(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 44

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

Bringing the supply of Laughing Powder to Sparsam finally has him free of his blackmail by Frau Kenner, and he surprises the group by demonstrating exactly how free he is as he immediately hires Gottlieb to eliminate her for a nominal fee of 500 Crowns. Going through their notes about the mysterious blackmailer, there is a semi-consensus that she is likely a vampire (based on her nighttime activities and assuming that she was also involved in the hypnotism of Dieter Schmiedehammer and of course their recent encounters with Graf Orlock and the half-lich Gurtelrose).

Heading to Morrspark to look for further evidence of assassinations and / or vampires, the group gets caught up in a street scene involving a dancing bear, an urchin with a few too many rocks, and the resulting disarming of the child by the bear. The group was able to calm the bear without killing it, and also saved the child’s life (and Wilhelm paid for the surgical amputation of the mauled limb).

At the actual shrine of Morr, Archibald had no information on assassinations or poisonings, but did mention that a few bodies have recently arrived to their ministrations completely drained of blood – as if hung from the ankles and exsanguinated as one would treat a butchered animal. The bodies are unfortunately no longer available, having been thrown over the wall after cursory last rights.

Returning to the Templar’s Arms for a well-needed rest, Golthog the ogre mercenary takes up Larry’s offer of employment and officially joins his mercenary troop.

Obviously excited by his new employment, Golthog awakens the group at sunrise with a massive breakfast that he dumps on their beds. With no chance of getting back to sleep, the group heads back to Sparsam to learn what he knows about Gotthard von Wittgenstein (or Gotthard Goebbels as he is known in Middenheim).

Sparsam insists that the man is corrupt and conniving, although this seems to mostly be because of a bad deal he had with him last year that he feels swindled over. However, he does know where Gotthard’s home is and directs the party to his fenced townhouse in one of the nicer parts of town. He also suggests that herr Pavarotti would be the one to investigate when it comes to poisons, as he is a skilled hypnotist, a madman, and a dabbler in all sorts of bizarre medicines and alchemies.

After several minutes of banging on the door of Gotthard’s home, a hunchbacked manservant instructs them that his master is away on business. With some hard convincing that they are delivering something special (tap nose), he finally instructs them to the back door to deliver their package.

When Nathander and Larry start banging at the front door “on Inquisitorial business”, and Wilhelm and Othmar plead that they must not be found here, they are instructed by the hunchback Adolf to hide in the pantry (where they should drop off the package also).