Thursday 14 March 2024

Session 38

PCs (lvl 9): Flynn, Tuarninn, Udo, Ulrich

MR 674 - Summer

Count Sigismund's army infiltrates the city through its labyrinthine sewers, launching a devastating assault via the river. As the conflict escalates, the battleground shifts from the fortified walls to the narrow streets of Ubersreik. General Von Dabernick and his forces are compelled to retreat to the stronghold of Blackrock.

Meanwhile, the Heroes establish their command center in the resilient Dwarven district, orchestrating the city's defense and resisting the invaders with cunning guerrilla tactics.

Within the city's confines, the mercenary captains loyal to the count entrench themselves in Morgenseite and the Precinct.

Seeking to sway one of these captains, the Heroes arrange a diplomatic parley with the mage Renier Talinie. However, their efforts spiral into violence, culminating in Ulrich's fatal strike against Renier, seizing his bloodline in the process. Empowered by this unexpected boon, the Heroes rally their forces and liberate the Precinct from enemy control.

Friday 8 March 2024

Session 37

PCs (lvl 9): Flynn, Tuarninn, Udo, Ulrich

MR 674 - Summer

Count Sigismund's armies encircle Ubersreik, his demand for surrender met with defiance. The following day, the Count's  artillery unleashes havoc upon the city, instilling fear for two relentless days before the full-scale assault commences.

At the northern gate, our heroes stand as the vanguard against the onslaught. Among the enemy ranks, Akim ibn Murad, one of five mercenary captains, spearheads the charge. Waves of soldiers, backed by armored knights and lethal archers, test their resilience.

As exhaustion grips the defenders, Molly joins the fray, wielding her healing magic to bolster their dwindling strength. Amidst the chaos, Flynn attempts to sway Akim from his path, appealing to his sense of justice against the tyrant Count Sigismund.

Driven by a personal vendetta against General Von Dabernick, Akim hesitates, torn between vengeance and his duty. Ultimately, Flynn's words resonate, prompting Akim to divert his assault and abandoning the assault to make his way through the city's labyrinthine streets.

Though the northern gate stands firm, reports of attacks emerging from the sewers and riverfront signal that the battle for Ubersreik's fate has only just ignited.

Monday 19 February 2024

The Five Mercenary Captains

The Knight of Ubersreik

Akim ibn Murad


The Doomlord

Renier Talinie (killed by Ulrich)

Gertrud Yrsadottr



 

Friday 16 February 2024

Session 36

PCs (lvl 9): Flynn, Tuarninn, Udo, Ulrich

MR 674 - Summer

Gathered within the war council's chamber, General Von Dabernick lays out his strategy for withstanding the impending siege. However, the party harbors doubts, knowing the enemy's insidious infiltration of the city's defenses. Skeptical of the efficacy of a prolonged siege, they propose a daring plan: infiltrate the enemy's camp and eliminate Count Sigismund, the mastermind behind the siege. The general's eagerness to comply raises suspicions among the party members—could he have ulterior motives?

Descending into the labyrinthine sewers beneath the city, the party encounters a macabre sight: a legion of corpses, remnants of undead minions who once lurked in the shadows. Tuarninn's keen insight reveals the handiwork of the Crow Witch, whose shadow magic likely neutralized the enemy's forces. Surveying the decrepit sewer entrances, they realize the vulnerabilities in their defenses.

Undeterred by the looming threat, the party ventures forth to negotiate with the mercenary captains serving under Count Sigismund. Their efforts, however, are met with resistance as they confront the brutish Doomlord, leader of the Vos contingent. Despite offering gold and alliances, their pleas fall upon deaf ears, leaving them no closer to their goal.

Amidst the enemy encampment, Udo engages in a delicate dance of deception, maintaining the facade of loyalty to Count Sigismund. As he exchanges words with the unsuspecting Count and his cohorts, the party watches from the shadows, plotting their next move.

Returning to Ubersreik, the party braces themselves for the impending siege, knowing that their fate—and that of the city—hangs in the balance. With tensions rising and treachery lurking around every corner, they steel themselves for the harrowing trials that lie ahead.

Sunday 14 January 2024

Grauer Palast

The Grauer Palast is a squat keep to the north-east of Black Rock Castle. It was long used as the official residence of the Baron of Lady’s Vale, the heir to the county of Ubersreik. It contains a very large ballroom, and is where the Jungfreuds once conducted their social functions and weddings.

Brauninger House

Owned by the Brauninger merchant family, this building is modest for The Hill, it contains 16 rooms, a large servants’ quarters, and separate stables and coach house. The Brauningers built the house over two centuries ago. The merchant house has contracts with several noble families and mercenary outfits across eastern and southern Empire to supply arms: the family’s primary business. Many of the town’s forges are under the family’s control, and the Metalworking Guild is a close ally.

Ubersreik 3rd Barracks

This sizeable barracks once billeted Ubersreik 3rd Regiment of Foot, nicknamed: ‘the Fighting Stags’. The regiment retreated as the Army of Muden approached, so the building now lies empty. A large wall rings the muster ground where the soldiers once drilled. Against the wall are towers, workshops, barracks, kitchens, refectories, and chapels, most of which are locked and quiet.

Aware the barracks may become a rallying point for Jungfreud sympathies, General von Dabernick ordered the walls patrolled with Muden soldiers. At any one time, two squads of eight halberdiers, each led by a sergeant, march around the periphery, thoroughly bored, dreaming of a better detail. When off-duty or resting, the soldiers gather in the north tower to eat, drink, play cards or dice, and chew wierdroot.

Ernst Maler


Ernst Maler is the current Burgomeister of Ubersreik and leader of the Town Council. His role was, until the arrival of Muden’s troops, chiefly clerical. Given the potential for the town to become a Freiburg, things have changed — he is courted by Guildmasters, keen to exert their influence on the town’s future, and resented by the nobility and locals loyal to the Jungfreuds, who suspect skullduggery.

Town Hall

Ubersreik’s Town Hall is an imposing stone building, two storeys high with four towers, that looms over the northern side of Marktplatz. In addition to banks of offices belonging to the Burgomeister and his staff, it contains the stately Nobles’ Court, a grand hall in which the Jungfreud rulers historically made rulings that affected the whole county. 

The towers were reserved for the Jungfreuds and visiting nobles to use as a residence when attending court, but now lie unused. Since the removal of the Jungfreuds, the status and influence of the Town Council, which meets weekly in the Town Hall, has risen dramatically, although the formal bounds of its power is very much in flux.

Saturday 13 January 2024

Session 35

PCs (lvl 8): Flynn, Tuarninn, Udo, Ulrich

MR 674 - Spring

From the notes of Tuarninn

After a well-deserved rest, we stake our claim to the Brauninger House, as it will serve for the orphans who now have no real place to return to. 

My morning briefing by the Welle includes mention of siege equipment being brought in, so we begin the process of stationing them inside the walls when they are not on patrol. Safety is a priority and the Garden of Nesri is not fortified to the extend that it would be a haven in times of war.

We get assigned a place in the Third Barracks, where the Stags hold court still. Richard Jackal, their sergeant, is an absolute numpty who rubs me all the wrong ways. I told Von Dabernick about the dubious loyalty of Jackal and his regiment. He was going to look into it.

Udo, in what I understand is an effort to build his network of eyes and ears in town, has a meeting with Zimmerman, head of the Carpenter's Guild, and begins to check up on the background of those arrested at the Theatre. He gets around to miss Osanna, who actively would want the city gates to be open to the invading army and asks Udo to assassinate Lady Nacht. Udo tells her Lady Nacht will be duly distracted. As he has her attention, he also asks to set up a meet with the Graf. 

Ulrich uses the info that he gets from Udo on the arrested ones to root out further cultists, but mainly tries to position himself so that he can radiate peace and certainty for a population that lost some active members of the ruling classes.

Flynn visits the altar of Laerme and converses at length with miss Müller afterwards, speaking about future plans.

Having pooled our information, I decide to get Heske, Om and Nom to the safety of the dwarven underground. I pass them 200 gold to have them be able to set up there.

We then meet the General Von Dabernick and the Lady Nacht for briefing. Given that the enemy draws closer, the general wants to seize the assets of various nobles and merchants and acts all sorts of unpleasant. We explain how we want to go about meeting the Graf. 

Suspicion falls on the general, as Ulrich suspects Von Dabernick may be under the influence of a demonic power without his own knowledge, so the planning is done after meeting the pair, with only Lady Nacht close. As Udo needs to put her down for miss Osanna's trust to remain strong, he requests her ring, her discretion and some vitae, to fool Osanna and her allies.  

I roam the Garden of Nesri and find the entity I call Lady of Twilight, the Crow Witch, at the usual hour. She tells me of the faith of mortals oft being betrayed, a strong indication of the church of Sera's possible corruption. As the dead have been stirring outside in the garden, I inquire what the Lady of Twilight knows of Realm spells and if this may be one. She confirms as much. She also promises to use her connection with the land to quell the necromantic power.

We meet with the Burgomeister, who decides we are to be awarded a medal for our services to the City. Flynn will be awarded a seat on the City Council and a strong push to get Ubersreik's independence as a republic. We hear of plans to eliminate Lady Nacht and speak against the idea. The Burgomeister then finds a messenger to relay this information. Udo sneaks off to follow the messenger and hopefully save the Lady. 

At the honorary medaling, Ulrich and Flynn both give speeches to the jubilant crowd.  

And then the assassinations of us and Lady Nacht are unsuccessful at the same time. Flynn, Ulrich and me fight off a vast amount of undead and Vos raiders, while Udo stops the carriage of Lady Nacht and saves her from a virulent poison that would have killed her if he was not there. He seeks to send her off to her dwelling, but thinks better of it and has her stick to his side as he is unsure who to trust outside of our group. He does take the time to tell her that the Burgomeister is behind the assassination attempt. 

We have dispatched the enemy, and reunite with Udo, but a new uproar involving the undead spreads from the Temple of Sera into our direction. Luckily enough, Molly also happens upon us around the same time as Udo and Lady Nacht do. 

Upon arriving at the Temple, we note that the High Priest Emming has turned to the cult of Orcus. The City Guard doing what they can to provide us a clear avenue into the Temple. Flynn, again, does sterling work against the vile consort of demons, ripping his throat out through a wound I made in Emming's throat.

Underneath the Temple, we find a dwarven-made vault, where a singular pond is the focal point of the room. A vision of the battle at Deismaar is shown and jewels light up in various hues. I touch the green, corresponding with Reynir. My allies all seek their own match in the old Gods. Our blood sings with the power of ancients and we awake what lies dormant there. A singular pedestal rises from the pool, proudly revealing the Cat Statue's Head to the party. I stash it, clear for Molly and Lady Nacht to see.

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