.

For reasons unrelated, these two bloodlines have remained largely undocumented by prophecy scholars. Compared to the comprehen-
sive writings on the Strigoi, Lahmian and Von Carstein bloodlines, references to the Necrarchs and Blood Dragons are limited to a few
scattered footnotes in prophecy scholarship. To contextualise the roles of these two bloodlines in vampire history, we must first return
to the story of their progenitor, Nagash.

Players should not receive access to this supplement’s background unless indicated by the adventure text.

Vampires and necromancers of all allegiances owe many of their

The Remains of Nagash incantations and rituals to Nagash’s groundbreaking research
into the black arts. The Necrarch vampires are the primary
custodians of the Great Necromancer’s most coveted legacy; his
Following Nagash’s assassination by Alcadizaar the Conqueror in
extensive collection of lore.
-1151, the necromancer’s body was incinerated. However, Nagash
is commonly believed to possess a symbiotic connection with his
corporeal remains, infusing them with a dark vitality even across
vast distances. Whilst Nagash’s corpse dust slowly drifted to the
Necrarchs and the Lore
Black Pyramid in Khemri and congealed, his severed right hand of Nagash
crawled away under its own power. Years later, the claw found its
way to Mourkain where it was received by the priest Kadon as a Prime Necrarch W’Soran was the Great Necromancer’s most
powerful relic. Today, the mummified claw is the dominant icon loyal follower, and consequently, the Necrarch vampires are the
of Nagash’s cult, sought by an order of fanatical acolytes who wish only bloodline who still reveres Nagash. Of course, allegiances
to return the relic to Nagashizzar. shift over time and the Necrarchs’ current relationship with
Nagash is unknown to prophecy scholars.
Just as the claw anchors Nagash’s dispersed body, the Great
Necromancer’s consciousness remains active in the material realm Some have claimed that Nagash’s name appears in an ancient
through his fabled Crown of Sorcery. The Claw and the Crown tome called the Grimoire Necronium, specifically a section
have passed between many owners over the ages, including necro- entitled “The 13th Divination of W’Soran”. However, the
mancers, Orcs, vampires and witch hunters. Both the Claw and Grimoire Necronium is a rare and challenging text that can
the Crown are imbued with the will of Nagash, providing him only be decoded by students of the dark arts. Furthermore,
with influence over whoever possesses them. most existing copies of the Grimoire Necronium are adulterated
transcriptions of W’Soran’s original vellum tome. Necrarchs
When The Thousand Thrones timeline begins, Nagash’s Claw is regularly append their libraries with madness-inspired revela-
being carried by a Strigany mystic from the Wasteland named tions, and deliberately insert misleading references to confound
Mariana. The Crown of Sorcery has mysteriously disappeared from other researchers.
the vaults beneath the Grand Temple of Sigmar in Altdorf. Both
artefacts are important components to Nagash’s final return, sug- A handful of vampirological sciontologists claim to have traced
gesting that the cult of Nagash is behind the plot to obtain them. the Necrarch bloodline back to the ancient city of Lahmia and
the high priest W’Soran himself. No sciontologist’s estimates

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 Vampire Prophecies
After W’Soran’s destruction, the remaining Necrarchs scattered
across the Old World to build towers and take on apprentices of
their own. Vampire hunters point to abandoned wizard towers
in Ostland and Ostermark as evidence of Melkhior’s handiwork,
suggesting the ancient Necrarch might have relocated several times
over the millennia.

Zacharias the Everliving

Before receiving the blood kiss from Melkhior, the mortal known
as Zacharias was an apprentice to the famous necromancer Dieter
Helsnicht. Zacharias attempted to usurp Melkhior as Necrarch
apprentices often do, but he was unsuccessful and was driven away
from his master’s tower.

After wandering for many weeks, Zacharias found a sleeping

dragon in a cave in the Middle Mountains. The Necrarch drained
the creature’s blood gaining tremendous power in the same
manner as prime Blood Dragon Abhorash had millennia earlier.
Then in 2518, Zacharias returned to Melkhior’s tower and finally
triumphed over his master. But unlike W’Soran, Melkhior was not
are entirely accurate, however, since the Necrarchs are known to destroyed utterly and some believe he will return one day to claim
obscure the histories of their progenitors with misinformation. revenge against Zacharias.

Mortals who manage to find a Necrarch’s hidden tower rarely live Currently, Zacharias is the dominant Necrarch of the bloodline.
to tell the tale. In the rare instance when a tower is located, the But even after obtaining Melkhior’s extensive library of lore,
Necrarchs will attempt to relocate before the local nobility can or- Zacharias knows his knowledge is incomplete. He suspects other
ganise a siege. Abandoned Necrarch towers can be found scattered Necrarchs are secretly withholding truer copies of the Grimoire
throughout the Old World like grotesque husks, infused with dark Necronium, so he tirelessly searches the Empire’s forests from atop
magic and the charred remains of diabolical experiments. his zombie dragon looking for any sign of their towers.

Prime Necrarch W’Soran Prophecy and the Esoteric Sciences

Before the Skaven swarmed Nagashizzar in -1150, W’Soran recov- In addition to necromantic experimentation, Necrarchs practice
ered a magical tome from Nagash’s library and fled with his most esoteric sciences such as alchemy, astrology, and numerology. These
loyal priests to establish a new base. W’Soran travelled the Old disciplines are studied for a variety of purposes, although each
World, gathering apprentices who would be worthy to join the relates in its own way to Nagash’s Kingdom of Death.
Necrarch bloodline. W’Soran educated his apprentices in the dark
lores for eight hundred years more, and recruited mortal madmen Alchemy is used to create weapons to control the other vampire
to serve the cult. bloodlines after the Age of a Thousand Thrones has been revealed
as a fraud and Nagash has emerged as the supreme god-being.
The young Necrarchs were taught to guard Nagash’s secrets by Alchemy is also believed to hold the secret to lifting the curses of
erecting hidden towers that would conceal them from foes. But the Old Gods from the Necrarch bloodline.
before long, W’Soran’s pupils began to rival him in power, chiefly
his senior apprentice Melkhior. W’Soran’s original writing on the human gods is so heavily steeped
in astrology, that it has inspired a new sub-discipline called “theo-
Melkhior the Ancient logical astrology” by those who study the Necrarchs. Important
prophecy events from W’Soran’s 13 Divinations coincide with the
Shortly after the founding of Strigos in -223, Melkhior slew his passage of moons and comets through auspicious star signs associ-
master and devoured the body to gain his power. By destroying ated with gods such as Sigmar, Myrmidia, and of course Nagash
Father W’Soran, Melkhior became the most powerful Necrarch in himself. Observatories atop the Necrarchs’ towers also provide a
existence. Driven to a transcendent state of madness from consum- vantage point from which to observe the prophetic magical wind
ing W’Soran’s blood, Melkhior became obsessed with painting of Azyr.
prophetic Kingdom of Death tableaus on canvases of human flesh.
Melkhior established his base in the eastern Empire but rarely Numerology is employed to understand ancient Nehekharan texts
ventured outside of his tower. that were encrypted by their original creators as numeric puzzles.

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 Vampire Prophecies

Vampirological sciontologists agree that vampiric curses are not

Blood Dragons and the inherited through the blood kiss. Some say the curses are acquired

Vampires’ Curse
just as randomly as allergies, but their true origin is a subject of
continued debate. The divine origins of Blood Dragon quests are
of little interest to sciontologists, because they provide no use-
The first Blood Dragon Abhorash was former captain of Lahmia’s ful information about vampiric ancestry. Old chansons are of
elite guards. Queen Neferata knew Abhorash would refuse the some value, since they describe famous Bretonnian figures such as
Elixir of Life unless she could fool him into drinking it without Landuin and Aethelbert, who encountered the questing vampire
knowing its true properties. After his transformation, the en- knights and discovered their progenitors’ identities.
raged Abhorash tried to quash his blood thirst, but eventually his
willpower failed and he grudgingly joined the vampire Council of Unlike the Necrarchs, Blood Dragon vampires do not heed the
Twelve. Abhorash was made commander-general of Lahmia and prophecies of Nagash or W’Soran. Abhorash cautioned his war-
performed with such efficiency that crime was virtually unheard of. riors to eschew all prophecies which he declared were tools of
deceit. Blood Dragons are uninterested by the Thousand Thrones
Abhorash knew that the other Nehekharan kingdoms looked at prophecies, even if they have occasionally served Nagash’s will
Lahmia with suspicion, but his proposed codes of honourable con- unknowingly.
duct were rejected by the ruling Council of Twelve. The original
vampires continued wantonly feeding on their subjects without
any regard for laws. When the gods of Nehekhara cursed the vam- The Legacy of the Red Duke
pires, Abhorash received no dispensation.
The Red Duke of Aquitaine was the first of Abhorash’s Blood
When the Nehekharan kingdoms finally overthrew Lahmia, the Dragons to achieve success in Bretonnia. In 1454, the Red Duke
disenchanted commander-general led the city’s futile defence. But returned from the Arabyan crusades and raised a powerful army
after Lahmia’s fall, Abhorash felt betrayed by his vampire kindred to conquer the duchy of Aquitaine. Although the Red Duke was
and fled north to seek a release from the curses of the Old Gods. eventually destroyed, an account of his ambitious campaign was
In 253, Abhorash found a dragon’s lair atop a mountain and slew recorded by fellow crusader Giovanni Lanfranchi and his chaplain,
the fearsome beast. Upon drinking the dragon’s blood, Abhorash Anton Aethelbert of Morr.
gained awesome power and also discovered that his ravenous ap-
petite for blood had been cured. Lanfranchi and Aethelbert

Determined to perpetuate and expand his legacy, Abhorash After the Red Duke’s conquest of Aquitaine was halted, Lan-
founded several orders of vampire knights and taught them what franchi and Aethelbert established an order of Myrmidian vampire
he knew of the vampires’ curse. Abhorash advised his knights that hunters called the Priory of the Spear. The Priory located their
they could lift their curses by undertaking heroic quests as he had base in the Empire where the crusaders believed that the scions of
done with the dragon. He also promised to return one day and Nagash were hiding. Vampirological sciontologists speculate that
lead them, before disappearing from recorded history. Many of Lanfranchi and Aethelbert were actually forced to flee the king-
Abhorash’s descendants ultimately settled in Bretonnia, exploiting dom after they learned of a scandal involving the Red Duke and
its similar culture of chivalry to spread the Blood Dragon code and the King of Bretonnia. Most of the crusaders’ lore relating to the
conquer Aquitaine and Mousillon. Red Duke has subsequently disappeared from the Priory’s base in
Siegfriedhof.
Today, the largest Blood Dragon order is the Ordo Draconis of
Blood Keep, hidden in the Grey Mountains between Bretonnia Nourgul the Necrarch
and the Empire.
Lanfranchi and Aethelbert were not the only scholars interested in
Blood Dragon Quests the Red Duke. One of W’Soran’s original disciples was a hideous
Necrarch named Nourgul who reportedly appeared in Araby dur-
Blood Dragons seek to lift the curses of Nagash and the Old Gods, ing the time of the crusades. Nourgul opposed Abhorash during
but their methods are different from the Necrarchs. Instead of the last era of the Reman Empire, and also harboured a vendetta
academic pursuits, the Blood Dragons undertake epic quests di- against his greatest warrior, the Red Duke.
vined from auguries gained through hallucinatory blood-drinking
ceremonies. Scholars have found references to the old Nehekharan Nourgul was also obsessed with the Tome of Wisdom, which had
gods in historical accounts of Blood Dragon quests, enabling them been moved to Myrmidia’s temple in Magritta after crusaders lib-
to speculate on the divine origins of each vampire curse. Unfor- erated Estalia in the 15th century. On several occasions Nourgul
tunately, the majority of Blood Dragon history is passed down dispatched agents to steal the Tome of Wisdom from the temple,
through oral accounts of dubious reliability. but they all failed.

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 Vampire Prophecies

Morrian vampire historians insist that Nourgul sought the Tome Featured Personality:
of Wisdom because Lanfranchi and Aethelbert had appended it
with secrets pertaining to the Red Duke. This cannot be confirmed Lord De Trois
however, since the tome no longer holds traces of the crusaders’
original writings. What is known for certain is that the text of The Necrarch vampire known as Lord De Trois was a Myrmidian
some chapters – particularly chapter XII – was somehow altered prelate during the twilight years of the Reman Empire. Prelate
after an incident with Nourgul 300 years later. Claudius lived at a time when Tilea was overrun with the walking
dead and the people were desperate for heroes. But Claudius be-
In 1750, Nourgul’s undead army assaulted Magritta and breached lieved that Tileans had forsaken their beloved goddess by accepting
the doors of Myrmidia’s temple, but again the Necrarch failed a bandit chieftain as the avatar of Myrmidia reborn.
to seize his coveted Tome of Wisdom. After this final defeat, all
that remained beside the altar was a pile of ashes. Nourgul was One night when Morrslieb was full, Claudius abandoned his
never seen again. Conspiracy theorists believe that the Necrarch priesthood to become the third and final member of a vampiric
modified the text during his last hours under siege in the Estalian cult led by Nourgul. Taking the name Vecrasi, he would be the
temple, while the priests of Myrmidia attribute the tome’s mysteri- Necrarch’s last apprentice to receive the blood kiss.
ous revisions to divine intervention from their goddess.

Many vampirological sciontologists believe that an apprentice of The Numerosopher Vecrasi

Nourgul named De Trois played a role in the Red Duke’s defeat
when the Blood Dragon returned to Bretonnia in 1932. With his heightened vampire senses and intellect, Vecrasi gained
unique insight into the underlying forces that shaped the destiny
of civilisation. Because of this gift, Nourgul charged his pupil with
recording his observations in a series of scrolls that are collectively
known today as the Historica Numeralis. The majority of scrolls
contained in the Historica Numeralis are a strange hybrid of
mathematics and philosophy, written in poetic verse and infused
with a panoply of theologies modern and ancient. An obscure field
of Estalian scholarship draws heavily upon the numerosophy of
Vecrasi, however the seminal thinker’s vampiric identity remains
unknown.

Vecrasi also transcribed a version of the Myrmidian Tome of Wis-

dom, which he committed to memory during his previous life as a
priest. In fact, Vecrasi could recite the entire tome by rote, except
for a particular chapter which had unaccountably vanished from
his memory. Had Myrmidia somehow punished Vecrasi’s apostasy
by erasing a critical secret from his mind? Nourgul became curious
about his disciple’s amnesia, and discovered that the missing chap-
ter XII detailed a future age when Myrmidia would return for the
final time. This new revelation brought to mind W’Soran’s 12th
Divination, which stated “...and the sleeping gods shall reawaken
in the Seventh Era”.

Nourgul became increasingly obsessed with the Tome of Wisdom

until 1750, when he led an undead army into Estalia to recover
the original volume. Nourgul appointed his apprentice Vecrasi to
remain behind and guard his tower. After Nourgul was defeated
at Magritta, the Knights of the Blazing Sun located the Necrarch’s
tower in the Abasko Mountains and laid siege to the vampire’s
lair. Among the Estalian host were knights from the Order of the
Raven who were specifically trained to fight the undead.

Vecrasi followed his master’s instructions to the bitter end and was
struck down. However, the killing blow sent his body plummet-
ing into a deep crevasse, denying the Raven Knights their chance
to end his existence utterly. Vecrasi would reawaken less than a

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 Vampire Prophecies

year later to find the tower destroyed and its treasures plundered. widely speculated to be the fated scion of Nagash. Vlad’s destruc-
Empty handed, the emaciated vampire travelled north into the tion renewed De Trois’ interest in the Books of Nagash and the
Kingdom of Bretonnia. Grimoire Necronium specifically.

Phantom of the Library While these canonical necromantic tomes had been lost to De
Trois during his wanderings, many of their principles were encod-
It was during this period when Nourgul’s third apprentice first ed in his own Historica Numeralis. With no means of obtaining
called himself by the name De Trois. At first De Trois dwelt in a the original texts, De Trois dispatched a handful of mortal servants
forest cave much like the wild Strigoi vampires, but De Trois was to locate a copy of his early masterpiece. Upon revisiting the
a Necrarch and thirsted for knowledge rather than blood. Breton- Historica Numeralis after so many years, De Trois was struck by
nian chansons of the 19th century described a “phantom of the the artistry of his old work. Furthermore, the Necrarch discovered
library” whose glowing eyes made scholars flee with a single glare. many passages that he had no recollection of ever writing.
Whenever a knight inevitably arrived to cleanse the library of its
haunt, he would find nothing but a few disturbed tomes or scrolls. Among these forgotten passages was a curious reference to the
Ballads dating back to the Red Duke’s second campaign of destruc- Tree of Hope, which was described as a nexus between the mortal
tion in the 1930’s have led Bretonnian sciontologists to conclude and divine realms. Amid pages of genealogical historiography, De
that the infamous “library phantom” was in fact a Necrarch Trois also found a series of numerological computations revealing
vampire. that, in life, Nourgul belonged to the same lineage as Nagash. The
vampire’s already unstable mind snapped under the weight of this
After the Red Duke’s conquest of Aquitaine, a series of arcane new revelation.
diagrams etched into parchments of human flesh appeared nailed
to chapel doors across the kingdom. At first, the horrid scrolls were Heralds of a New Dawn
received as ill omens, but before long the prophetesses of the Lady
began to reconsider their true purpose. It seemed that someone The sanity shattering discoveries De Trois gained from the His-
was providing the Bretonnian king with very specific insights into torica Numeralis only hastened his transformation into a deranged
the weaknesses of the Red Duke and his henchmen. megalomaniac. The insane Necrarch suddenly declared that the
Kingdom of Death was nigh, and that his followers would need to
While there were never any witnesses to the posting of the docu- document his great ascension as the fated scion of Nagash. Hence-
ments, specific details and distinctive turns of phrase support forth, De Trois referred to his followers as his “heralds”.
the sciontologists’ belief that the documents were authored by
descendants of W’Soran. The Necrarchs’ betrayal of the Red Duke Then the Necrarch set to work forging a new undead civilisation
directly contributed to his defeat and exile to the Forest of Cha- that he believed would succeed mankind in the next epoch. To
lons. Ironically, when the knights of Bretonnia located De Trois’ this end, De Trois experimented with the creation of all manner
forest lair, they assumed he was one of the Red Duke’s sorcerers in of undead constructs in his laboratory, all the while dictating his
hiding. De Trois evaded the knights for nearly 50 years until he bizarre biography to his scribes. But as De Trois’ memory became
was cornered and slain for the second time. more muddled over time, the heralds were unable to follow his
rambling narratives and the vampire despaired at the limitations of
The Forgotten Scion of Nagash mortal minds.

De Trois would wait nearly a hundred years until the Vam- For the next 400 years, De Trois entrusted the recording of his bi-
pire Wars of the 21st century for his second resurrection. The ography to a vampire apprentice called Xyzyx. Xyzyx was the only
Necrarch’s body was a broken and wizened vessel, yet his fragment- mortal to ever receive the blood kiss from De Trois, who found
ed soul was firmly anchored to the desiccated husk. The weakened internal rivalries irksome. Xyxyx was gifted in astrology and used
Necrarch wandered from Bretonnia into the lands of the Empire his talents to support his master’s proclamations with astrological
where he sought the aid of the supreme Necrarch Melkhior. How- diagrams. This arrangement continued until Xyzyx was abducted
ever, Melkhior mistrusted the scions of Nourgul and sent De Trois by the Strigoi and taken to Hunger Wood.
away, warning him never to return.
Then on a cold night in 2518, De Trois unveiled the first of his
De Trois eventually found a secluded forest vale in Ostland where new creations: a living mummy that he called Lubomir the Undy-
he convalesced for several years before erecting a tower of his own. ing. Unlike other mummies, Lubomir was nearly indistinguishable
With his tower built, De Trois resumed the transcription of his from a living man, but most importantly he retained his capacity
previous research. However, when Vlad von Carstein was defeated for creative thought. Finally, De Trois had created the perfect sub-
in 2051, De Trois’ focus changed. jects to complete the epic work his heralds had begun so long ago.

During the early Vampire Wars, many Necrarchs believed the Over the four centuries since he erected his tower, De Trois also
realisation of Nagash’s Kingdom of Death was inevitable. Vlad had time to write several volumes of algebraic poetry and even a
von Carstein was presumed to be Vashanesh reincarnated, and was stage play. The twelve-act epic drama entitled Pax Necris retold the

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 Vampire Prophecies

life and death of Sigmar Heldenhammer in exhaustive detail from

De Trois’ own unique viewpoint. Pax Necris was a subversive piece Ancient Song of the Elves
that resembled many popular religious epics of the day, before
pulling away the curtain in the final act to declare the ultimate One of De Trois’ most recent obsessions is an oil painting by an
supremacy of Nagash. Each act described a famous episode from Elven maiden featuring a tree, bird, and comet. De Trois believes
Sigmar’s life, with ominous subtext leading up to a surprise ending. the painting depicts the fabled nexus between divine realms known
The shocking finale explicitly detailed Sigmar’s vampiric corrup- as the Tree of Hope. Furthermore, De Trois believes he can dis-
tion upon attaining apotheosis at the Tree of Hope. With his cover the tree’s location by deciphering the archaic Eltharin verses
Undying Heralds in place, De Trois only lacked skilled players to inscribed onto the frame. To this end, De Trois has kidnapped and
bring Pax Necris to the illiterate and weak-minded masses. tortured the painter for her secrets, but thus far he has succeeded
only at driving her mad.
In 2521, De Trois drugged and hypnotised an unemployed troupe
of theatrical agitators led by a Middenlander called Dieter van In actuality, the painting depicts imagery from an ancient Elven
Dorf. The “Heralds of a New Dawn” would be the perfect en- song dating back to the War of the Beard. The song’s verses are
semble to perform the Pax Necris when the next Chosen of Sigmar encrypted with secrets pertaining to the Old Ones, the Elven gods,
came to the Empire. and a portal to the Chaos Realms hidden within a mountain to the
north. Unfortunately, De Trois has failed to appreciate the song’s
allusion to the Old Ones despite his former astrologer’s frequent
mention of “sky gods”. De Trois has correctly interpreted the song’s
references to Tzeentch and Slaanesh, although he is unstudied in
the nuances of Chaos lore, so the Warp Portal symbolism eludes
him.

De Trois was already aware that Nagash had been served by a for-
mer champion of Khorne named Krell, and his decryption of the
Coda: Pax Necris Elven song has piqued his curiosity about the role Chaos will play
in the Kingdom of Death.
Xyzyx’s astrological charts had not confirmed Valten as the Chosen
One, and shortly after his disappearance, a young boy emerged as a
second potential scion. De Trois consulted a vast array of resources
including his own Historica Numeralis, a Lanfranchi triptych pan-
el based on the Zandri Scrolls, and myriad numerological ciphers
to confirm that the boy named Karl was indeed the harbinger of
the Kingdom of Death.

Of course Karl’s existence was no secret, and before long his small
retinue swelled into a great crusade against Chaos. Cities and
towns along the crusaders’ trail held feasts and celebrations to hon-
our their holy visitor. When the crusade arrived in Wolfenburg,
the boy was to witness a passion play. De Trois recognised that this
convergence of events could not be more auspicious.

The Necrarch Lord’s plan was for his Heralds to infiltrate the
legitimate production of Heldenhammer!, and secretly replace the
scripts with his own masterpiece, Pax Necris. None of the regular
actors would be around to object, since they were poisoned and
replaced with Herald conspirators.

The commencement of the final act would cue Karl’s exsan-

guination by De Trois, enabling the Necrarch to become a vessel
for the combined essence of Nagash and Sigmar. If all went accord-
ing to plan, De Trois’ apotheosis would occur live on stage during
a surprise and unannounced Act XIII. The Necrarch Lord believed
that when the mortals witnessed his grand transformation as the
spectacular climax to Pax Necris, they would be compelled to ac-
cept him as Nagash returned.

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 Vampires’ Curse

— The Vampires’ Curse —

The Nehekharan nobles who first drank the Elixir of Life in -1650 were immediately cursed by the gods they had forsaken in favour of
Nagash. The Vampires’ Curse actually comprises a multitude of minor weaknesses that collectively fetter the vampires’ rise to greatness.
Each individual vampire is afflicted by only a handful of weaknesses, but newly turned vampire thralls seldom carry the same weaknesses
as their progenitors did; they must discover their own personal curse through trial and error. Most sciontologists have developed their
own theories concerning the curses’ proliferation, though none have proven consistently reliable.

The Vampires’ Curse has endured long after the decline of the Nehekharan gods. For more information on the Lahmian heresy, see
“Curse of the Old Gods” (TTT, pg. 157).

Curses of Nagash ful Nagash declared that vampires would forever cower in the
shadows of Sigmar’s Empire. Theologians who believe in Nagash’s
When the vampires of Lahmia joined Nagash’s war against Khem- apotheosis cite the Curse of the New Gods as firm proof of Na-
ri, the Great Necromancer manipulated their leader Vashanesh gash’s divinity. Heretical sciontoligists claim the new gods are just
using a magical ring into which he’d bound the curses of all the alternate manifestations of the old, allowing Nagash to produce
gods. Three of the Vampires’ Curses were placed by Nagash either the Curse of the New Gods by invoking the power already bound
indirectly, or as subversions of other gods’ curses. More informa- in Vashanesh’s magical ring. However, most theories neglect to
tion on the Ring of Vashanesh will be included in Expansion #5. account for the disappearance of Vashanesh’s ring prior to Nagash’s
third return. Some vampires of the Lahmian bloodline believe that
Blood Thirst Vashanesh secretly aided Nagash against Sigmar.

All vampires are afflicted with Blood Thirst since the Elixir of
Life that W’Soran originally concocted was imperfect. Although
Lifting the Curse
Nagash is often credited with masterminding the Blood Curse, it With effort and determination, the Vampires’ Curse can be lifted
was W’Soran’s inability to decipher the encryption of the Great one weakness at a time. However, most vampires are too proud
Necromancer’s texts that produced an imperfect Elixir of Life. The to dwell on their failings for very long. Vampires prefer instead to
vampires’ Elixir was in one respect superior to the original for- forget their weaknesses by indulging their hunger for power. Two
mula, for it provided immortality with only a single drink whereas exceptions are the Blood Dragons and Necrarchs; vampires of
Nagash required continual dosages. But since Nagash himself had these bloodlines do in fact seek to lift their curses.
drunk the elixir without suffering from Blood Thirst, the vampires
claim that he intentionally manipulated his formula to create the
vampires’ dependence. Blood Dragons
Blood Dragons embark upon perilous quests, taking after their
Sunlight original master Abhorash who overcame his Blood Thirst by drink-
ing the blood of a dragon. Blood Dragon knightly orders such the
Eleven curses were issued by the Nehekharan gods against the Ordo Draconis typically meet once or twice every century to par-
vampires. The twelfth curse was from Ptra the sun god, who take in blood drinking rituals and declare their individual quests.
cursed Nagash’s bloodline directly, along with many of the vam- Quest objectives are interpreted from personal visions received
pires. When Nagash later created the Ring of Vashanesh, he bound during hallucinations brought on by a glut of ritual blood.
all of the curses into his artefact, including Ptra’s curse. In the
same moment that Vashanesh removed the ring and abandoned
Nagash in his war against Alcadizaar’s army, the enraged Necro- Necrarchs
mancer uttered the power word of Ptra. By the magic of his ring,
Nagash transferred Ptra’s curse of sunlight onto all the surviving Necrarchs look toward alchemy for the solution to the Vampires’
vampires. Over time, the sunlight curse has proven to be the vam- Curse. The first Necrarch W’Soran lifted his Blood Thirst using
pires’ greatest weakness. the secrets of alchemy, and today the Necrarch bloodline is nearly
free from dependence on blood for survival. Inspired by W’Soran’s
accomplishment, Necrarchs continue experimenting with mystical
Curse of the New Gods elements in the hope of lifting the many curses that still burden
(Religious Symbols) their bloodline.

The only vampire curse pronounced directly by Nagash was the

Curse of the New Gods. The vampires had refused to aid Nagash
during his war against Sigmar, so just before his defeat the spite-

9
 Vampires’ Curse

Table 2.1 - Vampire Weaknesses and the Old Gods

VAMPIRE TYPICAL BLOOD NECRARCH NEHEKHARAN GOD POWER
WEAKNESS DRAGON QUEST ALCHEMICAL ELEMENT WORD
Blood Thirst Drink the blood of a dragon or Vampire blood Nagash N/A
other mythical beast
Barriers Pilgrimage to the Great Library Obsidian dust Tahoth, God of Sacred Lore Gortu
in Zandri and Knowledge
Counting Slay 999 warriors and leave Sand Ualatp, Vulture God of Scav- Orbos
their corpses for carrion engers
Daemonsroot and Drink the blood of a daemon Daemonsroot/ Witchbane Qu’aph, Snake God of Subtlety Zalka
Witchbane and a witch (or Tzeentch?)
Fire Pilgrimage into the Great Meteoric iron filings Khsar, God of the Desert Wind Yxus*
Sandy Desert of Nehekhara
Garlic Sow a field with the skulls of a Garlic powder Geheb, God of Strength and Jadra
vanquished army the Earth
Gromril Drink the blood of a Dwarf Gromril filings Unknown (Old Ones?) N/A
lord
Ithilmar Drink the blood of an Elf mage Ithilmar filings Unknown (Old Ones?) N/A

No Reflection Pilgrimage to the resting place Powdered glass Asaph, Asp Goddess of Beauty, Luna*
of Queen Khalida in Lybaras Magic and Vengeance
Religious Symbols Drink the blood of a major Blessed water Nagash Unknown
deity’s high priest
Sawdust Destroy a rival vampire clan Sawdust Usirian, God of the Under- Sicro
world
Silver Suffer defeat in battle, followed Mercury Djaf, Jackal-headed God of Odet*
by resurrection Death
Stakes Drink the blood of a vampire Rowanwood sap Sokth, God of Assassins and Tora
hunter Thieves
Sunlight Slay a mortal knight in full Gold dust Ptra the Sun God (through Lost
daylight Nagash)
Tears Pledge service to the relatives Virgin’s tears Phakth, Hawk God of the Sky Taru*
of a previous victim and Justice
Warpstone Pass through a Warp Portal Powdered Warpstone Unknown (Nurgle or The Unknown
Horned Rat?)
Running Water Journey the full length of the Spring water Subekh, Crocodile God of the Beno
Great Mortis River Rivers
Necrarch Alchemical Element: Necrarch alchemy experi-
Vampire Weakness: These represent the most common Vam- ments require years of iteration in ghastly tower laboratories.
pire Weaknesses. For full rules and examples of rare weaknesses, see Usually, the core elements associated with Vampire Weaknesses
NDM pg.113-115. are transmuted into another element or perfected into a pure form
of the original element. The resulting elixir is then consumed or
Typical Blood Dragon Quest: The specific quests under- sprinkled upon the soil around the Necrarch’s tower.
taken to lift Vampire Weaknesses vary from one knight to the
next. Most quests fail to produce the desired result upon comple- Nehekharan God: Most Vampire Weaknesses result directly
tion, but every so often a curse is indeed lifted, thus encouraging from curses pronounced by old Nehekharan gods, however several
the Blood Dragons to carry on their questing traditions. Blood curses are believed by vampirological sciontologists to originate
Dragons are occasionally manipulated by Lahmian vampires into from Chaos gods. Radical historians even trace several of the Vam-
undertaking quests serving the schemes of their immortal queen, pire Weaknesses to the work of a mysterious ancient race called the
Neferata. Old Ones, with whom early Nehekharan dynasties were reported
to have had contact.

10
 Vampires’ Curse

Power Word: Nehekharan magic is performed by uttering in-

cantations to the Old Gods. The curses laid upon the vampires are
Vampire Weaknesses, Power Words and
so potent that each one can be invoked with a single two-syllable the Ring of Vashanesh
prayer, even by those lacking clerical training. Vampires are eager
to destroy any glyph or papyrus referencing the power words, and Power Words become even more potent when used against
consequently most of them have been lost. The priests of ancient vampires who suffer from the corresponding Weakness condition.
Zandri recorded six power words, but only four of them have sur- Vampires subject to a Weakness condition that matches the spo-
vived the vampires’ disinformation campaign. ken Power Word suffer a Hard (-20) Will Power Test penalty to
resist the word. In the proximity of the Ring of Vashanesh, power
The four words indicated by an asterisk (*) remain encrypted on words are devastating to vampires.
the Lanfranchi triptych. For more information on the Lanfranchi
triptych and Power Words of the Old Gods, see TTT pg. 184-185. See Expansion #5 for rules on using Power Words in combination
Rules for the other Power Words will be included in Expansion #5. with the Ring.

Table 2.2 - Vampire Weaknesses in The Thousand Thrones

Religious Symbols
Daemonsroot and

Running Water
No Reflection
Blood Thirst

Witchbane

Warpstone
Counting

Sunlight
Sawdust
Ithilmar
Gromril
Barriers

Garlic

Stakes
Silver

Tears
Fire

Wilhelm Hollenbach X X X X X X
Mad Orlock X X X X X X
Theodora Margrave X X X X X X
Lord De Trois X X X X X
Lydia von Carstein X X X X X X
Szevelk X X X X X X

11
 Fall of Hollenbach

— The Fall of Hollenbach —

This article is an add-on for Chapter II: An Unquiet Peace, designed to expand Wilhelm Hollenbach’s role in the Thousand Thrones cam-
paign and provide additional context for his surprise reappearance at the Black Witch’s Womb in Chapter IX. Like other Blood Dragons,
the vampire Hollenbach rejects the Thousand Thrones prophecies, preferring instead to focus on completing a series of quests to lift his
Blood Curse. However, Nagash’s legacy runs deep amongst the vampires and even those who do not believe are drawn inexorably toward
the maelstrom of the Vampire Prophecies.

Hollenbach’s Curse vanquished his foe quickly, but he knew the advantage of surprise
wouldn’t last. Hollenbach tortured the captive Strigoi with silver
Hollenbach’s most troublesome curse is a strong aversion to saw- all through the night, and then finally at daybreak, the Strigoi re-
dust. According to legend, the curse was originally pronounced by vealed that its sire was a reclusive vampire called Lonely Pieter who
the Nehekharan god of the underworld, Usirian. Sawdust was a stalked the Grootscher Marsh around Marienburg. Hollenbach set
basic ingredient in the Mortuary Cult’s mummification rituals and out in search of the vampire Pieter.
Usirian saw fit to punish the vampires for withholding their most
sacred offering of death. In truth Lonely Pieter was not the progenitor of the Drakwald
Strigoi, but merely an outcast who’d taken up residence in the
Hollenbach despises this weakness, having realised that sawdust swamp. Hollenbach’s Strigoi captive had hoped that by mislead-
is in fact quite plentiful when one is trying to avoid it. Many inn- ing the Blood Dragon, his brothers and sisters would have time to
keepers scatter sawdust over their floors to absorb spilled liquids, organise an ambush. The tortured Strigoi couldn’t have imagined
and sawdust is also used for stuffing pillows and padding crates of that Hollenbach would spend his next two years tracking the wily
fragile goods. On several occasions Hollenbach has fled in terror hermit-vampire Pieter through the Wasteland swamps. Lonely Pi-
from bewildered peasants only because they had sawdust on their eter knew the swamps well and was able to conceal his tracks from
clothing. the frustrated Hollenbach with the aid of local Strigany Bonepick-
ers. When Pieter was finally cornered and defeated, he laughed
Three years ago, Hollenbach asked his liege Walach Harkon for a whilst his body shrivelled in Hollenbach’s biting grasp. Even as
quest that might dispel the curse of Usirian. Lonely Pieter’s desiccated body burned, the Wasteland Strigany
claim his laughter could be heard echoing across the marsh.

Hollenbach’s Quest
Hollenbach is a member of the notorious cabal of vampire knights The Drakwald Strigoi
known as the Ordo Draconis. During the Ordo’s last assembly at
Blood Keep in the Grey Mountains, Hollenbach was assigned a The true progenitor of the Drakwald Strigoi is none other than
quest by grandmaster Walach Harkon. Harkon instructed Hollen- Mad Orlock, whom the PCs encounter in Chapter III (TTT pg.
bach to eradicate the feral Strigoi vampires infesting the Drakwald 81). Mad Orlock feeds upon Middenland’s rural populace with
forest south of Middenheim. reckless abandon. Some of Orlock’s eviscerated victims survive and
transform into vampires, however Orlock has no desire for com-
Though it sounded like a simple quest at first, the Drakwald panionship so he leaves these accidental thralls to survive or perish
Strigoi were capable of transforming into giant vampire bats, mak- on their own. The Drakwald Strigoi typically travel in groups of
ing them very difficult to fight in the open. Instead, Hollenbach three or more.
believed he could weaken the troublesome Strigoi by first locating
and destroying their vampire progenitor. If he could slay the Old Without a true leader, the degenerate Drakwald Strigoi have no
Strigoi Father of the Drakwald, exsanguinate and burn his corpse, singular agenda. Although these feral creatures maintain contact
then Hollenbach believed he would be able to eradicate the Strigoi with many different Strigany clans, they are not regarded as true
from the Drakwald forest entirely. Upon completion of this quest, descendants of Ushoran. Pure-blooded Strigoi vampires look down
Hollenbach believes the curse of Usirian will be lifted. upon the Drakwalders, but they sometimes deign to educate their
half-bred kin in exchange for aid. One such mentor was Akana the
Hag, who commanded the Drakwalders to capture the Necrarch
Tracking the Drakwald Strigoi astrologer Xyzyx from his master’s tower over a century ago (Ex-
pansion #1, pg. 21).
Hollenbach departed Blood Keep sated with crimson ambrosia
and ready for battle. Through information gained in the torture
Additional background on Mad Orlock, the Old Father of the
of a Strigany vagabond, Hollenbach tracked down his first Strigoi
Drakwald Strigoi, will be provided in Expansion #3.
vampire near the western edge of the Drakwald forest. Hollenbach

12
 Fall of Hollenbach

Hollenbach and the Strigany “Gaaargh! Do not kill him, take him to the petra! *cough* The
Age of a Thousand Thrones is here! *sputter* Remember the words
Among the Wasteland Strigany who helped Lonely Pieter evade of the Damask Lady!”
Hollenbach was an old mystic (or petra) named Mariana. Mariana
saw Lonely Pieter’s destruction as another portent of the Thousand GMs choosing to introduce the Thousand Thrones prophecies
Thrones prophecies and persuaded her clan’s chieftain to organise at this early juncture should consider the consequences. PCs are
a journey to the Drakwald forest. Mariana urged the importance likely to ask many questions, so NPC responses should be planned
of capturing the vampire Hollenbach so his blood could be used accordingly. The “Damask Lady” refers to Akana the Strigoi Hag
to channel the soul of Lonely Pieter. By communing with Lonely of Hunger Wood with whom the Drakwald Strigoi have made
Pieter, the Strigany petra hoped to gain insight into the Thousand contact previously. Hollenbach knows nothing substantial of the
Thrones prophecies. Joining Karl’s crusade, the Strigany cara- vampire prophecies.
van arrived in Pfeifeldorf a week before the events of Chapter II
unfold. For more information on the Wasteland Strigany, see page Chapter III and IV
15.
As the events of Chapters III and IV unfold, the Drakwald Strigoi
In Pfeifeldorf, Mariana communicated with local animals and seek Mariana near Altdorf to deliver Hollenbach’s body. The
learned that the wounded Hollenbach was hiding in the Von Strigoi keep Hollenbach alive but weakened during their journey
Speier mausoleum. Mariana dispatched a message into the for- to meet Mariana. Using Hollenbach’s blood as a medium, Mariana
est and several days later a flight of giant bats arrived to capture will be able to contact Lonely Pieter’s banished soul and channel
Hollenbach, followed closely by a pack of ghouls. The vampire his wisdom of the Thousand Thrones prophecies.
knight’s quest had failed.
Chapter V to VII
As the PCs explore Villa Hahn in Chapter V, the Strigoi deliver
Hollenbach to petra Mariana. Hollenbach’s armour and weapons
are sold by the enterprising Strigany. Until Chapter IX, Hol-
lenbach lies bound and naked in Mariana’s wagon in case Lonely
Pieter needs to be consulted again. Hollenbach is kept weak by
blood deprivation under the watchful eye of Mariana’s spectral
guardian. After the Wolfenburg Interlude (pg. 69) Mariana and a
handful of loyal Strigany follow Tzeentch’s call north to Kislev, still
holding Hollenbach prisoner.

If the PCs liberate Hollenbach from the Strigany before they reach
Zhidovsk, the vampire will be most grateful. He is very weak how-
ever, reducing his stats as follows: WS 7, BS 4, S 0, Ag 5, M 1.
Hollenbach is only capable of crawling back westward to redeem
himself, although he will accept a short-term alliance with PCs
who bring blood to replenish his strength (see NDM pg. 112 for
Using Wilhelm Hollenbach Vampire Feeding rules).

Hollenbach is a tragic figure with a rather pathetic story arc. For Chapter VIII and IX
nearly the entire Thousand Thrones campaign, he is either weak or
restrained, and when Hollenbach finally does escape his captors in Unless the PCs intervene, Mariana will bring Hollenbach to the
Kislev, he becomes almost immediately enthralled by Karl’s power- village of Zhidovsk in Kislev. Hollenbach is rescued from the
ful charm and ultimately serves the Black Witch’s plan. Strigany by another Ordo Draconis Blood Dragon named Lorimar
Angsthof (TTT Expansion #5) who recently joined the Vampire
Chapter II Encampment (TTT pg. 207). Unfortunately for Hollenbach, he
encounters Karl whilst searching for a good sword at the crusader
Hollenbach’s capture at the end of Chapter II presents an oppor- camp and becomes enthralled by the boy. Karl asks Hollenbach
tunity to introduce the Thousand Thrones prophecies to PCs at a to help him find his mother and Hollenbach agrees. Hollenbach
much earlier stage than the campaign otherwise would. If at least leads Karl into the Womb alongside four other victims of Karl’s
one Strigoi is reduced to 0 Wounds during the battle, the dying charm; unwitting vampire participants in the Black Witch’s soul
vampire calls after his cohorts as they fly away with the subdued transfer ritual (see Expanded Campaign Overview pg. 5 for de-
Hollenbach: tails).

13
 Fall of Hollenbach

Chapter II: An Unquiet Peace — Complete Timeline

5 years ago: Lucas von Speier and Arnolt Schade form the 6 days ago: The Wasteland Strigany caravan arrives in Pfeifel-
Blauesblut to champion the abolition of primogeniture. dorf. Hollenbach continues to convalesce, but his healing is slowed
by lack of blood. Lucas acquires a small game animal for him.
3 years ago: Lennhardt von Speier is formally named heir to
the von Speier family holdings, much to the dismay of von Spier’s 5 days ago: The Strigany are welcomed in Pfeifeldorf for their
younger and more competent son Lucas. The Ordo Draconis cheap services. Hollenbach is served more animals by Lucas.
convenes at Blood Keep and Hollenbach receives his quest from Household pets go missing over the next few days.
Walach Harkon.
4 days ago: Lucas orders Caspar Messerschmidt to steal one of
2 years ago: Bretonnian-in-exile Francine Arouet arrives in Frau Gertrudt’s chickens. Caspar tears Hollenbach’s cloak (which
Pfeifeldorf after a rather hasty exit from Marienburg. Francine de- he wore as a disguise) on Old Man Eysen’s fence and is spotted by
cides to linger and write a pamphlet on the travails of the common town Reeve, Walther Schnee. Mariana learns of Hollenbach’s pres-
man. Hollenbach pursues the crafty Strigoi vampire Lonely Pieter ence in Pfeifeldorf by magically questioning the local animals.
through the Grootscher Marsh.
3 days ago: Caspar attends a sermon by Karl and is instantly
6 months ago: Lennhardt von Speier is tripped by Old Man converted. The Cult of the Child departs Pfeifeldorf. Frau Ger-
Eysen and has him arrested, then demands an execution. Lucas trudt harrasses Zecharius Lauer over her missing chicken. Mariana
intervenes on Eysen’s behalf and the sentence is commuted to a dispatches dozens of frightened animals into the forest with a
public flogging. Lucas is incensed at Lennhardt’s injustice. Hol- message for the Drakwald Strigoi, saying that Hollenbach is in
lenbach locates Lonely Pieter in the marsh and injures him during Pfeifeldorf.
a fierce fight, but Lonely Pieter flees.
2 days ago: The Strigany depart Pfeifeldorf. Lucas accidentally
4 months ago: Retired Imperial Mathematician Johannes kills Caspar Messerschmidt during an argument, after Caspar
Gephardt decides to settle down in Pfeifeldorf and write a book. declares his intention to abandon Lucas’ plan and follow Karl’s
Hollenbach finally catches Lonely Pieter and destroys him. crusade instead. Caspar’s death is made to look like a suicide.

1 month ago: Lorentz von Speier falls ill and is confined to 1 day ago: Zecharius Lauer assures Frau Gertrudt her chicken’s
his bed. Hollenbach arrives at the Drakwald forest and begins disappearance is being investigated, but that Messerschmidt’s
his campaign to eradicate the local Strigoi clan. The Wasteland suicide investigation must take priority. Frau Gertrudt continues
Strigany organise a mass exodus into the Drakwald. to harangue Zecharius, who is coming to his wits end.

10 days ago: Returning from a trading journey to Marienburg, Today: the PCs arrive in Pfeifeldorf.
Lucas comes across a wounded Hollenbach, the remains of his
defeated Strigoi victims and many dead ghouls. Lucas discovers
Hollenbach is a vampire, and forms a plot to discredit or kill his
cruel brother, Lennhardt. Lucas realises the danger, but he is too
desperate to care.

9 days ago: Lucas bribes merchant Caspar Messerschmidt to

spread rumours of his brother’s involvement in a blood cult and re-
cruits town Reeve, Walther Schnee. Hollenbach regains conscious-
ness and agrees to assist Lucas in exchange for helping him regain
his strength. Lucas houses the vampire in his family’s mausoleum.

1 week ago: The Cult of the Child arrives in Pfeifeldorf. Karl

spends several days giving doctrinal lectures to his followers and
interested townsfolk.

14
 Featured Faction: Strigany

— Featured Faction: The Strigany —

The nomadic Strigany people are encountered several times during the Thousand Thrones campaign. Two clans that feature prominently
are the Stirland Rumanyiks and the Wasteland Lodrings. Should the GM wish to expand the Strigany’s involvement in the campaign, the
Lodring Strigany can be introduced as early as Chapter I. PCs investigating the Lodring Strigany may discover clues at their camp that
provide additional context to the Strigoi vampire attack in Chapter II, and might even lead them to the famous relic known as the Claw
of Nagash, hidden in petra Mariana’s wagon.

Ahmed’s role in the Vampire Prophecies should not become apparent until Chapter VII regardless of the PCs’ activities.

The Great Strigany Diaspora

Many historians agree that the Lodrings’ unique customs suggest
The Strigany people are descended from refugees who fled the they were separated from their vampire rulers following the great
ancient city-state of Strigos after it was destroyed by Orcs in the exodus from Strigos. According to some Marienburg scholars, the
year 200 IC. Most of the Strigany clans travelling across the Old Lodrings inhabited the Reik delta even before pre-Imperial Juton
World share common customs, having merged and split over the tribes settled the region. Lodring Strigany worship an eclectic
centuries. Individual clans co-operate with one another as the pantheon of gods including Stromfels, Nagash and Sakhmet the
need arises, but they must always remain compact, mobile and Moon Goddess. The vampire Ushoran and the necromancer Ka-
self-sufficient. Strigany chieftains, usually known as domnus, earn don are revered as prophets of Sakhmet and Nagash, respectively.
their positions through ritual combat. The clan wise women, com- Lodring Strigany aren’t known to maintain contact with vampires,
monly called petrus, commune with nature spirits and secretly aid but their darkest secrets remain unknown to most outsiders. Until
the bestial Strigoi vampires who once ruled their people. In times recently, the Lodrings in fact dwelled alongside a Strigoi hermit
of crisis, all the clans of a region have been known to unite against named Lonely Pieter. Now that Pieter is dead, they search for his
a common threat. The Strigany’s toughness and guile makes them feral vampire brethren in the Drakwald.
formidable opponents.

For more background on Strigos, the Strigany nomads and the Clan and Crusade
Strigoi vampires, see Expansion #1, pg. 3-5.
As far as the rest of the Crusade is concerned, the nomadic
Strigany contingent is regarded with suspicion, for their roguish
Culture and Language ways and more. Ever present rumours persist of ties between the
Strigany and vampires. To avoid unwelcome scrutiny and con-
Strigany languages and traditions have changed very little since the frontation, the Lodring Strigany caravan typically trails behind the
fall of Strigos because their people rarely partner with outsiders. main body of the crusade and makes camp on its fringes, usually
The Strigany have a natural affinity with beasts and are therefore within a defensible copse of trees.
regarded as expert animal trainers. The Strigany tongue is guttural
but also gentle, with dialects varying somewhat between clans. The Strigany do not all travel together however. Only half of the
Individual dialects place different suffixes at the ends of words; greater Strigany contingent actually follows the crusade by land.
for example a Rumanyik chieftain would be called a “domnu” The remainder sail up the Reik on heavily-laden riverboats to ren-
and their mystic a “petru”, meanwhile the Lodring counterparts dezvous with their brethren near Altdorf (TTT Chapter IV).
are addressed as “domnar” and “petra”. The Strigany believe that
absolutely nothing must go to waste, so post-mortem cannibalism Major journeys are unusual for the Wasteland Strigany unless
is widely accepted in times of famine. Their dietary habits make they’re meeting another clan for purposes of trade or marriage.
the Strigany susceptible to degenerative ghouldom. This particular journey was initiated by petra Mariana, for she car-
ries a powerful relic of Nagash that must be returned to the Great
The Lodring Strigany Necromancer’s cult in Ostland.

Lodring Strigany are unlike the other Strigany clans in the Old Lodring Strigany Demographics
World. Their skin is darker and they lead a much less mobile
lifestyle. Several scholars speculate that the Lodring aren’t actu- The Lodring Strigany clan consists of more than a dozen families
ally Strigany at all. Instead, these sceptics believe the Wasteland living in small camps throughout the Grootscher Marsh in the
Strigany are descended from refugees of Mourkain who fled their Wasteland. Although each camp is self-sufficient, the Strigany
doomed city in boats, centuries before Strigos was built upon its maintain frequent contact with their neighbours to share informa-
ruins. Another theory traces the Lodring Strigany’s origins not to tion. Since there are less than a hundred current members, the
the refugees of fallen empires, but to the nomadic desert tribes of Lodring clan must always remain vigilant.
the land now called Araby.

15
 Featured Faction: Strigany

The Lodring Strigany are trappers and scavengers, though what The Rumanyik Strigany
they consider scavenging Marienburgers often call theft. Their
camps consist of tents, hide-covered wagons or houseboats as The Rumanyik Strigany trace their lineage to the Qu’rashi nomads
dictated by terrain and travel requirements. Normally, the Lodring who roamed the deserts near ancient Strigos. According to legend,
Strigany only interact with outsiders while trading, but scarcity of Nagash lived among the Qu’rashi following his exile from Khemri
food sometimes forces young members to leave the clan and make and sired a child who became the subject of many prophecies.
their own way in the world. Lodring Strigany families are polyga- In most respects Rumanyik customs are typical of other Strigany
mous. clans who worship the vampires of Strigos. However, their petrus
also practice a unique form of blood magic supposedly passed
The leader of the Lodring Strigany is a grizzled veteran named down from Nagash himself. The Rumanyiks’ alleged connection
Ali who has four wives. Ali’s position as clan domnar was earned with the Great Necromancer has made them favoured targets
through ritual combat when Ali was just a young man. Others of crusading templars, and thus the Rumanyiks have sought to
have challenged his leadership over the years, but Ali endures. The distance themselves from Nagash’s legacy. Strigany mothers who
Lodring Striganys’ elder mystic is a pox-scarred crone called petra believe themselves to be scions of Nagash occasionally entrust their
Mariana. Without Mariana’s support, Ali could not have remained first-born babies to the Rumanyiks.
domnar for so long. For additional information on the Qu’rashi nomads, see TTT pg.
156. The Rumanyik Strigany camp is described on TTT pg. 179.
Typical Wasteland Strigany Bonepicker
Rumanyik Demographics
The Lodring Strigany are tough people accustomed to a hard life The Rumanyiks are pedlars and scavengers who rarely venture
in the swamp. Their dour temperaments and grubby clothes are outside of Sylvania for fear of being hunted. Repeated ethnic
uncharacteristic of traditional Strigany clans. The Lodring Strigany cleansing by Myrmidian, Morrian and Sigmarite templars has
are skilled foragers with a strong sense of clan duty, and often reduced the Rumanyiks to a handful of families totalling less than
sacrifice individual gains for the good of the community. Common fifty members. Individual Rumanyik families sometimes embark
racial traits include black hair, brown skin and sharp features. on trade missions to the Border Princes and return with exotic
goods which the clan trades to wealthy Von Carstein nobles. The
WS BS S T Ag Int WP Fel Rumanyik Strigany are led by Mama Raluca who is both clan
leader and wise woman.
32 36 31 38 36 31 34 30±

Skills: Animal Care (Int), Common Knowledge (Wasteland -

Int), Drive or Row (Str), Gossip (Fel) or Swim (Str), Outdoor
Survival (Int), Perception or Search (Int), Speak Language
(Strigany, Reikspiel - Int), Set Trap (Agi) or Sleight of Hand
(Agi) or Performer (Dance and Musicianship - Fel)

Talents: Hardy, Lightning Reflexes, Very Resilient

± Lodring Strigany suffer a -10 penalty to Fel-based tests when

dealing with non-Strigany

Combat
Attacks: 1; Movement: 4; Wounds: 13
Armour (Light): Leather Jack (Arms 1, Body 1)
Weapons: Hand Weapon (1d10+3), Bow (24/48, 1d10+3),
Dagger (1d10)

Trappings
The clothes worn by Wasteland Strigany are drab patchworks
of cloth and leather, and they adorn themselves with charms
fashioned from the skeletons of small animals. Sling bags contain
one or two days’ rations, personal effects and assorted coins
totalling 2d10 p value.

16
 Featured Faction: Strigany

Important Strigany NPCs

Every so often, Strigany clans from around the Empire travel long distances to meet, exchange knowledge, and match up eligible
marriage candidates. Several of the Strigany NPCs in The Thousand Thrones share affiliations with both the Lodring and Rumanyik
Strigany.

Lodring Strigany NPCs Ahmed, False Scion of Nagash

Ethnicity: Rumanyik by birth, Lodring by adoption
Domnar Ali
Male (Child) Vagabond
Ethnicity: Lodring by birth
Several naïve Strigany believe that
Ali has been Lodring clan domnar young Ahmed is the fated scion
for longer than most people can who will herald Nagash’s fourth
remember. He’s a skilled boatman return. In actuality, Ahmed is but an
and remains a competent fighter innocent pawn in Queen Neferata’s
despite his advancing age. Ali earned impossibly complex campaign of
his position through ritual com- subversion against the Strigoi and
bat at a meeting of the clans 31 von Carstein vampires, and the Or-
years ago. The leader of the visiting der of Morr. Ahmed’s mother Suri
Rumanyiks promised Ali’s parents has attempted to conceal Ahmed’s
that their son would win the contest heritage from those who would exile him from the clan. Ahmed
if their daughter Raluca joined the doesn’t understand the grave implications of the vampire prophe-
Rumanyiks as his wife. Ali’s mother cies, but knows that dangerous people are trying to find him and
was reluctant, but his father wanted Ali promoted to domnar, and that Ali is not his real father. Ahmed is kidnapped by Farouk, a
so Raluca was wed to the Rumanyik chieftain. On the morning of Rumanyik Strigany assassin-priest of Nagash, in The Thousand
Ali’s succession duel, the Rumanyik chieftain gave Ali an enchant- Thrones Chapter VII (TTT pg. 161).
ed knife which enabled him to triumph.
Ahmed is a small boy with a winning smile and weary eyes. His
Ali has three wives, one of whom is Ahmed’s mother, Suri. Ali outgoing personality belies an inner fear that causes him to jump
knows that his stepson Ahmed is purportedly a scion of Nagash, at shadows and lie awake at nights.
but he believes that Nagash has already returned and that Ahmed
is merely a prophet of the death god. Ali is not educated in the
Vampire Prophecies. WS BS S T Ag Int WP Fel
27 25 18 24 34 32 29 33
Suri Skills: Gossip (Fel), Haggle (Fel), Silent Move (Agi), Speak
Language (Reikspiel, Strigany - Int)
Ethnicity: Rumanyik by adoption, Lodring by marriage
Talents: Night Vision
Suri’s true parentage is unknown
to the Strigany. She was found
Combat
by Mama Raluca as an infant,
swaddled in cloth and wearing Attacks: 1; Movement: 4; Wounds: 9
a pin identifying her as a scion Armour: None
of Nagash. Suri and the other
Strigany were not informed Weapons: Dagger (1d10-2)
of her sinister heritage until
seven years ago, when Suri’s first
child Ahmed was born under Trappings
a portentous star sign. Fearing Ahmed wears baggy, ill-fitting pants and a dirty fur vest over a
discovery by the Von Carstein vampires and the Order of Morr, grey tunic. He carries a bone-handled knife on his belt. In his
Mama Raluca sent Suri and Ahmed away to live with her ancestral pocket, Ahmed conceals a small lapis pin with an inset skull
clan near Marienburg. Domnar Ali of the Lodring Strigany took identifying him as a scion of Nagash’s bloodline. The pin was
Suri as a wife, and Ahmed became his stepson. given to Ahmed by his mother Suri to remind him that he must
never lower his guard.

17
 Featured Faction: Strigany
Insanity Points: 2
Petra Mariana
Host of Fiends (WFRP pg. 205): Mariana learned the magical
Ethnicity: Rumanyik by birth, Lodring by clan exchange arts by opening her mind to the Warp. Over the years, she has
inadvertently allowed several minor daemons of Chaos to take up
Female Witch, ex-Hedge Witch, ex-Strigany Mystic residence within her body. At the start of each week, roll 1d100 on
the Petra Mariana Temperament Table to determine which Chaos
Petra Mariana is a wizened crone of unknown age and parentage. aspect influences her.
Originally hailing from the Rumanyik Strigany clan of Stirland,
Mariana was sent to the Lodring Strigany as a dowry in exchange Wheel of Dread and Pleasure (WFRP pg. 207): Mariana under-
for Mama Raluca’s marriage to the Rumanyik chieftain. Mariana goes periods of agitation followed by stretches of melancholy. Roll
has been the subject of quiet grumblings amongst the Lodrings, 1d10 on the Petra Mariana Temperament Table at the start of each
many of whom would have preferred for Raluca to stay. But over week to determine whether she’s gripped by Dread or Pleasure.
time, Mariana has proven her cunning and magical prowess many
times over. Mariana is well-versed in the mystic traditions of both
Strigany clans. On the occasions when domnar Ali has been chal- WS BS S T Ag Int WP Fel
lenged, Mariana has helped him retain leadership with her magical 35 34 36 44 38 42 54 35±
aid.
Skills: Academic Knowledge (Necromancy - Int), Animal Care
The winds of magic have taken a toll on petra Mariana’s sanity (see (Int), Channelling (WP), Charm (Fel), Common Knowledge
below). Her mood swings dictate the Strigany’s attitudes toward (Empire, Wasteland - Int), Drive (Str), Evaluate (Int), Gossip
outsiders, because Mariana’s daemons use her voice to spread (Fel), Haggle (Fel), Hypnotism+10 (WP), Intimidate+10 (Str),
their gods’ agendas. The Lodring Strigany are reluctant to upset Magical Sense (WP), Perception (Int), Performer (Musician
Mariana, for they fear her power. Mariana attracts many customers - Fel), Search (Int), Secret Signs (Astrologer - Int), Sleight of
to the Strigany camp with her fortune-telling act performed under Hand (Agi), Speak Language (Reikspiel, Strigany - Int), Trade
the identity of “Madame Mira”. (Apothecary - Int)

Mariana reluctantly became involved with the cult of Nagash after Talents: Hedge Magic, Petty Magic (Hedge), Sixth Sense, Rover,
Farouk’s Corpus Aeternum chapter was purged by witch hunters Witchcraft
(see Claw of Nagash, pg. 25). The Claw escaped capture using
± Mariana suffers a -10 penalty to Fel-based tests when dealing
its sinister instincts and scurried away to the Wasteland where it
with non-Strigany
ended up in Mariana’s possession. Mariana is eager to be rid of
the Claw as soon as possible, since she had daemons of her own
to contend with even before Nagash’s will began pulling at her old Combat
mind. Attacks: 1; Movement: 4; Wounds: 14
Armour: None
Weapons: Staff (1d10+1; Defensive, Pummelling)

Magic
Magic: 2
Petty Magic Spells: Protection from Rain, Ghost Step, Ill Fortune,
Shock
Witchcraft Spells: Deathsight (Death), Earth Blood (Life), Earth
Gate (Life), Fountains of Blood (Nagash – NDM pg. 119),
Master’s Voice (Beasts)

Trappings
Petra Mariana wears a tattered brown cloak and walks with a
birch-wood staff. She is draped with warding charms and animal
bone jewellery. In a satchel bag, Mariana carries ingredients for
her spells: a dagger, an iron key, a small whip made of animal
hair, a pouch of grave dirt and a jar of leeches. On dangerous
expeditions, Mariana equips herself with the Claw of Nagash (see
Claw of Nagash sidebar, pg. 25). She keeps a pouch with 173 p
stashed in her wagon.

18
 Featured Faction: Strigany

Table 2.3: Petra Mariana’s Temperament

Petra Mariana’s personality is highly unstable. When Mariana is first encountered, roll 1d00 and 1d10 to determine which Chaos aspect
governs her passions, and how her Wheel of Dread and Pleasure turns. Each “temperament cycle” lasts for 1d10 days. The same Chaos
daemons are never dominant for consecutive cycles, and cycles of Dread are always followed by cycles of Pleasure (and vice versa).

1d00/ 1-5: Pleasure 6-10: Dread

1d10
1-25: Fury: Her eyes are bloodshot. She roams the encampment look- Cruelty: Her hair is a tangled mess. She spits on those who raise
Khorne ing for trouble and talking loudly to herself. Anyone who upsets her ire. When not prowling in the bush, she remains enclosed in
her risks taking a blow to the head. her wagon torturing small animals.

Profile: +10 Ag, -10 Int, -10 WP, -10 Fel Profile: -10 Ag, -10 WP, -20 Fel
Strigany Disposition: Hostile (-20) Strigany Disposition: Cold (-10)
26-50: Wanderlust: She looks younger than usual and has a spring in Wierdroot Binge: Her eyes are glazed and she speaks in broken
Slaanesh her step. Carousing the encampment, she sings the Hedgehog sentences. Days are spent in her wagon organising her bone col-
Song and winks suggestively at young men. lection. Nights are spent in deep slumber.

Profile: +10 Ag, -10 Int, -20 WP Profile: -10 Ag, -20 WP, -10 Fel
Strigany Disposition: Congenial (+10) Strigany Disposition: Neutral (0)
51-75: Rot and Filth: Mud covers her face and she leers with crooked, Wallowing: Her bed is a reeking nest of human waste in which
Nurgle brown teeth. She delights in touching the crusaders with her she stews for days on end. She locks her door, admitting no one.
dung-caked hands. Anguished wails are heard periodically.

Profile: +10 Ag, -10 Int, -10 WP, -20 Fel Profile: -10 Ag, -10 WP, -30 Fel
Strigany Disposition: Neutral (0) Strigany Disposition: Cold (-10)
76-100: Madame Mira: She becomes lost in her “Madame Mira” per- Prophetess of Fear: She stares at people in wide-eyed terror. Her
Tzeentch sona, and temporarily forgets her true identity. Mira’s costume is trembling voice delivers portents of impending doom. She is
a clean blue dress and a red bonnet. unresponsive to dialogue.

Profile: +10 Ag, -10 Int, -10 WP Profile: -10 Ag, -10 WP, -10 Fel
Strigany Disposition: Congenial (+10) Strigany Disposition: Cold (-10)

Rumanyik Strigany NPCs

Mama Raluca title “petrudomnus” is an honorific rarely attained by Rumanyik
wise women, she humbly insists on being known simply as
Ethnicity: Lodring by birth, Rumanyik by marriage “Mama Raluca”. Her nephew Farouk is a senior assassin-priest of
the Corpus Aeternum cult of Nagash near Wurtbad. Since joining
Mama Raluca is the sister of domnar the Rumanyik, Raluca has gradually ceased to revere Nagash as a
Ali. When she was young, the beauti- god, much to Farouk’s disapproval. Raluca has powerful contacts
ful Raluca was courted by Strigany among both the Strigoi and Von Carstein vampires.
men of several clans, for she was gift-
ed with witchsight. At the age of 15, The Strigoi vampire seductress of Hunger Wood known as Akana
Raluca joined the Rumanyik Strigany the Hag (Expansion #1, pg. 4) uses Mama Raluca and several
of Stirland through an arranged other Strigany petrus as her eyes and ears in Stirland. Baroness
marriage to their chieftain Slava (see Lydia von Carstein of Helfurt has also befriended Mama Raluca.
TTT pg.180). As part of the dowry In exchange for helping Lydia acquire exotic Arabyan wares,
exchange, Slava’s clan returned one of Mama Raluca has asked Lydia to negotiate with Stirland’s nobility
their own mystics to the Lodring; an older petru named Mariana. to secure basic rights for the Strigany people. Raluca believes that
Many Lodring Strigany believed the Rumanyiks came out ahead Lydia von Carstein’s planned marriage to Ahmed will serve diplo-
in the exchange, since Raluca was younger than Mariana and matic ends, when in fact the cunning vampire intends to perform
talented for her age. Raluca is proficient in the Rumanyik Qu’rashi a powerful ritual on the boy.
mystical arts and is familiar with the Lodring Ka’doni traditions.
During The Thousand Thrones campaign, Mama Raluca can only
Raluca assumed leadership of the Rumanyik Strigany following be encountered by PCs travelling in Stirland (see TTT Chapter
Slava’s death twelve years ago. Despite the fact that Raluca’s official VII).

19
 Featured Faction: Strigany

Farouk maintains periodic contact with Mama Raluca. Their

Farouk, Assassin-Priest of Nagash relationship has improved over time because Raluca no longer
espouses such objectionable beliefs. Since becoming leader of the
Ethnicity: Rumanyik by birth Rumanyik clan, Raluca has been influenced by several vampires
who deny Nagash’s godhood. Lydia von Carstein is one of the
Farouk’s father was the former Rumanyik vampires who Farouk has met personally, and she owns a book
chieftain, Slava, and his mother was Slava’s of Nagash’s lore that Farouk covets. During the early chapters of
cousin. At the time of his father’s death the Thousand Thrones campaign, Farouk undertakes a mission to
twelve years ago, Farouk had already left steal the Lanfranchi triptych panel and kidnap Ahmed. He plans
the Rumanyiks over a bitter dispute with to trade the painting and the boy for several pages from Lydia’s
his aunt-by-marriage (and stepmother) book. Farouk believes that Ahmed is indeed a scion of Nagash, but
Mama Raluca concerning the true nature of not the Fated One, and he is therefore willing to bring Ahmed to
Nagash’s divinity. Farouk adhered strongly Lydia.
to the Qu’rashi tradition of blood magic,
and his beliefs were contradicted by Raluca’s Farouk knows Ahmed’s mother Suri from the Lodring Strigany, for
twisted Lodring variant of Nagash death she once lived with the Rumanyiks. Another Lodring who Farouk
mysticism. knows is petra Mariana; she was originally a Rumanyik clan petru
and Farouk learned a great deal about blood magic from her when
After Farouk left the Rumanyiks, he joined the priesthood of Na- he was young. The Corpus Aeternum’s blood scrying rituals that
gash and disappeared for four years to train under the necromancer locate relics of Nagash originally came from petra Mariana. Farouk
Dieter Helsnicht at a hidden compound in the Forest of Shad- had just recovered the Claw of Nagash when witch hunters purged
ows. Farouk later returned to Stirland, joined a sect of Nagashite his cult. Driven by the will of Nagash, the claw escaped to the
acolytes called the Corpus Aeternum and eventually became the Wasteland where it found petra Mariana, and now Farouk must
cult’s senior assassin-priest in Wurtbad. Three years ago, Farouk’s ensure the Claw is returned to Nagashizzar.
cult was purged by witch hunters and he barely escaped. Currently,
Farouk lives in hiding with a handful of his surviving acolytes in a See TTT Chapter VII, the Wolfenburg Interludes (pg. 39) and the
cave near Wurtbad. Claw of Nagash sidebar (pg. 25) for more information on Farouk’s
involvement in the campaign.

Using the Strigany

In the Thousand Thrones campaign book, the Strigany first appear Nagash. This section describes what happens should PCs decide to
during Chapter III when Ahmed approaches the PCs soliciting investigate the Lodring Strigany caravan.
their business. After Mad Orlock’s attack, the Strigany are accused

Strigany Reactions
of aiding the ferocious Strigoi vampire. Several weeks later, dur-
ing Chapter VII, Ahmed’s mother Suri might approach the PCs
imploring them to rescue her son.
The Striganys’ reaction to outsiders at any given time is dictated by
In truth, the Wasteland Strigany have only peripheral connections Mariana’s temperament. The Disposition scores listed on the Petra
with the vampires in the Thousand Thrones campaign. However, Mariana Temperament table reflect the attitudes of everyone in
in the process of establishing the clan’s innocence, diligent PCs the clan, not just petra Mariana. Disposition modifiers are applied
might expose petra Mariana’s collusion with Farouk and the cult of to all Fellowship-based tests by the PCs.

Mariana’s Temperament Strigany Reactions

Fury (-20) The Strigany are not receptive to visitors, resorting quickly to violence if provoked. Mariana is
Wallowing (-10) unavailable for customers.

Madame Mira (+10) The Strigany are congenial and welcoming of guests. Mariana (as Madame Mira) is available for
Wierdroot Binge (0) customers.
Wanderlust (+10)
Rot and Filth (0) The Strigany are receptive to visitors, but may attempt to swindle them. Mariana (wearing her old
Prophetess of Fear (-10) rags) is available for customers, but the Strigany will advise PCs against seeing her.
Cruelty (-10)

20
 Featured Faction: Strigany

Chapter I
After the attack by the Strigoi vampire Mad Orlock in Chapter III,
GMs wishing to pique the PCs’ interest in the Lodring Strigany the crusaders become even more suspicious of the Strigany. One of
can plant a reference to the recently decamped clan at the swamp the crusaders searches the caravan but uncovers no incriminating
temple in Chapter I. The journal of Stromfels priest Dahlbert evidence. In truth, Mad Orlock is a renegade Strigoi with whom
the Maw (TTT pg. 27) could be appended with a reference to the Lodring Strigany have no connection whatsoever. More details
the cult’s “Strigany guests” who occasionally come to worship at on Mad Orlock and his strange bargain with the Ruinous Powers
the swamp temple. After the PCs leave Marienburg, they might will be revealed in Expansion #3.
encounter 4-6 Strigany laggards who travel several days behind
their kinfolk. If any PCs speak out in defence of the Strigany, Ali thanks them
for their support. This would be an ideal place to have the PCs
interact with Ali’s wife Suri, who could serve as a secondary plot
Chapter II hook into Chapter VII (see Strigany Intrigue, pg. 159). If the PCs
have previously done business with the Strigany, Ali might offer to
Inquisitive PCs may learn that the Lodring Strigany stopped in
sell them exotic furs at a bargain price (see Strigany Encampment
Pfeifeldorf along with Karl’s crusade. Successful Gossip tests at the
supply wagons, pg. 23).
Wet Whistle (TTT pg. 47) concerning Frau Gertrudt’s chicken
might reveal that a group of 50 or more Strigany had been follow-
ing the crusade. They ate raw meat and collected animal bones. Chapter V
This is of course a red herring, because the animal thefts continued
after the Strigany departed three days ago, but Pfeifeldorfers are While the PCs battle Nurgle cultists in Villa Hahn, the Lodring
quick to blame the Strigany for just about anything. Strigany rendezvous with the Drakwald Strigoi and take custody
of the Blood Dragon vampire Hollenbach. Mariana wishes to per-
During the crusade’s stay in Pfeifeldorf, petra Mariana communi- form a ritual using Hollenbach’s blood to channel the prophetic
cated with the Drakwald Strigoi who appear at the end of Chapter wisdom of their former Strigoi patron, Lonely Pieter. After com-
II to capture Hollenbach the Blood Dragon vampire (see The Folly muning with Pieter, Mariana learns that the clan must continue
of Hollenbach pg. 12 for details.) following the Crusade to the east.

Chapter III Chapter VI and VII

The PCs first meet the Strigany during their exploration of the As the crusade approaches Wolfenburg, the Lodring Strigany be-
Crusader encampment, when Ahmed approaches them solicit- come involved in several different sub-plots. Arriving from Wurt-
ing business for his clan (TTT pg. 72). Remember, Ahmed does bad, Farouk meets with petra Mariana and gives her instructions
not advertise Madame Mira’s fortune-telling services if Mariana’s for delivering the Claw of Nagash to Niklas Greuber. Farouk also
temperament is Fury or Wallowing. PCs who express interest in inquires about Ahmed, causing Mariana to suspect that Farouk
dealing with the Strigany are led to the encampment by Ahmed. intends to kidnap the boy. That same night, Mariana warns Suri of
Farouk’s plan for her son. Ali dies of poisoning the next day. Fear-
Strigany Goods and Services: ing for Ahmed’s safety, Suri consults with a kindly priest of Morr
Armour, weapon or clothing repair: 1 p to whom she recently confessed. The Morrian priest persuades Suri
Roasted river rat: 1 p to bring Ahmed to Karl’s compound where he’ll be safe.
Dog pie: 1 p
Shave and haircut: 1 p While the PCs are investigating Ali’s poisoning, petra Mariana
Clothes washing: 1 p meets the cult of Nagash and hands over the Claw.
Madame Mira’s fortune-telling: 2 p
After the passion play in Chapter VI, Suri might approach the PCs
“Madame Mira” is actually petra Mariana, and while she isn’t re- in desperation, imploring them to rescue Ahmed from Talabheim.
ally a fortune-teller, she’s convincing enough. The Madame seats Suri regrets having allowed the Morrian priest to take Ahmed for
customers at a table outside her wagon, upon which she arranges safekeeping following Ali’s murder. After Chapter VI, most of
the bones of small animals. The exact nature of Madame Mira’s the Lodring Strigany return home to the Wasteland. Suri rushes
fortunes can be determined by the GM according to her current off to Talabheim, either alone or with the PCs. The Daemons of
temperament. The Spectre bound to Mariana’s wagon sometimes Tzeentch that possess Mariana convince her to remain with the
makes brief appearances for added effect. crusade, and several other Lodring Strigany agree to follow her.
More information on Tzeentch’s complex machinations will be
presented in Expansion #3.
Chapter IV
For detailed encounters with the Lodring Strigany in Wolfenburg,
Ahmed approaches the PCs once again to solicit their business in
see the Wolfenburg Interludes, pg. 42.
Chapter IV (TTT pg. 87). This time Ahmed could be accompa-
nied by his mother Suri.

21
 Featured Faction: Strigany

Camp Layout
PCs approaching the Strigany Caravan may attempt a Magical 2. Petra Mariana’s Wagon
Sense Test to detect the presence of dark magic (Dhar). If the This single-horse house wagon is old and rotted through in places.
test succeeds by 3 Degrees of Success, the source of Dhar can be The wheels are of newer construction. Bunches of dried herbs and
traced to petra Mariana’s wagon (#2), which contains the Claw of wildflowers decorate the exterior covering the worst patches of rot.
Nagash. The door has a simple lock (1 Pick Lock test to open). Trespassers
will discover that Mariana has a guardian Spectre (OWB, pg. 110).
1. Ali, Suri and Ahmed’s Wagon The Spectre always remains invisible unless called upon during
Madame Mira’s fortune-telling sessions. Unauthorised intruders
This two-horse house wagon, owned by domnar Ali, is constructed
are attacked by the Spectre’s chilling touch, causing the apparition
of sturdy weathered planks and painted with Strigany warding
to become visible. The Spectre uses its Terrifying Display to drive
symbols. The underside of the wagon is waterproofed with pitch.
away intruders capable of injuring it with magic. Mariana’s Spectre
Whenever the wagon is unoccupied its door is padlocked (2
guardian is a former Strigany lover who swore never to leave her
successful Pick Lock tests to open). Inside is a workshop littered
side. It has been assigned by Mariana to guard the Claw of Nagash
with tools, broken weapons and scraps of leather. A bead curtain
and does not leave her wagon unless instructed.
separates the sleeping area from the workshop. The floor of the
sleeping area is covered with furs and cushions. A loose ceiling
The floor of Mariana’s wagon is littered with small animal bones
board in Ali’s sleeping quarters can be discovered on a Routine
from which she creates protective charms and talismans. A heavy
(+10) Search Test. The roof cavity contains a hidden compart-
locked chest (2 Pick Lock tests to open) contains the Claw of
ment with Ali’s most valuable possessions: 21 gc, 34 s, 55 p, 3
Nagash wrapped in layers of cloth (see Claw of Nagash sidebar,
chunks of quartz (valued 1d10 gc each), a crescent-shaped bone
pg. 25). The chest also contains a clay urn with the ashes of the
pendant (Lucky Charm, WFRP pg. 123) and the Ritual Dagger of
Strigany’s Old Father, Lonely Pieter, who was recently exsanguinat-
Mourkain (see sidebar).
ed and cremated by the Blood Dragon vampire Hollenbach.
Ali’s wagon is normally occupied by himself, Suri and Ahmed,
Although Mariana’s body is infested with minor daemons, she does
along with his third wife Vera. Ali’s second wife Fatima and their
not worship the Chaos gods and her wagon contains no direct
son pilot the domnar’s barge up the Reik (see River Strigany
evidence of Chaos taint.
Flotilla, pg. 23). His first wife Zafia died from grave rot fourteen
years ago.

Strigany
Encampment

22
 Featured Faction: Strigany

3. House Wagons
The Lodring Strigany live in covered wagons, some of which
have their undersides waterproofed with pitch. The waterproofed
wagons are also highly flammable. A typical house wagon contains
hand weapons, 1d5 days’ supply of food, 1d10 p and personal ef-
fects for a family of four.

4. Supply Wagons
The supply wagons are guarded closely. Two of the wagons are
packed with dry foodstuffs. The Strigany have also brought a
wagonload of muskrat and mink furs to trade with inland folk.
The Strigany have 8 Trade Units of furs, which they will barter or
sell for only 15 gc per TU (minimum 12 gc after Haggling). See
the WFRP Companion for Encumbrance and Availability values
of trade goods.

5. Horses
Wasteland Strigany draft horses are bred for slogging through
treacherous swamps. Adjust the profile for Riding Horses (WFRP
pg. 233) as follows: increase S and T to 43%, reduce M score to
6 and increase Swim skill by +20%. Two guards watch the prized
horses at all times.

Ritual Dagger of Mourkain

Academic Knowledge: Magic or Necromancy
River Strigany Flotilla
Powers: The bearer of this dagger gains temporary power from
PCs will only encounter the Wasteland Strigany’s river flotilla
human blood sacrifice. After drawing blood, the wielder receives
if they gain passage up the river Reik after Chapter I, instead of
+1 on Casting Rolls, +5 to Strength and +5 to Toughness. These
travelling by road from Marienburg. As the events of The Thou-
effects last for a number of rounds equal to the Wounds inflicted
sand Thrones Chapters II and III unfold, Ali’s best rivermen sail
by the dagger. Each time the dagger draws blood, the wielder must
a flotilla of three boats from the Wasteland to Altdorf where they
test against Will Power or be stunned for 1 round by a surge of
plan to rendezvous with the rest of their clan. Ali remains in con-
invigorating power.
tact with the boatmen through wild animals controlled by petra
Mariana’s soul projection magic.
History: High priest Kadon of Mourkain crafted this curved
dagger over 3,500 years ago by channelling the lore of Nagash
from the Crown of Sorcery. For reasons unknown, its shape
1. Domnar Ali’s Swamp Boat
resembles the sacrificial daggers used by Dark Elf sorceresses of This flat-bottomed, 25-foot boat is owned by domnar Ali. Because
Naggaroth. After Mourkain’s destruction, the Ritual Dagger was it’s designed for shallow waters, the swamp boat is very difficult
scavenged from its ruins by Qu’rashi nomads who themselves to pilot up the Reik. Ali’s son Aziz is an expert riverman and has
practised a benign form of blood magic. The dagger remained therefore been entrusted with the task, along with his mother
among the Qu’rashi for many generations. After the rise and fall of Fatima. When travelling upriver, Ali’s swamp boat is towed behind
Strigos, the nomads dispersed north and the dagger followed the the Coastal Barge (#3).
Rumanyik Strigany until recently. Their chieftain Slava believed
the dagger had brought mis- 2. Riverboat
fortune to the Rumanyiks, This 40-foot riverboat is typical of those found on the Empire’s
so it was handed along to Ali waterways. The riverboat was discovered grounded and damaged
of the Lodring Strigany as in the Grootscher Marsh, so the Lodring Strigany repaired it for
part of a complex marriage their own purposes. The riverboat is manned by a crew of four and
arrangement. carries 23 Trade Units of assorted furs. See the WFRP Companion
for Encumbrance and Availability values of trade goods.

23
 Featured Faction: Strigany

River Strigany
Flotilla

3. Coastal Barge inquisitive PCs may learn the information listed under Lodring
Strigany Demographics (pg. 15). The other boatmen are mostly
The largest boat in the river Strigany flotilla is a 60-foot coastal
uncommunicative with outsiders.
barge capable of sailing in moderately choppy waters. The coastal
barge is normally used by the Lodring Strigany for salvaging
shipwrecks along the Wasteland’s rocky shores. On this voyage to Attacking the Flotilla
Altdorf, the coastal barge carries 14 armed Strigany Bonepickers
who are prepared to defend the flotilla in the event of attack. PCs who attack the Strigany flotilla on open water will have dif-
ficulty approaching the two smaller boats without confronting the
Using the River Strigany well-manned Coastal Barge. Aziz and his Riverboat crew are skilled
oarsmen capable of skilfully steering their craft around the Coastal
Barge in evasive manoeuvres.
PCs who travel by river may encounter the Strigany flotilla en
route to Altdorf (see Murder on the Reikaak Express, pg. 26). The
If the Strigany flotilla is attacked whilst moored, the Bonepickers
river Strigany are more welcoming of guests than their overland
will immediately attempt to unfetter the Riverboat and Swamp
counterparts, especially those who express an interest in buying
Boat and cast off from the riverbank. The two smaller boats will
furs. The river Strigany receive occasional missives from petra Mar-
remain roped to the Coastal Barge, which serves as a missile
iana’s animal servants, but the rivermen aren’t subject to Mariana’s
platform for its crew of 14 Strigany bowmen. PCs who board the
Disposition modifiers. Fatima uses her basic proficiency in Ka’doni
Swamp Boat might capture Aziz or Fatima before they can escape
mysticism to interpret the messages from petra Mariana.
overboard, in which case the Strigany will attempt to negotiate
their release.
Talking to the Boatmen
The Strigany’s primary concern is to protect the Riverboat and its
Fatima’s son Aziz is a gracious host with the smug self-assuredness cargo of furs, so they keep it fettered to the Coastal Barge at all
that’s typical of a favourite son. PCs who bought passage aboard times. In the event of the Riverboat being boarded, the Strigany
the salvaged riverboat (see pg. 26) are visited at least once daily by will abandon the Coastal Barge to counter-board the Riverboat
Aziz, and they’re invited to eat with the Strigany each night. Aziz and repel the attackers.
prefers to steer conversation away from the topic of his clan, but

24
 Claw of Nagash

— The Claw of Nagash —

The Claw of Nagash changes hands more frequently than other
magical artefacts do. Two years ago, the Claw was discovered by a
sect of Nagashite cultists called the Corpus Aeternum. Weakened
from their fight to obtain the claw, the Corpus Aeternum hid the
relic in Wurtbad until they could organise a convoy to spirit the
Claw away to the cult’s base at Nagashizzar.

It was then that fate intervened, and a band of witch hunters

tracked the relic to the cult’s doorstep. The Claw escaped from the
witch hunters under its own power, scurrying overland for months
until it finally arrived outside of Marienburg where it was found
by petra Mariana of the Lodring Strigany. Mariana delivered a
message to Farouk, informing him that the Claw had sought her
out.

See pg. 18 for additional information on petra Mariana, and see

TTT pg. 165 for statistics and background on Farouk and the
Corpus Aeternum.

Academic Knowledge: Necromancy

Powers: The Claw is a potent source of Dhar. All wizards using

Dark Lore (Necromancy) within 10 yards of the Claw gain a +1
bonus to Casting Rolls (+1d10 if the Claw is unwrapped). Touch- Today, the Claw is a potent symbol of the Great Necromancer’s
ing the Claw without its protective wrappings inflicts an immedi- eternal grasp on the material world. Nagash’s mortal cultists have
ate Hand of Dust spell (WFRP pg. 162) on the would-be user. regarded the claw as a sacred relic since the time of Kadon, who
The presence of dark magic can be detected within 20 yards of the first used the Claw as a religious icon.
Claw on a successful Magical Sense test. If the relic’s protective
wrappings are removed, detection tests improve to Easy (+20). Because of its strong magical aura, the Claw is easily detected by
aethyrically-attuned priests or wizards, and has frequently changed
A polished wooden handle has been affixed to the wrist for the hands as a result. Countless vampires and necromancers have
purpose of handling the relic safely. Unwrapped, the Claw is a wielded the claw at various times, but Nagash’s Claw has a will of
potent weapon when Nagash’s name is invoked (Half Action). The its own. Driven by inscrutable motives, the Claw never remains in
Claws’s death magic inflicts a S5 hit (ignoring armour, but not one place for very long. Many within the cult of Nagash believe
Toughness) against all opponents within a Small (3”) template their master’s Claw must be recovered to complete his resurrec-
placed adjacent to the wielder. Every time the Claw’s death magic tion. Others contend that it will return to Nagashizzar on its
is channelled, roll 1d10. On a roll of 1, the Claw curls into a fist own accord at the time of Nagash’s final return. However, not all
and ceases functioning for the rest of the day, and the wielder acolytes of Nagash recognise the Claw’s importance to the Great
acquires an immediate Necromantic Side-effect (WFRP pg. 159). Necromancer’s immortality.

The Claw is capable of moving on its own volition when threat- The Nagashite acolytes tasked with returning the Claw to their
ened, crawling like a desiccated spider with a Movement score master are called the Corpus Aeternum. This sect has searched for
of 6. It can only be damaged by magic, and has TB 6 and 20 the Claw ever since the Great Necromancer returned for the third
Wounds. time to battle Sigmar Heldenhammer. They believe the relic serves
to anchor Nagash’s corporeal presence in the material realm, no
History: The mummified right hand of Nagash is a powerful matter how thoroughly the rest of his body is destroyed.
relic infused with dark magic and soul energy (see Remains of
Nagash, pg. 3). When Nagash returned during Sigmar’s time, he The Corpus Aeternum believe that Nagash returned weakened
discovered that his resurrected form was imperfect; weaker than during the Night of the Restless Dead in 1681, and that further
before, and he knew it was because of his missing appendage. blood sacrifice will hasten his return to full power. As long as the
Nagash fashioned a prosthetic iron hand to temporarily replace his Claw of Nagash remains intact, they contend Nagash’s corpse dust
severed talon, and it’s believed that he will reattach the true Claw will slowly drift towards the Black Pyramid of Khemri, where it
when he next returns. eventually congeals into the form of a fearsome black liche.

25
 Interlude: Reikaak Express

— Interlude: Murder on the Reikaak Express —

After Chapter I, The Thousand Thrones campaign assumes PCs will travel from Marienburg to Altdorf by road. However, wealthy PCs
might elect to take a faster route to Altdorf by sailing up the river Reik on a boat. PCs should be dissuaded from skipping Chapters II
and III, but for those who do, this short interlude provides guidelines for handling the voyage. The Bloody Murder! encounter provides
an opportunity to reunite with Karl’s Inner Council in Chapter IV.

“Here’s Your Ticket” the Marienburg investigation was unsuccessful, Roderick’s letter
simply instructs the PCs to meet him in Altdorf for payment. The
PCs are duly paid upon arrival in Altdorf, and later when Karl’s
The Reik river route might be chosen by PCs following the “In crusade reaches the city, Roderick employs them as spies.
The Service of Sigmar” or “We’re All Prisoners Here” adventure
hooks (TTT pg. 11-12). Both the witch hunter Roderick and
Imperial diplomat Wilhelm Schmidt can afford to purchase Poor
We’re All Prisoners Here: Having gained the information
he wanted, Wilhelm Schmidt is eager for the PCs to leave Marien-
Quality accommodations for the PCs in the cargo hold of a barge.
burg immediately. Wilhelm buys the PCs cheap, one-way tickets
up the Reik aboard a River Strigany boat (see pg. 23).
In The Service of Sigmar: After the Marienburg investiga-
tion, Roderick leaves a letter for the PCs. If the investigation Any PCs who have yet to secure an employer or benefactor must
was successful, Roderick’s letter offers a one-month employment purchase their own tickets.
contract and includes tickets aboard a Reikaak barge to Altdorf. If
Table 2.5: Accommodation Quality
Table 2.4: River Travel Times & Fares:
Marienburg to Altdorf Cost Description
Best x5 Each traveller is given a luxury cabin
Time Fare Quality with a small side room for servants
Ship 11 days 125 gc per Good, Aver- Good x2 Each traveler receives a small private
passenger age or Poor cabin with a comfortable bed
Barge (Reikaak) 23 days 7 gc per Any Average x1 Travellers sleep two or three per cabin in
passenger narrow bunks
River Strigany 20 days 4 gc per Average or Poor x 0.5 Travellers sleep in a cargo hold among
passenger Poor sacks of coal or barrels of salted fish

26
 Interlude: Reikaak Express

Rendezvous in the Reikland

Barge: The rat-faced barge cook points to passenger
The Reik is a wide and heavily trafficked river. As the journey Eugenia (Suspect #2) and accuses her of being a mutant.
progresses, much of the passing river traffic will have learned about The cook claims to have witnessed Eugenia spoon-feed-
Karl’s crusade. Several boats carry an assortment of entertainers, ing her left armpit! If Eugenia is searched, a baby-like
spies, and zealots intending to join the crusade in Altdorf. mouth is found nestled into her bushy underarm hair.
The actual travel up the Reik can be abstracted for the sake of The mouth gurgles silently, revealing tiny fangs. PCs
brevity. If PCs are travelling by barge, an optional gambling scene wishing to defend Eugenia against the murder charge
or business deal with NPC passengers may be considered for fla- must present a compelling case for her innocence, or else
vour. Those aboard the Strigany flotilla may alternatively become pass a Challenging (-10) Charm Test.
aware of petra Mariana and the Drakwald Strigoi (see pg. 13).
5:50 Strigany: The Bonepickers offer their Strigoi guests a
Bloody Murder! AM pan of deer blood to sate their thirsts. Fatima steps onto
the riverboat deck, where a crow lands upon her shoul-
This early morning interlude occurs approximately two weeks der and squawks a message into her ear. Fatima responds
(16 days) into the journey by either barge or flotilla. The barge is as if she understands the crow, and they are engaged in a
moored for an overnight stop along an isolated stretch of the Reik, heated dialogue.
only 2 miles downriver from the Strigany flotilla.
Barge: Gérard is convinced that neither Suspects #1
When a barge nightwatchman is killed, accusations fly fast and nor #2 are the murderers and pesters the captain, crew,
furiously amongst the passengers. In truth, the watchman was and fellow passengers with all manner of questions.
killed by hungry Strigoi vampire thralls who fled to a nearby river A member of the crew urges the captain to throw the
Strigany barge after a guard dog raised the alarm. “filthy Bretonnian peasant” overboard, causing a fistfight
to break out. If the PCs help the captain prevent the
The following timeline describes the incident from both sides’ fight, he allows them to name Suspect #3. If the conflict
perspectives: is escalated, then a PC becomes Suspect #3 instead. If
the PCs stand aside and simply watch the fight, Gérard is
5:30 Barge: The guard dog is heard barking on the foredeck. subdued by the crew and becomes Suspect #3.
AM NPC passengers cover their ears and continue sleeping,
except Gérard Dunpeal (see sidebar), who dons his over- 6:00 Dawn breaks; the first sunrays glimmer across the water.
coat to investigate. A night watchman called Rembrandt AM
has been discovered at death’s door with his throat ripped Strigany: The Strigoi vampires slumber restlessly in the
open. Rembrandt can only be saved with an immediate cargo hold, suspended upside down from the ceiling
Hard (-20) Heal Test. The guard dog is barking at some- with their arms folded. PCs inquiring about the distur-
thing to the starboard. PCs who search the crime scene bance are told that a small tornado passed during the
and pass a Routine (+10) Search Test notice several night.
droplets of blood leading from Rembrandt’s corpse to the
starboard rail. 6:15 Barge: If the watchman Rembrandt received successful
AM first aid, he regains consciousness and begins screaming.
5:40 Barge: Gérard discusses Rembrandt’s murder with the He then combusts, and within moments his corpse is a
AM captain and crew. Meanwhile, the guard dog (Suspect charred husk. Gérard excitedly announces that they have
#1) begins lapping at the dead watchman’s throat, much all just witnessed the destruction of a vampire.
to everyone’s disgust. An NPC passenger announces the
dog might be rabid. Unless a PC passes an Easy (+20) 6:30 The barge approaches the anchored Strigany flotilla. PCs
Animal Care Test to confirm the dog is healthy, the AM passing a Perception Test notice one of the Strigany
animal is put down by a boatman with a heavy club. The guards is soaking wet. If Gérard is not a Suspect, he mut-
barge lifts anchor and begins sailing upriver. ters to the PCs in his lowborn Bretonnian accent: “River
Strigany. Where der’s River Strigany, der’s vampir. You
5:45 Strigany: Three giant bats fly into the rigging of the see, monseurs?” Gérard recommends a boarding party
AM Strigany coastal barge, causing it to rock suddenly. One to search the Strigany boats. If the PCs successfully de-
of the guards falls overboard. The bats transform into fended at least 2 Suspects, the barge captain approaches
slavering Strigoi vampires (TTT pg. 56) and claw loudly them for advice. Alternatively, if the PCs failed to defend
at the cabin door, seeking shelter from the rising sun. A 2+ Suspects, the barge lingers for 10 minutes before
Strigany guard admits the vampires into the barge’s dark sailing onward. See page 24 for Strigany Flotilla map and
hold, and then throws his floundering mate a rope. crew reactions.

27
 Interlude: Reikaak Express

6:35 Strigany: After initially refusing a boarding party, the

Gérard Dunpeal - Vampire Hunter
AM Strigany captain Aziz agrees to allow three inspectors
PCs travelling in the barge hold share their
aboard. Meanwhile, two Strigany crewmen busy them- berth with a dirty Bretonnian peasant from
selves unfettering the boats (Opposed Perception vs. the Grey Mountains called Gérard Dunpeal.
Concealment Test to notice). Aziz lures unwary inspec- Gérard is secretly a Vampire Hunter sworn
tors into an ambush in the hold, although the sluggish to avenge his family’s slaughter by the wild
vampires suffer -20% to WS tests (see TTT page 56). Strigoi vampire Mad Orlock. Gérard is aware
Once combat begins below deck, the flotilla pushes off of the connection between Mad Orlock and
and pursuers meet with a hail of arrows. the Drakwald Strigoi, having observed a pat-
tern to Orlock’s migration between the Grey
7:00 Barge: If the guard dog is still alive, it attacks the nearest Mountains and the Drakwald forest.
AM character in a frenzy. Gérard announces that the dog has
become infected by licking the vampire blood and must Until recently, Gérard contented himself with hunting Mad Or-
be destroyed! lock’s spawn in the Grey Lady Pass. However, with overall vampire
activity increasing, Gérard now seeks to destroy Mad Orlock him-

Joining the Crusade self before the situation escalates further. When Gérard heard of a
great vampiric battle near Marienburg, he suspected Mad Orlock’s
involvement. Spying on the nearby Wasteland Strigany nomads,
20 miles or so to the north, the crusade’s overland route runs more Gérard learned of their great exodus and resolved to follow in
or less parallel to the river. When PCs disembark at Altdorf, the pursuit of Mad Orlock.
crusade has just departed Pfeifeldorf (Chapter II). PCs should
be encouraged to take the north road to intercept the crusade Gérard Dunpeal is employed by the Bretonnian monastery of Sacre
instead of waiting. PCs arriving at Altdorf in less than 16 days can Bleu, so has more than adequate resources. In all scenarios, Gerard
intercept the crusade in the village of Gooten on the road south involves himself in the murder investigation; however he withholds
from Middenheim (TTT, pg. 71). Otherwise, they will miss Mad advice from snobs discriminating against the lower class. More
Orlock’s attack and instead meet the crusade closer to Altdorf. information on Gérard Dunpeal will be provided in Expansion #3.

Karl and the Inner Council

In order to keep the campaign on track, PCs who travelled by river The Wood Elves
must be introduced to Karl before the crusade arrives in Altdorf.
Approaching Karl’s compound (TTT pg. 73) with news of Striga- Parties who skipped Chapter III will not be introduced to Lorinoc
ny or Strigoi vampires earns the attention of Helmut, Krieger, and and Coriael until the passion play in Chapter VII. In the mean-
the rest of Karl’s inner council. Honest-looking PCs might also at- time, the Elves shadow the crusade from the forest and keen-eyed
tract Jan’s attention (see Further Orders, TTT pg. 86). At the very PCs may spot them at some point. Elven PCs might even be ap-
least, PCs should receive an opportunity to meet Karl soon after proached by the Kithband after Chapter IV (see Optional Encoun-
joining the crusade (see Beloved of God, TTT pg. 87). ter: Altdorf, pg. 33).

28
 Ancient Song of the Elves

— Ancient Song of the Elves —

The Elves speak of a time before the world suffered from the machinations of Chaos. Advancing quickly in the ways of exploration they
ventured far and wide, seeking adventure and knowledge, and settled across many continents. In this early age, the Elves were under the
tutelage of ancient beings known as the Old Ones, who created an island called Ulthuan where magically-gifted Elves could hone their
talents.

Under the guidance of these mysterious beings, the Elves delved into the deeper secrets of magic and learned ways to manipulate the
Aethyr. But in time, the collapse of the Warp Gates and the coming of Chaos brought an end to the Golden Age, as it became known by
the Elves. The Old Ones either retreated to whence they came or were destroyed. Historical records from the time are scarce, although it
is said that the Elves are in possession of ancient chronologies and manuscripts that tell of the era.

Legend of the Sky Ship settled finally. After the door was sealed, the unnamed Runesmith
refused to deliver the three keys necessary to unlock the great vault
One historical manuscript travelled with a group of Elven settlers door and returned to his Hold instead. While the Elves were furi-
who relocated to the Old World several thousand years ago. The ous at the Runesmith’s stubborn refusal to hand over even a single
ancient tome described some of the miraculous machinery crafted key, they returned home content in the knowledge that the keys
by the Old Ones, specifically a wondrous silver Sky Ship that would be well-guarded in a presumably impregnable Dwarven
could race across the heavens with the speed of a comet. For rea- Hold.
sons unknown, the Old Ones’ Sky Ship had crashed into a moun-
taintop in the western fringes of Kislev. Parties of Elven explorers As for the unnamed Runesmith, he returned home to a hero’s wel-
were sent forth to discover the exact location of the crash site, and come. The stubborn Dwarf was celebrated by his king and clan for
did so, but the destroyed craft was not all they found... withholding the keys and denying the Elves access to a powerful
magical font they might turn against Dwarfkind. Furthermore, in
It seems that the spectacular velocity and power of the Sky Ship, reward for his courage, insolence, and foresight, the King bestowed
combined with its tremendous armour plating, was sufficient to the honourific title of “Keymaster” upon the Runesmith and
bury the craft deep within the mountain’s interior rather than charged him and his line with safeguarding the three keys.
obliterating it as the Elves expected. While the Sky Ship itself was
heavily damaged and far beyond repair, the Elves observed a curi-
ous phenomenon underway. A massive rent in the fabric of reality
known as a Warp Portal shimmered at the centre of the ruined
craft. The Elves concluded that unlike the towering Portals engi-
neered and constructed for use by the Old Ones, this Portal was
unstable and flooded the surrounding environment with Chaos
magic.

Sealing the Warp Portal Songs of War

In later years, as the War of the Beard progressed toward its
Acting quickly, the Elves called upon the skills of their most
inevitable and devastating conclusion, the Elves were faced with
powerful Mages and even an unknown Dwarven Runesmith in an
an untenable position in a two front war. From the east came the
attempt to seal the Warp Portal. At the time, the Dwarves were still
Dwarves and their slow but relentless advance on the Elves’ coastal
close allies with Elvenkind and had helped to expand the network
cities. Meanwhile in the west, the Druchii made deeper and deeper
of leylines used to drain the Winds of Magic from the Old World.
sorties into the Elven heartland. Forced to choose between the two
Together, the Mages and Runesmith devised and constructed a
enemies or risk all, the Phoenix King decided to abandon the Old
massive vault door to seal the Warp Portal chamber away from the
World to the Dwarfs and return to Ulthuan.
outside world. The door was fabricated from recovered plates of
the diamond-hard star metal that formed the hull of the Old One’s
And yet, even as the main Elven host evacuated their colonies, a
Sky Ship. Many Elven scholars are in agreement that the vault
few chose to stay behind since they regarded the Old World as
door likely represents the last cooperative effort undertaken by
their home and had grown weary of battling the Druchii. Still,
Elves and Dwarves before the impending War of the Beard would
the Dwarf advance was a very real threat and the remaining Elves
drive a wedge between them that lasts to this day.
resolved to move further inland where they could hide within
the great forests. In choosing the ancient woodlands of the Old
Although both sides had previously agreed that it should be the
World to make their havens, the canny Elves took advantage of the
Elves’ responsibility to safe-guard the vault from interlopers, hos-
Dwarfs’ well-known dislike of the surface world and all the flora
tilities between the venerable races broke out before matters were
and fauna that grows upon it.

29
 Ancient Song of the Elves

Unfortunately, much of the vast storehouse of ancient Elven lore The Lament of Lileath
had to be destroyed as the Elves decamped from the Old World,
lest their powerful secrets fall into enemy hands. While countless Elf PCs from the Laurëlorn Forest may have heard The Lament of
scrolls and manuscripts were lost, a few secrets survived with the Lileath during their youth. When encountering any details of the
Elven refugees fleeing into the Laurëlorn Forest. However, instead song, Laurëlorn Elves may attempt a Challenging (-10) Common
of carrying cumbersome scrolls that might be damaged or slow Knowledge (Elves) Test to recall a number of verses equal to their
their exodus, the clever Elves transformed their remaining scraps Degrees of Success. GMs are advised to mix up the verses’ order so
of lore into epic poems and songs that weighed nothing and would the song isn’t recalled in its correct sequence.
always survive as long as someone knew the words. The secret of
the Warp Portal and its location was encoded within the verses of At the beginning of the great darkness,
an epic song called The Lament of Lileath. Asuryan’s Chariot blazed o’er the sky,
From West to East it remained on high.
A Legacy of Obligation Then chasing the winding serpent,
It began to descend,
Many centuries after the War of the Beard was a distant memory, And amongst many heads its light came to an end.
and most of those who fought in it were long dead, a descendent
of the original Dwarf Keymaster made a pilgrimage back to the Amongst false hope of life,
mountain in Kislev so that he might inspect the vault door. In Asuryan’s Chariot found final rest,
truth, the Runesmith’s simple wish was to gaze upon the great bar- In the bough of a great tree so blessed.
rier, and behold the object his family had revered and protected for As its last light did die,
so long. It was hidden from sight,
As a rainbow winged bird took to flight.
The Runesmith told no one of his destination and travelled alone
so that no other would learn of the vault’s location in the cata- Below the great tree,
combs beneath the Crags of Shargun. The Runesmith arrived at Lileath knelt in tears,
the vault door and discovered that a small leak was venting Chaos There forming a shimmering lake of fears.
magic into surrounding caves. In fact, the entirety of the vast As the years passed by,
catacomb network was saturated by magic, and now supported Asuyran’s Chariot was lost,
a foul ecosystem of the types of fiends that are drawn to such an Buried within the lake by a thousand leaves of dust.
environment. In the end, the Keymaster did manage to fulfil his
wish to look upon the vault door, but it was his last wish as he was Then came Asuryan’s Children,
promptly ambushed and devoured. Feeling Isha’s pain,
And saw the once great tree against corruption strain.
Isha’s crying drove them onwards,
Her tears leading the way,
Deep within the tree’s roots,
Away from light of day.

Having witnessed the corruption,

The Warp Portal Uncovered Asuryan’s Children knew,
The lake must be sealed to protect all that’s good and true.
In time, the Black Witch discovered the catacombs beneath the With help from the Dawi,
Crags of Shargun (see TTT page 3). Upon searching the tunnels A hidden place was formed,
the Black Witch came across the magical seal guarding the Warp Its secret bound in iron,
Portal and conveniently, the remains of a Dwarf holding three keys From which three keys were forged.
needed to unlock the doors.

Meanwhile, the encoded song is still sung by the Elves of the

Laurëlorn Forest, though few are aware of its history and true
meanings. However, there does exist a written version of the
song which comprises part of a painting done by an Elf from Sith
Rionnasc’namishathir. After visiting the Elves of the Laurëlorn
Forest and hearing the song, the painter memorised its words and
upon her return to Marienburg painted its verses in runic script on
canvas.

30
 Ancient Song of the Elves

Decoding the Lament of Lileath

The secrets encoded within the ancient song of the Elves are hidden with the careful use of symbolism, and can be difficult to interpret
even to those trained in the language of the Elves. Below is a summary of the imagery used and its true meanings.

Asuryan’s Chariot The Rainbow Winged Bird

The Elves were witnesses to the catastrophe that befell the Old The crash of the Sky Ship created a burst of magical energy that
Ones, powerful beings that travelled the world and the stars in could be seen and felt for miles, allowing the Winds of Magic to
ships that sailed through the air. These ‘Sky Ships’ were viewed by briefly turn the sky into a bright rainbow. The bird can also be
the Elves as ‘Chariots of the Gods’ and it was one such vessel that interpreted as a daemon or aspect of Tzeentch.
blazed across the sky in flames before crashing into the Crags of
Shargun. The Lake of Fears
The shimmering Lake of Fears represents the Warp Portal, created
The Serpent by the tears of the Elven Goddess Lileath who is the patron of
The Serpent represents the course of a mighty river, though while Seers and Prophets, and thus closely linked to magic.
Humans see the mouth of the river as the delta, Elves view the
source of a river as its head. The serpent also symbolises the Ne- Asuryan’s Children
hekharan god Qu’aph, and sometimes the Chaos gods Tzeentch or The High Elves view themselves as chosen by the creator god
Slaanesh. Asuryan. Although the Wood Elves no longer follow the same
path, the song was written in the time before they had gone their
The Great Tree separate ways.
The Elves disguised the Crags of Shargun -- unnamed in those
times -- with the symbol of a tree. Elves view the age of a moun- Isha’s Pain
tain in relation to the growth cycle of a tree. The Goddess Isha is the protector of the natural order, and thus
feels pain when the natural world is corrupted by Chaos.

Interpretations
Several variations of The Lament of Lileath have been authored
by musicians of other races who may have overheard parts of the
ancient song. These versions are rarely accurate since the Elves’ lan-
guage requires an experienced ear to correctly interpret its complex
idiom and subtle tones.

Many scholars throughout history have attempted to decipher the

song, suspecting there might be hidden secrets contained within its
verses.

The Asur (High Elves)

The Wood Elves of the Laurëlorn Forest are unaware that Mor-
larna Foamstrider, an Asur Elf from the Marienburg enclave of
Sith Rionnasc’namishathir, had transcribed the song’s verses and
ideology into a painting. Although Morlarna did not realise the
importance of the song or understand its secrets, her painting
provides a much clearer view of the song’s meaning than is evident
when it’s sung aloud. Unfortunately Morlarna and the painting
disappeared without a trace.

Sigmarites

Early humans once believed the sun was a fiery chariot that blazed
across the sky, ridden by a now unknown god. As a result, those
scholars who follow Sigmar have mistakenly interpreted the imag-

31
 Ancient Song of the Elves

ery of Asuryan’s Chariot within the song, believing it to represent

a comet. Such mistakes have led a group of heretical Sigmarites to
link the Elven song to the warrior god Sigmar (see Expansion #3
Elven Pilgrimages of Friendship
for further details of this sect). The pilgrimage to the Laurëlorn Forest to consecrate a Waystone is
part of an ancient pact of friendship and cooperation between the
Elves of Athel Loren and the Laurëlorn. Every year a party of Elves
leaves one of the forest realms (alternating annually), and journeys
to the other where they perform a consecration ceremony on a
Waystone. This tradition enforces the Elves’ pledge to maintain
Lord De Trois the ancient network of leylines that crisscross the Old World.

In addition to Lord de Trois’ sinister plans for Karl (see TTT page
149), the Necrarch has also been trying to translate The Lament Lorinoc and Coriael
of Lileath correctly in the hope that he may discover its hidden
secrets. The vampire discovered a version of the song reproduced Expanding upon the Elven background presented in The Thou-
on a painting in Elven runic script. Although the Necrarch has not sand Thrones, this section examines the two Elven NPCs Lorinoc
yet discovered any obvious connections to the Vampire Prophecies, and Coriael. While TTT describes Lorinoc and the Kithband as
De Trois believes the references to “hope” and “a great tree” imply coming from Athel Loren, Coriael’s origins are unspecified. In fact,
the song’s secrets are of importance, and relate somehow to the Coriael is from the wood Elf settlement in the Laurëlorn Forest.
powers of Chaos.
Lorinoc
When De Trois discovered a group of Elves was travelling with the
Crusade, he decided to capture Coriael and force him to reveal the Lorinoc was on his first venture outside of Athel Loren, a pilgrim-
secrets of the painting. De Trois ordered his loyal Herald servants age to the Laurëlorn Forest. The journey to the ritual site was
to strike out in the dark of night, and waylay the Elf before remov- uneventful and Lorinoc and his fellow Elves were well-received by
ing him to the Necrarch’s Vale. the Elves of the Laurëlorn. The return trip met with disaster how-
ever. Lorinoc’s party of Wood Elves were ambushed by a rampag-
Leonardo da Miragliano ing horde of Beastmen, and he was wounded and forced to flee.
Lorinoc stumbled through the Drakwald until he came upon the
The great artist and inventor Leonardo Da Miragiano was a curious Reaper’s Bounty.
soul whose greatest pleasure in life was solving challenging riddles.
When an unknown patron presented Miragliano with The Lament The Elf rested at the Bounty until he was discovered by the PCs,
of Lileath, he knew better than to simply reveal his knowledge to whom he believes led the same Beastmen horde back to the
just anyone. On the other hand, leaving the puzzle unsolved went coaching inn. The battle was furious as Lorinoc was forced to
against Miragliano’s very nature so he set himself to interpreting fight alongside humans and mutants against the savage Beastman
the song from the Elven painting. tide (TTT pg. 64). Only the timely intervention of Coriael and
his Kithband prevented Lorinoc’s demise, and the Wood Elf has
Miragliano’s interpretations were written on parchment and placed become bitter towards humans. After observing Karl’s aura, Lori-
within a Cryptex puzzle before they were delivered to the patron. noc is convinced that the boy is tainted and possibly a vessel for
Miragliano believed his interpretation of the song’s verses should Cyanathair the Corruptor to re-enter the world.
remain hidden to all but those with the necessary wisdom and
esoteric knowledge to open the device. Presumably those few indi- As a result of his ordeals, Lorinoc is beginning to show the first
viduals would possess the insight to appreciate the puzzle’s contents signs of Delirious Saviour (WFRP pg. 203) and is increasingly
(see the Necrarch Tower, pg. 64). becoming obsessed with killing Karl. If this means Lorinoc must
assert his dominance over the Kithband and turn them against the
Laurëlorn Elf, then so be it.
Optional Rule:
Coriael
Children of the Gods
Coriael was originally sent to investigate the Crusade of the Child
To explain the Elves' awareness of Karl's aura (TTT pg. 71), as an when the Elves of the Laurëlorn Forest learned that the Crusade
optional rule all Elves are able to use the Magical Sense Skill as a would be entering the lands of the Empire (see Foolish Humans,
Basic Skill (WFRP pg. 89). This gives all Elves a unique bond with TTT pg. 11). The experienced scout was ordered to abandon
the Aethyr, as they are aware at a basic level the subtle influences his investigations and guide a rescue party after the Athel Loren
that the Winds of Magic have upon people and the environment. pilgrimage to the Laurëlorn didn’t return home.

32
 Ancient Song of the Elves

was held captive backstage, he overheard a furtive reference to the

Cyanathair the Corruptor Ancient Song of the Elves. Coriael had known the song since his
youth, and though he was ignorant of the verses’ true significance,
Cyanathair the Corruptor, also known as Morghur the Lord of he knew he had to do everything in his power to safeguard the
Skulls, is seen by all Wood Elves as the immortal spirit of Chaos. song’s secrets from the powerful vampire.
A twisted creature of man and beast, Cyanathair exists only to
corrupt, despoil, and cause pain, and is therefore widely despised.
Although slain three times by the Wood Elves, Cyanathair has
Optional Encounter: Altdorf
returned once more, prompting some to believe that this endless
This optional encounter is set between Chapters IV & V. By this
cycle can only be stopped by hunting down and killing those who
point in the campaign, the Elves have been unable to track Karl’s
might act as vessels for his return.
movements within Altdorf and are unlikely to pick up his trail
While Coriael was guiding the Athel Loren Kithband through the again. Coriael is faced with three options; either he divides his
Drakwald Forest, the Kithband’s leader was killed in a beastman Kithband force to cover more ground, follows the PCs (who he
attack. As the most veteran Elf in the group, Coriael assumed believes might be influenced by Karl), or confronts the PCs to
command of the rescue party. The Kithband warriors respected learn the child’s location. For this encounter GMs are advised to
Coriael’s leadership qualities even though he was not from Athel use Lorinoc’s profile as described on TTT page 65 (but with a full
Loren himself. Their faith was not misplaced as the Elf quickly complement of Wounds) and Coriael’s profile from TTT page 69.
tracked down the sole survivor of the Athel Loren pilgrimage and
saved him from the rampaging Beastmen. The PCs are likely to have questions of their own, and the en-
counter will likely develop into a little quid pro quo between the
After discovering the fate of the pilgrims and rescuing Lorinoc, Elves and the PCs. Coriael does most of the talking during the
Coriael finds himself back near his original objective, the Crusade encounter, as he is used to dealing with humans. As the exchange
of the Child. With the Crusade now close at hand, Coriael took of information progresses, Lorinoc scowls at the PCs and refuses to
the opportunity to investigate and in the process he discovered deal with them at all.
Karl’s aura. Coriael believes the boy is too dangerous to be allowed
to live, though he does not accept Lorinoc’s view that the child is After the encounter Coriael realises that the best course of action
a vessel for Cyanathair. Coriael is also concerned about Lorinoc’s will be to track the PCs’ movements to Karl. However, upon
mental state after witnessing the slaughter of the pilgrimage. witnessing the PCs’ abilities at the end of Chapter V (see “A Grand
Melee”, TTT pg. 127), Coriael decides that a direct confrontation
As Coriael was preparing to make a second assassination attempt with Karl is not the best tactic. Instead, the Elves bide their time
upon Karl’s life (TTT pg. 150), he and one of his Kithband war- and wait for a more opportune moment (see TTT, pg. 150).
riors were abducted by Lord de Trois’ henchmen. While Coriael

What the Elves Know

Coriael is used to dealings with Humans and will not part with information that should remain with the Elves. However, information
that might lead to Karl is of paramount importance and therefore Coriael may reveal partial truths without necessarily answering the
PCs’ questions completely. Lorinoc mistrusts humans on principle, and will only share information with other Elves who gain his trust.
Although the Elves are familiar with several vampires, they are uneducated in the Vampire Prophecies.

Baroness Theodora Margrave Mad Orlock

“Perhaps she is one of the Twilight Sisters who serve the Dark “Some call him the Batfather, for he roams the land spawning
Lady?” The Elves can only speculate on Margrave’s identity if the winged nightmares.” The solitary Mad Orlock is a bestial, migra-
PCs describe her black coach or pigeons. The Dark Lady resides tory vampire from the Drakwald forest who ranges near the Laurë-
in Bretonnia (according to Lorinoc) or the Empire (according to lorn and Loren forests occasionally. Lorinoc believes Mad Orlock
Coriael) and communicates with her agents through leyline magic. serves a higher power.
Neither Elf is aware of the Lahmian vampire bloodline or Neferata
specifically. The Chaos Ritual at Villa Hahn
“We tracked the Twilight Sister and her followers, but our warriors
The Strigany would not enter that accursed place.” The Elves claim to have
“They are a misguided people who follow the ways of a darker time followed the Lahmian thrall Sofia and her minions hoping to find
and place.” Coriael pities the Strigany for the persecution they Karl, but in truth they tracked the PCs to Villa Hahn. The Elves
face, though he does not trust them. Although Lorinoc respects claim they were ambushed by Nurgle cultists and fled (false). The
their affinity for nature, he also believes the Strigany are more Elves know Nurgle as the Plague Lord, but are unfamiliar with his
closely linked to evil forces than they admit. ways. Lorinoc is now certain that Karl has been tainted by Chaos.

33
 Wolfenburg Interludes

— Wolfenburg Interludes —
When Karl’s crusade arrives in Wolfenburg to appeal for support from Elector Count von Raukov of Ostland, several different subplots
converge at once. GMs might have difficulty keeping track of the numerous factions and NPCs as the crusade prepares for its final pil-
grimage to Kislev. The following three interludes serve to bridge the gaps between the various subplots in TTT Chapter VI: Heralds of a
New Dawn and Chapter VII: Death Do Us Part.

The Wolfenburg Interludes also introduce a major new faction to the Thousand Thrones campaign: the Wolfenburg chapter of Nagash’s
death cult. Expansions #4 and #5 will examine other chapters of Nagash’s cult in greater depth.

Dramatis Personae Petra Mariana: Strigany mystic of the Wasteland clan, carries Claw
of Nagash, holds Hollenbach captive (Expansion #2 pg. 18).
Many different NPCs are involved in the Wolfenburg Interludes. Prelate Jan Richter: Sigmarite priest and propagandist, leads Righ-
Most of these appear in The Thousand Thrones campaign book, teous Hammers of Sigmar (TTT pg. 159).
but some are introduced for the first time in this Expansion. Suri: Strigany mother of Ahmed and wife of Ali (Expansion #2 pg.
17).
Ahmed: Young Strigany scion of Nagash, son of Suri and stepson
of Ali (Expansion #2 pg. 17). Wilhelm Hollenbach: Blood Dragon vampire, held captive in
Mariana’s wagon (TTT pg. 56, Expansion #2 pg. 12).
Ali: Leader of Wasteland Strigany, husband of Suri and stepfather
of Ahmed (Expansion #2 pg. 17). Zigmund: Zealot-priest of Flagellants of the Skull, seeks to recover
Lanfranchi triptych from Farouk in Wurtbad (TTT pg. 163).
Amon Chakai: Greater daemon of Tzeentch, attempts to foil
Nagash’s plan by manipulating believers of the Vampire Prophecies
(Expansion #3).
Brother Frederich: Priest of Morr in Karl’s Inner Council, investi-
gates Vampire Prophecies, takes Karl to Talabheim (TTT pg. 161).
Coriael: Laurëlorn Elf, leads Kithband warriors to protect Elven
Song (TTT pg. 69, Expansion #2 pg. 32).
Ernst Krantz: Cultist of Nagash, infiltrating Flagellants of the
Skull (TTT pg. 139).
Farouk: Assassin-priest of Nagash, steals Lanfranchi triptych, kid-
naps Ahmed and directs Mariana to deliver Claw of Nagash (TTT
pg. 165, Expansion #2 pg. 20).
Gerhard Hauderhoff: Nagashite cult leader, former Sigmarite
inquisitor, instructs Niklas Greuber, seeks Crown of Sorcery (see
Expansion #4).
Helmut: Sigmarite demagogue of Karl’s Inner Council, employs
PCs to protect Karl (TTT pg. 74).
Lord De Trois: Necrarch vampire, leads Heralds of a New Dawn,
wants to drink Karl’s blood and bring about the Age of a Thousand
Thrones (TTT pg. 149, Expansion #2 pg. 6).
Lorinoc: Athel Loren Elf, wants to kill Karl and wrest control of
Kithband from Coriael (TTT pg. 150, Expansion #2 pg. 32).
Ludwig Bucholz: Mad genius and demagogue, leads Flagellants of
the Skull (TTT pg. 159).
Niklas Greuber: Necromancer-priest of Nagash, leads Wolfen-
burg chapter and reports to Gerhard Hauderhoff, awaits Claw of
Nagash from petra Mariana (Expansion #2 pg. 40). A. Leichgart’s Smithy G. Strigany Camp
Ollo Veorhoven: Agent of the Righteous Hammers of Sigmar B. Heralds’ Pavilion H. Elven Kithband
(TTT pg. 139). C. Karl’s Compound I. Cult of Nagash Chapterhouse
Otto Flick: Cultist of Nagash, infiltrating Heralds of a New D. Cult Campsite J. Raven Knight Encampment
Dawn, poisons Strigany leader Ali (Expansion #2 pg. 39). E. Bluebelt Camp K. Righteous Hammers of Sigmar
F. Forest Path L. Flagellants of the Skull

34
 Wolfenburg Interludes

The Once Great City of mas is a single-storey building that remains largely intact, and is
now used for fencing stolen goods. The owner is an informant for
Wolfenburg the Sigmarite church (see Hammer Spy vs. Skull Spy, pg. 44).

6. Flay Court: See “Widow Curst”, TTT pg. 138. Formerly called
During the Storm of Chaos, the horde led by Surtha Lenk pene-
the Square of Standards, this rubble-strewn market was briefly
trated deep into the heart of Ostland and put the provincial capital
used as a tannery by Chaos marauders, who enjoyed skinning their
under siege. Most of Wolfenburg was sacked and put to flame, but
victims to create grisly cloaks and banners of human leather. The
a core of defenders under the leadership of Count Raukov made
Sigmarite shrine at Flay Court has been reconsecrated, but the
a desperate stand on the west bank of the River Wolfen and kept
place is still considered haunted and is therefore avoided.
that part of the city upright.
7. Hops Market: See “Bernt Hessler”, TTT pg. 139. Wolfenburg’s
Months after the Chaos hordes were routed, many of the houses
Main Platz is littered with rubbish and makeshift tents. A defiled
on Wolfenburg’s west bank still bear the scars of war machine
statue depicting Magnus the Pious and Sigmar the Great has been
damage. The eastern portion of the city lies almost entirely in
covered with canvas until it can be repaired. The hops market is
rubble and its holy temples have been desecrated. People have been
located at the west end of the plaza.
slow to return to Wolfenburg because it’s believed the ruins are still
haunted by daemons, and beastmen occasionally venture from the
8. Burned-out Smithy: See “The House of Death”, TTT pg. 139.
forest to make a meal of squatters hiding in the ruins.
Like many other squatters in Wolfenburg, poison-maker Boris
Leichgart has taken up residence above an abandoned shop.
Eastern Districts
1. Cathedral of Sigmar: Reconstruction of the Grand Cathedral
commenced in the late summer of 2523. A team of 70 work-
men has taken up residence in the nearby Hall to the Heroes of
Cults and the Crusade
Ostland, which was gutted but remains structurally intact. These
When Surtha Lenk’s hordes devastated the cathedral over a year
labourers are charged with clearing the temple site, salvaging stone
ago, Wolfenburg’s Sigmarite priesthood fell into disarray. Although
blocks from the rubble, and expanding the adjacent Garden of
repairs are underway, progess is slow and worshippers have been
Morr. The plan is for skilled Dwarfen masons to be hired next
forced to congregate at open air venues instead. Those stalwarts
spring to rebuild the cathedral’s arches. Several of the Sigmarite
who endeavour to rebuild their lives amid Wolfenburg’s ruins have
clerics who supervise the operation have been accused of paying
adopted a survivalist ethos, and a sub-cult venerating Sigmar the
their workers with jewellery taken from the city’s dead.
Golden has become popular locally. According to these fundamen-
talists, the Empire was greatest during the age of Sigmar and has
2. Citadel: The heavily damaged citadel was Wolfenburg’s base
regressed in modern times. Karl’s advisors intend to exploit the
of defense for nearly a week before the unavoidable retreat to the
locals’ nostalgia when they arrive with their own “golden boy”, and
west bank of the River Wolfen. Count Raukov only returned to his
have made plans to seek the patronage of Elector Count Valmir
Wolfenburg palace last month. In Raukov’s absence, the palace was
von Raukov.
debased by orgiastic rituals to the Lord of Pleasure and required
extensive sanctification by priests.
After Theogonist Volkmar declined to grant Karl’s crusade official
sanction, its Sigmarite affiliation was downplayed and Karl was
3. Barracks: See “Captain Yeller”, TTT pg. 139. The Wolfenburg
instead portrayed as a symbol of universal hope. Although Karl is
barracks have not yet been resanctified by priests. Only thieves
still heralded as a scion of Sigmar, the crusade itself has become
have dared to explore these buildings since the siege because they
multidenominational. One of Karl’s most trusted advisors is a
are reportedly haunted by daemons of the Blood God.
Morrite priest, and Shallyan healers also follow the crusade to
prevent disease from festering in its wake. Even Ulrican priests
4. Ostland Mint: This building was demolished on the Count’s
who normally forbid Sigmarite missionary work in their parishes
orders when the east city was evacuated. Chaos marauders have
have blessed the crusaders. Of course, the crusade’s religious plural-
no use for treasure, so von Raukov hoped to recover his province’s
ism has also enabled fringe groups like the Flagellants of the Skull
wealth from beneath the rubble when the city was liberated. The
and the Heralds of a New Dawn to join its ranks, and they in turn
mint contains over two tons of gold and silver. The buried vault’s
have been infiltrated by more sinister agents...
contents remained safe for months until a necromancer began de-
ploying zombies to excavate it from below (see Wolfenburg Death
Having already exposed the Nurglist saboteurs, Karl’s advisors are
Cult of Nagash, pg. 38).
overconfident in their ability (and the PCs’) to uproot corruption.
However, unbeknownst to the inner council, the taint of Chaos
5. Fiddler’s Inn/Ollo’s Panoramas: See “Ernst Krantz” & “Ollo
still lingers in the crusade (see Expansion #3 for more information
Verhoven”, TTT pg. 139. The abandoned Fidler’s Inn has only two
on the Ruinous Powers).
walls remaining, and half of its roof has collapsed. Ollo’s Panora-

35
 The Once Great City of Wolfenburg
Eastern Districts
1. Cathedral of Sigmar
2. Citadel
3. Barracks
4. Ostland Mint
5. Fiddler’s Inn/Ollo’s Panoramas
6. Flay Court
7. Hops Market
8. Burned-out Smithy

Western District
9. Tree and Root Inn
10. Hospice for the Maintenance
and Education of Exposed and
Deserted Children

36
11. Shrine to Sigmar the Golden
12. Müeller and Schüllie’s Office
Wolfenburg Interludes

Crusade Encampment
13. Karl’s Compound
14. Heralds’ Pavilion

Hazards

Rubble

Scaffolding

Buried Hellfire
Ammunition
 Wolfenburg Interludes

Western District
9. Tree and Root Inn: This is one of the few surviving inns in
Wolfenburg. The Tree and Root once catered specifically to Elves,
Dwarfs and Halflings, but since the war it has become a regular
drinking hole for human workers and returning refugees. The inn
features a courtyard garden with wormwood plants used in the
distillation of Elven absinthe. Recently, the Cloaked Brothers have
begun monitoring customers for signs of daemonic possession.

10. Hospice for the Maintenance and Education of Exposed

and Deserted Children: Over recent months the hospice has been
scraps they can find, and will perform dangerous jobs for a half
inundated with new orphans. The Shallyan sisters advocate con-
loaf of bread (see “Karl’s Double at the Passion Play”, pg. 44).
verting adjacent rowhouses into nurseries, but they are opposed by
the hospice’s Sigmarite cantor. The hospice cantor was given veto
11. Shrine to Sigmar the Golden: Since the Grand Cathedral was
authority nine years ago when child influenza epidemics sparked a
destroyed, this shrine has become the center of Sigmarite worship
public inquiry against the Physician’s Guild, resulting in multiple
in Wolfenburg. The small plaza outside the shrine is always crowd-
charges of Chaos corruption. Surplus orphans must now fend
ed, and the building’s exterior is plastered with prayer parchments
for themselves. Wolfenburg’s street urchins scavenge for whatever
and other religious offerings. The attendant priest is a fanatical
traditionalist who preaches that every change in the Empire since
Colleges and the Crown the age of Sigmar has been the work of Chaos.

12. Müeller and Schüllie’s Office: See sidebar pg. 41. The door
Soon after the Crusade’s arrival in Altdorf, a malevolent artefact
to this cluttered, riverside office is always locked and the windows
known as the Crown of Sorcery disappeared from the vaults below
barred. There is no signage and Brother Barnabus of Morr keeps
the Grand Temple of Sigmar. The Colleges of Magic immediately
diligent watch in the scholars’ absence.
dispatched wizards across the Empire to find the crown and fore-
stall a public scandal. Three wizards from the Colleges of Magic are
investigating the Crusade by the time it reaches Wolfenburg. Crusade Encampment
Hierophant Clarissa Engel of the Light College: this stern, 13. Karl’s Compound: See “The Compound”, TTT pg. 132.
middle-aged wizard was appointed to Karl’s inner council on the 14. Heralds’ Pavilion: See “The Green Pavilion”, TTT pg. 145.
Emperor’s direct orders. Clarissa monitors the crusade for signs of
Chaos corruption (see The Crusade’s Inner Council, pg. 42).
Hazards of a Rebuilding City
Magister Dina Schüllie, Amethyst Wizard: expert vampirologi- Rubble: shaded map areas represent neighbourhoods that were
cal sciontologist with contacts among the Dreamwalkers of Morr. demolished in the fighting. Many exterior building walls are intact
Schüllie was granted permission by Magister Patriarch Hexensohn but their interiors have been gutted by fire. Several of the city’s
to investigate connections between the Crown of Sorcery and the sturdier stone buildings remain standing like islands amidst the
Vampire Prophecies. She has joined the Crusade incognito while wreckage. PCs attempting Charge or Run Actions in rubble must
her partner Fuchs Müeller is researching dusty archives in Essen pass an Easy (+20) Agility Test or trip and fall.
(see Müeller and Schüllie sidebar, pg. 41).
Scaffolding: important buildings and fortifications are currently
Shadowmancer Gavius Klugge of the Grey College: operates under repair. Scaffolding can be climbed automatically in normal
covertly within the crusade, disguised as an old cobbler. Gavius circumstances, but requires a Very Easy (+30) Scale Sheer Surface
fears the Crown of Sorcery might have been responsible for Grand Test to climb under duress. Scaffolding is not entirely stable;
Theogonist Volkmar’s miraculous return from death a year ago. His running or fighting on the planks may cause a section to collapse
mission is to investigate corruption among the Sigmarite clergy in (10% chance).
cooperation with a cell of Cloaked Brothers in Wolfenburg.
Buried Hellfire Ammo: Wolfenburg’s eastern districts were
In the wider context of The Thousand Thrones campaign, the devastated by fearsome Hellfire cannon volleys fired by Surtha
Crown of Sorcery subplot bridges Chapters IV, V and VI. The Lenk’s Chaos Dwarf allies. Artillery rounds fired by these cannons
Crown subplot will likely have been resolved (for better or worse) were infused with daemonic Warp energy, and several cannonballs
when the PCs arrive in Wolfenburg. However, the College wizards remain buried beneath rubble despite efforts to excavate them.
who sought the artefact may be encountered in Wolfenburg Anyone venturing into the proximity of Hellfire ammo must pass
whether or not the Crown was successfully recovered (see Expan- a Very Easy (+30) Toughness Test or gain a random mutation
sion #4 for more on the Crown of Sorcery subplot). (Tome of Corruption, pg. 26).

37
 Wolfenburg Interludes

Wolfenburg Death Cult of Infiltration of the Crusade

Nagash
The Wolfenburg Nagashites have infiltrated two groups within
The ruins of Wolfenburg are a place for things fiendish and foul. Karl’s crusade: the Flagellants of the Skull and the Heralds of
The streets are still littered with the mouldering unburied casualties a New Dawn. Dark rituals of Nagash bend the cultist’s bodies,
of Surtha Lenk’s invasion, and desperate members of the populace minds and souls to the Great Necromancer’s will, thus they are im-
have even turned to the Ruinous Powers and their cults for suc- mune to exaltations of faith including Karl’s divine aura. Nagash’s
cour. A shadowy cult much different from the others has also taken cultists do not heed the call of the gods like other agents operating
advantage of the situation. This group of evil opportunists is the within the Crusade, making them ideal spies.
cult of Nagash.
Flagellants of the Skull
The beliefs of the mainstream Death Cult of Nagash are much dif-
ferent from those of the Strigany who also recognise the Great Nec- Three Wolfenburg cultists have infiltrated the Skulls, feigning to
romancer’s divinity. These madmen seek to become instruments join Bucholz’ cause. The cultists actually plan to subvert the Skulls
of Nagash’s will and one day be rewarded with favoured positions over to the worship of Nagash and help Farouk steal the coveted
in his Kingdom of Death. Whether handed down personally or Lanfranchi triptych panel. See Hammer Spy vs. Skull Spy (pg. 44)
dictated by prophets who commune with his spirit through relics, for details on Skull infiltrator Ernst Krantz.
the Great Necromancer’s will is the highest law to these cultists.
Heralds of a New Dawn
High priest Niklas Greuber of the Wolfenburg chapter maintains
contact with several other Nagashite factions, making him a useful Two cultists of Nagash have infiltrated the Heralds of a New Dawn
cog in Nagash’s scattered network of operatives. (see Otto and Udo sidebar). The minions of the Necrarch Lord De
Trois are a mixed lot. Whilst the majority of the Heralds do the
Cult Membership vampire’s bidding out of fear, there are those who follow him will-
ingly in the hope of being selected to become one of his Undying
Necromancer-Priest Niklas Greuber’s small following was estab- (see sidebar). Other Heralds were coerced by De Trois using mind-
lished in the wake of the recent Chaos Incursion. Eight Wolfen- control potions.
burg townsfolk make up the cell; five men and three women. Most
of the cultists have little knowledge of Nagash’s larger cult. Greuber All of De Trois’ Heralds are given an alchemical solution to help
is the sole cultist able to recognise and contact other followers of them avoid the effects of Karl’s aura. This elixir also happens to
the Great Necromancer. make its recipients loyal to De Trois above all others, although the
mind-controlling properties of the potion shouldn’t be obvious to
Following the orders of his superiors, Greuber recently animated PCs who stumble upon a random Herald drinking it. Otto and
a score of dead Wolfenburgers and set them to work excavating a Udo have been immunised to De Trois’ potions by the sorcery of
tunnel to Count von Raukov’s ruined mint. The cultists hope to Nagash.
acquire wealth and attract more people to their cause. However,
plundering Von Raukov’s mint is only the secondary goal of these
Nagashites. First and foremost, the Wolfenburg chapter is to aid The Undying Heralds
the sacred task of a former Sigmarite Inquisitor named Gerhard
Hauderhoff who was corrupted to the ways of Nagash. The Undying are the crowning achievement of De Trois’ necro-
mantic experimentation (see pg. 61). These creatures are increas-
More information on Gerhard Hauderhoff and the cult of Nagash’s ingly becoming aware of their pitiful lot. One Undying Herald
bid to obtain the Crown of Sorcery will be provided in Expansion irreplaceably lost most of a cheek when he snagged it on a bough;
#4. meanwhile the others have suffered minor scratches that won’t heal.
Although the Heralds are grateful to De Trois beyond imagining
for their immortality, they want to improve upon his design.

One Herald emulated his vampire master by drinking the blood

of small forest animals. Of course his wounds didn’t heal, but the
sawdust replacing his innards became drenched in rotten blood
and now he reeks terribly. The other two Undying Heralds wish to
return to De Trois’ laboratory in the hope of finding alchemical so-
lutions that will somehow improve their condition. Even a needle
and thread would do much to repair their fragile forms.

38
 Wolfenburg Interludes

Otto Flick
Otto and Udo: Agents of Nagash
Herr Flick is a Nagashite spy planted among De Trois’ death cult-
ists. Walking with a distinctive gait, Otto prowls the Herald’s en- Otto Flick and Udo Muckenfuss are Nagashite spies charged
campment in search of the Necrarch’s secrets. The cult of Nagash with infiltrating the Heralds of a New Dawn. High Priest Niklas
learned from Otto that De Trois himself intends to become the Greuber became aware of De Trois’ connection to the troupe after
vessel for Nagash’s fourth return, and Otto has been instructed to observing the Heralds’ plays closely over several years. Greuber
foil that plan. It was through Otto’s efforts that the Cult of Nagash surmised that De Trois’ ancient vampiric heritage inpired the
became aware of De Trois’ intent to drain Karl’s blood. necrographical nature of the Heralds’ performances.

Otto learned nothing more than that, for De Trois did not reveal At first, Otto Flick’s embalming
his ultimate plan to any of the Heralds. However, the high priests expertise was employed by the
of Nagash have been instructed by the Great Necromancer’s disem- Heralds to create alchemical and
bodied voice to ensure Karl’s safe passage to Kislev. If any vampire pyrotechnical effects for their
consumes Karl’s power before Nagash himself does, then Nagash plays. However, De Trois soon
must consume the offending vampire instead. To that end, Otto took notice of the stagehand’s
is prepared to collect De Trois’ remains if he is defeated by Karl’s aptitude and promoted him to
bodyguards after draining the boy’s blood. chief laboratory assistant. From
this priviledged position, Otto
Ali’s poisoning by Otto was intended to enable the kidnapping of has funnelled a great deal of
Ahmed for use as a decoy against De Trois. If Otto can position intelligence to Greuber concerning the Necrarch’s vision for the
Ahmed as the fated scion of Nagash instead of Karl, then perhaps Kingdom of Death. However, Otto’s promotion left Greuber with
De Trois will pursue the Strigany boy instead. Otto does not actu- no agents in the Herald encampment.
ally believe Ahmed is the fated scion of Nagash; he is only using
the boy to distract De Trois. Unbeknownst to Otto, however, Enter Udo Muckenfuss, an Oster-
Ahmed is also a decoy for Queen Neferata. The all-seeing Lahmian marker and demagogue by trade. Udo
manipulator observes Ahmed’s movements from her palace at had been forced to flee his hideout
Silver Pinnacle. in Bechafen after Margrave Hertwig’s
disappearance sparked a city-wide
Otto used several doses of the Heralds’ poison for Ali’s murder, witchhunt. Arriving in Wolfenburg
thus endangering De Trois’ plan to snatch Karl at the passion play. with only the clothes on his back, Udo
The other Heralds are unhappy with Otto’s independent decision relied upon his considerable oratory
to “test” the poison. Otto does not realise that De Trois’ determi- skills to earn a living as a raconteur of
nation to pursue Karl is unshakeable. macabre tales. Greuber took note of
Udo’s crypto-Nagashite rhetoric and
recruited him to replace Otto among
Claw, Triptych and Scion the Heralds’ ranks.
High priest of Nagash Gerhard Hauderhoff recently orchestrated
While Otto is completely loyal to Greuber and the mainstream
a meeting between Greuber and the Nagashite blood cultist
cult of Nagash, Udo secretly subscribes to an alternative Nagashite
Farouk. Farouk informed Greuber that his cell would soon receive
doctrine called Necrobiosophy. Most Nagashites believe that all life
the fabled Claw of Nagash from the Strigany. When Farouk also
will end when Nagash ascends to power in the Kingdom of Death,
revealed that he could obtain a Book of Nagash from the von
however the doctrine of Necrobiosophy contends that life will
Carstein vampires, Greuber agreed to assist his plan of stealing
merely become eternal, unbounded by the mortal coil. Greuber is
the Lanfranchi triptych panel from the Flagellants of the Skull.
not aware of Udo’s heretical leanings, but has dispatched a messen-
Greuber already had three agents embedded with the Skulls, so the
ger to the Nagashite cult in Bechafen following the agent’s recent
mission would be easy.
disappearance.
When Greuber informed high priest Hauderhoff of Farouk and
For more information on Udo Muckenfuss, see Clan of the Cave
Otto’s plan to poison Ali and kidnap Ahmed, the cultists’ initiative
Ghouls on pg. 51.
met with approval from Hauderhoff. Neither Hauderhoff, Greu-
ber, Farouk nor Otto actually believe Ahmed is the fated scion of
Nagash. However, Hauderhoff privately suspects that Ahmed is a
Delivering the Claw of Nagash
pawn of Neferata, so he hopes that Farouk’s kidnapping might foil
Petra Mariana is anxious to be rid of the Claw of Nagash at the
one of the vampire queen’s many schemes against Nagash. Whilst
nearest opportunity. When Farouk visited her two days ago along
the Wolfenburg Nagashites are instructed to help Farouk kidnap
the road to Wolfenburg, he instructed Mariana to deliver the Claw
Ahmed, the Claw must always remain their first priority.
to the cult’s Wolfenburg chapterhouse (I) without attracting any

39
 Wolfenburg Interludes

attention. Farouk informed Mariana that the cult’s base is a ruined forth to create a cell of cultists in the ruined city of Wolfenburg; a
tenement located three blocks west of the Ostland mint. First task he has performed well.
Mariana must meet the necromancer Niklas Greuber, and then
Greuber will advise her on how to proceed with the delivery. Insanity Points: 3

Tracing the Triptych Delirious Saviour (WFRP pg. 203): Niklas is certain that Nagash’s
Kingdom of Death will bring prosperity to all, and save the world
The third panel of Lanfranchi’s triptych (Handout #30) depicts from the Four Powers of Chaos. He will strive to make the Great
Sigmar’s apotheosis at the Tree of Hope. At one time Lord De Trois Necromancer’s vision come true in any way he can.
owned the Sigmar triptych panel, but in 2520 it inexplicably went
missing from his library and wound up in the hands of agitator WS BS S T Ag Int WP Fel
Ludwig Bucholz from Nuln. Recently it was stolen from Bucholz
32 24 30 32 35 61* 63 35*#
by Farouk. Unbeknownst to De Trois, Bucholz or Farouk, the
# reduced due to Cadaverous Appearance (WFRP pg. 160)
triptych has become a tool of the daemon Amon Chakai, and now
it serves a greater purpose in fulfilling the prophecies of Tzeentch.
Skills: Academic Knowledge (Magic, Necromancy, Theology),
See Expansion #3 for more on the machinations of Tzeentch.
Channelling +10%, Charm, Command, Common Knowledge
(the Empire), Gossip +10%, Intimidate, Magical Sense +10%,
Nagash’s Wolfenburg Chapterhouse Perception +10%, Read/Write +10%, Ride, Search, Secret
Signs (Nagashite), Speak Arcane Language (High Nehekharan,
The cult’s base of operations is a ruined building located three al- Magick), Speak Language (Classical +10%, Nehekharan,
leys west of the Ostland mint. The building contains a prayer room Reikspiel +10%), Trade (Calligrapher)
and shrine where Greuber delivers lectures, along with Greuber’s
Talents: Dark Lore (Necromancy), Dark Magic, Fast Hands,
bedroom, library and laboratory. Two Wights (OWB pg. 118)
Lesser Magic (Move, Skywalk), Linguistics, Meditation, Petty
stand motionless on either side of the shrine, and two cultists are
Magic (Arcane), Savvy*, Suave*
usually present (use Herald stats, TTT pg. 151). The Wights resent
the mortals, and are feared by them in turn, but they grudgingly
cooperate in the name of Nagash. Niklas is also here when not Combat
overseeing the zombies at the mint (50% of the time). Attacks: 1; Movement: 4; Wounds: 15

18 zombie labourers and most of the cell’s wealth are located three Armour: None
blocks away in the Ostland mint. Weapons: Staff (1d10+1; Defensive, Pummelling)
Magic
Niklas Greuber, Necromancer-Priest of Nagash Magic: 2
Male Journeyman Necromancer, ex-Scribe, ex-Apprentice Necro- Petty Magic Spells: Arcane
mancer Dark Lore Spells: Necromancy
Ethnicity: Reiklander Trappings
Niklas Greuber wears a hooded black cloak and walks with an
This pale man with a long ebon staff. He wears a silver amulet depicting the Crown of
grey beard seems to be in his Sorcery, but it’s usually hidden under his robes. In a leather bag,
fifties or sixties. However, he’s Greuber carries ingredients for his spells: a jar of fireflies, six
very fit for his apparent age small darts, some butter, a small silver trumpet, a pouch of grave-
and appearances are indeed dust, a skull and a severed hand. Niklas owns a small library of
deceiving; Greuber’s visage necromantic grimoires, as well as anatomical, alchemical and
has aged prematurely due herbal tomes. Any and all resources of the Wolfenburg cell of the
to his extensive use of Dark Cult of Nagash are his to command, including the 1000 Gold
Magic. Crowns the Nagashites have managed to retrieve from Ostland’s
mint so far.
From an early age, Greuber
was trained in the Nagashite
stronghold hidden in the
Forest of Shadows. When the
time was right, he was sent

40
 Wolfenburg Interludes

their collection of lore. Since then, Müeller and Schüllie have

Müeller and Schüllie: moved their files to a large, untidy office on the city’s west bank

Vampirological Sciontologists
overlooking the River Wolfen. Whenever Müeller and Schüllie
are travelling abroad, their office is
maintained by a morose Brother of
Within the desperately undermanned ranks of vampirological Morr named Barnabus.
sciontologists, few individuals are as dedicated to unlocking the
secret history of vampires as Fuchs Müeller. Müeller has pursued Over time, the pair has amassed
a relentless mission to discover everything he could about the an extensive portfolio of ancient
accursed blood-drinkers since scrolls, crumbling manuscripts and
the mysterious abduction of his rare tomes concerning nearly every
younger brother Reiner many aspect of the vampires’ existence.
years ago. His only lead was a Outside of the abbey libraries at
small, red, flower-like blood Essen and Siegfriedhof, Müeller
stain on the neck of Reiner’s and Schüllie’s dingy riverside office
discarded nightshirt. The disap- is likely home to the most compre-
pearance and subsequent search hensive vampirological library on
for Reiner became an all-con- this side of the grave. Unofficially,
suming drive in Fuchs Müeller’s Müeller and Schüllie refer to their
life. Müeller has since dedicated collection as “the V-Files”.
himself to Morr by serving the
Order of Dreamwalkers, but he What the Sciontologists Know
never stops searching for signs
of his brother.
GMs wishing to expand upon any of the vampire-related subplots
in The Thousand Thrones may use Müeller and Schüllie to provide
In 2516, Magister Patriarch Viggo Hexensohn of the Amethyst
the PCs with vampire-related background. Dina Schüllie took an
wizards’ college signed an agreement with the Abbot of Morr at
interest in the Crusade well before its arrival in Wolfenburg, and
Essen to jointly fight the vampire menace. Fuchs Müeller was
PCs involved in the Crown of Sorcery investigation would prob-
partnered with a vampirologist from the Amethyst College named
ably have caught her attention (see Colleges and the Crown side-
Magister Dina Schüllie. The investigators were provided with an
bar pg. 37, and Expansion #4 for details). Fuchs Müeller travels
office near the temple of Morr in Wolfenburg. From their head-
frequently, and therefore might encounter the PCs at Essen (after
quarters, Müeller and Schüllie have travelled the farthest reaches
Chapter VII) or even in Kislev (Chapter VIII or IX).
of the Empire and beyond in pursuit of any manuscript or rumour
concerning vampires.
Müeller and Schüllie could conceivably provide trusted adventur-
ers with any of the Vampire Prophecies background from the TTT
When the Chaos hordes sacked Wolfenburg last year, the temple
Expansions or Campaign Overview booklet.
of Morr was demolished but the investigators managed to save

41
 Wolfenburg Interludes

Interlude 1: During the Investigation

The Wolfenburg Interludes are arranged in chronological order, however they can be played out-of-sequence if PCs wish to follow up plot
threads that were previously abandoned. The events of Interlude #1 begin shortly after Ali is poisoned (TTT pg. 137).

The Crusade’s Inner Council

On the Crusade’s journey between Altdorf and Wolfenburg, Karl gathered several new advisors to his inner council. Among these are
a representative from the College of Light Wizards who joined Karl’s council in Altdorf, and a priest of Morr was admitted soon after.
When the Crusade reaches Wolfenburg, the inner council includes five members. Just prior to the PCs’ arrival, a local veteran named
Koller pledges his sword to Karl as the sixth advisor. The PCs’ will notice these changes of membership when they reunite with the Cru-
sade.
Hierophant Clarissa of the Light Order: Joined Karl’s council at
Helmut: Remains the spokesman and spiritual leader of the Cru-
the Emperor’s behest in Altdorf. Several Lectors had argued that
sade (TTT pg. 132).
denying Karl’s legitimacy wasn’t enough, and the Grand Theogo-
nist should instead condemn the boy’s crusade as a heresy. Clarissa
Lord Wilhelm Eisenbach: Became privately disenchanted with
was appointed as a “watchdog” to allay the Lectors’ fears of Chaos
the Crusade when Karl went missing in Altdorf, but has remained
taint. In truth, Clarissa is primarily concerned with retrieving the
along with his soldiers to fulfill his sworn duty (TTT pg. 133).
Crown of Sorcery (see Colleges and the Crown, pg. 37).
Father Johannes Seibolt: Replaced the undercover Nurglist Jan
Brother Frederich of Morr: Met the Crusade in Hochland and
Vanderpeer soon after the Crusade departed Altdorf. In lieu of
immediately gained Karl’s trust. Sent Ahmed the Strigany boy
formal recognition by the Grand Theogonist, Father Johannes pro-
off to Talabheim with one of his initiates, and after the passion
vides a token Sigmarite presence on Karl’s council (TTT pg. 133).
play escorts Karl to Talabheim himself. Brother Frederich secretly
monitors the Crusade for portents of the Vampire Prophecies on
Champion Koller: Joined the Crusade in Wolfenburg as Karl’s
behalf of his order. He arranges for a small contingent of Morrite
Champion, effectively replacing Captain Krieger Brighalter who
templars to join the Crusade and represent the cult’s interests (see
was killed in Chapter IV (TTT pg. 133-134).
Raven Knight Encampment, pg. 45).

Strigany Intrigue
Soon after the PCs reunite with the Crusader encampment, Ali
stumbles toward them in the last throes of death. Ali has been
poisoned by one of the Heralds of a New Dawn, and the PCs’ in-
vestigation of Ali’s death might lead them to uncover the Necrarch
De Trois’ nefarious plan. PCs who visit the Strigany Camp (G)
during their murder investigation will probably wish to question
Ali’s wife Suri, and perhaps also petra Mariana. Remember to roll
on the Petra Mariana Temperament Table (pg. 19) for Strigany
Disposition.

Questioning Suri
Suri wails upon receiving the news of Ali’s death. Word spreads
quickly through the camp, causing the Strigany mamas to join in
Suri’s lamentation. The grim Strigany men swear to avenge their
leader’s murder. Three Wasteland Strigany Bonepickers (see Profile
on pg. 16) will pledge their assistance to the PCs’ investigation
unless Mariana’s temperament is Fury or Wallowing, in which case
they rush off to solve Ali’s murder case on their own.

42
 Wolfenburg Interludes

Once Suri has recovered from her initial shock, she confides in into Wolfenburg by removing all bone charms that might reveal
PCs who pass a Routine (+10) Charm Test (modified for Strigany her as Strigany. She also uses Ghost Step (WFRP pg. 147) to cover
Disposition and good role-playing). Suri invites sympathetic PCs her tracks.
into her wagon and tells them about Mariana’s earlier warning:
Confronting Mariana
“Our all-knowing petra warned me of this. Two nights ago, she
was visited by a man from my old clan in Stirland. He is a bad Mariana’s reaction to confrontational PCs is dictated by her cur-
man named Farouk. She told me that Farouk wanted to take my rent Temperament (see pg. 19), and whether she’s encountered
only son, Ahmed. I’m certain that Ali was murdered by Farouk, so alone or with other Strigany. In her Madame Mira or Wanderlust
that he could take Ahmed from me!” Temperaments, Mariana plays the sympathy card claiming she’s
just a frail old lady who’s unfairly persecuted for being Strigany.
If the PCs offer to protect Ahmed, Suri is very grateful but insists Under the influence of any other Temperament, Mariana uses her
that her kinfolk will remain vigilant. In fact, Suri is mistaken. After Earth Gate spell (WFRP pg. 154) to escape, possibly taking an ex-
the PCs leave the camp, the Strigany point accusatory fingers at tra round to cast Fountains of Blood (NDM pg. 119) beforehand
the scion Ahmed for bringing misfortune upon them. The dis- if any Strigany Bonepickers are covering her retreat. If Mariana is
traught Suri brings Ahmed to Karl’s Compound (C) and hands her wounded, she heals herself with Earth Blood (WFRP pg. 154).
son over to the kindly Brother Frederich of Morr from Talabheim, Note that Mariana cannot use earth magic in her wagon.
to whom Suri recently confessed her dark secret.

Questioning Mariana
Mariana’s response to the PCs is governed
by her current Temperament. Mariana
did in fact speak with Farouk the Corpus The Heralds’ Repertoire
Aeternum cultist two days ago and told him
that Ahmed was the fated scion of Nagash, The PCs may encounter the Heralds of a New Dawn at either
and that Ali was his step-father. However, the crusade encampment or within the walls of Wolfenberg. The
Mariana likes Ahmed so she immediately Heralds can be found perfoming their acts either day or night
informed Suri of the planned kidnapping. depending on the type of routine. Dramatic productions including
Mariana also tipped Farouk off about the theatre and song are typically scheduled at night, while spoken-
Flagellants of the Skull, who claimed to pos- word performances and poetry are more likely to occur during
sess the panel of Lanfranchi’s famous trip- daylight hours.
tych that Farouk sought. Farouk instructed
Mariana to deliver the Claw of Nagash to Niklas Greuber at the Sing a Song of Sartosa: Ballad about a Myrmidian priest named
nearest opportunity. Claudius desperately mixing a healing draft for the Pirate King of
Sartossa to save his life. The verses of the song are rhyming cou-
Mariana will not reveal any of this information to the PCs unless plets that children enjoy singing along to.
her temperament is Wanderlust and a male PC allows her to se-
duce him. The valiant PC is brought into Mariana’s bone-cluttered The Red Duke Returns - Part VII: The Heralds’ current main at-
wagon where Hollenbach lies bound and naked. You can simply traction. A bawdy epic relating Bretonnia’s centuries-long struggle
tell the player that his character is undressed by Mariana, and then against the Red Duke told with sword duels, massive battles waged
fade the scene to black. Upon emerging from Mariana’s wagon, by puppets, and a cannonade finale.
the PC will have gained 1 IP and learned about Farouk, Ahmed
and the triptych. PCs can only learn about the Claw of Nagash by The Eye of Vecrasi: Spoken-word performance using verses from
searching Mariana’s wagon. De Trois’ algebraic poetry. The Heralds take turns reciting verses,
and then freeze their bodies in geometrical poses while others
Shadowing Mariana speak. Following is a sample verse from The Eye of Vecrasi:

PCs who are suspicious of Mariana may decide to follow her A dead leaf falling
movements. On a successful Shadowing Test or Hard (-20) Spirals tangentially
Concealment Test opposed by Mariana’s Perception 42% (32% Then another falls
if she’s manic), the crone can be shadowed venturing into Wolfen- Fractal but incongruent
burg on three occasions; first to locate the Ostland mint, and then Now the tree is dead
a second time when she makes contact with the cultist Greu- Our golden mean
ber. On her third trip into Wolfenburg, Mariana is disguised as The center of rotation
Madame Mira and carries the wrapped Claw of Nagash under her A golden spiral
arm. Mariana attempts to disguise her ethnicity when venturing

43
 Wolfenburg Interludes

Enter Stage Right...

During their investigation, the PCs are likely to uncover the
Heralds’ plot to replace Wilhelm Schumacher’s Heldenhammer!
script with De Trois’ own Pax Necris. There is no printed copy of
Pax Necris, but PCs who searched the Heralds’ pavilion should be
given Handout #35 from this booklet in addition to Handout
#20 from the campaign book (see Searching the Tent, TTT pg.
146). The switch won’t become evident until Act V (Battle of Black
Fire Pass, TTT pg. 154) when the Herald agent playing Sigmar be-
gins reciting lines that don’t appear in Schumacher’s original play.
PCs who’ve read the Heldenhammer! script may notice the switch
with a successful Read/Write Test.

PCs are only offered bit parts in the play, so they won’t be provided
with scripts by Schumacher (see Act I - Onstage, TTT pg. 152).
However, they might deduce from Handout #35 that the actor
playing Wiseman Four is a Herald infiltrator.

Karl’s Double at the Passion Play

Helmut remains with the Crusade to protect Karl during the PCs’
investigation. If the PCs warn Helmut of suspicious activity in
the Heralds’ camp, then Helmut informs them of his intention to
replace Karl with a double at the passion play. Karl’s double is a
local street urchin who looks so uncannily similar to Karl that no
Hammer Spy vs. Skull Spy one suspects the switch. During the passion play, Lord de Trois
attempts to kill the street urchin believing him to be Karl. The
During the PCs’ investigation of Ali’s poisoning, they might en- Necrarch, who never managed to see Karl in person prior to the
counter Ernst Krantz at the ruined Fiddler’s Inn. Ernst was recently play, is near to fulfilling his destiny and is focused upon nothing
tasked with recovering the Lanfranchi triptych panel that was sto- else.
len from heretical Skulls leader Ludwig Bucholz. Unbeknownst to
Bucholz, however, Ernst is an undercover Nagash cultist on a mis-
sion to subvert the Skulls to the ways of the Great Necromancer.

Ernst is not actually concerned with recovering the same triptych

that he helped Farouk to steal. Instead, Ernst patiently stakes out
a rival agent from the Hammer faction who’s squatting across the
street in the ruins of Ollo’s Panoramas. Ernst awaits an opportunity
to poison the Hammer agent, and by doing so foil the Hammers’
bid to have the Skulls officially denounced as heretics. To this end,
Ernst recently purchased 5 doses of Chokeweed extract from Boris
Leichgart (TTT pg. 40).

In fact, the Hammer agent Ollo Veorhoven is fully aware that

Ernst is spying on him. After the news spread amongst the Crusade
that Bucholz’ triptych had been stolen, Hammer leader Jan Richter
instructed Ollo to exploit his connections and find the missing
painting. Currently Ollo loiters in the ruins of his old art shop
(now used as a meeting place for thieves and fences) in case the
triptych becomes available on Wolfenburg’s black market. One of
Ollo’s clients discreetly pointed out the suspicious-looking zealot
across the street, and now Ollo waits for Ernst to leave before
reporting back to Prelate Richter.

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 Wolfenburg Interludes

Interlude 2: After the Passion Play

No combination of events can possibly result in Karl being killed by De Trois at the passion play. Karl’s double also survives if the PCs
can prevent De Trois from biting him for 3 Rounds. If two or more Heralds reach Karl’s double without the PCs intervening, the terri-
fied boy is carried off to De Trois’ tower by the cultists.

Raven Knight Encampment

The morning after the passion play, a small contingent of Raven vald. The knight questions PCs tersely while a scribe takes notes.
Knights arrives in Wolfenburg accompanied by Black Guards, Edvald then thanks the PCs for their service to Morr before dis-
squires and initiates of Morr. A cluster of black pavilions draped missing them. If the PCs are on good terms with the Inner Coun-
with garlic, holy symbols, and other wards is erected within bow- cil and request Sir Edvald’s aid in locating the Necrarch’s tower, a
shot of Karl’s compound (Location J). The Templars of Morr were silent Black Guardsman named Rogar is instructed to accompany
summoned from their nearby patrol by Brother Frederich’s dream them (see TTT pg. 171 for Black Guard profile).
magic. They are aware that Karl and Brother Frederich departed
for Talabheim after Lord De Trois’ attempted assassination, and In addition to hunting vampires, the Morrite contingent is also
now their primary objective is to guard the Crusade against further concerned with administering proper burial rites to fallen crusad-
vampire attacks. ers. When the templars first join the Crusade at Wolfenburg, they
are unaware of Nagash’s artifacts, the nearby chapterhouse of the
PCs providing any information about the Necrarch De Trois will Great Necromancer, or the Strigany. Further information on the
be granted an audience with the Raven Knights’ captain, Sir Ed- Order of Morr will be provided in Expansion #4.

The Necrarch’s Journal is blamed for Karl’s disappearance, eventually leading to Helmut’s
death and the events that shatter the Crusade (TTT pg. 186).
During the battle at the passion play, Lord de Trois accidentally
Lord de Trois flees the scene immediately after killing Karl’s double
dropped one of his vellum-bound journals on stage (TTT pg.
and returns to his lair. When De Trois’ soul transfer ritual doesn’t
155). The vampire’s tome contains numerological research and de-
produce the desired result, he flies into a rage and kills any nearby
scribes the interrogation of an Elven maiden to extract the secrets
Heralds before pursuing Karl once more into Kislev (Vampire
of a cryptic painting. Give the players Handout #36 (found at the
Encampment, TTT pg. 207).
end of this supplement) in addition to Handout #21 from the
Thousand Thrones campaign book.
’Karl’ is Alive!
Karl’s Escape to Talagaad Should the PCs defeat Lord de Trois or force him to flee the scene
before Karl’s double is killed, they are hailed as heroes. Helmut
After the passion play, Karl has disappeared once more and many approaches PCs who aided in Karl’s defence, reveals that the real
among his inner circle believe it was another kidnapping. In Karl has been spirited away, and asks the PCs for assistance (TTT
truth, Karl received a vision from the Black Witch instructing pg. 160). The Crusade’s inner council continues disguising the
him to seek out a seer by the name of Madame Yaga in Talagaad street urchin as Karl for awhile, but the boy’s followers aren’t fooled
(see Expansion #4 for more information on the Black Witch’s for very long. After the PCs’ departure, the Crusade fragments and
dream magic). Karl informed his two closest advisors Helmut and Helmut is killed (see TTT pg. 186).
Brother Frederich that Madame Yaga knew of his mother’s exact
location. Karl slipped away during the play, was concealed within a
child-sized coffin by Frederich, and was carried off to Talagaad on
’Karl’ is Missing!
a black hearse.
Heralds who manage to grab Karl’s double will take him to De
Trois’ lair where they await their lord’s return (and hopefully
’Karl’ is Dead! also his gratitude). Helmut reveals to the Inner Council that the
real Karl is safe with Brother Frederich. If the PCs ask the Inner
Should Karl’s double be killed during the play, Helmut informs Council about Karl’s abduction, they are informed that everything
everyone that the dead boy is just a lowborn street urchin, and that is under control. The Inner Council is suspiciously uninterested in
Karl is safe. Helmut then approaches PCs who protected Karl’s any claims that the Heralds have taken Karl to the vampire’s lair.
double, asking for their assistance in escorting the real Karl (TTT Helmut tries to assure Karl’s followers that their prophet will soon
pg. 160). After the PCs’ departure, the Crusade begins to fragment return, but eventually the masses grow impatient and the Crusade
even if everyone knows that Karl is still alive, because Helmut is fragments (see TTT pg. 186). This is the only scenario in which
unable to reliably tell the followers when Karl will return. Helmut Helmut survives to Chapter VIII.

45
 Wolfenburg Interludes
Should PCs demand an explanation, Coriael says the song’s verses

The Heralds’ Escape

reveal a hidden source of meteoric iron (a partial truth!).
If Coriael is asked why he’s not bringing his warriors to the tower,
he says their path lies elsewhere and he won’t comment further.
After the passion play, most of the Heralds flee for their master’s Lorinoc and his Kithband warriors step away during this conversa-
tower in a large wagon. At first they use the shantytowns and ruins tion to talk amongst themselves.
of Wolfenburg as cover, and then they disappear into the nearby
woods. If De Trois failed to kill “Karl” at the passion play, the Her-
Coriael at Wolfenburg
alds might have been able to kidnap the boy themselves.
Male Wood Elf Ghost Strider (ex-Captain, ex-Sergeant, ex-Kith-
The journey between Wolfenburg and the Necrarch’s tower takes band Warrior)
a full day on foot. PCs may track the fleeing Heralds back to their
encampment in Lord de Trois’ vale with three successful Routine WS BS S T Ag Int WP Fel
(+10) Follow Trail Tests. Failing a test indicates that the PCs have 68 68 51 58 66 51 61* 54
been led into an ambush by 1d5+3 Heralds. PCs with the Sixth
Sense Talent will detect an ambush before it is launched. After an
Skills: Academic Knowledge (Strategy/Tactics) +10, Animal Care,
ambush, the PCs may test again and previous successes are cumula-
Command +10, Common Knowledge (Elves) +10, Common
tive. The PCs will benefit from the skills of any cooperative NPC
Knowledge (the Empire), Concealment +10, Dodge Blow
that accompanies them, such as the Elf Coriael.
+20, Follow Trail +10, Gossip , Intimidate, Outdoor Survival,
Perception +10, Read/Write, Ride, Scale Sheer Surface, Search,
The Elves Secret Language (Battle Tongue), Shadowing, Silent Move +10,
Speak Language (Eltharin, Reikspiel, Tilean), Swim
During the passion play battle, Lorinoc rescued Coriael and an- Talents: Disarm, Coolheaded, Excellent Vision, Fleet Footed,
other missing Kithband warrior from De Trois’ tent backstage. Co- Lightning Parry, Quick Draw, Rover, Rapid Reload, Seasoned
riael is now aware of de Trois’ attempts to unravel The Lament of Traveller, Specialist Weapon Group (Longbow, Parrying), Street
Lileath and is determined to retrieve any information the Necrarch Fighting, Strike Mighty Blow, Strike to Stun
might have. If De Trois fled in failure, Coriael wishes to track the
Heralds back to the vampire’s lair. However, during Coriael’s im- Combat
prisonment the Kithband leadership transferred to the now slightly
Attacks: 3; Fate Points: 1; Movement: 6*; Wounds: 18
unhinged Lorinoc. Coriael has no option but to ask the PCs for
aid. Use Coriael’s profile below and Lorinoc’s profile on TTT page Armour (Light): Full Leather (Head 1, Arms 1, Body 1, Legs 1)
150 for this encounter.
Weapons: Elfbow with 20 Arrows, (1d10+3; Range36/72; Reload
Free), Superior Hand Weapon (Sword) (WS 78, 1d10+6), Shield
Coriael’s Plan (1d10+4; Defensive, Special)

Coriael intends to use the PCs as a diversion at the Necrarch’s vale Who Needs Humans?
and then abandon them to search the vampire’s lair on his own. To
convince the PCs to aid him, Coriael approaches them indepen- While Coriael makes his offer to the PCs, Lorinoc convinces the
dently and suggests that Karl was kidnapped by de Trois’ hench- Kithband to follow his leadership and not a weak Laurëlorn Elf
men. Coriael offers to guide the PCs and promises not make an who requires the help of humans. Should the PCs approach Lori-
attempt upon Karl’s life. Coriael claims to no longer be interested noc, the arrogant young Elf looks disdainfully in their direction
in Karl because De Trois might possess Elven records that are of a and then resumes talking in Eltharin. PCs displaying any sign of
higher priority. If pressed, Coriael answers: understanding Eltharin are confronted by Lorinoc, who is angered
by lesser races debasing the Elves’ great language.
“My mission does not concern you, human, and I have given my
word that I will not harm the child. Now you must choose to “Do not dare to understand or speak our language with your gut-
either accept my help or not.” tural tongue, for it hurts my ears to hear it!”

Should the PCs ask Coriael about the imprisoned Elf maiden Coriael attempts to smooth over any tensions between Lorinoc
mentioned in De Trois’ journal entry (Handout #36), Coriael and the PCs. However, Lorinoc uses Coriael’s diplomatic gesture
asks to see the journal for himself as he might know the maiden. as leverage to show his Kithband warriors that Coriael cares more
Coriael says the maiden comes from an important clan in Elftown, about placating humans than guarding the treasures of the great
Marienburg, and the PCs would be richly rewarded for rescuing Elven race. After the discussion, Lorinoc attempts to discover what
her. Any mention of the painted song is brushed aside by Coriael, the PCs have been talking about. Once again, Lorinoc cites any
who doesn’t want to reveal more information than he must. lack of candidness by the PCs as further proof that Coriael should
no longer lead the Kithband.

46
 Wolfenburg Interludes

Karl’s Double Elf Player Characters

Coriael and Lorinoc are unaware that a street urchin has been sub- Coriael and Lorinoc are more approachable by an Elven PC and
stituted for Karl because they are not close enough to feel the ab- will reveal more of their true motives. They are curious to know
sence of Karl’s aura. Lorinoc is adamant that the Kithband should why the Elf PC associates with humans, or especially a Dwarf!
continue following the Crusade to Kislev, meanwhile Coriael has Unless the Elf PC is able to provide Coriael and Lorinoc with a
other motives concerning the Elven Song and the vampire’s lair. plausible excuse, he’s treated like an adolescent child. If the “Fool-
ish Humans” adventure hook (TTT pg. 11) was originally used to
If the PCs inform the Elves that Karl is still alive, the Elves are introduce the PCs to the campaign, Coriael is more approachable
determined to seek him out. Coriael still suggests that Karl might because Avatil Foamstrider is his primary contact in Marienburg.
have been spirited away by the Heralds, as he overheard them
talking about the child during his incarceration. Coriael points
out that the Heralds will stop at nothing to capture Karl, and he
High Elf and Sea Elf PCs
warns that the Heralds might have followed the true Karl as well as
capturing the double. Elf PCs from Altdorf are classed as High Elves and those from
Marienburg are considered Sea Elves. These urban Elves are known
to look down upon their sylvan kin, which irks the Elves of wood-
Outcomes land origin. Whilst Coriael is willing to deal with urban Elves,
Lorinoc has a far different view. Any Elf PC attempting to com-
If the PCs accept Coriael’s offer, the Elf returns to his Kithband
municate with Lorinoc suffers a -10% penalty to Fellowship Tests.
and is met with a wall of silence. Lorinoc informs Coriael in
If a Fellowship test is failed at some point, Lorinoc confronts the
low tones that he will personally direct the Kithband from this
Elf PC about his ancestors’ abandonment of Elthin-Arvan (Elvish
moment onward, and therefore Coriael’s services are no longer
for the Old World) to the Dwarfs. Coriael intervenes to separate
needed. Lorinoc refuses to accompany Coriael and the humans to
the feuding kin before blood is drawn.
the vampire’s lair; instead he commands the Kithband to follow
the Crusade. Coriael is disappointed with the young Elf and the
Kithband for rejecting his leadership, but he is committed to un- Wood Elf PCs
covering De Trois’ motives concerning The Lament of Lileath.
Elf PCs from the Great Forest, Laurëlorn Forest or Reikwald are
Should the PCs not trust Coriael and decide to track the Her- classed as Wood Elves. Coriael and Lorinoc are more open with
alds on their own, Coriael shadows them to the Necrarch’s vale these Elves, but they remain concerned about the Elf ’s choice of
and uses their assault as a diversion for his own infiltration of the companions and will not divulge information that they feel should
tower. remain secret (such as the Lament of Lileath).

47
 Vale of the Necrarch

— Vale of the Necrarch —

The Vale of the Necrarch is an optional add-on to Chapter VI: Heralds of a New Dawn. This add-on provides the PCs with a chance to
locate and explore a Necrarch vampire’s secret lair.

An old and quite mad vampire known as Lord de Trois has erected a tower laboratory in a secluded forest ravine to the south-east of
Wolfenburg. Using the tower and surrounding ravine as his staging area, Lord de Trois plots and schemes to realise his own unique inter-
pretation of the Age of a Thousand Thrones.

Necrarch towers are constructed by ritual magic (see Father W’Soran’s Architect, NDM pg. 120). Lord de Trois’ tower is protected by
many natural and unnatural defences, so accessing its interior rooms will require a clever and dedicated party. The rewards for penetrating
Lord de Trois’ laboratory are proportionate to the risk however. Enterprising PCs who survive the tower’s many dangers will discover a
wealth of campaign information as well as conventional booty from the Necrarch’s hoard.

The Vale of the Necrarch is intended to provide PCs with a brief opportunity to exercise their dungeoneering skills and gain some added
insight into the direction of the central campaign. It’s important to note however, that the Vale of the Necrarch is a minor subplot, and
can be entirely ignored by GMs wishing to hasten the advancement of the main plot.

Locating the Vale

Lord de Trois’ tower is situated at the base of a deep ravine within
the woodlands to the south-east of Wolfenburg. Lord de Trois
purposefully selected the location with privacy in mind, since the
mature trees lining the edge of the ravine conceal the tower from
all sightlines but above. In fact, the tower would be impossible to
find if not for Lord de Trois’ Herald cultists tramping through the
woods (see The Heralds’ Escape, pg. 46).

Entering the Vale

The path into the Necrarch’s Vale leads down a steep and muddy
ramp to the ravine floor. There is no other safe and easy route
into the vale than down the ramp. The crumbling ravine walls are
climbable only by those passing a Challenging (-10) Scale Sheer
Surface Test.

PCs wishing to explore the upper perimeter of the ravine may do

so. The circumference of the ravine is over a mile around, and op-
posing lookout points provide differing vistas:

Western Lookout: PCs may observe the Tower and Moat (F) and
the Heralds’ Camp (E).

Eastern Lookout: PCs may observe the Tower and Moat (F) and
the Ghoul Cave (D).

PCs with Academic Knowledge (Strategy/Tactics) recognise that

the base of the ramp is an excellent choke point for a small force to A. Entrance Ramp D. Ghoul Cave
defend against greater numbers. If Coriael is assisting the PCs, he B. Western Lookout E. Herald Encampment
identifies this tactical advantage. C. Eastern Lookout F. Necrarch’s Tower and Moat

48
 Vale of the Necrarch

de Trois’ strange cross-breeding experiments and other cast-off

The Necrarch’s Vale creations. The Necrarch’s continual use of necromancy has also
impacted the environment in unnatural ways.
There are three main locations in the Necrarch’s Vale: the cave,
tower, and the Herald encampment. The cave and encampment Whether the PCs are travelling to an identified location or explor-
are hidden from view, but Lord de Trois’ tower is visible from any- ing the ravine, consult Table 2.6 to determine the unique flora and
where within the ravine. PCs who visited the perimeter lookouts fauna encountered.
can travel directly to any location they spied from above. Oth-
erwise, the Necrarch tower is the only visible objective, and the
others must be discovered through exploration.

Traversing the Vale

Although the flora and fauna within the Necrarch’s Vale are typical
for woodlands in the region, the area is anything but typical. The
forested ravine has become a kind of wilderness reserve for Lord

The Vampling Smoot

Male Halfling Thrall
Tibald Smoot was a wandering tomb robber with the poor luck his Ghoul servants with Undying ones to the oblivious Ghoul clan
to be caught pilfering from a wagon belonging to the Heralds of living in the western caves. Smoot also enjoys hunting De Trois’
a New Dawn. The Heralds immediately delivered Smoot to their living Herald minions and drinking them dry.
vampire Lord de Trois,
who became excited at the Insanity Points: 6
opportunity to experiment
with the Halfling. Lord The Beast Within: Typically, vampires only revert to a feral state
de Trois tried on three after failing a Will Power Test by three Degrees or more. However,
separate occasions to give those vampires afflicted by the Beast Within weakness are on the
Smoot the Blood Kiss, but constant threshold of a mindless bestial rage. All failed tests to
the ritual would not seem resist the thirst for blood by one Degree or more results in the
to take. Only by bleed- vampire gaining the frenzy talent until his thirst is slaked.
ing the Halfling over an
extended period, and then WS BS S T Ag Int WP Fel
replacing the lost blood
with his own, did Smoot’s 33 38 45 35 67 34 43 51
transformation take hold.
Skills: Academic Knowledge (Geneaology/Heraldry), Common
For a time, Lord de Trois attempted to mentor the newly turned Knowledge (Halflings), Dodge Blow, Gossip, Magical Sense,
Halfling in the ways of the Necrarch, but it soon became clear Perception, Read/Write, Search, Speak Language (Halfling),
that Smoot had neither the aptitude nor the inclination to master Secret Language (Classical), Speak Language (Reikspiel),
the esoteric arts. It also didn’t help that Smoot had been driven Torture, Trade (Cook)
completely insane by the repeated transformation attempts. Lord
Talents: Night Vision, Rover, Sixth Sense, Trapfinder
de Trois quickly lost interest in his protégée and cast him out of
the tower. Weaknesses: Counting, Fire, Garlic, Ithilmar, No Reflection,
Stakes
Now Smoot hates De Trois with a burning passion and plots his
revenge. Smoot has excellent knowledge of the Necrarch tower and Combat
the dangers within. The vampling knows he can hurt De Trois the Attacks: 1; Movement: 4; Wounds: 17
most by destroying his cherished collection of experiments and
lore (see Killswitch pg. 62). Smoot will do anything to gain en- Armour: None
trance to the Necrarch tower, and would make an excellent guide if Weapons: Natural (Claws)
he can keep his vampire weaknesses in check.
Trappings
In the meantime, Smoot enjoys complicating De Trois’ life and
Rags
has recently stirred the pot by revealing De Trois’ plan to replace

49
 Vale of the Necrarch

Table 2.6: Traversing the Vale 5 Bad Water: A narrow brook meanders through the sun-dappled
ravine floor. Although the crystal clear stream looks inviting and
silver fish frolic in the rapids, appearances are most definitely
The GM should roll 1d10 twice if the players are travelling to a deceiving. The water is clear because it is contaminated by the ne-
known location or three times if they are exploring. After the third crotic ground-seep of De Trois’ moat, and no living organisms can
roll, explorers should discover the Cave (D) if they explored to the survive within it. Upon closer inspection, the fish exude a rotting
west, or the Herald encampment (E) if they explored to the east. smell and don’t flail about when removed from the water. Needless
to say, the water is extremely poisonous and its consumption calls
for an immediate Challenging (-10) Toughness Test to avoid a
1 Monster! (Roll 1d5): necrotic side-effect (WFRP, pg. 159).
1 Fungbeast: Somehow, Lord de Trois has managed to liberate a Fen-
beast (OWB pg. 94) from its traditional boggy confines and create
a woodland variant comprised of moss, fungal matter and decaying 6 Vampiric Remains: The forest opens upon a clearing where an
limbs. ancient temple or shrine must have stood in the distant past. All
that remains of the structure now are the cracked and overgrown
2 Alpha Spider-Ogre: One of Lord de Trois more “successful” experi-
flagstones that indicate its original size and floorplan. The skeletal
ments. He had originally created four Spider-Ogres (NDM pg.129)
to patrol his glade, but the alpha-male killed the other three. The remains of three humanoids are chained to the ground under a
alpha-male has a 5% advance to both Strength and Toughness. spot of open sky. Upon closer inspection, all three of the skeletons
exhibit the wickedly overdeveloped canine teeth that mark them
3 Grassy Knoll: The trees clear around a low grassy hill with a luscious
fruit-bearing apple tree at its peak. The white glint of bone can be as vampires. Two of the skeletons also have wooden stakes driven
seen scattered amongst the tall grass. The tree is surrounded by a ring into their chest cavities for good measure. The third is that of a
of Grave Grass (NDM pg.138) which can be spotted with a success- Strigoi vampire, and its bones have a strangely gnarled and bestial
ful Perception Test. A further Challenging (-10) Academic Knowl- shape. A successful Search Test reveals three silver pistol balls
edge (Science) Test will identify the deadly flora. Lord de Trois has a lodged in the spine and pelvis of the Strigoi.
wicked sense of humour and enjoys setting devilish traps.
4 Band of the Hand: A group of cast-off reanimated hands have 7 Smoot’s Log: The trunk of a massive overturned tree is home to
left the disposal pile and formed a gang. Uncharacteristically, these
one of Lord de Trois’ more pathetic creations, a Halfling called
1d5+3 Scuttling Hands (NDM pg.139) seem to coordinate their
attacks and will harass anyone including the Heralds and Ghouls.
Smoot who has received the Necrarch’s blood kiss. The transfor-
These Scuttling Hands do not suffer the Mindless Trait, and have mation has changed Smoot into a twisted knobby-white muta-
been known to construct simple snares and traps. tion of his former self with bright, saucer-like yellow eyes. The
transformation has also driven the Halfling insane. While Smoot
5 Ghoulish Hunters: A group of 1d5 Ghouls (OWB pg.94) stalk the
Necrarch’s Glade and the surrounding woods for interlopers and hates Lord de Trois, and offers himself as a guide to the tower,
food. The Ghouls chiefly subsist on waylaid travellers or lone woods- Smoot has a Halfling sized appetite for blood and would drink the
men who stray too deeply into the forest. Recent developments have party dry if he could. Smoot speaks with a raspy whining voice
put the Heralds of a New Dawn at the top of their menu, however. and continually refers to party members as “my delicious.”

2 Petrified Woods: The verdant greens, browns, and yellows of the 8 Smoot on Patrol: The Vampling Smoot is patrolling the Vale on
forest gradually become muted until every leaf, tree and bush is a his constant search for stray Heralds to terrorise. PCs passing a
uniform ashen grey. The only colour in the stark winter-like en- Perception Test opposed by Concealment 34 spot Smoot first.
vironment is a sticky sweet-smelling red sap that weeps from the
trees. Once distilled, the sap comprises a vital component in Lord
9 Razor Squirrels: The party comes across the fallen body of a
de Trois’ ritual to create the Undying, and is dangerous to handle
massive albino stag. The stag still breathes although one of its
(see Tower Walls, pg. 55).
front legs is twisted beneath it at a wrong angle. As the PCs look
on, Easy (+20) Perception Tests allow them to notice a cute
3 Skinsilk Forest: The path winds through a section of forest that brown squirrel appear from the underbrush. Any PCs who pass
is draped and netted by uncountable spider-webs. The webs are by two Degrees of Success or more also notice the forest has gone
not dangerous to handle, but are tacky and moist to the touch and eerily quiet. Suddenly, the cute brown squirrel launches itself at
break easily. The area is home to the rare Khemrian Loom Spider, the fallen stag, jaws unhinging to reveal disproportionately large
a nearly extinct species Lord de Trois has cultivated for its unique and ferocious looking teeth. If the PCs do not interfere, the stag
silk type. When the Khemrian Loom Spider is fed blood, its web bucks and thrashes as the squirrel chomps down. Soon the squirrel
can be harvested and woven into a fleshy patch that functions as a is joined by two and then more and more squirrels until the stag
primitive form of artificial skin for De Trois’ constructs. Fortu- becomes a frothing, blood-misted blur of bushy tails and claws.
nately, the spiders are tiny and only eat carrion, so the path is safe. The razor squirrels only hunt defenceless prey and will scatter if
Players wishing to circumvent the Skinsilk Forest can do so, but the PCs attack.
an additional roll on this table is required.
10 The Wicker Torso: The forest opens into a small clearing featur-
4 Corpsebloom: A shallow but wide trench blocks the party’s ing the long-charred remains of a massive Wicker Man construct
advance through the forest. The trench is filled to brimming with (NDM pg.140). The lower trunk and legs of the construct are
the bleached bones of countless humans and almost every conceiv- irreparably burned and now overgrown, but the upper torso,
able animal type. Sprinklings of pale yellow flowers grow from the arms and head seem to be intact. This Wicker Man is no longer
eye-sockets, rib cages, and elsewhere throughout the bone pile. animated and poses no risk to the party. A flock of magpies have
This is the lair of the Alpha Spider-Ogre (result 1:2), although he taken roost in the great wicker head, and their nest contains 22 gc
is rarely encountered here. worth of mixed coin and tarnished jewelry.

50
 Vale of the Necrarch

Clan of the Cave Ghouls

A deep cave peeks through a cleft in the rocks along the north-east
wall of the ravine. The cave is home to a clan of 18 Ghouls (OWB
pg. 94) who have acted as henchmen and scouts for Lord de Trois
since he arrived from Bretonnia. The clan is in turmoil since the
Ghouls have recently learned that their long-time liege plans to
betray them.

The vampling cast-off Smoot has enlightened the Ghouls to the

fact that their Necrarch master has no intention for them surviving
into his new Kingdom of Death. They are expendable foot troops,
to be replaced by a new kind of reanimated servant drawn from
ranks of the Heralds of a New Dawn. The Ghouls have not yet
decided on a reaction to Smoot’s revelations, nor are they in com-
plete agreement over the reliability of the vampling’s claims. The
Ghouls are not stupid though, and will avoid tipping their hand to
Smoot or de Trois before they have formulated a plan.

It’s important to note that while the interior of the Ghoul cave
has been detailed (to a limited extent), the area is not intended to
function as a dramatic or exciting encounter for the PCs. Instead,
the cave and unique political situation of its inhabitants are rel-
evant because the Ghouls will look to exploit any attack made by
the PCs against Lord de Trois and the Heralds if possible.
1. Cave Mouth
The Cave Interior
The charnel-house smell of rotting flesh emanates from the cave
Only the topmost four areas of the Ghoul cave are detailed. In
entrance suggesting the profanities going on within. Skull-topped
reality, the caves extend much deeper underground and connect to
spikes decorate the threshold amidst a random heap of rusted
a larger cave network that is beyond the scope of this adventure.
armour, shields and broken weapons. There is a 50% chance that
The clan’s most closely guarded secret is a subterranean link to the
1d5 Ghouls are present at the cave mouth during daylight hours,
massive cavern below Lord de Trois’ tower. However, even if the
and this number rises to 80% after the sun goes down.
PCs manage to discover this link to the tower, they will face the
considerable challenge of reaching the well entrance in the cavern
ceiling high above. 2. Living Area

PCs wishing to explore the subterranean caverns may attempt an This large chamber serves as the main living area for the cave
Average (+0) Navigation Test (+10 for Dwarfs). For every Degree Ghouls. The floor is carpeted by a thick layer of broken and
of Success, add +1 to the Cavern Exploration Table result. chewed bones that click and clack when trod upon (making stealth
impossible). An enterprising Ghoul has taken the initiative and
collected skulls to arrange along the north wall in an attempt at an
Table 2.7: Cavern Exploration artistic display. The wall of skulls is impressive but unstable, and
easily topples down onto anyone interfering with it. There are al-
1-2 “I’ve got a bad feeling about this…” (Tunnel stretches for ways 1d5+1 Ghouls in this area during the day, and 1d10 at night.
miles to the Middle Mountains or Skaven Under-empire)
3. Ghoul Pantry
3-4 “Haven’t we seen that stalactite before..?” (Spend 1d5
hours wandering in circles)
The Ghoul pantry is a smaller chamber featuring a natural well-
5-6 “Do you smell something?” (Exit to the Ghoul Cave) spring of glacier-cold water that fills a natural basin extending
across half the room. The water is cool, clear and would be safe
7-8 “Is that daylight?” (Tunnel exits to a minor cave. 50% of
to drink were it not for the roiling stew of dismembered human
minor exits are outside the Vale)
and animal parts bobbling on the surface. There is a 70% chance
9-10 “It’s this way!” (PCs discover an exit to the surface be- that 1d5 Ghouls are present in the pantry during daylight or night
yond the Vale, or an entrance to the Bat Cavern – pg. 65) hours.

51
 Vale of the Necrarch

4. Ghoul Treasury
The air is damp and condensation collects on the ceiling before
cascading back downwards in a rhythmic echoing patter. This
lower chamber contains shiny baubles and rare plunder that the
Ghouls have collected over the years, mixed haphazardly amongst
the myriad bones of previous meals. The torso of a skeleton has
been carefully arranged within a niche on the north wall.

Closer inspection of the skeleton reveals a dull metal crown

perched upon its head, fashioned from pieces of broken armour
and weaponry. The skeleton’s right hand has been replaced with a
gnarled branch. A successful Academic Knowledge (Necromancy)
Test identifies the skeleton as a crude idol of the Great Necroman-
cer Nagash. PCs attempting to remove the crown or claw must
pass an Agility Test to avoid toppling the shrine.

Beside the shrine are the bedroll and paltry possessions of Udo
Muckenfuss, silver-tongued demagogue and Cultist of Nagash (see
Otto and Udo sidebar, pg. 39). Udo would rather negotiate with
intruders than fight. If 3 or fewer Cave Ghouls have been killed
already, Udo proposes that perhaps the two sides share common
enemies and could work together. If more than 3 Cave Ghouls
were killed, Udo cowers behind his slavering parishioners brandish-
ing a curved dagger and warns the PCs: “Do not invoke the ire of
our Everliving Saviour!” Udo is present in the treasury 80% of the
time, holding court with 1d5 Ghouls.

Ghoul Cave
Gone Native
Although his partner Otto had warned him on numerous occa-
sions about the myriad dangers traversing De Trois’ vale, Udo had
a habit of ignoring good advice and could not resist exploring the
strange sights. Naturally, it was on one of these ill-advised sojourns
that Udo ran afoul of the Cave Ghouls and ended up as a menu
item. By the time Udo regained his senses, the Ghouls had already
devoured his left arm and were preparing to cut off the right…

Quickly sizing up the situation, Udo called upon his experience

as a master orator for the most important pitch of his life. Udo
explained that he was a cultist of Nagash, father of all Ghouls,
and that he had been sent to infiltrate the Heralds. Udo told the
Ghouls that when his superiors in Wolfenberg learned they were to
be replaced by the Undying, he had been ordered to seek an alli-
ance with them for a future raid against Lord De Trois (a fabrica-
tion).

Udo correctly sensed that the Cave Ghouls were starved for any
kind of leadership and would be receptive to the opportunity
presented. Of course, Udo never actually bothered to inform Otto
or the Wolfenburg cult of his new affiliation. Instead, his new plan
was to take charge of the Cave Ghouls himself and free them from
De Trois’ grasp in any way possible. If the PCs present a formida-
ble threat and launch any sort of credible attack on De Trois or the
Heralds, Udo and the Cave Ghouls are likely join the fray.

52
 Vale of the Necrarch

Herald Encampment 3. Covered Wagons

A row of three unhitched wagons sit on the far side of the stage
The Heralds of a New Dawn have set up camp in a small meadow
away from the living area. The largest wagon is home to Vago
on the eastern fringe of the Necrarch’s vale. The encampment con-
Scherm, a pinch-faced Reiklander who acts as Lord de Trois’ chief
sists of a living area, an open-air theater, and a row of three wagons
archivist and playwright (see The Necrarch’s Biographer sidebar). A
parked in a quiet corner away from the stage.
small rowboat leans against the side of Vago’s wagon. The middle
wagon has been converted to a comfortable study where Vago
1. Living Area Scherm keeps a small collection of books and a writing desk. The
third and smallest wagon is home to Edo Kloppenhuffer and func-
The living area is comprised of four large tents that can comfort- tions as a small shrine to the history of theater in Altdorf.
ably accommodate thirty or more cultists, although no group
of that size has assembled here yet. These sleeping quarters are
focused around a large cooking area and two smaller tents where Herald
costumes and props are crafted for the Theater of the New Dawn.
Pigs, chickens, and even a milking cow are released from their pen Encampment
to freely roam the camp and surrounding meadow, but they have
the natural sense to avoid the forest beyond. There are always at
least 1d10+3 Typical Heralds (TTT pg. 146) living in semi-perma-
nent residence at the camp as guardians or general labourers.

The Herald encampment is also home to the first three success-

ful subjects of the Necrarch’s newest transformation ritual. Lord
de Trois refers to his creations as “Undying”, and the name is apt.
The Undying resemble and function as living humans in every way
except that they don’t need to breathe, feed or sleep. Only their
cold skin and waxy pallor suggest that something is amiss. See the
Necrarch’s Lab (pg. 61) for information on the Undying.

2. Theater of the New Dawn

The most prominent feature of the camp is a black-and-white

stripe canopied stage overlooking eight rough timber pews. The
stage curtains are embroidered with a whimsical variation of the
tragedy and comedy masks using grinning and glowering skulls.
It is here that the Heralds rehearse and perfect their plays, recitals,
and other agitprop before taking their shows on the road.

If the PCs reach the camp during daylight hours, then they may Otto the Nagashite Spy
glimpse the renowned “dramatist majeure” Edo Kloppenhuffer
as he directs a scene from a new production. Any PC succeeding After working long months in De Trois’ lab, Otto has developed a
at a Routine (+10) Common Knowledge (Empire) Test recalls form of “necrotic bowel syndrome” from breathing in too many of
that Kloppenhuffer was a famous playwright who vanished from the dangerous alchemical reagents. PCs who venture near the Her-
Altdorf under a cloud of mystery after one of his productions was alds’ Encampment may stumble upon Otto, ‘pants down’ at the
closed for invoking heretical ideology. PCs who pass this test by 3+ edge of a log. Except for a sticky leaf, Otto is unarmed and proves
Degrees recall that Kloppenhuffer’s play “The Emperor in Yellow” easy to capture and interrogate. Otto reveals to his “captors” that
was only performed once, and that much of his audience killed the Necrarch’s tower holds valuable secrets but will be impossible
themselves or others after viewing the show. to breach once De Trois returns from Wolfenburg.

Edo Kloppenhuffer is among Lord de Trois’ most valued assets and Otto returned to the vale with the real Heralds. If Karl’s double
knows it. The sloop-nosed, wax-mustachioed dramaturgist is an was not killed by De Trois at the passion play, then Otto suspects
insufferable narcissist. PCs who observe him in action see Klop- the Necrarch of having a back-up plan, and wants to foil it too. If
penhuffer rehearsing a typically overwrought monologue on stage Karl’s double was killed, then Otto hopes someone has followed
before three full length mirrors as a pair of dull-eyed Undying look De Trois from Wolfenburg to slay the vampire. For more on Otto
on. Flick, see Wolfenburg Interludes pg. 39.

53
 Vale of the Necrarch

The Necrarch’s Biographer

Over the years, Lord de Trois has been destroyed twice. Thus
The Tower
far, the most challenging side-effect of his multiple resurrections
The edge of the forest stops abruptly at the tower clearing. A
has been the slow but persistent fragmentation of his long-term
thirty-foot wide moat surrounds the solitary projection of smooth
memory. When the Necrarch Lord became aware of this complica-
stone which reaches to the sky like a great chimney. The outer
tion, he grew obsessed with cataloguing his history and identity,
walls of the tower are overgrown with massive creeper vines. There
and so he began the long process of narrating his un-life story to
are no visible windows or doors on the tower walls aside from the
his Herald minions.
lone parapet atop the tower peak. Massive iron spikes jut from the
tower roof at sharp angles giving the appearance of a rusty and
Scherm is actually the fifth Herald to hold this lofty position over
weather-worn crown. If Smoot is assisting the PCs, he informs
the years. Even with the preceding four archivists devoting the
them they will need a long rope to get inside safely.
main part of their lives to recording de Trois’ memoirs, the project
has not yet reached the midway point. The Necrarch Lord has led a
busy existence over many centuries and the dictation is slow-going. Moat
Scherm knows he will not live to see the memoirs completed, but
is honoured to do his part. To reach the tower, PCs will have to cross Lord de Trois’ moat.
Unlike many of the refuse-polluted moats throughout the Old
Vago Scherm World, this body of water is crystal clear and inviting. The white
glint of skeletal remains poking through the sandy bottom is easily
Male Human Student recognisable.
Vago was an eccentric historian The water itself is not hazardous for short exposures, however in-
at the Wolfenburg Academy gestion is another matter. Even the smallest sip calls for an immedi-
before joining the Heralds of a ate Very Hard (-30) Toughness Test to avoid a necrotic side-effect
New Dawn. The Heralds enticed (WFRP, pg. 159).
Vago with the opportunity to
live forever and witness the end The real danger in crossing the moat is dealing with two amoeba-
of history. Vago has long been like creatures called Shiners (NDM pg. 139) that guard De Trois’
interested in ancient Nehekhara tower. The Shiners are almost completely invisible in the water
and the mysterious Necrarch and PCs must pass a Difficult (-20) Perception Test to spot the
vampires in particular. Other creatures stirring at the bottom.
scholars would call Vago a mere
biographer, but he prefers to Obviously, the safest way across is by boat. If the PCs have previ-
think of himself as a vampirological sciontologist. ously visited the Herald Encampment, they will know there is a
well-worn but solid rowboat available for the task. Otherwise, PCs
WS BS S T Ag Int WP Fel who follow the perimeter of the moat can make a Perception Test
to discover a ‘holed’ rowboat hidden in the reeds. The PCs may at-
31 36 34 28 34 42* 27 25
tempt to repair the boat with a Routine (+10) Trade (Carpenter)
Test. Passing with no Degrees of Success means the repaired boat
Skills: Academic Knowledge (Genealogy/Heraldry, History),
can handle two passengers at once. Each additional Degree of Suc-
Charm, Common Knowledge (Empire), Gossip, Heal,
cess on the test allows another passenger, but neither the repaired
Perception, Read/Write, Speak Language (Classical, Reikspiel
nor Herald’s boat is immune to attack from below.
+10)

Talents: Etiquette, Resistance to Magic, Resistance to Poison, The two Shiners’ primary tactic is to overturn a boat by hitting
Savvy, Seasoned Traveller with a total of three engulfing attacks against the craft. The PCs
can cancel out one engulfing attack for every three points of dam-
Combat age they inflict upon a Shiner. If the vampling Smoot is assisting
Attacks: 1; Movement: 4; Wounds: 14 the PCs, he warns them about the Shiners and suggests the use of
fire to combat the blobs.
Armour: None
Weapons: Hand Weapon (Cudgel) (1d10), Crossbow with 8 bolts A second and well-maintained rowboat is hidden from view behind
(1d10+4; range 24/48; reload Full) a large patch of scrub on the tower island. Unfortunately, this boat
is only visible to PCs that have already crossed.
Trappings

Shabby Clothing, Wire Spectacles, Writing Kit

54
 Vale of the Necrarch

Tower Walls
Once the PCs have managed to cross the moat, their next chal-
lenge is accessing the tower itself. There are no entrances from
ground level, forcing PCs to either fly or climb to the peak.
Climbing the tower brings the party into contact with Lord de
Trois’ next level of security; a rare species of creeper-vine that
covers the exterior wall from bottom to top. After exhausting all
efforts to discover a secret door or window, the players will realise
that the only way onward is upward.

Fortunately, the thick vines are sturdy and climbable with three
successful Routine (+10) Scale Sheer Surface Tests. The twist-
ing branches and fronds of the creeper vine are coated in a sticky
crystalline substance that coats hands or anything coming into
contact with it. The sap of the creeper vine is not deadly, but
produces a mild narcotic effect when absorbed through the skin.
Those affected by the sap must pass a Toughness Test or quickly
find themselves becoming dizzy and nauseous, with the added
symptom of extreme vertigo (-20 to Scale Sheer Surface Tests).
Leather gloves are enough to protect the wearer from the effects of
the sap, although the gloves will become coated with sap and need
to be handled with care after the climb.

If Smoot is with the party, he warns of the “pointy bits” and then
climbs to the tower peak (ignoring any shouts to do otherwise).

Scale Sheer Surface

(Strength - Basic)

Tower exterior vines: Routine (+10)

Tower interior cages: Routine (+10)
Using rope to aid climb: Very Easy (+30)
Narcotic sap effect: Toughness Test or suffer -20 to balance-relat-
ed tests (including Dodge Blow and Scale Sheer Surface)

3+DoS Tower Exterior: Good progress; next climbing test is an

auto-success.
Tower Interior: Climber may attack or evade a caged
monster.
0-2 DoS Steady progress: climb normally this round.
Laboratory 0-2 DoF Tower Exterior: Clothing snagged on sticky thorns; no
progress this round.
Tower Interior: Normal progress, but climber is treated as
Helpless this round.
3-5 DoF Tower Exterior: Clothing snagged on sticky thorns; no
progress this round. Climber is also poisoned by narcotic
sap unless thick gloves are worn.
Library
Tower Interior: Climber slips, and must pass another
Scale Sheer Surface test or fall (see below). No progress this
round.

Quarters 6+ DoF Climber falls: Distance is determined by the previous

Living number of Scale Sheer Surface tests and the direction of the
climb.
Up: No previous successes = 6 yards, 1 previous success =
haft
Well S avern 12 yards, 2 previous successes = 18 yards.
B a t C
To Down: No previous successes = 18 yards, 1 previous success
= 12 yards, 2 previous successes = 6 yards.

55
 Vale of the Necrarch

Tower Peak
Tower Observatory
After an exhausting climb and much painful effort, the PCs find
themselves standing atop the windswept crenulations at the peak of The next most prominent feature of the tower peak is a narrow
the Necrarch’s tower. The vantage point commands a magnificent side tower projecting from the side of the structure. The wooden
vista over the entire ravine, and the PCs can clearly see both the door to the side tower is not barred, and opening it reveals a nar-
Ghoul Cave and Herald Encampment if they have not previously row staircase going up. The staircase spirals steeply upwards before
identified them. landing in the cramped confines of an old observatory. Clearly, the
observatory was designed for a single occupant and will accommo-
Aside from the spectacular view, the most conspicuous feature of date two PCs at most.
the tower peak is a gaping hole opening down into the darkened
shaft of the tower interior. Those expecting a roof-hatch access into Staring skyward from its miniature perch is a tarnished and
a conventional tower with tiered floors are in for a surprise, as it antique-looking telescope. The telescope is no longer functional to
seems the entire length of the tower is hollow inside like a great look through, nor do any of the verdigris encrusted wheels turn if
cyclopean smokestack. Although the lower levels of the tower are anyone attempts to move it.
unlit and hidden in murk, the upper sections are visible through
the rooftop aperture. It seems the inner walls are lined by a matrix The tower observatory was once used by De Trois’ Necrarch ap-
of tiered prison cells extending down the entire length of the tower. prentice, Xyzyx (Expansion #1, pg. 21). Xyzyx was captured from
Animal screeches, chittering, and other less identifiable sounds the observatory by the flying Drakwald Strigoi 122 years ago. He
emanate from within the cages. was delivered to Akana the Strigoi Hag, who still has him impris-
oned in Hunger Wood as her personal astrologer.
If Smoot is with the party, he dances and cavorts on the tower peak
until the first PC reaches the top. The vampling indicates the tower
spikes are ideal anchors to tie off a rope, and then he jumps into
the hole. Anyone looking after Smoot sees him pull open one of
the interior cage doors and lunge inside (see Tower Descent Table –
Level Six, cage #3).

The Tower Descent

Once the PCs are satisfied with their investigation on the tower
peak, it will be time for them to enter the Necrarch’s tower. By far
the safest and surest method to reach the bottom is by climbing
PCs might despair at the prospect of having to exit the tower by down a rope, and there are many secure nooks and crannies atop
the same route. Fortunately, there is an alternative exit through the tower peak for the PCs to attach one. If the PCs have less than
the Bat Cavern which won’t become apparent until the well in De seventy feet of rope, accessing de Trois’ rooms at the tower base will
Trois’ laboratory has been discovered. be difficult. Although it is feasible for an intrepid (or suicidal) PC
to climb down the cage wall, this is an extremely dangerous under-
Carrion Roost taking. The shaft becomes progressively darker until the bottom
levels are pitch black.
A massive perch of sticks and thatch that belong to Lord de Trois’
Carrion monstrosity is situated adjacent to the hole. Putrefying Whether the PCs utilise a rope or dare to climb down the inner
gristle-covered skulls sit at the bottom of the nest, making it look cage walls, they will be forced into close proximity with many of
like a basket of gory eggs. The Carrion is only present at the tower the cages’ deadly inhabitants. Scale Sheer Surface Tests are made
peak if Lord de Trois was killed in Wolfenburg and therefore failed at Very Easy (+30) if using a rope, and Routine (+10) without.
to summon it. See pg. 67 for the Giant Carrion’s profile.

56
 Vale of the Necrarch

There are six tiers of 10’ high cages ringing the interior of the
Necrarch’s tower, and another surrounding the laboratory on the Table 2.8: Tower Descent
ground floor. For every Half Action spent climbing, a PC passes (Level Six – Current Experiments)
one cage level. Each time the lead climber descends into the next
tier, the GM should roll 1d5 on the Tower Descent Table for an 1 Tentacled Horror: A shapeless monstrosity with squid-like ap-
encounter on the corresponding tier. Rolls are only made when the pendages reaches toward the adjacent climber. The climber will get
lead climber descends to the next tier. Climbers who follow the one free hack at the tentacle before it grips him. The tentacle has
TB 3 and 3 Wounds. Climbers gripped by the tentacle must pass
leader must deal with the same encounter if it has not yet been re-
a standard Strength Test or fall.
solved, and those who take their own route must roll for a unique
encounter. The cages are deep and dark enough so that climbing 2 Spider Ogre: This cell contains a Spider Ogre (NDM pg.129) that
PC’s will not be able to see inhabitants without getting close. has just recently undergone its transformation. The pain of the
metamorphosis must be maddening, and the creature’s powerful
arms reach for the adjacent climber. The arms have TB 4 and 3
Wounds although the creature will automatically retreat if injured.
3 Undead or Just Dead Gor: The prone form of an undead Gor
beastman fills this cell. Even if the listless Gor senses the PCs
approach he does nothing. This Gor has obviously undergone ex-
treme torture including the removal of its eyes. If Smoot came to
the tower with the PC’s, then it is here where they catch up with
the gore soaked vampling as he picks his teeth over the mangled
Gor. Smoot apologises for being what he is, but nevertheless an
Easy (+20) Will Power Test is required to avoid gaining 1 IP.
Table 2.7: Tower Descent
4 Dead Monster: The corpse of a recently deceased Skaven is start-
(Level Seven – Winged Creatures) ing to bloat within the cage interior. The sight of the creature
should be unnerving to the many who believe the rat-men are a
1 Undersized Carrion: A small sized version of the Carrion vulture myth. No effect.
launches itself at its unlatched cage door and the adjacent climber.
Quick thinking PCs can slam the door and latch it with a suc- 5 Empty: The cage facing the climber is thankfully devoid of inhab-
cessful Agility Test. Otherwise, the Carrion will burst forth and itants and is safe to pass. No effect.
flap its wings against the adjacent climber before flying off. PCs
assailed by the freed carrion must pass an additional Scale Sheer
Surface Test to hang on. Table 2.9: Tower Descent
2 Flying Monkey: A chattering monkey-like creature with feathers (Level Five – Failed Experiments)
and wings suddenly lunges at the adjacent climber. The PC must
pass a Willpower Test to avoid spooking and losing their grip. 1 The Spitter: This cell contains the form of a scaly demi-human
Spooked PCs can make an additional climbing test to try and with Elflike features and proportions. When a climber is near, the
hang on. Spitter will race to the cage door and unhinge its snake-like fangs
before spraying the climber with venom. The venom cannot be
3 Undead Crow: What looks to be a zombified crow squawks and dodged, but its effects are ignored with a successful Toughness
pecks at the straw within its cage. The crow screeches loudly at the Test. Those affected who fail the Toughness test suffer an onset
climbing PC but no more. No effect. of mild paranoia lasting 3d10 minutes, during which psychology
4 Dead Monster: The fly-infested corpse of a brightly feathered tests are made at a -20 penalty. The Spitter only attacks once.
rabbit-shaped lump exudes a gag-inducing smell. No effect.
2 Albino Skaven: A white furred rat-man called Skrix cowers at the
5 Empty: The cage facing the climber is thankfully devoid of inhab- back of his cage. The Skaven (OWB pg. 106) pleads with any adja-
itants and is safe to pass. cent “mannn thinnnnngs” to release it. If the lead climber releases
the Skaven, it scuttles effortlessly up the cell walls and out of the
tower. Otherwise, the Skaven will attack the next climber to pass.
The Elf Maiden Morlarna
3 Furry Goblin: PCs passing this cell are met by a strange sight.
The PCs hear sobbing from one of the cells, punctuated by a low What looks like a typical goblin is bizarrely covered with brown
voice, muttering the same words over and over in Eltharin. If they feces-matted fur. The Furry Goblin will not attack the adjacent
climber, but pelts him with moist nuggets of Goblin poop. Agility
investigate Level Three (Prisoners), the PCs find a dishevelled fig-
Tests can be made to avoid the pungent projectiles.
ure hunched in the corner with its arms wrapped around its legs.
4 Dead Monster: The dried husk of what looks like a cross between
The figure is Morlarna Foamstrider, the artist responsible for a fox and a gopher moulders in the nearest cell. No effect.
transforming The Lament of Lileath into a visual representation in 5 Empty: The cage facing the climber is thankfully devoid of inhab-
the form of a painting. Unfortunately, communication with the Elf itants and is safe to pass. No effect.
maiden is impossible since Morlana is in a deep state of shock as
the result of Lord de Trois’ myriad tortures.

57
 Vale of the Necrarch

Table 2.10: Tower Descent Table 2.11: Tower Descent

(Level Four – Failed Experiments) (Level Three – Prisoners)

1 Tentacled Horror: A shapeless monstrosity with squid-like ap- 1 Enemy Ghoul: Lord de Trois personally apprehended a rogue
pendages reaches toward the adjacent climber. The climber will get ghoul traversing his vale. The Necrarch hasn’t decided what to do
one free hack at the tentacle before it grips him. The tentacle has with the Ghoul yet, but the Ghoul will attack anyone who nears
TB 3 and 2 Wounds. Climbers gripped by the tentacle must pass its cage door. The Ghoul’s arms have TB 3 and 3 Wounds. The
a standard Strength Test or fall. hunger-crazed Ghoul will attack incessantly until both arms are
severed and will then ram itself against the cage until it bleeds out.
2 Skeleton Skink: Lord de Trois’ Herald agents purchased the
mouldering desiccated corpse of a Skink from a Lustrian trader. 2 Imprisoned Crusader: Within this cage lays the wracked body of
The body was too far gone to cross-breed with any living stock, a pilgrim (use standard Beggar Profile, WFRP pg. 233) captured
but de Trois animated it as a skeleton to observe the results. from the ranks of Karl’s crusade. The pious crusader held out for
Unfortunately, de Trois was unable to command the undead Skink as long as he could, but in the end he told de Trois everything he
as he does normal Skeletons and the creature was forgotten. The knew. The crusader begs for death. No effect.
Skink attacks with the same profile as a normal Skeleton (OWB
pg. 108) 3 Elf Maiden: See Morlarna sidebar. At the rear of this cell is a
whimpering semi-conscious Elf maiden. This Elf is Morlarna, the
3 Zombie: The zombified corpse of an uncooperative Herald attacks artist responsible for the Phoenix painting within de Trois’ library.
anyone passing within arm’s length of his cage. The Herald uses Any attempt to communicate with Morlarna is doomed to fail, as
the standard profile for Zombies (WFRP pg. 231) she is in deep shock from the many tortures suffered in de Trois’
lab. Any non-Elf that attempts to touch her will send her into a
4 Dead Monster: The skeleton of what could only be a bear cub sits primal atavistic rage until they withdraw.
hunched in the small cage interior. The skeleton seems to feature
multi-vertebrate appendages that look an awful lot like tentacles. 4 Dead Monster: The exsanguinated corpse of a Lahmian vampire
No effect. lies in a twisted heap at the bottom of the cage. The corpse is
naked and stripped of all trappings. No effect.
5 Empty: The cage facing the climber is thankfully devoid of inhab-
itants and is safe to pass. No effect. 5 Empty: The cage facing the climber is thankfully devoid of inhab-
itants and is safe to pass. No effect.

Morlarna
Female High Elf Envoy
Any non-Elf PC that touches the maiden will send her flying
Morlarna is a young Elf maiden of the Clan Ulliogtha, situated in into a rage, clawing the nearest PC with the fingernails of her one
Elftown or Sith Rionnasc’namishathir, in Marienburg. Although remaining hand.
an aspiring artist, Morlarna’s uncle Avatil Foamstrider insisted she
visit the Elves of the Laurëlorn Forest as an introduction to the life Insanity Points: 4
of an Envoy. During her stay Morlarna fell in love with the verses
of The Lament of Lileath and encoded their words into a visual Heart of Despair (WFRP pg. 205): Having had her ears and
representation on canvas upon her return to Marienburg. painting hand mutilated by de Trois, Morlarna feels that even if she
should somehow survive this terrible ordeal her life would not be
When she worked as an Envoy, Morlarna’s painting was hung in worth living. She believes that no Elf would find her attractive and
her office so that she could think back to her time in the Laurëlorn that she will no longer be able to paint.
Forest. It was her continued love for painting that one day drew
Morlarna outside of Elftown, to visit a new client that showed in-
WS BS S T Ag Int WP Fel
terest in her work. While walking alone to the meeting, Morlarna
was ambushed from behind, bound, gagged and carried off to Lord 35 45 36 33 55 40* 47 31
de Trois’ lair. There, she has been continually tortured for the true
meaning of the song. Having suffered terribly, Morlarna senses Skills: Common Knowledge (Elves, the Empire, the Wasteland),
nothing but darkness around her and believes all hope is lost. Drive, Evaluate, Gossip +10, Haggle, Perception, Read/Write,
Trade (Artist, Cartographer)
Should the PCs approach, Morlanna remains in the corner mutter-
ing, but it’s easy to see that her right hand is bandaged and her hair Talents: Aethyric Attunement, Dealmaker, Savvy, Excellent Vision
is matted with blood. Those making a successful Routine (+10) Traits: Night Vision
Perception Test will be able to see that her ears have been muti-
lated and gnawed upon, the tips torn and bloody. Combat
Attacks: 1; Movement: 5; Wounds: 12 (currently 4)
Upon a successful Routine (+10) Intelligence Test, PCs with
Speak Language (Eltharin) will be able to make out Verse 3 of Armour: None
The Lament of Lileath between Morlarna’s sobbing. Weapons: Unarmed (SB-4 Damage, Armour Points doubled)

58
 Vale of the Necrarch

Table 2.12: Tower Descent The Necrarch’s Laboratory

(Level Two – Upcoming Subjects)
Lord de Trois’ laboratory is the crowning achievement of the
1 Undying Stage 1: This cell is affixed with a small tag written in a Necrarch’s lair, and a mad-scientist’s dreams (or nightmare) come
neat hand that reads “Stage 1”. The subject of the cell is concealed
true. The lab area is surrounded by a hectic maze of spiral tubing
beneath a blood-stained sheet, but curious PCs discover the body
has had all its internal organs removed except for the brain and and copper wire crisscrossing through the perimeter cage wall and
eyes. teetering racks of multicoloured beakers and jars.

2 Undying Stage 2: Like the previous cell, this cage is marked with Fluid runnels carved into the granite floor sluice blood and other
a small tag that reads “Stage 2”. This subject is wrapped from waste liquids into a brick-lined well at the center of the lab. The
the neck down in dirty bandages that lend it the appearance of a
laboratory is roughly divided into two separate areas; a taxidermy
Mummy. The head of the subject is enclosed within a strangely
shaped plate helm that bears mystical glyphs and sigils. The lab complete with operating table, and an alchemical lab devoted
plate helm is actually filled with a thick solution made from the to the analysis of vampire weaknesses and their chemical compo-
blood-red sap found in the vale. The sap is extremely dangerous to nents.
handle, and any living tissue it touches reacts like an extreme case
of frost-bite. Further investigation reveals the chest cavity of the
Stage 2 subject is filled with sawdust.

3 Undying Stage 3: The “Stage 3” cage is the last to bear a tag

marking it as part of de Trois’ Undying experiment. Unlike the
previous two stages, the rosy-cheeked inhabitant of this cell looks
as if he was in the prime of life. However, closer examination re-
veals no pulse or vital signs. The Stage 3 subject wears black-velvet
raiment with similar arcane glyphs and sigils to those found on the
plate helm.

4 Dead Monster: The inhabitant of this grisly cell is an Orc that

obviously killed itself by bashing its head into the bars repeatedly.
Green matter is everywhere. No effect. Scrolls, tomes, and loose papers cover every available surface
hinting at the secrets Lord de Trois’ seeks to uncover. Any PC can
5 Empty: The cage facing the climber is thankfully devoid of inhab-
make sense of the paperwork by undertaking ten minutes of study
itants and is safe to pass.
and passing an Easy (+20) Read Language (Classical) Test. The
assortment of scrolls and tomes confirm that the taxidermy lab
is concerned with the creation of new undead types and monster
Table 2.13: Tower Descent hybridization, and the alchemy lab is designed to create weapons
(Laboratory Ground Level – Miscellaneous) for use against other vampires.

1 Lugo’s Cell: This straw filled cell is the home of Lugo, Lord de The last features of de Trois’ lab are a large sacrificial altar hewn
Trois’ Spider Ogre assistant (NDM pg.129). It is Lugo who climbs from fathomless black stone, and the metal lever or “killswitch”
up and down the cell walls and fetches subjects for de Trois. Hang- that represents Lord de Trois’ last defence against intruders or
ing from Lugo’s belt is a key-ring with all the necessary keys to
insurrections from his experiment subjects.
open the cages.

2 Smoot’s Cell: This cell housed Smoot the vampling during his
Alchemical Lab
brief tenure as de Trois’ protégée. The cell has been undisturbed
since his expulsion and his old trappings remain.
The alchemical lab contains a long apothecary’s bench, topped
3 Storage: Lord de Trois has taken over one of the lowest level cells by an ingredient cabinet consisting of many small drawers. Each
to house his ever increasing collection of scientific gear and reading of the small drawers bears a tag in Classical script describing the
material. No Effect.
ingredient contained within, and the date the ingredient was col-
4 Dead Monster: This cage holds the corpse of a human member lected. The work area of the bench is cluttered with the tools of the
of the Heralds of a New Dawn. Missing chunks of flesh and other alchemy trade including a crucible, retort, alchemical still, mortar
clues suggest death by Ghoul attack. No Effect. and pestle, and subliming pots.
5 Empty: The cage facing the climber is thankfully devoid of inhab-
itants and is safe to pass. The alchemical lab offers PCs the extraordinary opportunity to
outfit themselves as true vampire hunters. But correctly ascertain-
ing which of the more than 200 ingredients contained within the
When the PCs arrive at level one, they reach the ground level labo- apothecary’s bench are helpful will require effort. Fortunately for
ratory and gain access to Lord de Trois’ inner sanctum. If Smoot is the PCs, Lord de Trois’ fragmented memory has forced him to
with the party, he becomes sentimental at the discovery of his old develop a veritable fetish for note-keeping.
gear and a gold-locket portrait of his mother.

59
 Vale of the Necrarch

Six journals scribed in an uncommonly neat classical script list • Drawer #11 holds 6 ounces of silver dust. De Trois’ entry on sil-
every ingredient and recipe the Necrarch has studied over the last ver dust suggests it be melted and used as plating to create silvered
millennium. The information on vampire weaknesses (and most weapons.
other alchemical pursuits) is sprinkled liberally throughout all six
journals, so a brief ten minute perusal of any journal gives the • A black marble coffer stored beneath the apothecary’s bench
reader a chance to discover a desired ingredient. However, because holds 27 ounces of pure Warpstone Dust (ToC pg. 90).
of the ancient Reman Classical script used by De Trois, an Easy
(+20) Read Language (Classical) Test is required to discover the • Drawers #99-111 contain compounds for the limb replacement
vampire weaknesses and their component ingredients. Basic suc- ritual (see sidebar).
cess indicates the discovery of one ingredient, and each additional
Degree of Success reveals an additional ingredient from the list • Drawers #25-50 are filled with Necrotic Powder (TTT pg. 150),
below. Players may test once for every ten minutes spent perusing a and Lord de Trois expands on the myriad uses for the wonderful
journal. The GM should feel free to fill the other ingredient draw- substance over the course of three journals. Please note, Lord de
ers with whatever herbs or minerals he sees fit. Trois loves his necrotic powder and keeps mass quantities handy
at all times. A three foot urn in the cell storage area is filled to the
brim with the stuff.

• Drawers #134-200 contain vials of alchemical compound in

various stages of transmutation. The vials are meticulously labeled:
gold dust, obsidian dust, sand or spring water, corresponding with
De Trois’ own vampire weaknesses. The vials’ contents have under-
gone multiple alchemical processes (e.g. corrosion, divapouration, Other interesting discoveries contained in the journal:
fulmination).
• Nehekharan diagram associating alchemical elements with sacred
• Drawer # 201 contains six shards of a shattered Gromril axe. geometry. De Trois has appended the diagram with linkages to the
A comment in the margin of the journal notes with frustration old gods of Nehekhara (Handout #37).
that Lord de Trois does not have access to a forge that burns hot
enough to melt Gromril. • Description of Skinsilk and its applications as artificial skin.

• Drawer #132 holds seven sprigs of Daemonsroot, an extremely • An analysis of the blood-red tree sap from the petrified wood,
poisonous tuber that smells like licorice. The journal suggests and its alchemical properties in relation to the Undying project.
multiple formulas for the weaponization of the root; however a
blinding powder seems recommended above all. • Limb replacement ritual (see sidebar).

• Drawer #87 holds six dried berries from the dried Mountain Ash
plant also known as Witchbane. Lord de Trois’ journal suggests the
optimal preparation of Witchbane is to coat a weapon blade with
the oil of a berry.

• A rough hewn burlap sack filled with garlic cloves hangs from a
hook to one side of the bench. Many of the garlic cloves are loose,
but some have been strung together in a garland.

• Drawer # 54 holds four silvery ingots of the mythical Elven Taxidermy Lab
substance known as Ithilmar. This journal entry is accompanied
by exquisitely detailed plans for a dagger Lord de Trois presumably The principle components of Lord de Trois’ taxidermy lab are the
intended to forge and then forgot about. operating table and essential ingredients necessary for the three
stages of the Undying transformation. Nearby tables are cluttered
• A wicker basket containing the bright curlicues of wood-shavings to overflowing with every conceivable (and inconceivable) medi-
and sawdust sits at the side of the bench. The journal suggests the cal instrument. Glass jars filled with coloured liquids contain all
best application for sawdust is as a means to bar portals against the manner of preserved body parts and organs. Again, De Trois’ crisp
entry of vampires afflicted by Usirian’s curse. classical script appears on every jar with a neat and succinct label.
Eyes (blue), eyes (brown), tongues, livers, and kidneys are just
some of the notable tags.

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 Vale of the Necrarch

Limb Replacement Ritual The Undying are a fascinating sub-variety of undead. Unlike most
if not all other undead, the Undying are not inextricably bound to
Spell: Stitched Flesh putrefaction and rot. At the end of the transformation process, the
Undying appears exactly as they did before undergoing the process.
Type: Arcane Only their cold skin and waxy pallor suggest otherwise.
Language: Magic
Ironically, one of the greatest advantages of the Undying transfor-
Magic: 2 mation is also one of its weaknesses. Certainly the flesh of an Un-
Experience: 100 xp dying is pliable and can easily pass for human (Challenging (-10)
Perception Test to detect), but that same flesh is also delicate and
Ingredients: Freshly amputated limb. Your body and the limb easily susceptible to damage. While that isn’t a problem for a living
must be covered in arcane sigils from head to toe with ink mixed being, the flesh of the Undying no longer possesses the ability to
from your own blood and expensive compounds (50 gc worth / regenerate. This means that even the simplest cuts and gouges will
Drawers #99-111). last forever and spoil the illusion. Lord de Trois already has an
Conditions: The ritual must be cast in an area heavy with Dhar experimental solution to this problem, by utilizing a rare substance
magic. called Skinsilk.

Consequences: If you fail the casting roll, the reattachment takes

hold but the new limb is evil. It will need to be amputated a
second time which calls for an immediate Will Power Test or gain
1 IP.
Casting Number: 14
Casting Time: 1 hour
Description: With a successful casting of
this ritual you stitch a freshly amputated
limb to yourself replacing a limb lost. The
arm or leg will likely look different from the
original. In addition, the stitch marks where
the limb was attached will remain visible
indefinitely.
Three Stages of the Undying
Transformation
The Undying Stage One: The subject is given a poisonous soporific that stops its
heart. Lord de Trois removes all internal organs except the brain.
At first, the Undying project was a solution to the problem of not The removal of these organs is performed with long hooks through
having intelligent servants to follow Lord de Trois into the King- narrow apertures so the structural integrity of the body remains
dom of Death. While mindless drones like skeletons and zombies intact.
have their place on the ladder, De Trois envisions the new King-
dom of Death as an evolved civilisation with its own great artisans, Stage Two: Next, the brain of the subject is injected with a solu-
scientists, and poets. tion distilled from the blood-red tree sap found in the petrified
woods in de Trois’ vale. The brain must be completely saturated
De Trois sees the state of undeath as the pinnacle of evolution for with the substance which sometimes calls for three or four injec-
any race. In his opinion, freedom from disease, hunger, and fear far tions. The final part of stage two is the packing of sawdust into
outweigh the ridiculous social stigmas attached to being undead. the now empty body cavities to provide additional substance and
Those who take up his cause will transcend with him into a new weight to the Undying form. After stage two, the body is fully
golden age free of war and strife. Those who are against him (the prepared for the last part of the transformation process known as
majority of his vampire brethren) will perish as the civilizations of the ritual stage.
man fall into dust and the blood supply dwindles to nothing.
Stage Three: The final and most complex part of the Undying
Now that he has successfully repeated the Undying ritual three transformation is the esoteric ritual which must be precisely en-
times, De Trois is realising the full potential of his new creations. acted to reawaken the Undying from his current torpor. This ritual
Perhaps he could offer transformation to the many races of the has taken the longest to perfect and has required many long hours
Old World as a death’s door chance at salvation when the clock of decryption and extrapolation from fragmented Nehekharan
strikes twelve (in exchange for permanent fealty, of course). sources.

61
 Vale of the Necrarch

Mummification and Soul Fragments The killswitch lever has a small sign fastened to it with a message
scribed neatly in ancient Nehekharan. The message reads “do not
The ancient Nehekharans believed that human souls (Akhu) are pull.” Pulling the lever breaks a glass cylinder below the floor that
composed of five parts. A typical skeleton animated by necromancy allows two reactive chemicals to merge and spark, igniting the
was thought to retain only its life-force fragment (Sehkem) bound primer cord. There is a 180 second delay until the burning fuse can
to the physical shell (Kha); whilst the other four soul fragments ex- travel down the well shaft and ignite the powder keg.
isted in the Underworld. The Mortuary Cult’s earliest mummifica-
tion rituals were able to bind two soul fragments to the deceased’s Needless to say, it is highly unadvisable for the PCs to be present
body. As techniques improved over time, three (or even four) soul when the lever is pulled. There is no way to “unpull” the killswitch,
fragments could be bound to the Kha by mummification. nor is there any practical way to stop the fuse once lit. As danger-
ous as the resulting inferno would be on its own, Lord de Trois
Lord De Trois has discovered the secret of mummifying all five has engineered it to be exponentially more destructive through
soul fragments. His Undying servants retain the elusive Ba and Ab, the design of his tower. Since the towering edifice has no exterior
which govern creativity and emotion. In addition, De Trois can windows, doors, or portals other than the aperture at the top, the
bind Ren to his creations, thereby preserving memories and identi- intense heat would be concentrated within the tower like a massive
ties. By allowing the Undying to keep these soul fragments, De crucible.
Trois believes his Heralds will serve a great purpose in the King-
dom of Death. De Trois envisions a world where arts and culture All PCs caught within the tower when the explosion flares imme-
still thrive amongst spirits and walking dead. diately suffer a Damage 10 hit and must then pass an Agility Test
each following round or catch on fire. Once blazing, a character
Like the Undying, vampires themselves retain all five soul frag- loses 1d10 Wounds (no reduction for Armour) each round until
ments when their bodies first die. However, a portion of the vam- the fire is extinguished.
pire’s soul is stripped away with each destruction and subsequent
resurrection. De Trois has been destroyed twice over the centuries, Once the fireworks start, the only safe places within the tower
and now his soul is incomplete. A renowned poet in life, De Trois’s are inside the Black Altar or behind the sealed blast doors of the
artistic ability has deteriorated with the fragmentation of his Ab. library and living quarters.
Furthermore, De Trois’ Ren is trapped halfway between the mate-
rial and spirit realms, causing his memories to blur together.
The Vampling Smoot: Exit Strategies
Whenever De Trois is unable to organise the fragmented recollec-
tions from his three incarnations, he obsessively reviews journals in If the vampling Smoot has accompanied the party into Lord de
his living quarters for days at a time. Eventually, De Trois emerges Trois’ tower and survived thus far, it will eventually come time for
and dictates pronouncements to the Heralds, who are tasked with him to enact his ultimate ambition and pull the killswitch. Smoot
compiling his complete biography. Over time, De Trois’ biography despises every aspect of his daily reality as a vampire, and would
has developed into a living history of the entire world. blissfully choose non-existence over continuing even one day lon-
ger as a creature of the night. The only reason he hasn’t destroyed
himself before now is his even greater hatred for Lord de Trois, and
The Killswitch his burning desire for retribution.
Like all Necrarchs, Lord de Trois jealously guards his vast store-
If the PCs have been sympathetic to Smoot, and he has somehow
house of knowledge and research as his greatest assets. In the
managed to avoid alienating them, then seeing his old trappings
unlikely event that he perishes or is somehow destroyed, Lord de
and the picture of his mother will seal his decision to “flame out”.
Trois would prefer his collected wisdom to join him in oblivion
Smoot explains to the PCs exactly what the killswitch does, and
rather than fall into the claws of another vampire. Examining this
thanks the party for helping him this far. Smoot will wait for the
pyrrhic motive sheds unexpected light onto the reasons why Lord
PCs to escape the tower before pulling the killswitch and igniting
de Trois selected this particular spot to build a tower in the vale.
the conflagration.
It seems that a large natural cavern situated several hundred feet
Any PC taking a last look before escaping will see Lugo the Spider-
below the tower is home to a colony of nearly three thousand bats.
Ogre emerge from the Black Altar and engage the vampling in
Over the centuries, the constantly increasing pools of bat guano
a violent melee. Although Smoot is seriously outmatched by the
have produced massive pockets of methane that saturate the entire
monstrous construct, he will sacrifice advantage in the combat to
cavern. In the event of his demise, Lord de Trois has positioned a
pull the killswitch. It is up to the GM as to whether poor Smoot
keg of gunpowder to ignite the methane and be sure that no one
succeeds or not.
would benefit from his toil, or pillage his collection.
If the party or its allies have been hostile to Smoot he will pull the
The keg of gunpowder is tied through a vast network of primer
killswitch at the first convenient opportunity.
cord to a rusty steel lever built into the floor of his laboratory.

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 Vale of the Necrarch

Black Altar De Trois’ Library

The blood-stained surface of the black altar is decorated with more The first sublevel beneath de Trois’ lab is the Necrarch’s expansive
ancient Nehekharan glyphs and sigils. Carvings on each side of the library and study. The richly carpeted chamber is two stories in
pedestal base depict scenes of daily life in ancient Nehekhara. A depth, and floor to ceiling bookcases line the circular outer wall.
white gemstone is inset at the center of each pedestal scene repre- Eight more towering bookshelves bisect the room at measured
senting the sun or moon. The gemstones are fused within the black intervals like the spokes of a wheel. The library is illuminated
stone and resist all attempts to dislodge them. by tapir-filled candelabras situated at the end of each these eight
“spokes”.
Although the altar seems as if it were made of solid stone, it is not.
The sacrificial slab that forms the surface of the altar is actually the The actual work areas of the library are much less organised, and
lid to a massive sarcophagus the Necrarch Lord sometimes rests an eclectic mix of tables and chairs are haphazardly positioned
within. Lifting the sarcophagus lid requires at least Strength 40, anywhere space permits. Every available flat surface in the library is
or two characters with Strength 35+. Hidden inside the sarcopha- positively overflowing with scrolls and stacks of books.
gus is a second switch that drops thick metal blast doors over the
portals to de Trois’ library and living quarters.

What Lugo Does

If the PCs were noisy during their descent, De Trois’ assistant
Lugo (Tower Descent Table - Laboratory Ground Level, cage #1)
hides himself within the sarcophagus and observes the PCs’ actions
through the white gemstone lenses. In de Trois’ absence, Lugo’s pri-
mary duty is to ensure the portal switch is pulled if the killswitch is
somehow engaged. If the assaulting force is too powerful for Lugo Lord de Trois’ vast collection of books and lore is quite compre-
or is led by Vampires, Lugo’s orders are to engage the killswitch hensive, and inquisitive PCs have a chance to discover information
himself and hide within the sarcophagus. on a wide variety of topics. The following items are De Trois’ cur-
rent topics of study, and occupy the most table space:
The portal switch can be used once before requiring a difficult
reset. Smoot is unaware of the Black Altar’s hollow interior or the • Phoenix Painting - See Handout #38. The painting is 2’ high
portal switch. He does know to expect Lugo however, and will and 3’ wide, painted upon a fine canvas. The border of the paint-
notice his absence if the Spider-Ogre is hiding within the altar. ing is created by a single Elven rune repeated over and over again
between two golden lines. Although not all of the verses are legible
as the painting was damaged when it was stolen, the majority are
still readable by those who understand Eltharin.

• Cryptex - See Handout #39 and sidebar on page 64.

• 12th Divination of W’Soran reconstructed from the Historica

Numeralis *

• Numerology references
The Well
• Xyzyx’s old star charts
Lord de Trois built his tower upon an ancient water well that de-
scends several hundred feet into the ground. Now de Trois uses the • Sigmarian history texts, plays & epics
well chute as an access tunnel to reach the lower levels of his tower.
A narrow wrought-iron ladder descends the length of the well, • Father W’Soran’s Architect ritual (NDM pg. 120) *
making stops at the library level and his personal living quarters
before descending all the way to the bat cavern far below.

Heavy metal doors are suspended in stone slits above the portals to
both the library and living quarters. The ropes that hold the metal
doors in place can be severed with a pull from the secret lever
contained inside the black altar. This setup protects de Trois’ price-
less collection of artifacts and lore in the event of an accidental or
malicious pulling of the killswitch.

63
 Vale of the Necrarch

• The surface of one table is covered by all twenty-seven transla- Living Quarters
tions of Myrmidia’s Book of War and their related appendices.
Each translation is annotated by a famous General with wildly The lower basement of De Trois’ tower is divided into three sub-
divergent interpretations and insights into the famous treatise. A chambers, each decorated in distinctive themes recalling specific
well-worn copy of Bellum Strategia is also present here. historical periods. De Trois’ living quarters are a private museum
designed to aid De Trois in keeping his memories organised. When
• Two tables pushed together are covered by numerous stacks of not poring over dusty tomes in the library, working in his labora-
loose pages and scrolls written in High Nehekharan. Interspersed tory or sleeping in the bat cavern, De Trois can be found meditat-
throughout the papers are many of de Trois’ notes and translations ing here. PCs with relevant Academic Knowledge or Common
written in the Classical language. Any PC with Read/Write (Clas- Knowledge skills may attempt to identify De Trois’ memorabilia.
sical) who takes the proper time to analyse this material can learn
to read High Nehekharan on a future XP advance. Reman Sub-chamber
* These texts are covered with Necrotic Powder
This sub-chamber contains antique pottery and its walls are
thumb prints. PCs who touch them will feel a
adorned with bronze weaponry from the later period of the Reman
burning sensation in their fingers.
Empire. Contained within a small marble box are three religious
icons that were earned by De Trois during the first stage of his
existence when he was Claudius, a priest of Myrmidia.

Estalian Sub-chamber

The Estalian sub-chamber commemorates De Trois’ second incar-

nation, which followed his transformation into a vampire by the
Necrarch Nourgul in 124 IC. De Trois was known as Vecrasi then,
and over time he and his mentor became feared by mortals inhabit-
ing the mountains between Tilea and Estalia.

The floors of this chamber are covered with mouldy Estalian

carpets. Upon a pedestal in the chamber’s center rests a heavily
annotated copy of the Historica Numeralis, and the skulls of Nour-
gul’s most memorable foes hang upon the walls. The Historica
Miragliano’s Cryptex Numeralis lies open at a page that might be of interest to the PCs
(Handout #41).
The Cryptex is a circular metal tube, 1’ in length and 3” in diam-
eter, divided into six moveable segments. Each segment is divided
into six sections containing a picture: a man, a woman holding a
child, a cave, a heart, a tree, and a mountain. On the end of the
tube is what appears to be a marker counting from 1-6. Currently
the marker is on 3. The marker cannot be moved.

Unless the pictures are aligned in the correct order the Cryptex
will not open, and each failed attempt moves the marker further
towards the number six. If the marker reaches the number six, the
contents of the Cryptex are destroyed with a powerful acid.

Should a PC successfully align the pictures in the correct order

(see below) the left end of the Cryptex unlocks, allowing the PC
to unscrew the end and extract the parchment from within (see
Handout #40). Bretonnian Sub-chamber
The combination to the Cryptex is: Cave, Man, Heart, Mountain, One wall of De Trois’ third sub-chamber is hung with a tattered
Tree and Mother. These pictures correspond with the words found tapestry depicting the Bretonnians’ war against the notorious Red
in the Miragliano Puzzle Box (TTT pg. 167). PCs who fail to Duke of Aquitaine. Otherwise this room is empty. De Trois was
open the Cryptex immediately might try again later if they locate hunted relentlessly by knights during his time in Bretonnia and
the Puzzle Box in Chapter VII and deduce the connection between therefore failed to acquire many mementos from that land.
the two objects.

64
 Vale of the Necrarch

Bat Cavern The Big Showdown

The massive cavern hidden below Lord de Trois’ tower is part of an
The sandbox nature of the Necrarch’s Vale makes it difficult to
expansive cave network that leads deep into the Middle Moun-
predict when and where the PCs will have their final confrontation
tains to the northwest. Erosion and sediment lines worn into the
with the Necrarch Lord, and who else will be there. The three key
granite wall indicate the cavern floor was once submerged beneath
variables for GMs to keep in mind when resolving this issue are
a subterranean lake. This accounts for the old stone well, as it was
When, Where, and Who. Following is a brief recap of the main
commonplace for the ancient Unberogen tribes to mark safe drink-
variables, and how they might influence the final showdown.
ing water for easy access.

At some point later, a geological shift occurred and the subterra- When
nean lake shifted to another location or dried up entirely. Now the
cavern is home to a gigantic colony of bats. The rungs of the metal • Before the Heralds Return: The Heralds arrive in the vale 15
ladder actually continue beyond the bottom of the well to a perch hours after the passion play. The journey to the vale takes 10 hours
high above the cave floor. On many days, Lord de Trois enjoys (on foot) from Wolfenburg, so PCs who accompany Coriael there
descending into the pitch black cavern and hiding from the sun directly after the play will arrive 5 hours before the Heralds (i.e.
amongst the chirping bats. roughly at dawn).

A 100-foot length of rope is coiled around the ladder’s bottom • After the Heralds Return: If the PCs arrive at the vale more
rung. If uncoiled, the rope reaches all the way to the cavern floor. than 15 hours after the passion play, the surviving Herald players
A tunnel from the Bat Cavern connects to a network of subter- will have already returned without De Trois. They proceed directly
ranean passages. PCs wishing to leave the tower by this route may to the Herald encampment to rest (except the Undying, who
attempt a Routine (+10) Navigation Test (+20 for Dwarfs). For remain awake and will recognise the PCs as enemies).
each Degree of Success, add +1 to the result on the Cavern Explo-
ration Table (pg. 51). • After De Trois Returns: De Trois returns to the vale 28 hours
after the passion play. It only takes the Necrarch 6 hours to fly on
Keep in mind the Bat Cavern is very dark and filled with noxious his Giant Carrion, but the mount must first be summoned from
methane. Any form of open flame has a 25% chance to ignite its tower perch. By the time the Carrion reaches Wolfenburg to
a pocket of methane for every minute spent in the Bat Cavern fetch De Trois, dawn has already broken and De Trois must hide in
proper. A successful Easy (+20) Academic Knowledge (Science) a forest cave near the Crusade camp until the following nightfall. If
Test allows PCs to recognize the threat of combustion. Combus- the PCs arrive at the Necrarch’s tower more than 28 hours after the
tion rolls are no longer necessary once PCs have moved on to the passion play, De Trois will be present to defend his lair.
Cavern Exploration Table.

PCs entering the Bat Cavern from the tunnel network may at-
tempt a Perception Test to spot an aperture in the roof with an
iron ladder and a coiled rope. However, reaching the ladder from
below is another matter; the cavern’s ceiling is 100’ high.

Where
• The Entrance Ramp: As stated in the Entering the Vale section,
the ideal location for the PCs to stage their final confrontation
with the Heralds and de Trois is at the base of the ramp that leads
into the ravine. The natural choke-point provides the PCs with the
best chance to receive the greater numbers of the Herald cultists.

• The Necrarch’s Tower (PCs Defending): A second viable loca-

tion for the PCs to engage the Necrarch Lord is from atop his own
tower (assuming they prevent him from landing). This scenario
allows the party to battle De Trois without the aid of his Herald
minions until the vampire’s servants can launch a risky assault
from below.

65
 Vale of the Necrarch

• The Necrarch’s Tower (De Trois Defending): If the PCs are un- • Coriael: See Wolfenburg Interlude pg. 46. Coriael wants to
fortunate enough to engage De Trois while he is in his tower, their recover De Trois’ Elven song secrets and escape from the vale. If he
chance to defeat him is very slight. De Trois will have access to his finds the Elf maiden Morlarna in her cage, he will feel compelled
full range of alchemical and magical supplies and the mighty Lugo to rescue her. Coriael will abandon the PCs against De Trois and
will fight at his side. try to escape, but he should be killed by Heralds or Ghouls whilst
exiting the vale. Coriael’s death is the primary reason for Lorinoc’s
• The Herald Encampment: Once the Heralds are alerted to the rage against the PCs in Chapter IX. However, if you decide to let
presence of hostile intruders, the PCs would be wise to steer clear Coriael survive the Necrarch’s vale, then the profile on page 68
of the Herald Encampment. The Heralds have suffered constant should be used during subsequent chapters.
harassment by the Cave Ghouls and have a well-rehearsed plan to
repel attackers. • Rogar of the Black Guard: See Wolfenburg Interlude pg. 45.
Rogar is primarily concerned with locating the vale and reporting
its position to the Raven Knights. However, if the PCs decide to
assault De Trois’ tower on their own, Rogar will accompany them.
The obsidian-armoured knight observes his vow of silence and
will only speak in Battle Tongue during the expedition. If the PCs
manage to recover any of De Trois’ materials, Rogar ignites a torch
and gestures at the ground. PCs might infer that the Black Guard
wants everything burned. If PCs disobey Rogar’s instruction, an
unfavourable report will be delivered to the Raven Knights and the
PCs might be forced to account for themselves later.

• Otto Flick: If the PCs manage to kill De Trois, then the Na-
gashite spy gathers the vampire’s ashes in a canopic jar and returns
them to Wolfenburg.

Who
• The Cave Ghouls: The Ghouls living within the cave network
on the west ravine are without a leader. De Trois has abandoned
them and no longer feeds them a steady diet of flesh. They know
they have been replaced by the Heralds of a New Dawn, but they
are too afraid of De Trois to attack the Heralds openly. If the PCs
engage De Trois and/or the Heralds in open combat, there is a base
25% chance (+5% per round) that the Ghouls enter the melee as a
third party. The Ghouls know the Heralds and will attempt to kill
them first; however they will attack meddlesome PCs as well.

• Heralds of a New Dawn: Seven Herald Thugs (TTT pg. 151)

and fifteen Typical Heralds (TTT pg. 146) returning from the play
in Chapter VI will take a day and a half to make the return trip to
the vale. If the surviving Heralds are aware of the PCs’ presence
in the vale, they will attempt to engage and destroy them. If the
Heralds determine that the PCs are too dangerous to engage, they
will attempt to rally at the Herald encampment and overwhelm the
PCs with greater numbers. The Heralds will not fight to the death,
but will instead fall back to await De Trois and defend the encamp-
ment should they be sufficiently challenged.

• De Trois & Carrion Mount: The Necrarch Lord’s main security

priorities are to remove intruders from his vale, and prevent the
Cave Ghouls from annihilating his Heralds. It only takes de Trois
six hours to fly home from the Wolfenburg area, but since he is
unable to travel in the daytime, quick-acting PCs should have time
to explore his tower and vale.

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 Vale of the Necrarch

Table 2.14: De Trois’ Aerial Tactics Lord de Trois’ Carrion Mount

(Brute)
The GM should roll 1d10 if De Trois engages the players while
suspended beneath his Carrion Mount. De Trois assaults the PCs In ancient Nehekhara, the massive Carrion Vulture was looked
in a series of flyby bombing runs resulting in the following attacks: upon as a sacred beast. The Nehekharans believed that the great
birds carried the spirits of dead warriors to the sky realm, where
1 “Now you see me, now you die!” De Trois strafes his they were needed in the eternal war against the hordes of daemon-
targets with a jarful of Daemonsroot Blinding Powder. Any kind. This belief led the priests to bury many Carrion corpses with
PC caught under the Cone Template must pass a Tough- each dying Tomb King until the last of the great birds died out.
ness Test or suffer -20% to WS, BS, and all tests reliant on
vision. Now the entombed Carrion are the last of their kind, resting
quietly beneath the hot sands until their horrid forms are called
forth by a great necromancer. De Trois rides his Carrion mount in
2-3 “EehHeaaAhhEeHeaAhH!” De Trois cackles with mania- a gondola-style seat suspended beneath it.
cal glee and lobs a cast-iron skull-shaped bomb into the
party’s midst. The skull-bomb is filled with a mixture of
necrotic powder and explosive chemicals. Each skull-bomb WS BS S T Ag Int WP Fel
inflicts a Damage 6 hit with the Experimental, Shrapnel, 41 0 50 56 40 -- -- --
and Unreliable Weapon Qualities (OWA pg. 49). The
explosion has the secondary effect of dispersing a cloud of Skills: None
Necrotic Powder (TTT pg.150) over 12 yards (6 squares).
Talents: Flyer, Frightening, Natural Weapons, Strike Mighty Blow,
Undead
4-5 “Minions, attend your master!” De Trois attempts to di-
rect his ground agents with a Very Easy (+30) Command Special Rules
Test. Success means that De Trois’ minions will behave
Drey Beast: Carrion can handle encumbrance values equal to their
in a more coordinated manner and make smarter target
STR x 30.
selections and better use of cover. If there are no Heralds
present, this result counts as “Arise, my fallen children!” Mindless: Carrion have no Intelligence, Will Power, or Fellowship,
and can never take or fail tests based on these characteristics.
6-7 “I spy with my hateful eye!” De Trois’ face contorts into Shambling: Carrion are relentless but slow. They cannot take the
a wicked grin as a barrage of angry black bolts issues forth Run Action, even when flying.
from his fiery red eyes. Any flesh touched by a Dhar bolt
withers to the bone as per the Gaze of Nagash spell (NDM Combat
pg. 119). Attacks: 3; Movement: 2 or Swooper 6; Wounds: 21
Armour: None
8-9 “Arise, my fallen children! Your master calls!” De Trois has
seeded many corpses throughout his vale for times such as Weapons: Vicious beak (counts as Hand Weapon)
this, and now the Necrarch Lord beckons for his undead
minions to arise. Raise the Dead (NDM pg. 119) calls
forth 2d10 skeletons or zombies. If this result is rolled a
second time, De Trois casts Hellish Vigour (NDM pg.
119) on his undead minions instead.

10 “Fools! Know the ageless wrath of De Trois and despair!”

De Trois claps his hands together and directs a Withering
Wave (NDM pg. 120) of necromantic energy at his foes.
If De Trois feels his adversaries are actual threats, he will
dig into a small pouch around his neck for 5 pinches of
vampire ash (+3 casting bonus).

Lord De Trois’ spell-based attacks should follow the normal rules

for casting. If the Necrarch Lord’s Carrion mount should fall
below 5 Wounds, he will cast the spell Ride Through the Night
(NDM pg. 120) and attempt his escape.

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 Wolfenburg Interludes

Interlude 3: After the Necrarch’s Tower

When the PCs return from De Trois’ tower, the crusaders are restlessly awaiting a sermon from their child-prophet. The Strigany boy
Ahmed was sent off to Talabheim with one of Brother Frederich’s initiates, and shortly thereafter Frederich departed for Talagaad with
Karl himself. Helmut’s street urchin double cannot pass for Karl much longer before the Crusade’s tenuous unity collapses.

Concluding the Coriael in Kislev

Necrarch’s Vale If Coriael survived the Necrarch’s vale, he will become a dedicated
vampire hunter and reunite with Lorinoc and the Kithband in
Depending on the outcome of the PCs’ actions, there may be Kislev (TTT pg. 215).
significant changes in the Necrarch’s vale or none at all.
Male Wood Elf Vampire Hunter (ex-Ghost Strider, ex-Captain,
• If the PCs managed to defeat Lord De Trois without destroying
ex-Sergeant, ex-Kithband Warrior)
the tower, the Cave Ghouls led by Udo Muckenfuss will eradicate
any remaining Herald presence and take over the vale where they WS BS S T Ag Int WP Fel
await the Great Necromancer’s bidding. 68 73 51 58 66 51 61* 54

• If the PCs pulled the Killswitch and destroyed De Trois’ tower, it Skills: Academic Knowledge (Strategy/Tactics) +20, Academic
doesn’t matter whether the vampire was defeated or not; the rising Knowledge (Necromancy), Animal Care, Command +10,
smoke is visible for tens of miles and a company of troops will be Common Knowledge (Elves) +10), Common Knowledge (the
dispatched from Wolfenburg to investigate. Empire), Concealment +10, Dodge Blow +20, Follow Trail +10,
Gossip, Intimidate, Outdoor Survival +10, Perception +10,
• If the PCs fled the vale overland without dispatching Lord De Read/Write, Ride, Scale Sheer Surface, Search, Secret Language
Trois or destroying the tower, they may report their findings to the (Battle Tongue, Ranger Tongue), Secret Signs (Ranger), Set Trap,
authorities who will then be able to locate the vale on a map. A Shadowing +10, Silent Move +20, Speak Language (Eltharin,
company of Raven Knights will be sent to investigate, and the vale Reikspiel, Tilean), Swim
will eventually be cleansed.
Talents: Coolheaded, Disarm, Excellent Vision, Fleet Footed,
• If the PCs fled the vale via the cave network without destroying Hardy, Lightning Parry, Mighty Shot, Quick Draw, Rover,
the tower, they might become lost in the Forest of Shadows unless Rapid Reload, Seasoned Traveller, Specialist Weapon Group
they pass a Navigation Test. Lost PCs may attempt one Naviga- (Longbow, Parrying), Street Fighting, Strike Mighty Blow, Strike
tion Test per day until they find their way back to Wolfenburg. to Stun, Strike to Injure, Sure Shot
Upon reporting their findings to the authorities, they will have no Traits: Night Vision
way to locate the vale and their credibility will be questioned.
Combat

Helmut’s Offer Attacks: 3; Movement: 6*; Wounds: 19

Armour (Light): Full Leather (Head 1, Arms 1, Body 1, Legs 1)
If the PCs rushed off to De Trois’ tower directly from the pas-
Weapons: Elfbow with 20 Arrows, (1d10+3; Range36/72; Reload
sion play, Helmut approaches them after they return to request
Free), Superior Hand Weapon (Sword) (WS 78, 1d10+6), Shield
assistance in following the real Karl
(1d10+4; Defensive, Special)
(TTT pg. 159). After the PCs have
departed for Talagaad, the Crusade to the leader of the Righteous Hammers, Jan Richter. After the
fragments due to conflict within the PCs have returned from De Trois’ tower, the Prelate approaches the
inner council, eventually leading to PCs and asks for their assistance in recovering the Sigmar triptych.
Helmut’s death (TTT pg. 186). Richter is obviously a man of means, and the payment for safely re-
covering the triptych is hinted to be a “slammer of a reward”. PCs
accepting the offer are advised by the Prelate to begin by question-
Working for the Hammers ing Ludwig Bucholz directly – hiding their affiliation with the
Hammers of course (see Talking to the Skulls below).
If the PCs have previously encountered Ollo Veorhoven and were
polite and thorough in their dealings, he recommends their services If the PCs accept Richter’s job, Ollo shadows them disguised as a
beggar. When the PC’s arrive at the Skulls’ camp, Ollo attempts

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to poison the heretics’ stew pot with 5 doses of Boris

Leichgart’s popular Chokeweed extract. PCs passing The Call of Tzeentch
a Perception Test opposed by Ollo’s 38% Shadow-
ing skill have a chance to catch the Hammer agent Tzeentch wishes to foil Nagash’s fourth return, but he also rec-
red-handed. The devious Prelate’s real intention was ognises an opportunity for Karl’s crusade to bring great change
to frame the hired PCs for poisoning Ludwig Bucholz to the Old World. After Mariana has delivered the claw to
and his men. Niklas Greuber, she’s visited in her dreams by a greater daemon
of Tzeentch known as Amon Chakai. Mariana will be a useful

Talking to the Skulls

pawn in Tzeentch’s elaborate plan, so Amon Chakai beckons her
to continue northward by mimicking the dead vampire Lonely
Pieter whose soul has now drifted into Tzeentch’s realm. After the
PCs who previously encountered Ernst Krantz and demonstrated Wolfenburg drama concludes, Mariana persuades a dozen Strigany
tenacity and moral lassitude in their dealings are recommended to to follow her northward in a small train of four wagons.
the leader of the Flagellants of the Skull, Ludwig Bucholz. After
the PCs return from De Trois’ tower, Krantz summons the party Whenever Mariana believes she is commun-
for an audience with the mad, soft-spoken genius Bucholz. The ing with Lonely Pieter hereafter, she is actually
Demogogue informs the PC’s that his precious triptych panel was being manipulated by Amon Chakai. More
stolen by a Corpus Aeternum cultist from Wurtbad. His agent, information on the machinations of Tzeentch
a zealot-priest named Zigmund has already been dispatched to and the dream realm will be provided in Expan-
find the painting, but Bucholz promises the PCs 50 gc if they can sions #3 and #4.
recover it themselves.

After Bucholz’ triptych was stolen, Krantz decided to use Farouk The Cult and the Claw
to deflect suspicion from his own espionage. Skulls flagellant-priest
Zigmund had seemed suspicious of Ernst and his two Nagashite Once the Claw of Nagash is firmly in the Wolfen-
colleagues ever since they first infiltrated the heretical Sigmarites. burg cult’s possession, it will be spirited away
Therefore, Ernst told Bucholz that his own investigations had to Kislev and used in Nagash’s final ascension.
revealed the triptych thief ’s identity as a Wurtbad blood cultist. Should the PCs get their hands on the relic, they
Bucholz promptly dispatched Zigmund and a band of zealots will likely be troubled by groups such as the cult
to find him. If Zigmund were to catch and kill Farouk, Ernst of Nagash and other dark agents of the undead,
wouldn’t mind. all of whom want to recover the Claw.

Otto Flick and De Trois’

Alternatively, PCs may seek out Bucholz on Richter’s behalf (see
Working for the Hammers above). In this case, Bucholz assesses
the PCs’ competence before promising them
50 gc for the triptych’s retrieval. If the PCs fail
Remains
to notice Ollo poisoning the Skulls’ stew pot,
In the event of De Trois successfully killing Karl, Otto Flick has
they might find themselves hunted by flagel-
been instructed to lure the vampire to Kislev where Nagash’s
lants who believe the PCs were responsible for
fourth return will be staged. In the unlikely case that De Trois kills
poisoning the Skulls.
Karl without draining him, Otto is to collect the boy’s blood in a
special canopic jar that will preserve his soul. The same jar can be
Suri’s Plea used to store De Trois’ ashes if the vampire is slain after draining
Karl.
GMs who sense that their players will not accept Hemlut’s job to
shadow Brother Frederich of Morr might instead wish to use Suri To negate the effects of De Trois’ mind-control potions, Otto
as a plot hook into Chapter VII. Suri will only approach PCs who submitted to dark rituals which immunise him to charm magic.
have visited the Strigany camp at some point in the campaign. Therefore, Otto could not distinguish the urchin double from the
After the passion play, a desperate Suri comes to the PCs and begs real Karl at the passion play.
them to protect her son Ahmed from the Order of Morr. Brother
Friedrich has sent Ahmed away to Talabheim and she fears for his
safety. Suri offers the PCs 4 Trade Units of mink and muskrat furs
for helping her (value 60 gc). If Suri discussed Farouk’s involve-
ment with the PCs previously, then
she also gives them Ali’s Ritual Dagger
of Mourkain (pg. 23) as payment for
protecting her son.

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 Inn-Counter

— Inn-Counter: The Tilted Chalice —

This coaching inn is designed so that it may be located on any road the PCs might travel to add some colour to their journey. Addition-
ally, there is an optional encounter the GM may utilise to give the PCs something to do.

The Tilted Chalice is a well-kept two story building surrounded by

a high brick outer wall and courtyard. The outer wall includes a
Clientele
wooden tower that looks over the main gates, although there hasn’t Others who are staying at the Tilted Chalice at the same time as
been anyone to man the tower since the Storm of Chaos. The the PC include:
courtyard also contains a stable and a small shingled cottage that
serves as a meeting point and barracks for travelling road wardens. Geb of Blaubrucke: Once a depressed young swine-herder from a
small hamlet, Geb fell in love with the idea of Karl when he heard
rumours at the market. Geb sold his last piglet in an attempt to
raise money and join the crusade. Geb is excitable and tries to
engage everyone in the inn about Karl. If the PCs have met the
crusade by this point and Geb finds out, he will bombard them
with questions. Should they reveal that they are working for Karl
Staff himself, Geb will fall into hero worship. Whilst some PCs might
be flattered, Geb’s constant adulation is also annoying.
The Tilted Chalice is owned by Albrecht Dorfbacher, a retired
Bernhardt Herzog: In one cold corner of the bar sits a middle
soldier who decorates his tap room with many battlefield trophies.
aged man sipping slowly from a mug of beer. He has a large black
Albrecht respects those who appear to be of a military persuasion,
beard covering most of his face and a wide brimmed hat pulled
and is more than willing to swap war stories with such folk. The
low. Bernhardt refuses to talk to anyone and even at the bar simply
other staff who work at the inn include Dorfbacher’s two teenage
points to what he wants and lays the coins silently on the counter.
daughters, Gretel and Meg, and a handful of workers from nearby
villages.
Crooked Jacob: A toothless old local man sits nearest the fire and
mumbles strange words to no-one. Jacob got his nickname from
The warden cottage is permantly staffed by a fellow of the wardens
the painful looking bend in his spine. Locals have learned to ignore
called Trubald Kurst. The stick-thin Kurst primarily spends his
Jacob’s mutterings, though some PCs might wonder if there is a
time cooking supper and cleaning up after itinerant wardens as
strange truth behind the old man’s words. They would be wrong of
they pass through the Tilted Chalice. His secondary function is to
course. Sample phrases that the PC’s might overhear include:
pass on news of the road to any of the wardens who stay under his
roof. At any one time there will be D5+1 other wardens staying in
“A castle in the east. A tower. A spire. Jump from the spire.”
the cottage.
“Look out for Dirk. Don’t trust Dirk.”
Services “The one-armed man awaits. But is his arm concealed?”
An honest man, Albrecht charges regular prices for food and drink.
Food is likely to be with pork or rabbit with vegetables and costs 5
p per person. Drinks include Three Coins, a local reddish ale with
Plot Hook - Back From the
an oddly metallic aftertaste which is sold for 3 p per pint, though
travellers can always go for a cheap mug of beer for 1 p.
Dead
If Albrecht happens to swap war stories with one of the PCs, or
As an ex-soldier, Albrecht believes in a spartan but orderly living, perhaps if PCs overhear him talking to another patron, they learn
and the rooms at the Chalice reflect this. Patrons of the main tap about the battle of Nordschweig. It was at this battle that Albrecht
room often complain of the chill since Albrecht maintains only and his regiment fought a desperate rearguard against a force of
one meagre hearth fire. Sleeping in the common room amounts to marauders of the dark gods. They made it across the river but
a space on the floor for a bedroll, but costs only 4 p per night, and many lives were lost.
there is room for over 20 people. There are three guest rooms up-
stairs that have two beds each, though a few more may squeeze in Later, one of the PCs will notice something unusual. As the silent
on the floor. Either way the cost is 8 s per person. Anyone hoping patron (Bernhardt) returns from the bar, he stops briefly and ap-
to sleep in will be disappointed; Albrecht awakens his staff before pears to surreptitiously adjust his beard - could it be a fake? Is the
dawn and starts ordering them about in military fashion. man in disguise?

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 Handouts

In truth Bernhardt used to belong to the same regiment as Al- Though they cannot know this, it would be safer if the PC con-
brecht. At Nordschweig he didn’t make it across the river and was front the man in the bar now. Otherwise they are awoken by a
captured by the evil marauders. After four years of hard servitude scream in the middle of the night. The main bar room is covered
Bernhardt not only survived, but escaped when Kislevite riders in flammable spirits and Bernhardt is fumbling with a tinderbox.
attacked his captors. Bernhardt’s mind has snapped by this point, Plus he has Albrecht’s daughter Meg hostage at sword point. Can
and he blames the few surviving members of his regiment for leav- the PCs diffuse the situation and save the girl and the bar?
ing him behind. He has killed six already, and Albrecht is next.

— Handouts —
Handout 35 - Page 1

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Handout 35 - Page 2

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Handout 36

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Handout 37

Handout 38

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Handout 39 Handout 40

At the beginning of the great darkness,

Asuryan’s Chariot blazed o’er the sky,
From West to East it remained on high.
Then chasing the winding serpent,
It began to descend,
And amongst many heads its light came to an end.

Amongst false hope of life,

Asuryan’s Chariot found final rest,
In the bough of a great tree so blessed.
As its last light did die,
It was hidden from sight,
As a rainbow winged bird took to flight.

Below the great tree,

Lileath knelt in tears,
There forming a shimmering lake of fears.
As the years passed by,
Asuyran’s Chariot was lost,
Buried within the lake by a thousand leaves of dust.

Then came Asuryan’s Children,

Feeling Isha’s pain,
And saw the once great tree against corruption strain.
Isha’s crying drove them onwards,
Her tears leading the way,
Deep within the tree’s roots,
Away from light of day.

t h a t t h e song
elie f
It is my b bes the creation
scri
clearly de the Tree of Life.
l to
of a porta cation is obscure,
ts lo
Though i i s e t h a t it lies in
rm
I would su islev.
of K
the lands
L.M.

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Handout 41

76