(Being a series of quick game notes trying to account for the events of many sessions of playing through The Enemy Within using the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 1e rules.)

Session 43

Power Behind the Throne

• Larry [Mercenary] – I 58
• Wilhelm [Wizard] – I 55
• Brother Nate [Cleric] – I54
• Wilfried [Forger] – I 53
• Othmar [Spy] – I 46
• Gottlieb [Assassin] – I 43

Stumbling back into Middenheim (no one dared to get in their way with the Graf’s champion, the shuddering assassin with the thousand-yard stare, and a motley collection smelling like death), the group immediately reported the re-death of herr Gurtelrose and Wilhelm tried to work that into an honorary doctorate from the school.

With the severity of Gottlieb’s injuries, even the Temple of Shallya was unable to help until he received surgery to remove the pieces of lich bone embedded in his face. Finding a physician, even at the physician’s guild, turns out be somewhat difficult during the height of the Carnival. Finally getting Gottlieb into a surgical “suite” in the top floor of the guildhouse, most of the group then departed to see the snotball semi-finals.

And Gottlieb is almost killed on the table – not by an inept doctor, but by an assassin on a nearby rooftop using a poisoned blowdart fired through the window. Larry and Brother Nathander tried to find the assassin, but with no luck. Fortunately the fates were with Gottlieb and he survived the poisoning, the surgery, and was then treated magically by a priest of Shallya to get him back on his feet.

But the trauma’s of the day had gotten to Gottlieb, and we have our first character who has gained enough insanity points to cash them in for a fascinating selection of prizes – in this case a deep and sullen introversion where he has to make a WP check to say anything… he remains curt, quiet, and of course violent.

Heading down to the burned out shell of the Pit to find Bruno (and their supply of drugs for Chancellor Sparsam), they determine that Bruno is now conducting business almost all the way across town at the Drowned Rat… a bar that while a huge step up from the Pit, is notoriously “the worst bar in the city” according to the locals.

En route to the Drowned Rat, they notice a tail – a man with a heavy brown beard following them along the rooftops to stay out of the crowds of midday carnival goers. At a corner where the buildings are only a single story tall, Gottlieb suddenly bursts into action, climbing a food vendor’s stall to get to the low-sloping roof where their pursuer looks somewhat surprised to be attacked in broad daylight.

But he proves to be a skilled fighter, drawing a thin curved sword and left-handed dagger to fend off Gottlieb’s attacks and then to send Gottlieb back down to the street below, bleeding and badly injured before disappearing across the rooftops.

Finally at the Drowned Rat, those remaining managed to keep from getting “the wrong attention” from the locals and make contact with Bruno who leads them out back and provides them with their week’s supply of laughing powder for Sparsam.