(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 65

Something Rotten in Kislev

• Gottlieb [Witch Hunter] – I 63
• Larry [Mercenary Captain] – I 58
• Othmar [Assassin] – I 56
• Nate [Witch Hunter] – I 64
• Wilfried [Templar] – I 53
• Karl [Artillerist] – I 45

While Grigoriy Smertovitch Moryevitch has no further information on the Temple of the Ancient Allies, he has old tales of Sulring Durgul, an elven necromancer who appears now and then in historical documents of the region. He is rumoured to be in Bolgasgrad, but no one knows for sure. He asks Nathandar to learn more about the necromancy at work in Bolgasgrad and the Temple of the Ancient Allies. He also happily records where Annundil can be found and that the dwarven necromancer is a veritable font of excellent undead-hunting information.

Finally, he warns that there are better ways to disable an organization such as the Temple of the Ancient Allies or the court of Prince Alexis Chokin (I, II and III) than to kill their leaders. Such killings, he warns, would only swell the realm of the Jealous Brother. Far better to sow doubt, undermine confidence, and turn people from their misguided evil that they might know the peace of Morr in later days.

None of the other temples have any information on the Temple of the Ancient Allies either, even the Temple Library of Verena. However, many of them know the party are the Tsar’s agents and seem to have a good idea what they are up to. In light of the loose lips in the capital, it is decided that a cover story is going to be required to slip into a city in open rebellion from the Tsar where a mysterious cult seems to have a strong hold.

Thus Wilhelm Lizard’s Flying Circus is born.

Featuring the Strongman talents of Tito di Toro (Larry), pyrotechnics by the mad Todrigo Bonzales (Karl), quiet disturbing “intimitainment” by Gober the Clown (Gottlieb), the mystical talents of the Great Wandering Oz (Nathandar), headed by the ringmaster Johan Eltan (Wilfried) and backed by the business acumen of Phineous (Othmar). They also hire a tame bear (Bruno) and a bear trainer (also Bruno) to teach them how to handle it.

In the end, the Flying Circus acquires a huge pile of inventory appropriate to their acts, and hire four muleskinners (Burian, Michael Biriukova, Lenoid Leonov, and Sashenka), a pair of troubadours (Konstantin Yefrimov and Valentina Plushenko), Eight Horses, Four Covered Wagons, Leotards, Mustache Wax, Trick Chains, a Crystal Ball, Various Teas, Tarot Decks, Megaphone, Explosives & Rockets & Fireworks, a small Big Top, a slightly smaller Little Top, Strongbox, Makeup & Masks, Fake Dumbbells, Bright Circus Pants, Mace Dumbbell, Handbills, Broadsheets, an Equipment LockBox, and a Bear Cage.

They spend a week training for their roles with another Kislev circus and then head on their way up to Praag to then take the road south from Praag to Bolgasgrad to further reduce any chance of them being “mistaken” for agents of the Tsar.

On the Praag Road they need to cross the ford at the South Lynsk. There they encounter a number of charcoal burners heading to the nearby village of Bordonavetz along with the sorceress Kisa Yatskaya who seems to be essentially naked under her large white furred cloak, and her bodyguard / swordsman Zenevieva Kulikoyskaya who are travelling to Praag. Giving these travellers refuge from the cold waters in their circus wagons, they cross the ford and continue on across the open plains to the orchard-town of Bordonavetz. The whole town is surrounded by / hidden within several hundred acres of apple trees and is known for making a fine iced cider.

Within the orchards, however, something is wrong. Thirteen bodies are hung upside down from the trees in a clearing not far from the road (but out of sight – only Gottlieb’s keen eyes spotted the trail leading in and out of the clearing). They are all hung by the ankles, their throats slit and blood pooled into the snow beneath them.

Continuing into town, the charcoal burners split off from the group and head off to deliver their goods. The party arrives at the public house, have a hard time convincing the owner to rent them space (with an extra room for Kisa & Zenevieva), and then stir the pot asking about the bodies on the way into town.

Shortly after asking, the public house has emptied and people are acting mighty suspicious. Gottlieb follows one of the local farmers back down the road towards where the bodies were found…