WFRP 4E - Archives of The Empire - Vol. III [PDF]

Zitiervorschau

A R C H I V E S O F T H E E M P I R E : VO L U M E I

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CREDITS Writing: Dave Allen, Michael Duxbury, Jude Hornborg, Robin Low, Pádraig Murphy, Clive Oldfield, Samuel Poots, Simon Wileman Illustration: Benoît Blary, Alessandro Boer, Anthony Boursier, Ralph Horsely, Dániel Kovács, Josef Kucera, Andy Law, Sam Manley, Luca Moos, JG O’Donoghue, Ruxandra Onita, Scott Purdy, Pedro Sena, Erin H Rea Cover: Sam Manley Development and Production: Dave Allen, Pádraig Murphy Layout: Muireann Brady Editor: Brian Johnson Proofreader: Nicolas A Montelongo Cubicle 7 Business Support: Tracey Bourke, Elaine Connolly, Jennifer Crispin, Matthew Freeman, Paula Graham, Fiona Kelly, Neil McGouran, Kieran Murphy, Cian Whelan Cubicle 7 Creative Team: Dave Allen, Emmet Byrne, Alex Cahill, David F Chapman, Walt Ciechanowski, Christopher Colston, Josh Corcoran, Zak Dale-Clutterbuck, Runesael Flynn, Andy Law, Elaine Lithgow, TS Luikart, Dominic McDowall, Sam Manley, Pádraig Murphy, Ceíre O’Donoghue, JG O’Donoghue, Laura Jane Phelan, and Sam Taylor Creative Director: Emmet Byrne Publisher: Dominic McDowall Special thanks to the Games Workshop Team Published by: Cubicle 7 Entertainment Ltd, Unit 6, Block 3, City North Business Campus, Co. Meath, Ireland. Printed in China. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition © Copyright Games Workshop Limited 2023. Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition, the Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition logo, GW, Games Workshop, Warhammer, The Game of Fantasy Battles, the twin-tailed comet logo, and all associated logos, illustrations, images, names, creatures, races, vehicles, locations, weapons, characters, and the distinctive likeness thereof, are either ® or TM, and/or © Games Workshop Limited, variably registered around the world, and used under licence. Cubicle 7 Entertainment and the Cubicle 7 Entertainment logo are trademarks of Cubicle 7 Entertainment Limited. All rights reserved. Last Updated: 7th December, 2022

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CONTENTS

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LEGITIMATE BUSINESS ENTERPRISES

MINOR GODS, FOLK WORSHIP & HEDGECRAFT

Starting an Enterprise............................. 6 Creditors.................................................. 8 Expansion................................................ 9 Enterprise Events.................................... 9 Courier Service...................................... 12 Crafting Workshop............................... 13 Criminal Gang...................................... 15 Holy Temple.......................................... 17 Knightly Order...................................... 19 Tavern.................................................... 21 Market Parlour...................................... 23 Noble Estate.......................................... 25 Performance Troupe ............................. 27 Publishing House.................................. 29 Example Creditor.................................. 30 Three Unusual Shops............................. 31

Human religion..................................... 48 The Old Faith ....................................... 49 Hearth and Home................................. 50 Minor Gods........................................... 50 The Cult of Khaine................................ 50 Penances ............................................... 51 Strictures............................................... 51 The Cult of Solkan................................ 52 Penances ............................................... 53 Strictures............................................... 53 Priest of Solkan..................................... 54 Miracles of Solkan................................. 55 Cult of the Old Faith............................ 56 Albion and the Truthsayers................... 57 The Dwindling of the Old Faith........... 58 Penances ............................................... 58 Strictures............................................... 58 Priests of the Old Faith......................... 58 Living at the Hedge.............................. 59 Magic and Knowledge........................... 60 The Lore of Hedgecraft ........................ 62

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SUITS OF STEEL Armour Damage................................... 34 Repairing Armour................................. 35 Armour Rules........................................ 36 Armour.................................................. 37 Helmet Designs..................................... 38

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THE CULT OF HANDRICH Foundation of the Cult.......................... 40 Handrich in the Empire........................ 40 Beliefs.................................................... 42 Worshippers.......................................... 44 Priest of Handrich................................. 46 Miracles of Handrich............................ 47

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THE CULT OF RHYA Foundation of the Cult.......................... 66 Aspects of the Goddess......................... 67 Mitterfruhl — ‘Spring Growth’............. 70 Sonnstill................................................ 70 Mittherbst — ‘Less Growth’.................. 70 Priestess of Rhya.................................... 72 Miracles of Rhya................................... 74

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ANIMAL FAMILIARS Magical Traditions................................. 75 NPC Animal Familiars.......................... 76 Animal Familiar Generation................. 78 Finding a Gifted Animal....................... 79 Bonding With Animal Familiars........... 80 New Talents & Creature Traits.............. 81 Animal Familiar Career......................... 82

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ALTDORF — A WORLD TO ITSELF South Bankers....................................... 83 Eastenders............................................. 83 The City North...................................... 84

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ALTERNATIVE CHANNELLING Channelling Test................................... 85 Casting with Channelled Power............ 86 Cants..................................................... 86 The Lore of Beasts................................. 87 The Lore of Death................................. 87 The Lore of Fire.................................... 87 The Lore of Heavens............................. 87 The Lore of Metal................................. 88 The Lore of Life.................................... 88 The Lore of Light.................................. 88 The Lore of Shadows............................. 88

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LORD ADALBERT KNOPP-INZEL Encountering Adalbert.......................... 89 Lord Adalbert........................................ 90 The Knight’s Retinue............................. 92 Brother Samhel, Priest of Morr............. 92 Ella Terenz, Con Artist......................... 93 Ridrek Blackhelm, Dwarf Fool.............. 94 Leonard, Squire..................................... 94

My erstwhile correspondent. Twice now we have exchanged substantial missives, and twice I have gone without remittance, recompense, or even a response for all my troubles. Have I not made it clear in my tellings that I am in need of aid? That I am dissatisfied? Have my writings meant nothing to you, nor my compilations and careful research brought you gain? Your silence remains the harshest of the many knives that pierce my heart, though it vies for prominence against devilish competition. Oh, I have tried to make this place bearable, even to engage in conversation with my jailors and thereby improve upon my circumstances, but it is all for naught. Their latest ruse is to claim that my ‘patron’ has withdrawn their support for my stay here, and reduced my funding to a pittance. As though my brother, the Emperor Karl-Franz himself, should have any issue in finding funds to support his own sister! I must assume the Shallyans here have abandoned their principles entirely and decided to use the funds for their own purposes, for I cannot bring myself to believe that my own brother would abandon me. Perhaps I am naive. Or at least, I was. I have decided to make good my escape from this place. Not least of all because my previous accommodations, spartan as they were, have of late fallen completely into ruin. They tell me that it is my own fault, that in fits and moments of madness I speak of unutterable things, tear the carpets from the walls and smash the furniture to splinters. I am sure they merely steal these things while I sleep, hocking them for their own gain or furnishing their own quarters. Still, I have safely hidden away my writing kit and a great deal of parchments and correspondence — these they will never have from me! So, with my mind set on escape, and with all former support upon which I might have relied — even your own! — denied to me, I must consider other options. I will need money, and have pondered long and hard on how I might come about it. Though commerce is a grubby business, there are several mercantile enterprises I might pursue, and I have gathered some writings on how to go about this. Anyone intending to undertake such ventures would do well to have the favour of Handrich, for it is said that the god of merchants balances all books in the end. Equally I consider older gods: Rhya who might preserve me should I find myself lost in the wilderness, and even halfforgotten Solkan, who might bring me the justice I increasingly crave. We shall see. In all this I may require a champion, someone whose skill at arms and unwavering heart might help preserve me where my own flesh and blood will not. I have heard of someone, a kindred spirit perhaps, who may be of some use in this respect. He calls himself a knight, though he is certainly no Reiksguard, nor of any other vaunted chapter I have heard of. He styles himself Lord

Adalbert Knopp-Inzel, though lord of what I cannot say. Currently he seems preoccupied with the Jungfreuds of Ubersreik, but I hope he can be convinced of the rightness of my own cause. I include a folio on him and his known followers as well — gratefully I still have some contacts in the Reikland with whom I may correspond in expectation of reply. It would be foolish in the extreme for me to explain in detail my own plans for escape, though I will be in touch with a forwarding address as soon as I am established elsewhere. Despite your long silence, I remain hopeful that you may reply. I trust you remain in good health, and that your many duties have not overwhelmed you. I must confess, I have imagined all sorts of disasters that might have befallen you, each quite terrible. Though I hold you no malice, every fate I saw for you was preferable to a crueller alternative — that you as well have simply abandoned me. Writing of fate and imaginings, I must share a recent vision with you. It came to me only lately, preceding the start of the exodus of all items of comfort from my chambers. I saw Altdorf, and the sky above it opening up in a wreath of blues and purples. Beyond the skies I saw a realm of chaos and change, and terrible forms descending from it. I think perhaps it was an expression of my own abiding regret, for I do not wish to ponder that anything so terrible could truly exist. I did not leave Altdorf so much as I was cast aside by it, as you know, and so it does not seem strange to me that my mind might conjure up such horrors. Still, I have not been able to shake the vision, nor the image of the great feathered thing in the midst of it. I think I addressed it, for it seemed familiar somehow. It noticed me, to its own amusement, and to my horror I heard it speak. I have forgotten what it said, if it truly answered me at all, though I am left with the feeling that some curse upon me has been renewed. I am not sure what I hoped to gain by questioning such a hallucination. Surely horrific, enterprising evil rarely answers regretted enquiries truthfully, revered uncle? It was after this vision that my circumstances turned so foul. It has been months, and I feel more forgotten than ever. I do not refer only to yourself. It seems to me that even the nuns sometimes forget I exist, and appear surprised to find my room occupied at all when I inquire after forgotten meals they should have brought me. One even neglected to lock the door of my cell yesterday, and I was able to sneak out and acquire my own copy of the key, for I was not yet ready to depart entirely. I will spend some time gathering what I will, and have steeled myself to the purpose. When next we correspond, dear uncle, I shall be in better circumstances I am sure. With a noble heart, Princess Isabella von Holswig-Schleistein, Sister to Emperor Karl-Franz I, 16 Brauzeit, 2513 IC

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• LEGITIMATE BUSINESS • ENTERPRISES

Precious few citizens of the Old World ever choose to make a living from adventure. Most that do still prefer to supplement their income with more stable work. Even adventurers fortunate enough to stumble upon the odd treasure hoard know these opportunities are fleeting, and having a side hustle to fall back on is essential if they intend to live longer than their heroic campaigns.

STARTING AN ENTERPRISE Characters interested in owning an Enterprise begin by choosing one of the ten Enterprise templates listed in this supplement as the basis of their company. Each template is quite broadly defined to fit a variety of different business types — the examples listed may provide the spark of inspiration, but Players are encouraged to invent their own money-making schemes, and adapt them to the template that suits best! These are:

Every Career has an Earning Skill (WFRP pages 51–52) and a Status that determines their Income (WFRP page 198), both comparatively risk-free ways for Characters to earn money after a week’s work. But for most Careers, these gains are modest. Ambitious Players may prefer to invest their earnings for a greater payoff later, which could unlock access to Trappings they could never usually afford. Even Banking (WFRP page 196) may not return sufficient interest to satisfy covetous adventurers.

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Enterprises are ways for GMs to fulfil this niche. They are business ventures the Characters can nurture over the course of weeks, months, or even years, by investing their own (or, even better, other people’s) money to stimulate growth. Though they require more consideration, patience, and effort than living off Banking interest, they also reduce the risk of misfortune stealing their money away. Usually, only a Character’s negligence will cause their Enterprise to fail, which GMs can exploit to create new adventures that imperil the Enterprise unless attended to.

Courier Service Crafting Workshop Criminal Gang Holy Temple Knightly Order Tavern Market Parlour Noble Estate Performance Troupe Publishing House

Characters may choose to start with an Enterprise in the Step 5: Trappings stage of character creation after calculating starting wealth (WFRP page 37), spend an Endeavour to acquire one during a period of downtime (WFRP page 195), or even have an opportunity to create or take over an Enterprise during an adventure, if the circumstances are appropriate.

Players can gain additional benefits from Enterprises, besides the eventual promise of increased Earnings. Enterprises have their own Earning Skills, which the Players may be more interested in developing for their Characters than the Earning Skill dictated by their Career. Enterprises have their own special rules, which expand Player options, and may unlock access to social situations that are barred to less accomplished folk. Finally, Enterprises can be worked on by multiple Characters at once, improving the links of teamwork within a party. All contributing Characters profit when an Enterprise performs well. Should it perform badly, at least they have their business partners with whom to share the blame!

Though each Enterprise template includes a list of Suggested Careers, there is no limitation on which Careers can select specific templates. If multiple Characters choose Enterprises, they may either set up their own separate Enterprises, or partner up with another Character to share an Enterprise. No Character can manage more than one Enterprise at once — such a demand on their time would necessitate abandoning their adventuring life entirely!

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an Enterprise — which is not unlikely, especially for starting Characters — they may approach a Creditor to loan them the rest of the capital they need. At a minimum, Character must pay 10% of an Enterprise’s Start-Up Costs when they first acquire it, or they are unable to attract Creditors and cannot afford to set up the business.

In order to acquire an Enterprise, Characters must pay its StartUp Costs, which are listed in the Enterprise template. This covers the expense of business premises, establishing supply, recruiting and training necessary personnel, and marketing to a reliable customer base. If a Character, or group of Characters paying collectively, cannot afford the full Start-Up Costs for

ENTERPRISE FORMAT Each of the Enterprise templates uses a consistent layout. The key below can help to find the relevant information in an Enterprise template, or serve as a guideline for GMs or Players who want to create new Enterprise templates. Examples: Specific ideas for business types that would suit the general Enterprise template. This list is intended to be inspirational rather than exhaustive. GMs and players may have their own ideas. Suggested Careers: Careers, or Classes, most likely to consider setting up this kind of Enterprise. Again, this is intended as a guideline, not a restrictive list. Start-Up Costs: How much money Characters must pay to set up the Enterprise. In the event Characters cannot afford this cost themselves, and must depend on Creditors for funding, the minimum 10% Characters must pay to attract Creditors is also included. Interest Payments: How much money the Characters invested in an Enterprise must pay between each adventure, in order to satisfy their Creditors. If the Enterprise is no longer in Debt, these payments are not required. Creditors: A suggested list of individuals who might consider helping the Characters purchase the Enterprise, in return for an ongoing fee. Sources of Income: Possible ways for the business to make its money. For each Source of Income, a suggested Earning Skill is provided for Characters using the Enterprise during an adventure (WFRP pages 51–52), but other Skills may be accepted at the GM’s discretion. Each of these income sources also lists a Status, which Characters may temporarily substitute for their own when working out how much money they make whilst Earning or using the Income Endeavour. Note that a Source of Income can only be used if the Enterprise has the corresponding Trappings. Trappings: Premises, vehicles, tools, animals, and hirelings the Characters gain access to so long as the Enterprise remains operational. Characters may find these Trappings useful whilst adventuring, but Enterprises that regularly lose Trappings to their owners’ shenanigans may reduce the Status of their income sources, at the GM’s discretion. Special Rules: Advantages or restrictions which apply to all Characters who have invested in the Enterprise, or any way that the template does not abide by the usual Enterprise rules. Expansion: Three additional levels of development the Enterprise can progress through, one step at a time. Each level lists the cost to expand (including the minimum 10% cost if depending on Creditors), the new cost of Interest Payments, adjustments to the Enterprise’s Status for purposes of Earning or gaining Income, and any additional Trappings or Special Rules acquired. Alternate Events: Events that are specific to this kind of Enterprise, which should normally be substituted for results 55–57 and 58–60 on the Enterprise Events Table. Adventure Hooks: Two ideas of how a Character’s investment in an Enterprise can lead to adventures in their own right, rather than just being a concern for downtime. For Sale: A fully worked example of an Enterprise fitting the template, available for Characters to buy if they pay the usual Start-Up Costs. GMs can offer these Enterprises to Players to simplify the decision-making process of working out a new Enterprise’s details from scratch. Alternatively, these examples may inspire Players to come up with their own ideas.

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CREDITORS

Missing Interest Payments

Creditors are NPCs who help Characters to pay Enterprise Start-Up Costs they might otherwise not afford. They do so not out of kindness, but out of greed, for as long as the Characters remain in Debt, their Creditors continue to collect income in the form of Interest Payments. Creditors may be guild financiers, entrepreneurial investors, wealthy relatives, or predatory loan sharks. The sort of personage a Character can convince to bankroll their business depends greatly on the sort of Enterprise being financed.

Rules for Favours can be found on WFRP page 198.

If Characters are unable to afford an Interest Payment in full, or choose not to pay it, they draw the immediate displeasure of their Creditor. This escalates in severity, depending on how many Interest Payments have been missed.

0 The first time a Character misses an Interest Payment, it warrants A Conversation. The Creditor themself, or one of their representatives, visits the Character to demand an explanation for their failure. If the Character is sufficiently penitent, the Creditor may agree to let them off this once — but the next Interest Payment must be triple its normal value, in apology. Alternatively, the Creditor may decide that the Character owes them a Minor Favour.

When a Character approaches a Creditor to help pay StartUp Costs, GMs should provide a name, profession, and general demeanour for that NPC, so the Player has a chance to understand what sort of profiteering viper their Character has climbed into bed with. Suggested Creditors are included with each Enterprise template, and Players may also have their own ideas.

0 The second time a Character misses an Interest Payment, the Creditor sends A Warning. Depending on the Creditor’s sphere of influence, they may send debt collectors to take the Character or Enterprise’s most valuable Trappings, lean on local politicians to obstruct adventuring activities, or hire a squad of brutes to break the Character’s legs. This could occur immediately, or during the next adventure. Alternatively, the Creditor may decide that the Character owes them a Major Favour.

As a rule, Creditors are avaricious, unsympathetic, and remorseless in extracting money from the people indebted to them. Because they inevitably make enemies, they invariably employ their own personal security, and set up arrangements with other Creditors who are empowered to collect outstanding Debts in the event of their demise. Many are deeply embedded in governing local communities, religious or legal establishments, or organised criminal gangs, and do not hesitate to lean on their contacts if they are cheated out of money.

0 The third time a Character misses an Interest Payment, or if a Character indicates they have no intention of repaying a Creditor ever again, the Creditor makes An Example of them, to deter other debtors from doing likewise. They may have the Character arrested and taken to a debtor’s prison (such as Mundsen Keep in Altdorf ), force them into a living as a fugitive, or send a hit-squad to kill them publicly. In any event, the Enterprise is invariably seized by the Creditor, or simply burned to the ground. Alternatively, the Creditor may decide that the Character owes them a Significant Favour.

Repaying Debt

When Characters ask Creditors to cover Start-Up Costs, they should make a note of all remaining costs not paid by the Characters themselves. This is how much money the Enterprise now owes the Creditor as Debt. As an Endeavour (WFRP page 195), Characters may seek out their Creditor to pay off some, or all, of their Enterprise’s outstanding Debt. There is no time limit for repaying Debt, but whilst an Enterprise remains in Debt, it cannot Expand, though Characters must continue to make Interest Payments.

Interest Payments

Whenever Characters have a period of downtime between adventures, they must pay their Creditor the amount listed in the Enterprise template’s Interest Payments section. This occurs after Events and Endeavours, but before the Characters lose any outstanding cash. Interest Payments do not reduce the Debt owed to a Creditor. Unlike repaying Debt, Interest Payments do not cost an Endeavour (many Creditors deliberately make themselves less available to those trying to break free of the debt cycle).

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The Interest Payments for this new Debt will invariably increase, as detailed in the template, but otherwise the rules for Repaying Debt and managing Interest Payments remain the same. Characters may not Expand an Enterprise until they have paid off all their outstanding Debt.

EXPANSION If a Character is fortunate enough to pay off their Creditors, they may start to consider expanding their Enterprise. Expansion unlocks new useful special abilities, improved Status whilst Earning or gaining Income, and access to additional Trappings. However, the increasing costs of operating at a larger scale also require an infusion of cash, exactly like the Start-Up Costs of first acquiring the Enterprise, and usually put the Character straight back into Debt again. Expansion also costs an Endeavour for the Character taking the lead in Expanding the Enterprise.

ENTERPRISE EVENTS Characters roll on the Events Table (WFRP page 193) between adventures, before they select their Endeavours. If a Character has invested in an Enterprise, they may choose to instead roll on the Enterprise Events Table, which is tailored to how recent happenings have impacted on the Character’s Enterprise, rather than on their personal or adventuring life. If more than one Character is invested in the same Enterprise, only one Character can make this substitute — a single Enterprise cannot be affected by more than one Event in the same downtime phase.

Each Enterprise template has four levels. The Expansion section lists the Cost of Expanding to the next level, and the advantages it provides. As with Start-Up Costs, Characters may approach a Creditor to help them pay for Expansion, but must provide at least 10% of the cost themselves.

ENTERPRISE EVENTS TABLE 01–02: Looming Bankruptcy

11–13: Trapping Degrades

Poor investments, the ravages of war, or simple ill-fortune bring the Character’s Enterprise to the brink of failure. If the Enterprise has Expanded, it loses all advantages from its most recent Expansion, but retains the increased Debt and Interest Payments. Only repaying all Debt can restore the lost Expansion benefits. If the Enterprise has not Expanded, the business must close, lay off all staff, and sell its Trappings to cover costs. All outstanding Debts remain. At the GM’s discretion, the Characters may attempt one last desperate scheme to save their Enterprise, as the subject of the next adventure.

One of the Enterprise’s Trappings deteriorates in quality. It may acquire a Flaw (if it is an item), lose a Trained Skill (if it is a Trained animal), or gain a Condition (if it is an employee). Severe afflictions are usually temporary, whilst milder problems usually persist, and already degraded items may be lost or destroyed entirely. The GM should determine the exact mechanical effects.

14–16: New Competition

A rival business, providing a similar service to the Character’s Enterprise, starts muscling in on their territory. To keep up, the Character must undertake at least one Income Endeavour with the Enterprise during this batch of Endeavours, but receives only 50% of the usual income. The rival business remains an ongoing threat, and may even interfere with the Character’s adventures.

03–05: Recession

Financial disaster strikes the local economy, and the best the Character can do is keep their Enterprise’s doors open. No Character can use the Enterprise for Earning or Income Endeavours until the end of the next adventure.

17–20: Forced to Diversify

06–08: Shoplifter Strikes

The GM chooses ones of the Enterprise’s Sources of Income (whichever is most commonly used). The Source of Income is not available for Income Endeavours during this coming set of Endeavours, due to a drop in supply or demand. Other Sources of Income can be used as normal.

One of the Enterprise’s Trappings, whatever is most valuable and portable, is stolen. The Character may attempt to reclaim it in the next adventure, or accept its loss as the cost of doing business.

09–10: Interest Inflation

21–23: The Dreaded Auditors

The Enterprise’s Creditor grows jealous of their success, and invokes an obscure clause in their contract to demand additional payment. The Enterprise’s Interest Payments are now doubled, until all outstanding Debt is paid off.

Auditors from the treasury demand to see the Enterprise’s books. The Character must spend an Endeavour assisting the investigation, or pay 10% of the Enterprise’s most recent Start-Up Costs or Expansion Costs (whichever is higher) in non-compliance fees.

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24–26: Gimme a Discount

45–48: Creditor Visits

A customer demands a substantial discount on the Enterprise’s services. If the Character refuses, the customer begins to slander the business publicly, threatening its reputation. If the Character acquiesces, other customers follow suit, and the Enterprise’s Income Statuses may reduce. The Character should decide now how to respond, and deal with the consequences next adventure.

The Creditor starts poking around the Enterprise and demanding updates. Whilst annoying, it does provide an opportunity to repay Debts without jumping through the usual hoops. Before the next adventure starts, the Character may repay Debt (see page 8) without using an Endeavour.

49–51: New Hire

27–30: I Need a Holiday

The Character experiences severe burnout, and discovers the necessity of taking time off. They cannot choose the Income Endeavour in the next round of Endeavours. Other Characters invested in the Enterprise can use it for Income Endeavours as normal.

The Enterprise is profitable enough to recruit an NPC to help with its day-to-day business. Unfortunately, the Enterprise is not profitable enough to hire a particularly qualified, competent, or scrupulous employee, and they will need plenty of training and supervision over the coming adventures and periods of downtime.

31–33: Conservative Investments

52–54: Breakup Opportunity

Hand-wringing bean counters regard the current economic climate with dismay, betting only on sure prospects. No Characters may acquire a Creditor to help Expand an Enterprise during the next round of Endeavours.

An investor, or even one of the Enterprise’s employees, offers to purchase a less-profitable fraction of the business, in hopes of turning it around. If the Enterprise has Expanded, the Character may accept the offer to lose all Trappings and other benefits from their most recent Expansion, but also pay off all outstanding Debt. Characters invested in the Enterprise may choose to Expand the Enterprise again at a later date, if their fortunes improve.

34–36: The Grind

The Character spends their next week trapped in a non-stop cycle of work and sleep, as exhausting as it is profitable. They must choose an Income Endeavour before the next adventure, if possible, but otherwise no special effects apply.

55–57: Alternate Event 1

Refer to the corresponding Enterprise template for the specific enterprise type to determine this Event’s effects.

37–39: I Quit!

58–60: Alternate Event 2

An NPC member of staff (if one exists) leaves the Enterprise’s employ, due to dissatisfaction, ambition, or untimely death. The employee is replaced by the start of the next adventure — this could be an opportunity for the Character to work more closely with an established NPC contact.

Refer to the corresponding Enterprise template for the specific enterprise type to determine this Event’s effects.

61–63: Business as Usual

The Character stays busy with taking stock, networking events, and keeping their customers happy — all the routine activities you would expect whilst running an Enterprise, with no special effects.

40–41: New Creditor

The Enterprise’s Creditor sells the Character’s Debt onto someone else. Depending on how well the Character got on with the old Creditor, this could be considered a cause for celebration, at least until the new Creditor is revealed to be just as much of a bastard as the old one.

64–66: Co-Ownership

An investor, or even one of the Enterprise’s employees, offers to buy in to the Enterprise as a co-owner. If the Character accepts, the coowner pays off half of the Enterprise’s outstanding Debt, but insists on some ‘interesting’ ideas for developing the Enterprise which the Character is now obliged to accommodate.

42–44: Closed for Refurbishment

The Enterprise updates its storefront, offices, or other Trappings that correspond to business accommodation. It cannot be used to collect Income in the next batch of Endeavours, but afterwards the accommodation enjoys a practical and cosmetic uplift, which may provide Skill Test bonuses at the GM’s discretion.

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67–69: Upgraded Trapping

86–88: Innovation

The Enterprise is profitable enough to improve one of its Trappings. It may acquire a Quality (if it is an item), gain a Trained Skill (if it is a Trained animal), or gain a new Skill (if it is an employee). Alternatively, a Trapping may lose a Flaw or Condition it is currently afflicted by, if appropriate. The GM should determine the exact mechanical effects.

Thanks to the Character’s ingenuity, the Enterprise gains a new Source of Income. Players and GMs should work out together what the new Source of Income is, what Trappings are required to gain Income from it, and what the exact mechanical effects are. Generally, the effective Status should be equal to the second-highest existing Source of Income, whilst the Earning Skill should be different from any other Earning Skill currently used.

70–72: Merger Opportunity

89–91: Rolling Profits

Another business owner in an adjacent industry offers to join forces with the Character. The Character and their co-investors may choose to immediately Expand their Enterprise. Expansion Costs must be paid as normal, but Expansion does not cost an Endeavour, and may be undertaken even if the Enterprise is still in Debt. Expansion Costs paid by a Creditor are added to the Enterprise’s current Debt. Until all Debt is repaid, Interest Payments are made at the new Expanded rate.

Business is booming! The Character reinvests those profits into improving the Enterprise’s capacity to make money in the future. They choose one of the Enterprise’s Sources of Income, and increase the numeric value of its effective Status by 1, on an ongoing basis.

92–94: New Trapping

The Character spends the Enterprise’s profits on acquiring a new Trapping. This may be a duplicate of a Trapping the Enterprise already owns. Alternatively, it may be a new Trapping, with a value equal to or less than the Enterprise’s Start-Up Costs or most recent Expansion Costs (whichever is higher).

73-75: Desperate Customer

A customer has urgent need of the Enterprise’s services, and is willing to pay a premium for it. The Character chooses one of the Enterprise’s Sources of Income. Until the start of the next adventure, the numerical value of the Income Source’s effective Status is increased by 1.

95–97: Unexpected Generosity

Thanks to holiday cheer, their daughter’s wedding, or the death of a wealthy relative, the Character’s Creditor is in an uncharacteristically good mood. The Enterprise does not have to make an Interest Payment during this period of downtime.

76–78: In the Black

The Enterprise is making a tidy profit — nothing spectacular, but good enough to put everyone at ease. No additional effects apply.

98–100: Offer to Buy-Out

79–81: Temporary Expansion

A wealthy entrepreneur is impressed with what the Character has built, and offers to purchase it wholesale. If the Character and their co-investors accept, they lose any benefits provided by the Enterprise, pay off all outstanding Debt, and gain wealth between them equal to double the Enterprise’s Start-Up Costs or double the most recent Expansion Costs (whichever is greater). The Character may start a new Enterprise, stay on as a consultant, dedicate themself to adventuring full-time, or enjoy an early retirement!

The Character loans larger accommodations, extra equipment, and temporary staff to take advantage of a brief, but valuable, surge in demand. Until the end of the next adventure, the Enterprise enjoys all the benefits of having Expanded to the next level. The Character pays no Expansion Costs for this temporary boon, and Interest Payments remain unchanged.

82–85: Taking Care of Itself

The Character’s Enterprise is sufficiently established to keep ticking along with minimal supervision. The Character may immediately use the Enterprise to undertake an Income Endeavour. This does not count towards the Character’s maximum number of Endeavours before the next adventure.

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Unless the Enterprise has multiple Horses, Wagons, Rowboats, or Riverboats, only one Character may Earn or collect Income using that method of transport during a week. Trappings: Storage depot with byzantine filing system; ‘Sorry we missed you!’ calling cards; other people’s letters and parcels you absolutely shouldn’t open (that would be wrong). Any one of the following: a Riding Horse; a Rowboat; a Draught Horse and an old Wagon with the Unreliable Flaw; a leaky Riverboat with the Unreliable Flaw. Special Rules: Couriers know the region in which they traffic extremely well. When a Character uses a Courier Service for the Income Endeavour between adventures, for the duration of the following adventure they gain +20 on any Tests to travel or navigate the territory their Enterprise operates in (which is typically the size of a province). If the Enterprise’s patch is relatively small, like a single city or handful of villages, this bonus increases to +40. Expansion: The first time you Expand a Courier Service, you improve its means of transporting goods. Choose ONE of the following: a Riding Horse for every Character invested in the Enterprise; a Rowboat for every Character invested in the Enterprise; a Draught Horse and Wagon; a Riverboat. You also hire a couple of runners to help with local deliveries. The Expansion Cost is 10 gold coins (minimum 1 gold coin), and the new Interest Payments are 10 silver shillings. The second time you Expand a Courier Service, its storage facilities grow larger and more secure, allowing you to deliver more packages along a single route. Choose a Source of Income to gain an effective Status of Silver 5. The depot also gains facilities to stable horses, repair wagons, or moor boats on-site, and recruits a couple of employees to organise or protect the site. The Characters are more likely to be trusted with deliveries of sensitive goods, which could link to new adventures. The Expansion Cost is 10 gold coins (minimum 1 gold coin). Interest Payments remain at 10 silver shillings.

COURIER SERVICE Examples: Postal service; river ferry; express deliveries; coaching house; bakery or dairy deliveries; news-sheet deliveries; contraband smuggling. Suggested Careers: Scout; Coachman; Messenger; Pedlar; Road Warden; Boatman; Huffer; Seaman; Smuggler; Bawd.

The third time you Expand a Courier Service, you recruit enough couriers to expand the size of your territory. The maximum size is a grand province — Characters gain +20 on travel Tests within the area during adventures, so long as they used the Courier Service to gain Income during the previous batch of Endeavours. This bonus increases to +40 if the Enterprise remains focused on a single province, or +60 if it is only centred on a single city or handful of villages. In addition, your storage depot contains a large, customer-facing storefront, selling packaging supplies, general goods, and temporary storage space, counting as another Source of Income (Haggle, Silver 1). Lastly, you gain an additional Wagon or Riverboat. The Expansion Cost is 30 gold coins (minimum 3 gold coins), and the new Interest Payments are 1 gold coin and 10 silver shillings.

Start-Up Costs: 20 silver shillings (minimum 2 silver shillings) Interest Payments: 1 silver shilling per downtime period. Creditors: Heilwig Foxe, postmaster general and Imperial spy; Odina Faerberg, toll collector and traffic regulator for the River Reik; Lady Griselda, society gossip addict; Aldwin the Spider, criminal mastermind. Sources of Income: Deliveries on foot (Endurance, Brass 4); deliveries on horseback (Ride (Horse), Silver 1); deliveries by wagon (Drive, Silver 2); deliveries by rowboat (Row, Silver 2); deliveries by riverboat (Sail, Silver 3).

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Alternate Event 1 (55–57 on the Enterprise Event Table): One of the Character’s deliveries is intercepted by bandits, and an important package is lost. The cost to compensate the dissatisfied customer is triple the Enterprise’s current Interest Payment (in addition to the Enterprise’s usual Creditor payment). Alternatively, the Characters may attempt to recover the package in the next adventure, boosting the Enterprise’s reputation if they succeed.

CRAFTING WORKSHOP Examples: Artist studio; blacksmith’s forge; bowyers and fletchers; alchemist’s laboratory; fine tailors; engineering workshop (e.g. siege weapons, clocktowers, experimental firearms); shipwright’s yard; jewel crafters; forger’s workshop; armourer’s smithy; specialist carpentry, glassblowing, stoneworking, tannery, masonry; magical artificers.

Alternate Event 2 (58–60 on the Enterprise Event Table): The Imperial State Army enters the province on campaign, and rapid delivery of intelligence and materiel has never been more in demand. Until the start of the next adventure, any Character using the Courier Service for an Income Endeavour gains +50% to money earned. During the next adventure, the enemy’s infiltrators target the Character, believing that they are harbouring military secrets.

Suggested Careers: Apothecary; Engineer; Wizard; Artisan; Artist; Seaman; Charlatan. Start-Up Costs: 30 silver shillings (minimum 3 silver shillings) Interest Payments: 1 silver shilling and 6 brass pennies per downtime period.

Adventure Hooks: A customer approaches the Courier Service with a bizarre request — he wants this very important package to be delivered to himself, tonight, at midnight precisely. When the Characters make the delivery, they find the customer dead, surrounded by ritual paraphernalia. Were they hired to witness a murder? Or is this an elaborate frame job? Either way, the Characters were some of the last people to see the victim alive, so they’re at risk of being incriminated if they can’t discover the truth and convince the customer’s friends that they are innocent.

Creditors: Dunstan Färberg, ‘generous’ patron of the arts; Guildmaster de Groot, trade matriarch of Ubersreik; Grimneth the Maverick, outcast of the Karak Kadrin Engineering Guild; Eike Glitterstep, Wizard of the Gold College. Sources of Income: Mass production of common goods, sold to a retailer (Trade (Any), Brass 5); commission of a unique item (Art (Any) or Trade (Any), Silver 2). Trappings: Tools and a small Workshop relevant to a specific Trade (WFRP page 305); a steady supply of raw materials; guild licence (real or forged); technical books and other training materials; a distinctive signature.

Whilst loading up the vehicle for another round of deliveries, one of the packages started… ticking. Opening the package could compromise the Enterprise’s reputation, as their customers depend on discretion. But delivering an explosive device to the nobleman it’s addressed to could implicate the Characters in treason. How will the Characters dispose of the bomb, without anyone learning it entered their possession?

Special Rules: Characters employed at a Crafting Workshop are extremely inventive at finding a use for their Enterprise’s wasted by-products. Choose an Art or Trade Skill Specialisation (WFRP page 118) — any Tests of that Skill within the Crafting Workshop gain an additional +20 modifier. In addition, if a Trade Skill is chosen, and a Character uses that Trade Skill as part of a Crafting Endeavour (WFRP page 197), the Character does not have to pay to acquire raw materials. This benefit does not apply when Inventing, which requires more specific materials.

For Sale: Feiläufer Ferries once was a respected operation, taking packages, letters, and the occasional traveller up and down the Reik between Carroburg and Altdorf. Since the loss of its main barge to River Trolls, its fortunes have steadily plummeted, and the owner is eager to sell. Captain Rudolph of the Reikland State Army knows well the importance of retaining this line of communication, and is willing to float the cash to prospective business owners. But Rudolph’s main focus is military, not commercial, and Characters who fall behind on Interest Payments are liable to find their boats requisitioned for attacks against the very same River Trolls who doomed the ferry service’s previous iteration.

Expansion: The first time you Expand a Crafting Workshop, you take on apprentices, one for every Character invested in the Enterprise. These apprentices provide Assistance (WFRP page 155) on Trade Tests, make personal deliveries to valued customers, and watch the workshop whilst you’re away on adventures. Apprentices are an investment — eventually they will mature into skilled craftworkers, but in the meantime, they need constant supervision and use up twice as many tools. The Expansion Cost is 10 silver shillings (minimum 1 silver shilling). Interest Payments remain at 1 silver shilling and 6 brass pennies.

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The second time you Expand a Crafting Workshop, your apprentices complete their training. Their Assistance on Trade Tests now provides a +20 bonus, instead of +10. In addition, you increase the size of your Workshop, and gain one of the following additional Sources of Income: rented workspace to other craftworkers (Haggle, Silver 1); Workshop for a new Trade (as per existing Source of Income, also extends the benefit of the Enterprise’s Special Rules to the new Trade Skill); a dedicated storefront (increase the effective Status of mass producing common goods to Silver 2); fine tools for producing specialist items (increase the effective Status of commissioning unique items to Silver 4). NPCs will travel from neighbouring provinces, or even further abroad, to purchase your higher quality goods. The Expansion Cost is 10 gold coins (minimum 1 gold coin), and the new Interest Payments are 10 silver shillings.

Adventure Hooks: An item produced to order by the Characters is claimed to be cursed, haunted, or possessed by a daemon. The allegations may even be true, if it has been misused since leaving the Workshop. Either way, the Characters must answer to the accusations, cleansing their creation or proving the claims are untrue. Their professional reputation depends on it!

The third time you Expand a Crafting Workshop, choose another Source of Income from the second Expansion above. Your large Workshop also constitutes a Guildhall, specialising in your chosen Trade. As well as expanding your influence in local politics, it provides an additional Source of Income: collecting guild dues (Leadership, Gold 1). The Expansion Cost is 20 gold coins (minimum 2 gold coins), and the new Interest Payments are 1 gold coin.

A valuable item, produced under a veil of utmost secrecy, is stolen from the Workshop the night before it can be delivered to the customer. The Characters must interrogate the field of suspects to recover their masterwork. Who is responsible? The customer themselves, attempting to dodge the fee? One of their political enemies, seeking an advantage in their constant game of one-upmanship and recrimination? Or one of the Characters’ own apprentices, looking for a shortcut to the improved salary of a master craftworker?

Jan Vanterhass commissioned a very expensive item from the Characters’ Workshop, and was very pleased with the results! However, Jan has now returned to the Characters screaming that the thing is cursed! True or not, such an accusation could easily bring down the wrath of a Witch Hunter. Is Jan trying to shake down the Characters for a refund, or could it have something to do with the wizard that took lodgings above the Workshop last month?

Alternate Event 1 (55–57 on the Enterprise Event Table): Supply of a precious resource essential to your craft (e.g. coal, diamond, iron, silk, or gromril) runs dry. Your Enterprise cannot gain Income in the upcoming round of Endeavours. If you discover a new source of supply in the next adventure, any Income Endeavours following that adventure provide double the usual wealth, as you’ll be one step ahead of the competition.

For Sale: Giselmund’s Arsenal, a smithy specialising in production of handguns, long rifles, and other blackpowder weaponry, has never been quite the same since Giselmund himself was killed in the same explosion which blew up half his lab. His widow advises that the Imperial Engineers School of Altdorf has offered significant research grants to any gunsmiths bold enough to continue Giselmund’s production of experimental weaponry — so long as the School continues to reap the benefits. Giselmund’s old neighbours in Auerswald are hardly keen for his forges to restart, for fear their houses burn down once again, and enemies of the Empire keep a wary eye on this centre of emerging military technologies. Anyone resolved to craft guns at the Arsenal should be prepared to use them in the workshop’s defence.

Alternate Event 2 (58–60 on the Enterprise Event Table): A demanding customer asks for a complicated item to be produced in a short space of time. To complete the order, the Character must use all their Endeavours before the next adventure on Income Endeavours. If the order is complete, the Character receives a bonus, equivalent to an additional free Income Endeavour. If the Character is unwilling or unable to use all their Endeavours on Income (if they are an Elf, for example), the Event has no effect.

Example Expansion Table Level

Cost

Interest

New Trappings

2

10/-

1/6

Two Apprentices

3

10 GC

10/-

4

20 GC

1GC

Former Apprentices become Artisans, plus either Rented Workspace or another Source of Income. Guildhall, many Apprentices, etc.

Effects Apprentices provide +10 to Trade Tests, run deliveries for you, and mind things while you are away. Artisans provide +20 on Trade Tests, and the Enterprise gains one of the following new Sources of Income: Rented Workspace (Haggle, Silver 1), a New Workshop (Any other Trade Skill of your choice), Dedicated Storefront (Status becomes Silver 2), etc Choose another Source of Income, and your Workshop becomes a Guildhall

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CRIMINAL GANG Examples: Heist crew; protection racket; gang of pickpockets; spy ring; band of merry outlaws who rob from the rich; black market traders; revolutionary cell; secret cult; pirate crew; witch-traffickers; underground fight club; paid killers. Suggested Careers: Apothecary; Lawyer; Agitator; Merchant; Watchman; Spy; Herbalist; Coachman; Smuggler; Stevedore; Wrecker; Pit Fighter; Protagonist; the entire Rogue Class. Start-Up Costs: 10 silver shillings (minimum 0 — see Special Rules below) Interest Payments: 2 silver shillings per downtime period. Creditors: Woder Intz, street-born thug turned city-wide kingpin; Matthias Reinhardt, corrupt magistrate; The Estalian, anonymous unseen mastermind of an Empire-spanning crime syndicate; Magister Xemo, cultist of Tzeentch, eroding the rule of law within the Empire. In addition, you double the size of your turf, and choose one of your Sources of Income to increase its effective Status to Silver 2. The Expansion Cost is 1 gold coin (minimum 2 silver shillings), and the new Interest Payments are 4 silver shillings.

Sources of Income: Theft (Stealth (Any), Brass 4); trafficking of witches or other outlaws (Stealth (Any), Brass 4); extortion or debt collection (Intimidate, Brass 5); sale of contraband or fraudulent items (Charm, Brass 5); murder-for-hire (Melee (Any), Brass 5).

The second time you Expand a Criminal Gang, your surviving prospects mature into fully-fledged gang members, tough and dependable (mostly). From this point on, you enjoy a steady influx of new gang prospects to replace those who betray you, get arrested, become rival gang members, or die. The size of your turf doubles again, and choose one of your Sources of Income to increase its effective Status to Silver 4.

Trappings: A hidden loft, soundproof cellar, forest hideout, abandoned sewer, or other lair to plot in; a handful of streets, small village, or a patch of road or river considered to be your turf; scars, tattoos, sigils, or other symbols to mark the initiated. Special Rules: A life of crime beckons to those with nothing left to lose. Local ‘creditors’ exploit the desperation of new prospects, establishing even more exploitative systems of tribute. Characters do not need to contribute any of their own money towards the Start-Up Costs of starting a Criminal Gang, and can borrow all of the Start-Up Costs from a Creditor (unfortunately, the Interest Payments are proportionately much higher). In addition, any Character who invests at least 1 silver shilling in a Criminal Gang (as Start-Up Costs, Expansion Costs, Debt Repayments or Interest Payments) may choose to gain the Criminal Talent for free (WFRP page 135). A Character may only benefit from this free Talent once.

Lastly, choose one of the following upgrades for your lair: a constantly changing location, as proof against discovery or infiltration; a secure vault to store your ill-gotten gains, reducing the risk of others discovering your stash when Banking to 1 on the 1d100 (WFRP page 196); a legitimate storefront, useful for money laundering and providing its own Source of Income (Haggle, Silver 1); a well-stocked armoury and a pair of guards, who can defend the lair in your absence. The Expansion Cost is 10 gold coins (minimum 1 gold coin), and the new Interest Payments are 10 silver shillings. The third time you Expand a Criminal Gang, you buy your way into high society. Any Character can immediately purchase the Kingpin Talent for free (WFRP page 140). You gain an additional lair upgrade from the second Expansion, above, and your turf now encompasses an entire rural province or major city — no-one will dare undertake criminal activity in your turf, without treating with you first.

Expansion: The first time you Expand a Criminal Gang, you gain a dozen or so gang prospects, young toughs looking to you for leadership. Your prospects generally aren’t worth relying upon — they may even rat you out to the law or rival gangs — but you have a private language of code-phrases you can use to communicate with them secretly, and they may provide Assistance (WFRP page 155) if the circumstances are right.

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Your Gang is now so large you delegate day-to-day operations to subordinate gang bosses, and whilst those ambitious underlings are amongst your greatest threats, your network of informants keeps you apprised of their schemes. Lastly, you can collect tribute from other gangs (Intimidate, Gold 1) as a new Source of Income. The Expansion Cost is 40 gold coins (minimum 4 gold coins), and the new Interest Payments are 2 gold coins.

TURF WARS

Competition in business occasionally turns nasty. In the cities of the Empire, it is not unknown for one market trader to defame another’s wares in the hope that it benefits their own trade, or for a noble estate to partake in a private war against its neighbour.

Alternate Event 1 (55–57 on the Enterprise Event Table): Another gang encroaches onto your Gang’s territory. If you back down, no Characters can use the Enterprise for Income during this round of Endeavours, which is how long it takes for the local crime boss to put things right. If you fight back, it’s gruelling — your Character begins the next adventure with the Fatigued Condition (WFRP page 169), but gains a +20 bonus to interact with local criminals, who respect the ferocity of your defence.

However, the business of organised crime is often literally cut-throat. When determining Events for a criminal enterprise the following events do not take place: A Visit from the Auditors, I Need a Holiday, Merger Opportunity, and Offer to Buy Out. Instead, such events trigger the onset of a conflict with a rival criminal enterprise.

Alternate Event 2 (58–60 on the Enterprise Event Table): Your latest score is such a major coup, it draws heat from law enforcement. It would be best to lay low for a while. If you use the Income Endeavour before the next adventure, you gain +50% on your earnings. However, you can only use the Income Endeavour once in this round of Endeavours, and cannot use it at all in the round of Endeavours following the next adventure.

There are two ways to approach this. The first is to use the details of Alternative Event 1 to resolve the issue without impacting too greatly on subsequent adventures. However, if the GM has the time and is willing to do so, they could detail the disposition and character of the rival gang and introduce the turf war as a major theme of subsequent adventures.

Adventure Hooks: The political appointment of a new magistrate is due to be decided by a council of electors. The frontrunner candidate, Goderburt Feldt, has promised to crack down hard on crime, and could make your life extremely difficult. Dig up, or fabricate, evidence you can use to blackmail him into seeing your point of view. Alternatively, rig the election so a more malleable candidate inherits the position instead.

The GM should also give consideration to the fact that many large cities already play host to established criminal organisations, and that they are unlikely to take kindly to the Characters setting up their own operation in territories they control.

A crime boss, one step up in the pecking order from yourselves, passes away in suspicious circumstances. The resulting power vacuum is an opportunity to inherit their holdings — or for your rivals to gain strength they will use to destroy you. Seize power in a night of explosive conspiracy, where new alliances might be struck and broken in a matter of minutes. If you can prove yourself the rightful, worthy successor to the departed crime boss, so much the better.

In Altdorf racketeering and smuggling are carried out by the Hooks and the Fish, in Middenheim the Low Kings already vie with one another for control of the proceeds of crime throughout the poorer parts of the city, in Marienburg the League of Gentlemen Entrepreneurs monopolise organised crime, in Salzenmund the movement of contraband is controlled by agents of the Smuggler Queen. Those who seek to compete with such criminal masterminds run a constant risk of discovery and extermination. Criminals setting up their own business in these areas must either take extreme care to do so surreptitiously, come to some arrangement with established gangs (which usually involves handing over large portions of their profits), or find themselves at the receiving end of a vicious turf war against an enemy with significant resources, and which is willing to sink to the most vicious of tactics in order to win victory.

For Sale: The southern roads out of Kemperbad were renowned for decades as a haunt of brigands and outlaws, until the bribes of the local merchants convinced the town’s council to enact a purge of the surrounding woodlands. Now the traders reckon the route to be safe, and travel aboard stagecoaches loaded with ever more plunder. The last vagabond of Kemperbad has recently surfaced in town, offering to sell a map to his gang’s old hideout, which could serve as a headquarters for raids against the complacent merchant princes. The most amoral traders may even sponsor such attacks themselves, to destroy the fortunes of their business competitors.

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Finally, choose a Blessing from your cult’s Divine Lore — any Characters may enact that Blessing within the borders of the Temple, unless they have the Blessings or Miracles of a different god. The Expansion Cost is 10 gold coins (minimum 1 gold coin), and the new Interest Payments are 10 silver shillings.

HOLY TEMPLE Examples: Local shrine; monastery or nunnery; cemetery; ritual stone circle; sacred pool; consecrated forge; religious school; religious hospital; religious orphanage.

The third time you Expand a Holy Temple, it becomes a place of pilgrimage for devotees across the Empire and beyond. For smaller faiths, it may even become the cult’s new Seat of Power — either way, you now have a voice in the cult’s senior leadership and its doctrines. Your place of worship increases to the size of a cathedral, with all the architectural marvels that implies, and the donations of the faithful providing an effective Status of Gold 2. A small army of zealous believers pass through the Temple each day, and can be counted on to defend the Temple from attack in your absence. Finally, choose a Miracle of your god — any Characters may invoke that Miracle within the borders of the Temple, unless they have the Blessings or Miralces of a different god. The Expansion Cost is 40 gold coins (minimum 4 gold coins), and the new Interest Payments are 2 gold coins.

Suggested Careers: Nun; Physician; Priest; Scholar; Hedge Witch; Herbalist; Mystic; Flagellant; Witch Hunter; Riverwoman; Charlatan; Guard; Warrior Priest. Start-Up Costs: 10 silver shillings (minimum 1 silver shilling) Interest Payments: 6 brass pennies per downtime period. Creditors: Gerde Diefenbach, craftswoman charged with upkeep of religious buildings; Zachaeus Kantor, Imperial tithe collector; Rolanda Essen, lector of your cult; Sir Rufus Adhemar, warrior templar and determined crusader. Sources of Income: Donations of the faithful (Charm, Brass 3); ceremonial duties, such as officiating weddings or funerals (Lore (Theology), Silver 1); academic services, such as translations of holy texts (Language (Any) or Lore (Any), Silver 1). Trappings: Modest-sized place of worship; large religious symbol; wardrobe of religious vestments; holy texts. Special Rules: Temples act as focal points for their patron deity’s divine favour. Choose a god to consecrate the Holy Temple to when you first acquire it. Characters entreating that deity within the Temple’s grounds gain a +20 bonus on any Pray Tests, and may treat Pray as a Basic Skill. In addition, all Characters who invest in the Holy Temple can use the Holy Visions Talent (WFRP page 138) whilst within the Temple’s grounds. Expansion: The first time you Expand a Holy Temple, it becomes a fully-fledged place of worship, attracting a larger flock. Donations of the faithful now have an effective Status of Silver 1. Your cult awards the Temple a Religious Relic, which you are sworn to protect with your lives. The Expansion Cost is 20 silver shillings (minimum 2 silver shillings), and the new Interest Payments are 1 silver shilling. The second time you Expand a Holy Temple, it becomes the provincial centre of your cult, and increases in size and importance accordingly. A handful of subordinate priests now attend the Temple in your absence, and donations have an effective Status of Silver 3. You may choose for your Temple to gain one of the following: a library of religious texts; a workshop (choose the Trade it services); fortifications to defend the Temple from attack.

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Worshippers of a rival cult are intent on defiling your Temple. The omens of your deity are dark indeed, and harbingers of the opposing creed have been sighted on the borders of the parish. You have a week to prepare for their assault, enough time, you hope, to fortify the site, pray for guidance, entreat your flock to take up arms, and discover what unholy ritual the heretics intend for the day of bloodshed.

Alternate Event 1 (55–57 on the Enterprise Event Table): One of your flock (an NPC chosen by the GM) violates a stricture of your god within the Temple grounds. You may choose: invite your god to smite the NPC, inflicting a harsh or possibly fatal punishment; or accept the trespass as your own failing, and gain 1 Sin point. If you choose the latter, you gain a +20 bonus on all social Tests targeting the grateful lay-person for the duration of the next adventure.

For Sale: The Shrine of the Blue Stag in Bloodpine Woods was officially lost to Spiderclaw Forest Goblins this past season, but for years beforehand it had been neglected and slowly consumed by the wilds. Now the hierarch of Taal is keen to correct this oversight. He’s willing to finance the expedition to recover the nature god’s sanctuary, but expects to be repaid in donations and other offerings he can use to expand the cult’s influence abroad. It will take blood, sweat, and tears to clear Bloodpine Woods of Greenskins, a necessary undertaking if pilgrims are to feel safe revisiting the site. But if Taal’s faithful show appropriate deference to the wilderness around them, many birds and beasts may assist their campaign against the befouling Forest Goblins.

Alternate Event 2 (58–60 on the Enterprise Event Table): You devote yourself to supplication before your god, and are rewarded for your show of piety. For the duration of the next adventure, you count the Pray Skill as a Basic Skill (WFRP page 117), and gain the Bless Talent (WFRP page 134), with a Divine Lore matching the god venerated by the Temple. If you already have the Bless Talent for the corresponding Divine Lore, you instead gain access to a Miracle of your god, for the duration of the next adventure. If you already have the Bless Talent for a different Divine Lore, you gain no benefit from this Event. Adventure Hooks: One of your flock appears to manifest a great miracle on the Temple site. Awestruck onlookers believe they may have what it takes to become a venerated soul, and the news has reached the head of your cult. Your instructions are to interrogate the alleged miracle worker and investigate their activities, to discover if they are genuine, or a fraud channelling the Ruinous Powers. Religious investigators from cult headquarters are en route to verify your findings.

RELIGIOUS ALTERNATIVES As it explains in the special rules, characters investing in a holy temple may benefit from the Holy Visions Talent whilst they are on the temple grounds. In addition, followers of the gods from the major Old World pantheon may benefit from other Talents whilst on the grounds of the temple they have invested in. 0 Manann: Master and Commander (see Sea of Claws page 63) 0 Morr: Fearless (Undead) 0 Myrmidia: War Leader 0 Ranald: Cardsharp 0 Rhya: Animal Affinity (regarding domestic aminals only) 0 Shallya: Surgery 0 Sigmar: Iron Will 0 Taal: Animal Affinity (regarding wild animals only) 0 Ulric: Furious Assault 0 Verena: Tower of Memories If the character has the Talent already, they count as having an additional level of the Talent (if appropriate) when in the temple.

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You gain the collection of membership dues as an additional Source of Income (Leadership, Silver 5), and a pair of Destriers with Saddle, Tack, and Barding as additional Trappings. The Expansion Cost is 10 gold coins (minimum 1 gold coin), and the new Interest Payments are 10 silver shillings.

KNIGHTLY ORDER Examples: Fortified shrine; border watchtower; hospital; bank and treasure vault; noble fraternity or sorority; crumbling keep.

The second time you Expand a Knightly Order, half a dozen NPC knights join the Order, along with their retainers and Trappings. At least one knight now protects the chapterhouse at all times, and can be depended upon to provide Assistance (WFRP page 155). Choose one of your Sources of Income to increase its effective Status to Gold 2. Finally, choose one of the following upgrades for your chapterhouse: a Library; a Workshop (choose a relevant Trade); improved defences (e.g. a rampart or gatehouse); a platoon of men-at-arms to guard it. The Expansion Cost is 30 gold coins (minimum 3 gold coins), and the new Interest Payments are increased to 1 gold coin and 10 silver shillings.

Suggested Careers: Lawyer; Physician; Priest; Merchant; Advisor; Duellist; Envoy; Noble; Warden; Road Warden; Witch Hunter; River Warden; Cavalryman; Guard; Knight; Soldier; Warrior Priest. Start-Up Costs: 5 gold coins (minimum 10 silver shillings) Interest Payments: 5 silver shillings per downtime period. Creditors: Kirste, Custode del Portale, head of the cult of Morr; Jarl De Vend, disgraced knight of the Reiksguard; Baroness Ludgera, a distant cousin of the Emperor Karl-Franz; Francesco of Miragliano, heavy cavalry mercenary commander.

The third time you Expand a Knightly Order, another dozen knights commit their estates to the Order. One of these knights contributes a magic item to the Order’s treasure vaults — a weapon, talisman, standard, or suit of armour. The first knights to join the Order, if they are still alive, gain the title Knights of the Inner Circle. Furthermore, choose one of your Sources of Income to increase its effective Status to Gold 4. Finally, your chapterhouse is upgraded with a perimeter layer of defence — a fortified wall, secondary keep, or moat. The Expansion Cost is 40 gold coins (minimum 4 gold coins), and the new Interest Payments are 2 gold coins.

Sources of Income: Financial services, including managing the estates of campaigning knights (Evaluate, Silver 5); charitable donations from the Imperial State Army, religious leaders, or political figures (Charm, Silver 4); plunder won on campaign (Melee, Silver 4). Trappings: Chapterhouse with assembly hall, chapel, armoury, fortified entrance, and stable for horses; founding charter, detailing expected code of conduct; battle standard of the Order; treasure vault (empty but for a few ancestral weapons and exotic curios).

Alternate Event 1 (55–57 on the Enterprise Event Table): One of the Order’s knights is called to crusade beyond the borders of the Empire, and vacates the chapterhouse. They may never return, but if the Character keeps track of their foreign exploits, they may be able to leverage the knight’s adventures to promote the Order. If no NPCs have joined the Order, this Event has no effect.

Special Rules: Knightly Orders of the Empire are renowned as the chivalric elite of humanity, and any who wear their heraldry are used to commanding respect. Any Character who has invested at least 1 gold coin into a Knightly Order (as Start Up Costs, Expansion Costs, Debt Repayments, or Interest Payments) gains +20 to all Leadership Tests targeting loyal citizens of the Empire.

Alternate Event 2 (58–60 on the Enterprise Event Table): The Order is invited to partake in a jousting tournament, hosted by another Imperial Knightly Order, or their rivals in Bretonnia. The tournament is a splendid opportunity to earn valour and renown, not to mention prizes. Until the end of the next adventure, the tournament provides an additional Source of Income (Melee (Cavalry), Gold 2).

In addition, choose whether your Knightly Order is a secular order or a templar order (if the latter, choose a god they worship). Any character who has invested at least 1 gold coin into a secular order adds the Warrior Born Talent to their Career’s list of available Talents. Any character who has invested at least 1 gold coin into a templar order adds the Holy Visions Talent to their Career’s list of available Talents.

Adventure Hooks: Brother Helmn, Knight of the White Wolf, is alleged to have slandered the good name of your Order. The honour of your chapter demands this insult cannot go unanswered, but the warrior templars of Ulric are renowned as formidable soldiers, and many disputes between Knightly Orders have been known to escalate into full-blown conflict when martial pride is on the line.

Expansion: The first time you Expand a Knightly Order, three NPC knights join the Order, and bring their retainers and Trappings with them. Your knights seldom meet in person, typically tending their estates and fighting their own campaigns, but they may muster at the chapterhouse on special occasions (feasts, grand campaigns, defence of the Order).

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How will you respond to this challenge — assuming the allegations are even true, and not manufactured by enemies plotting your downfall? Count von Schtaff battles to preserve his dominion from the assault of a necromancer and her undead hordes. Though he has petitioned your Order for aid, the decision to ride to war belongs to the Order’s grand master alone. Many grand masters choose to battle only if they are granted full command of the army they ride alongside, a solemn duty not undertaken lightly. Will you refuse the count, fight under his banner, or negotiate with him for the position of general, or some other favour? For Sale: The tower of Ironcast was abandoned centuries ago, a border fort that served no purpose when the provincial borders were redrawn several leagues north of its hilltop. Now, Sir Baluin of Bretonnia has generously offered to pay for its refurbishment, if a brotherhood of worthy warriors will take up its post. Baluin is architect of a nascent Bretonnian-Imperial alliance he intends to lead on crusade to the southern continent. He will expect the new Knightly Order to eventually join that war effort, or at least help to finance the expedition.

ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS FOR SPECIFIC ORDERS

Those who have connections with an existing knightly order, and who set up an enterprise that seeks to establish a new chapter of that order, may experience certain benefits and limitations. On one hand they could benefit from the backing of several influential and wealthy creditors in the form of celebrated knights of the order, but they would also need to extol the virtues and behaviour expected of a knight of the order and may also be expected to support the order on the next occasion that it takes part in a military effort. As it explains in the special rules, characters investing in a secular order may benefit from access to the Warrior Born Talent, whilst those who invest in a templar order may benefit from the Holy Visions Talent. Existing orders may instead facilitate access to other Talents. Three examples are given here: ORDER OF THE BLAZING SUN Benefits: Close ties to the Cult of Myrmidia Limitations: Knights are expected to be learned and follow the strictures of the cult of Myrmidia Talent: War Leader ORDER OF THE KNIGHTS GRIFFON Benefits: Close ties to the Cult of Sigmar Limitations: Knights are expected to be learned and follow the strictures of the cult of Myrmidia Talent: Animal Affinity (Demigryphs and Horses only) ORDER OF THE WHITE WOLVES Benefits: Close ties to the Cult of Ulric Limitations: Knights may be seconded to serve as guards to the High Temple in Middenheim, to follow the strictures of the cult of Ulric Talent: Furious Assault

L E G I T I M AT E B U S I N E S S E N T E R P R I S E S

TAVERN

The second time you Expand a Tavern, you may choose one of your Sources of Income to increase its effective Status to Silver 3. In addition, you invest in barricades, secure locks, and other defences that can be used to fortify the establishment. In times of crisis, you can secure yourself inside the Tavern with a decent supply of consumables, and wait for everything to blow over. Lastly, you gain a Blunderbuss, stashed above or behind the bar. The Expansion Cost is 10 gold coins (minimum 1 gold coin), and the new Interest Payments are 10 silver shillings.

Examples: Village pub; roadside inn; town hostel; restaurant; embassy; gentlemen’s club; professional hosting service; house of ill-repute. Suggested Careers: Agitator; Merchant; Townsman; Envoy; Spy; Villager; Riverwoman; Bawd; Racketeer; Guard. Start-Up Costs: 10 silver shillings (minimum 1 silver shilling)

The third time you Expand a Tavern, it becomes the social centre of your community, frequented by local celebrities and travelling entertainers. Your bar staff now double as effective informants, keeping you well apprised of current affairs. Event accommodation becomes a new Source of Income (Haggle, Silver 4). Finally, your stable now houses a Coach, with a driver on hand to transport yourself or very important guests. The Expansion Cost is 20 gold coins (minimum 2 gold coin), and the new Interest Payments are 1 gold coin.

Interest Payments: 6 brass pennies per downtime period. Creditors: Irmalinda Bek, stern village matriarch; Randall Wurterkunst, exploitative franchise landlord; Marcus Fairburne, route master for Castle Rock Coaches; Roving Hartung, free company captain. Sources of Income: Serving food and drink (Trade (Cook), Brass 4); servicing rental accommodation (Endurance, Brass 4); buying and selling local gossip and secrets (Gossip, Brass 4).

Alternate Event 1 (55–57 on the Enterprise Event Table): Your regular supplier of ale raises their prices, and you are forced to water down drinks to maintain your profit margin. Your grumbling patrons tolerate the change until the end of the next adventure. If you haven’t found a more affordable supplier by the end of that adventure, the effective Status of serving food and drink at the Tavern decreases.

Trappings: A reliable supply of food and cheap ale; bar and stools; tables and chairs; kitchen and cellar; boarding rooms with beds, dressers, and other basic amenities. Special Rules: Whilst drinking your own source of income is not the most commercially prudent choice, most pub landlords become well acquainted with their own supply. Any Character who considers themself a regular at a local Tavern may add the Consume Alcohol Skill to those available for their Career. In addition, any Character who begins an adventure at a Tavern may choose to begin the adventure Stinking Drunk. Roll 1d10 and consult WFRP page 121 for the effects. Characters who begin the adventure Stinking Drunk gain a free point of Fortune, which can even take them above their starting maximum, though their Fortune resets to its usual maximum at the start of the next session.

Alternate Event 2 (58–60 on the Enterprise Event Table): A local festival or other celebration sees an increase in demand for both out-of-town accommodation and alcohol. Characters using the Tavern for the Income Endeavour increase their earnings by +50% until the start of the next adventure. If no Characters use the Income Endeavour, another establishment picks up the custom instead. The GM should provide details of this competing establishment, and introduce them as a rival in future adventures.

Expansion: The first time you Expand a Tavern, you recruit a pair of bar staff, and a bouncer to keep an eye on rowdy patrons. You may optionally choose to upgrade the quality of your Trappings, increasing the effective Status of one Source of Income (your choice) to Silver 1, but pricing out most of your existing customers in favour of newer ones with more disposable income. Finally, the Tavern gains a small stable to house customers’ coaches and horses, and an ostler to take care of them. You gain your own Riding Horse and Saddle to store here too. The Expansion Cost is 5 gold coins (minimum 10 silver shillings), and the new Interest Payments are increased to 5 silver shillings.

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to hire so many soldiers, and pay off the Tavern’s customers, choose to stay in a venue like this? And how will you avoid being caught in the crossfire between her and her pursuer?

Adventure Hooks: A local sub-culture of patrons (watchmen, sailors, Elves, or another of the GM’s choice) adopt the Tavern as their venue of choice. The clique provides good enough custom, but they alienate your regulars with their insularity, and provoke the animosity of a rival sub-culture already patronising the Tavern (gang members, dockworkers, Dwarfs, etc). If the situation is not resolved soon, it could escalate into a full brawl, and cause serious property damage. Find a way to settle the matter without someone setting fire to the Tavern!

For Sale: The Cups Inn, just outside the Marketplatz of Helmgart, was once quite popular with Bretonnian merchants at the end of their journey through Axe Bite Pass. Unfortunately, its resident con artists and their ‘true stories’ regarding the location of the Holy Grail incurred the vengeful wrath of Bretonnian Questing Knights three years ago, who burned the tavern to the ground. It’s difficult to say if restoring the accommodation for beleaguered merchants will be gratefully received by the Empire’s western neighbour, or if it will provoke them to violence once again. Brandt Kolter, and his fellow partners in finance, are willing to take on a share of risk, if the Characters are prepared to do the same.

A wealthy stranger arrives at the Tavern with a full retinue of soldiers. She buys out every room for the night, bribing all existing patrons to make themselves scarce, and posting sentries on every entrance and exit. Though the stranger tips well, it is clear she is bracing for trouble, and you are hardly surprised when a mysterious force begins picking off her guards one-byone. Who is this stranger? Why would someone with the wealth

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You may choose to move into the room above or behind your shop as a new convenient residence — it contains all the Trappings you would expect of a modest home. Alternately, you may rent the room out as an alternate Source of Income (Haggle, Silver 1). The Expansion Cost is 5 gold coins (minimum 10 silver shillings), and the new Interest Payments are 5 silver shillings.

MARKET PARLOUR Examples: General goods store; butcher; bakery; chandler (candle shop); cobbler (shoe shop); tailor; cattle market; potter; barber-surgery (grooming and dentistry); engraver; winery; cooper (cask and barrel shop); trade tools shop for fishing, mining, art supplies; apothecary.

The second time you Expand a Market Parlour, you expand the size of your store and its back rooms. Choose one of the following to upgrade your store: a Workshop, where you can manufacture items and sell them directly (choose a relevant Trade); a Draught Horse and Wagon, and space to stable them, for special deliveries; a large Warehouse, for purchasing items in bulk, and a guard to defend it from thieves. You also employ another handful of shopkeepers, with a working rota that permits you to take as much time off as you like. Finally, choose a Source of Income, and increase its effective Status to Silver 3. The Expansion Cost is 10 gold coins (minimum 1 gold coin), and the new Interest Payments are 10 silver shillings.

Suggested Careers: Apothecary; Physician; Artisan; Merchant; Townsman; Hedge Witch; Herbalist; Hunter; Mystic; Villager; Pedlar; Riverwoman; Bawd; Fence. Start-Up Costs: 10 silver shillings (minimum 1 silver shilling) Interest Payments: 6 brass pennies per downtime period. Creditors: Johann Neuberg, exploitative franchise owner; Sinner Sigritte, crime boss desiring a legitimate front for illegitimate dealings; Burgomeister Raina Brandtdfurt, mistress of the marketplatz; Sassa Beutelg, desperate investor.

The third time you Expand a Market Parlour, it transforms into the centre of its own marketplace. You invite other retailers to set up stalls within your sale space, in return for a cut of their profits, which provides its own Source of Income (Haggle, Silver 5). Your shopkeepers now double as effective informants, keeping you apprised of what other retailers are up to, and potential business opportunities. You gain an additional store upgrade from the second Expansion, above. Finally, because your Enterprise is now a target for rioters and looters, you employ a dedicated team of security guards, and invest in barricades and other defences you can use to reinforce the Parlour if necessary. The Expansion Cost is 20 gold coins (minimum 2 gold coin), and the new Interest Payments are 1 gold coin.

Sources of Income: Sale of general goods (Haggle, Brass 5); sale of specialist goods, ordered from a contact out of town or made-to-order (Haggle, Brass 5). Trappings: Covered stall with canvas tarpaulin, mobile and collapsible on non-market days; a steady supply of saleable goods; abacus and secure moneybox; guild licence (if applicable). Special Rules: Market traders are well-versed in the fine art of bartering, not just with customers, but with each other. Exchanges of trade goods, credit, and promises of future assistance are as common to shopkeepers as conventional payment in coin. Characters who spend an Endeavour gaining Income from sale of general goods gain +20 to Haggle Tests until the end of the next adventure. GMs may alternately allow Characters to automatically succeed on Haggle Tests in the next adventure by offering a Favour instead (WFRP page 198), usually repaid by spending Endeavours in the next period of downtime. In addition, Characters who spend an Endeavour gaining Income from sale of specialist goods can often arrange for their own special deliveries at the same time, gaining +20 to Availability Tests (WFRP page 290) until the end of the next adventure. Expansion: The first time you Expand a Market Parlour, you employ a couple of shopkeepers to help you operate the business. You also exchange your collapsible stall for a permanent shopfront. Your new accommodation is open for business on any day you choose, not just on market day, allowing you to choose one Source of Income and increase its effective Status to Silver 1.

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Discover the truth, adjust your supply chain as necessary, and make sure all troublemakers are either paid off or otherwise convinced it is in their interest to stay silent.

Alternate Event 1 (55–57 on the Enterprise Event Table): The local council closes market day for the month, to mark a tragedy, religious holiday, or other special event. No Character may use a Market Parlour to earn Income until the start of the next adventure. In the period of downtime following the next adventure, all Income from Market Parlour is increased by 50% to represent the built-up demand from your customers.

A gang of shoplifters targets not just your store, but the parlours of other shopkeepers. The watch, as always, is too corrupt or incompetent to stop them. Form a posse of disgruntled shop owners, track down the perpetrators, and enact some vigilante justice — ideally before the stolen goods are fenced out-oftown.

Alternate Event 2 (58–60 on the Enterprise Event Table): Your business interests and the needs of your stakeholders conveniently align, allowing you to pay off an outstanding debt with spare goods and no additional inconvenience. Choose a Favour owed by you or the Enterprise (WFRP page 198), and downgrade it one level — a Significant Favour becomes a Major Favour, a Major Favour becomes a Minor Favour, or a Minor Favour is repaid entirely.

For Sale: After a lifetime crafting and selling ingenious toys, Harald Tinkerfinger is ready to close down the House of Clockwork Delights, and return to his family in the World’s Edge Mountains. To avoid traumatising the children of Altdorf, who have come to cherish his designs, he is willing to sell his remaining inventory to another entrepreneur, and even provide a little start-up capital to keep the shop open. The toy inventor’s remaining clansmen, however, expect this money to be repaid on schedule. If they are disappointed, the Characters may be surprised to learn just how seriously some people take the business of fun.

Adventure Hooks: One of your customers accuses you of selling stolen goods. Depending on how well you know your supplier, the accusations may be true, or the customer may just be looking for a bribe. Either way, the watch is taking an interest, and your regular customers are nervous of being implicated in handling stolen goods themselves.

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The Estate incorporates the labour of two hundred peasants, and any three of the following Trappings: a Library; a Workshop (choose a relevant Trade); an extravagant wardrobe, with a personal tailor at your beck and call; a stable of half a dozen Riding Horses, with Saddles and Harnesses; a garage with a pair of Coaches, Horses to pull them, and valets to drive them; a boathouse with pleasure yacht; a barracks and regiment of men-at-arms, with a captain to lead them. You are now entitled to raise tax revenue from the surrounding districts, which provides its own Source of Income (Leadership, Gold 3). You are also expected to provide soldiers, when required, to support your elector count’s military campaigns. The Expansion Cost is 30 gold coins (minimum 3 gold coins), and the new Interest Payments are 1 gold coin and 10 silver shillings.

NOBLE ESTATE Examples: Manor house; public gardens; aristocrat’s country home; hunting lodge; vineyard; farming serfdom; ancestral castle; wizard’s tower. Characters only run a small part of the Estate, until the Enterprise Expands. Suggested Careers: Wizard; Merchant; Rat Catcher; Bailiff; Hunter; Villager; Coachman; Charlatan; Guard; Knight; the entire Courtier Class. Start-Up Costs: 10 silver shillings (minimum 1 silver shilling) Interest Payments: 6 brass pennies per downtime period.

The third time you Expand a Noble Estate, you extend your dominion beyond its inheritance, perhaps by subsuming the territories of less fortunate lords. Choose two additional Trappings from the second Expansion, above, or suggest a new unfeasibly extravagant Trapping to your GM instead (e.g. a monster zoo). The effective Status of raising tax revenue is increased to Gold 5. You are now a major political figure in your grand province, and are expected to involve yourself in high society events accordingly. The Expansion Cost is 50 gold coins (minimum 5 gold coins), and the new Interest Payments are 2 gold coins and 10 silver shillings.

Creditors: Alastar the Younger, High Elf of Chrace; Baroness Amalia, mistress of the Reikland Botanical Gardens; Governor Kurtz, regent-lord of Penzkirchen; Duchess Salica, Tilean lady in exile. Sources of Income: Domestic labour (Endurance, Brass 4); field labour (Endurance, Brass 3). Trappings: A single farm, garden, lodge, guesthouse, wing of a mansion, or other small part of the Estate, along with all Trade tools relevant to your position.

Alternate Event 1 (55–57 on the Enterprise Event Table): The Estate’s poorest workers fall upon hard times, and beg for charity that will help them to survive the upcoming season. You may choose to rescue them by paying an amount equal to your current Interest Payments. If you donate, your show of mercy defies the expectations of your social class. You may choose to ignore any penalties on Skill Tests due to your Status until the end of the next adventure.

Special Rules: Characters raised on a Noble Estate are acutely aware of their position in the social pecking order. The divides between farming serfs, supervising agents, and feudal masters are stark and unyielding. Any Character who has invested at least 6 brass pennies into a Noble Estate (as Start-Up Costs, Expansion Costs, Debt Repayments or Interest Payments) doubles the bonuses and penalties of Status on any Skill Tests they undertake (WFRP pages 50–51).

Alternate Event 2 (58–60 on the Enterprise Event Table): Your master is travelling abroad, and places additional responsibility on your shoulders. Excel, and you shall be richly rewarded. Until the start of the next adventure, you may use a Source of Income from the next higher level of Expansion. If you have already Expanded the Estate three times, this Event has no additional effect.

Expansion: The first time you Expand a Noble Estate, you are trusted with oversight of neighbouring sections of the Estate, as well as your own. These administrative duties, such as tax collection, inventory registration, and informing, provide their own Source of Income (Perception, Silver 2). Your neighbours are expected to provide you Assistance (WFRP page 155) when you ask for it, though their help may be begrudging. Finally, you gain access to a Riding Horse with Saddle and Harness, from the Estate’s stable. The Expansion Cost is 5 gold coins (minimum 10 silver shillings), and the new Interest Payments are 5 silver shillings.

Adventure Hooks: For generations, your Estate has been in competition with the neighbouring Upton Manor, the vendetta between lords as hostile as the rivalry between menials. Now, the Estate is hosting the Baron and Baroness von Kalegan for an annual festivity, along with other landed aristocrats. Every part of the Estate must be decorated and elevated to an impeccable standard, the better to rub it in the noses of those tasteless von Kalegan snobs. Unfortunately, it is expected the nobles will hire saboteurs, specifically to embarrass the Estate in front of their high society contacts.

The second time you Expand a Noble Estate, you take over the whole Estate, as its feudal master or regent lord.

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Chilling news of walking dead assaulting vulnerable manor houses has spooked the Estate into erecting fortifications, and bracing for a siege. The defenceless have been sent away, but the remaining militia are poorly trained, and barely prepared to withstand necromantic attack. Drill the militia as best you can, and devise a plan to triumph over the oncoming zombie horde.

For Sale: The grounds of Mankroft House have been overtaken by nature since the passing of Lady Mankroft just last year. Thanks to an unexpected inheritance, and the generous loans of her trustee Gisbert Franc, you have received a small part of the Estate to manage. The local villagers seem reluctant to help, disturbed by stories of unquiet spirits haunting the House, the late Lady Mankroft amongst them. The Characters must labour hard, both to turn a profit on the Estate, and avoid joining its chorus of ghostly inhabitants.

THE REALITY OF NOBLE ESTATES As written, these rules suggest that just about anyone could jump into establishing a noble estate with a small investment. We have included noble estates as part of the legitimate business enterprises chapter because for Characters of the right persuasion and background they could feasibly work in such a way. However, most aristocrats in the Old World would find it distasteful to be thought of as mired in the world of business, instead placing high import in the notion that their lineage grants them the right to rule. There are Barons and Grafs in the Empire who have bought their lands and titles, but such practices are seen as regrettable necessities at best, and at worst a dangerous precedent that undermines what it is to be truly noble. In provinces of the Old World where land is held securely, and a respect for aristocratic tradition is strong, there is no chance for an adventurer to be granted the opportunity to set up an estate of their own. A Character either must have the Noble Blood Talent, or to have won the appreciation of very important people and have been granted tenure of an estate in recognition of such services. For example, the Barony of Böhrn (WFRP page 278) shows how, in places like the Reikland, every village and tract of forest falls under the governance of several noble families, paying vassalage to an overlord. In this instance Baroness Agetta has granted non-hereditary tenure to Warden Fabian, Warden Luethold, and Castellan Fronika. In the case of the death or disgrace of such individuals she may be inclined to pass the running of their estates to another likely candidate, though she may as easily decide her own household can manage them. To the north and east of the Empire there are stretches of marcher territory, where those with the will and means to carve out an estate find fewer obstacles in their way, though the legalities of how to become a recognised landholder in the Empire vary from place to place and are written with an eye to supporting the aristocracy. Further afield the issue becomes even less certain, in Bretonnia for example no commoner claiming ownership of land would be tolerated, whilst in the Border Princes it is said that anyone with the means and will to do so can carve out their own fief.

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Choose one of your Sources of Income to increase its effective Status to Silver 3. Finally, you adapt your Wagon so it can fold out into its own improvised Stage. The Expansion Cost is 5 gold coins (minimum 10 silver shillings), and the new Interest Payments are 5 silver shillings.

PERFORMANCE TROUPE Examples: Circus; dance act; band of bards; travelling fair; professional orchestra; comedy act; marionette show; theatre company; gladiatorial combat.

The second time you Expand a Performance Troupe, you gain a permanent entertainment venue of your own, such as a theatre, concert hall, or fighting arena. When you aren’t using the venue, you can rent the space out to other performers, which provides its own Source of Income (Haggle, Silver 3). Backstage, the venue has a much greater selection of costumes, props, instruments, and scripts, mostly in decent condition. Finally, each performer in the Troupe now has their own dedicated understudy. The Expansion Cost is 20 gold coins (minimum 2 gold coins), and the new Interest Payments are 1 gold coin.

Suggested Careers: Engineer; Lawyer; Scholar; Agitator; Beggar; Artist; Spy; Mystic; Entertainer; Bawd; Charlatan; Thief; Witch; Pit Fighter. Start-Up Costs: 10 silver shillings (minimum 1 silver shilling) Interest Payments: 6 brass pennies per downtime period. Creditors: Dunstan Färberg, ‘generous’ patron of the arts; Grulessa, Asrai, wardancer of Loec; Asphodel Bridgefoot, retired Halfling ringmaster; Wolfgang Berger, wealthy writer and propagandist.

The third time you Expand a Performance Troupe, your venue expands to become a popular hangout for the community’s social elites and travelling VIPs. Choose one upgrade for your venue: a spectacular stage, with state-of-the-art special effects made possible by engineering marvels or magic; an expanded backstage, with a huge selection of costumes, props, instruments, and scripts, mostly in superb condition; a Workshop for producing your own props (choose a relevant Trade); a stable of three Trained animals. Lastly, you are occasionally courted by celebrities of your art form, who wish to perform with your Troupe. This provides its own Source of Income (Entertain (Any) or Perform (Any) or Play (Any), Gold 2), but can only be chosen in alternating phases of Endeavours — if you derive Income from this Source after an adventure, you cannot use it in the round of Endeavours following the next adventure. The Expansion Cost is 30 gold coins (minimum 3 gold coins), and the new Interest Payments are 1 gold coin and 10 silver shillings.

Sources of Income: Donations following public performances (Entertain (Any) or Perform (Any) or Play (Any), Brass 4); bookings for private events (Entertain (Any) or Perform (Any) or Play (Any), Silver 1); sale of merchandise (Haggle, Brass 5). Trappings: A Draught Horse and Wagon; an eclectic mix of costumes, props, instruments, and scripts, mostly in poor condition. Special Rules: The members of a Performance Troupe perfect their skills through repetition of a shared routine — though mixing it up every now and again is recommended, to prevent their material growing stale. Any Character who has invested at least 6 brass pennies into a Performance Troupe (as StartUp Costs, Expansion Costs, Debt Repayments, or Interest Payments) can choose to either treat all Perform and Play Skills as Basic Skills (WFRP page 117), or select a single Entertain, Perform, or Play Skill Specialisation and add it to the Skills available for their Career. In addition, any Character working for a Performance Troupe may spend an Endeavour to produce new material for their Troupe. The next three Income Endeavours undertaken using the Performance Troupe and the new routine increase earnings by +50%. Expansion: The first time you Expand a Performance Troupe, you are joined by five additional performers, who can usually be relied upon to provide Assistance (WFRP page 155). The growth of your Troupe allows you to stage larger productions, perform in two locations at once, or call up an understudy if a performer is ill, drunk, or murdered.

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Alternate Event 1 (55–57 on the Enterprise Event Table): In response to a personal tragedy, a local lord outlaws dance and other frivolities, until their mood improves. If any Characters choose to Earn or gain Income with the Performance Troupe, they are flouting the ban or performing in secret venues. This may result in unpleasant ramifications during the next adventure. Alternate Event 2 (58–60 on the Enterprise Event Table): A wealthy individual reveals themself a fan of the Troupe’s work, though their patronage is not without complications. Roll 1d10 after all future rolls on the Enterprise Event Table. On an 8–10, the Troupe gains double the wealth from Sources of Income until the end of the next adventure, but the patron demands the Troupe make adjustments to their material, undertake a private performance, or provide some other favour. On a 1–2, the Troupe loses the fleeting attention of their benefactor, and this Event has no further effect. Adventure Hooks: An Imperial Noble hires the Troupe to perform for an aristocratic rival, inserting his own modifications into the Troupe’s routine. The new material is intended to provoke a reaction from the rival Noble, alluding to a crime they are alleged to have committed. Unfortunately, this subtext can be easily misinterpreted. When these cultured patrons escalate to cold-blooded murder, the Troupe must tread carefully in order to avoid being killed in the crossfire, and retain their professional reputation.

An NPC member of the Troupe suffers an unplanned death mid-performance, to the shock and horror of the audience. The plot thickens when the Characters discover their death was a result of deliberate sabotage — weakening of stage supports, fake locks replaced with real ones, or a prop weapon exchanged for a murder weapon. How did the killer gain access to the Troupe’s backstage? Is one of their fellow performers responsible? The Characters must discover the truth, before they are framed for the crime themselves. For Sale: The touring show Wenger’s Warrior Entertainment was a revered spectacle of strongmen, wrestlers, and stage combat performers… at least until all their best performers were conscripted for the grand prince of Reikland’s free companies. Now Wenger is ready to get out of the game, but his show still has brand name recognition, and he is willing to loan it out in return for a cut of the profits. Few people sign up to be beaten by outrageously-dressed bodybuilders for the entertainment of a bloodthirsty crowd, but compared to the usual dangers of adventuring in Reikland, the job sounds positively tranquil.

L E G I T I M AT E B U S I N E S S E N T E R P R I S E S

The second time you Expand a Publishing House, you employ a reliable network of informants, to help you find subjects of interest you can turn into new texts or stories. The Publishing House is now considered one of the pre-eminent sources of knowledge regarding your subject of expertise, and patrons may commission you to investigate specialist subjects on their behalf, which provides its own Source of Income (Perception or Research, Silver 4). Lastly, you gain a Draught Horse and Wagon, for mass deliveries of items to retailers (or direct to your customers). The Expansion Cost is 10 gold coins (minimum 1 gold coin), and the new Interest Payments are 10 silver shillings.

PUBLISHING HOUSE Examples: Newspapers; fiction authorship; script production; foreign or historic translations; hagiography; pamphleteering; record keeping; academic journaling; educational materials; blueprint reproduction; tomes of magic. Suggested Careers: Agitator; Investigator; Townsman; Advisor; Artist; Envoy; Spy; Entertainer; Charlatan; Warrior Priest; the entire Academic Class.

The third time you Expand a Publishing House, you employ another dozen writers. Your Publishing House is now considered a prestige imprint, and celebrity writers within your field will occasionally produce content for you. This provides its own Source of Income (Art (Writing), Gold 2), but can only be chosen in alternating phases of Endeavours — if you derive Income from this Source after an adventure, you cannot use it in the round of Endeavours following the next adventure. Finally, you may choose a Source of Income to increase its effective Status to Silver 5. The Expansion Cost is 10 gold coins (minimum 1 gold coin). Interest Payments remain at 10 silver shillings.

Start-Up Costs: 20 silver shillings (minimum 2 silver shillings) Interest Payments: 1 silver shilling per downtime period. Creditors: Filibert Pewte, professor of Imperial History at the University of Altdorf; Morvaria, exile from the Tower of Hoeth; Percival Curmoch, tyrannical media mogul; Quolos, hierophant of the College of Light Magic. Sources of Income: Mass-printing of popular items (Trade (Printer), Brass 4); limited editions, hand produced or printedto-order (Trade (Printer), Brass 5); paid advertisements or advertorials (Haggle, Brass 4).

Alternate Event 1 (55–57 on the Enterprise Event Table): An advertisement you print from a controversial figure, or one selling a dubious product or service, draws the ire of your regular readers. You can choose to pull the ad, halving any Income you gain from paid advertisements until the start of the next adventure, or let it run, and halve any Income gained from all Sources of Income besides advertisements. Whichever you choose, this may have consequences in the next adventure.

Trappings: Printing press, paper, type pieces, and moulds; office containing desks, chairs, books, and writing kits; small library of records, reference materials, and prior publications. Special Rules: Purveyors of the written word are invariably more literate than the average Imperial citizen. The first time a Character undertakes the Income Endeavour at a Publishing House, they gain the Read/Write Talent (WFRP page 142) for free. If a Character already has the Read/Write Talent, they gain the Speedreader Talent instead (WFRP page 145). In addition, Characters who have invested at least 1 silver shilling into a Publishing House (as Start-Up Costs, Expansion Costs, Debt Repayments or Interest Payments) gain +20 to all Tests made as part of the Research Lore Endeavour (WFRP page 201).

Alternate Event 2 (58–60 on the Enterprise Event Table): One of your releases is unexpectedly popular, quickly selling out. Before the next adventure, you may spend an Endeavour fast-tracking the second printing of the text. If you do, you double the earnings from Income Endeavours in the round of Endeavours following the next adventure. Adventure Hooks: A recent release from your Publishing House has been interpreted, rightly or wrongly, as containing a subversive political message. Activists on either side of the debate rush to champion or condemn the text. Embracing the attention exposes you to hostility from whichever side you come out against, whilst refusing to take a position draws the derision of both factions. If the Characters find the courage to assume a progressive stance, they can use their new platform to enact lasting, positive change.

Expansion: The first time you Expand a Publishing House, you employ a staff of three clerks to help operate the printing press, produce content, and help to market the Enterprise. You can instruct them to research specialist topics on your behalf, or provide Assistance (WFRP page 155) whilst you do so. Choose a Source of Income to increase its effective Status to Silver 2; all other Sources of Income increase their effective Status to Silver 1. Finally, you gain a Riding Horse with Saddle and Tack, so you can make special deliveries of made-to-order items. The Expansion Cost is 5 gold coins (minimum 10 silver shillings), and the new Interest Payments are 5 silver shillings.

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A disgruntled priest has accused your Publishing House of smuggling heretical dogma into its texts, and has called for a mass book-burning. Even regular customers are starting to cancel orders, fearing the mob will turn on them next. Find a way to battle the rising hysteria, and expose the true agenda behind it, before the Witch Hunters climb onto the bandwagon.

EXAMPLE CREDITOR Grafina Griselda,

society gossip

Grafina Griselda von Wallenstein has long held an interest in financing worthy enterprises, having noted with some alarm the great power that wealth could bring to the nouveau riche merchants and burghers of Altdorf. Certain that, if some lowborn cobbler could turn themself into an influential merchant, then it should prove no problem for her, Grafina Griselda began to sink a not-insubstantial amount of her family’s wealth into a wild assortment of enterprises. So far, none have returned much of anything and if the Characters were to help break her losing streak they would soon earn her admiration.

For Sale: The maverick preacher Sindri Frynd has commissioned the production of a printing press — now he just needs a collection of worthy souls to operate it. Frynd envisions the press will be used to produce holy literature in line with the new revolutionary creed of the Warrior Priest Luthor Huss, but so long as the press is making a profit to support the breakaway sect’s crusade, he will be satisfied. Unfortunately, Frynd’s zealotry has also attracted the suspicion of the established Sigmarite orthodoxy. Whatever the press is used to produce, the Lectors will doubtless find an excuse to level accusations of heresy.

A Conversation

Grafina Griselda will not make much of a fuss at all the first time a payment is missed, so long as the Characters present a reasonable-sounding explanation.

A Warning

Grafina Griselda will insist that the missed payment is no problem, but privately she will blacklist the Characters to all of her high-society friends.

An Example

Frustrated by his sister’s spendthrift ways, Grafina Griselda’s brother bribes a state troop regiment to press-gang the Characters into an expedition to intercept a growing Waaagh! in the World’s Edge Mountains.

GRAFINA GRISELDA — HUMAN MAGNATE GOLD 5 M WS BS S 4

T

I

Ag Dex Int WP Fel W

41 28 28 26 53 30 51 60 55 57 11

Traits: Weapon (Dagger) +4 Skills: Animal Care 63, Bribery 77, Charm 82, Consume Alcohol 41, Cool 60, Evaluate 65, Gamble 80, Gossip 82, Haggle 62, Intimidate 43, Intuition 73, Language (Bretonnian 63, Classical 70), Leadership 77, Lore (Heraldry 80, Politics 80, Reikland 63), Melee (Fencing) 46, Play (Lute) 56, Ride (Horse) 45 Talents: Attractive, Carouser, Coolheaded, Doomed, Etiquette (Nobles), Luck, Noble Blood, Read/Write, Savvy, Suave Trappings: Courtly Garb, Dagger, Hand Mirror, Jewellery worth 200 GC, Pouch containing Writing Kit and 10 sheets of Parchment and 200 GC, Townhouses in Altdorf and Auerswald, Riding Horse with Saddle and Harness

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Hess works for Baron Heinrich Todbringer, the Graf of Middenheim’s firstborn, but illegitimate, son. Heinrich is politically astute and takes great pains to stay aware of what happens amongst the powerful in Altdorf and the Cult of Sigmar.

THREE UNUSUAL SHOPS Almost anything is available to buy on the streets of the Empire, if you know where to look.

Hess runs her Altdorf network with great care, and the ‘Export Company’ building has several entrances — into the cellars via a coal chute, from the roof and into a concealed window in the rear court. Jens and Ulf are employed to run the front business, and to admit anyone who can offer the correct passphrase of the week. (This week: ‘I hear the razorbills are flocking in Dietershafen this month’.) Both can handle themselves in a fight. Jens is particularly ferocious, as years of tolerating Ulf ’s awful jokes have driven him close to berserker status.

Most food in the Empire is purchased at markets and fairs, so shops are often the entrances to artisan’s workshops or small showrooms for specialised trades. They range from just a counter opening onto the street, through stores with piles of goods, to the most exclusive boutiques with multiple rooms. Some even have glass windows. The following shops all harbour secrets and opportunities for adventure. As a GM you can keep them in the Reikland or stick them on a bustling street wherever your party is staying.

The Salzenmund Export Company

Trade from the whole Empire flows down the Reik, and merchants from across the land see Altdorf as a lucrative market for their goods. But you can’t sell anything without a deal. The Salzenmund Export Company isn’t on the best street in the Grandmarkt and it’s not especially noticeable or impressive — a testament perhaps to Nordland’s relatively peripheral status in the affairs of the Empire. On entering the blue-and-yellow painted door, a visitor will find an innocuous clerk, Jens, working at a small desk piled high with papers. Behind him is a display of wares from Nordland — barrels of salt, many furs, samples of Laurelorn timber, ship’s fittings and even a sealed crate packed with ice, kept frozen with a simple spell. Although the Nordland goods are for sale, the main purpose of the Export Company is to secure deals with Reikland importers to buy wholesale from Salzenmund merchants. Anyone inquiring about a trade deal will meet Ulf Knutsson, a large man with a red plaited beard who bursts from his office and overwhelms the potential trading partner with bluff, charm, and jokes. Knutsson is a member of the Salzenmund Merchants’ Guild, and licensed to sign trade documents on behalf of its members.

Acutis

of

Miragliano, Glassmaker

Down a dusty cul de sac in Altdorf ’s Zwillingsgrab district there is a row of artisans’ workshops. Wedged between a permanently closed pottery and a bookbindery run by a hopeless drunk, you’ll find Acutis the Glassmaker. Behind the glass front door is a small room lined with shelves holding bottles, goblets, and simple glass containers of all shapes, sizes, and colours. These are serviceable goods, but nothing remarkable. Ilaria Acutis does not waste her skills on such commonplace items.

The Secret

The Salzenmund Export Company is a front. Little real business is conducted here — anyone interested in importing goods from Nordland would work through personal contacts in the various guilds rather than walk into a shop on the street. It plays host to a few meetings and sells a little from its limited stock of Nordland goods, but nothing more.

Acutis is a native of Miragliano, a city famous for its glassmakers. She arrived in Altdorf just five years ago, and soon established a reputation for crafting exquisite glass. Her glass, which she makes from quartz pebbles imported from her homeland, stands out for its clarity and purity of colour. For several years Acutis held a commission to supply the Cathedral of Sigmar with coloured panes for their stained-glass windows, but that association ended abruptly last year when some priests objected to the use of non-Sigmarite labour.

The Salzenmund Export Company was set up by the Middenheim spy Nastassia Hess as a safehouse, and place to brief and meet her agents in Altdorf.

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Beyond the entrance room is Acutis’ yard and workshop, with a furnace and glassblower’s tools. The workshop is always stiflingly hot, as the two apprentices scurry back and forth tending to their craft. Behind the workshop is another door. Beyond this is a small, silent chamber lined from floor to ceiling with black damask and lit only by lanterns. Here you find Acutis’ true passion — her mirrors. Each one is a work of art with almost perfect reflection, mounted in a beautiful gilt frame. In Miragliano the art of mirror-making is seen as a semi-mystical act, and Acutis treats her creations with an almost religious reverence. Only the most privileged can afford to own one of these sublime mirrors.

Gert’s

If you’re hungry in Grissenwald and down near the wharves, you can pick up a decent meal from Gert’s. The food sold by Gert is popular with rivermen and even the wealthier burghers, who live and work at that end of town. At mealtimes there are often queues at his counter in the wall. Gert runs a cookshop which sells freshly-made hot food. He takes great pride in serving customers himself from the counter. He enjoys an audience and will make a show of barking at the kitchen boys and cooks, who toil behind him in the cramped kitchen, turning the spit on the fish or meat fire and stirring the huge cauldron in the third fireplace. Gert grew up in kitchens, and keeps a close eye on everything that’s cooking — especially his famous river eels and cabbage. This is not fine food, but it’s cheap, tasty, and filling.

The Secret

Acutis left Miragliano under a cloud. She became obsessed with creating the perfect mirrored surface, always striving for greater clarity in the glass and more flawless silvering on the reverse. She began to experiment with exotic additions to the quartz, which led to her securing a small quantity of warpstone stolen from Skavenblight. The resulting mirror was unparalleled in its reflective qualities, but the images it revealed to the viewer were altered to reflect their soul more than their physical appearance.

Nobody knows Gert’s surname, but everyone in Grissenwald knows his distinctive look and bellowing voice. A Nulner stevedore once compared him to ‘a turnip that’s been marinating in a bog since Magnus was on the throne. But uglier.’ Gert is a great gossip and there is often a small crowd around his counter, talking about river business, local events, and the comings-andgoings in Grissenwald and beyond.

Rumours of her perfect mirror spread through Miragliano society, until the prince himself inquired whether he might buy it. Acutis was reluctant, but the ruler insisted. When the prince saw how the mirror reflected him, he ordered her death and she fled to Altdorf. The mirror was later stolen by a curious Skaven Warlock Engineer, who recognised its power. The Warlock Engineer now seeks the maker to enslave her and command her to use her crafts to forge a great mirror as a weapon.

The Secret

Gert has a cellar where he keeps the meat and vegetables for his trade. In the corner is a barrel full of live eels, which he tops up with fresh deliveries every few days. Last month he added a fine specimen covered in lustrous gold scales. He’s been reluctant to pull it from the barrel for cooking, and it’s grown very quickly in the intervening weeks. Two days ago as he fished out eels for the day’s cooking, the golden eel pushed its head out of the water and spoke with the voice of Gert’s dead mother. It told him that he had been chosen by Grandfather Reik for a great destiny, but first he must find a human sacrifice to throw into the river…

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33

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II

• SUITS OF STEEL •

Suitable Fit

Armour is a vital part of the toolkit most Characters will acquire in order to protect themselves during the course of the adventures. The rules for armour presented in this chapter provide more options and detail to those given in WFRP pages 299 to 300.

The armour is a good fit for the looting Character and may be worn as if it were made for them.

Poor Fit

The armour is outsized and uncomfortable. It counts as imposing its full ENC even when worn. The armour could be adjusted as per the rules for repairing armour. In order to do this it would need to be comprehensively refitted — this can be done using the rules for repairing armour, just as if their piece in question had been reduced to 0 AP in all locations.

Looting Armour

During the course of their adventures Characters are more likely to come across armour on the bodies of fallen foes and companions rather than commissioning a fitted suit for themselves. This is a great way to save money, but it does mean that many Characters will be wearing armour that was not made for them, and that will therefore be rather poorly fitted.

Won’t Fit

The armour is much too large or too small to be worn by the Character at all.

Whenever a piece of armour is acquired by a Character for whom it was not made, the GM may decide that any given piece of armour will or will not fit (if it was made for a different Species, or a person with a much larger or smaller frame, for example). If it is uncertain whether or not a particular piece might suit a Character, roll on the following table:

D10 Roll

Leather & Soft Kit

Brigandine and Chainmail

Plate

1-2

Suitable Fit

Suitable Fit

Suitable Fit

3-4

Suitable Fit

Suitable Fit

Poor Fit

5-6

Suitable Fit

Poor Fit

Poor Fit

7-8

Poor Fit

Poor Fit

Won't Fit

9-10

Won't Fit

Won't Fit

Won't Fit

If any particular Character does not find a set of armour suitable, the GM may decide that other Characters could roll on the chart to see how well the armour might fit them.

Armour Damage

As blows rain down on your armour it can be damaged, possibly permanently. Whenever you are instructed to damage a piece of armour, the APs in the location are reduced by 1. If this lowers the APs to 0 in that location, the armour there is rendered useless. Armour is generally damaged in one of two ways. 1. A special ability triggers, such as a Spell or Talent, damaging a piece of armour. 2. A Critical Wound is deflected.

Armour

and

Stealth Tests

Wearing any Chainmail or Plate imposes a penalty of –10 to any Stealth Tests.

34

SUITS OF STEEL

Critical Deflection

Repairing Armour as an Endeavour

They still suffer all normal Wounds (and given their APs are now 1 point lower, they probably suffer an additional Wound), but they avoid the Critical Wound effects as the blow is absorbed by their now destroyed armour.

The Character may then take a single Average (+20) Trade Test — repairing 1 AP of armour for every SL they score on the Test.

If a Character suffers a Critical Wound from an incoming attack on a location protected by armour, they can choose to let their armour be damaged by 1 AP to ignore the Critical Wound.

A Character who does not have time or expertise to repair their armour during the course of an adventure could try to do so as an Endeavour during downtime. In order to do so they must have access to suitable tools (and a forge or workshop if working with plate).

Asking an NPC to Repair Armour

When it comes to Critical Wounds caused by reducing your Wounds to below zero, sacrificing armour in this way only has an effect if it prevents Wounds being reduced to below zero.

If a suitable NPC smith is asked to repair armour it costs 10% of the armour’s base price per AP lost to repair it. So, if you had a Sleeved Chainmail Coat with 1 AP of damage on the Body, and 1 AP of damage on the Arms, it will cost 20% of the armour’s base cost to fix it, in this case 12/–. If a section of your armour is completely broken, it will cost you 30% of the armour's base cost to fix, and you’ll likely be waiting some time before it is completed.

Repairing Armour

When it comes to damaged armour, there are two ways to approach repairing it. A Character may use the Trade Skill to repair their own armour, or that of their companions, if they have the appropriate Trade Skill, Trade Tools and, for plate armour, a Workshop. Alternatively, damaged armour may be left with an NPC artisan who possesses the Skill to repair it.

Repairing Armour With the Trade Skill

A Character may attempt to repair a piece of armour if they have the appropriate Skill and meet other criteria depending on the piece of armour. Type of Armour

Trade Skill Used for Repairs

Leather Armour or Brigandine

Trade (Tailor) — Trade Tools needed

Chainmail

Trade (Smith) — Trade Tools needed

Plate

Trade (Smith) — Trade Tools and Forge or Workshop needed

They must then carry out an Extended Challenging (+0) Trade Test in order to repair the armour. The Test can be carried out once every hour, and the number of SLs required in order to repair a piece of armour depends on the type of armour being repaired. This represents the amount of time it takes to restore 1 AP to one location. Type of Armour

SL Needed to Repair 1 AP

Leather

5

Brigandine

7

Chainmail or Reinforced Soft Kit

10

Plate

15

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WA R H A M M E R FA N TA S Y R O L E P L AY

ARMOUR RULES

Armour Flaws

Some armours have a point of weakness, as described by Armour Flaws.

Armour is listed in the following format:

Partial

0 Armour Type: Each armour is listed according to the material it is constructed from, in order of its protective effectiveness. 0 Price: The price to buy an average piece of the armour. 0 Enc: The Encumbrance of the armour. 0 Availability: The Availability of the armour. 0 Penalty: Any penalty for wearing the specific piece of armour in addition to Encumbrance. Note: Some armour brings a penalty if any part of it is worn, such as wearing any chain imposing a penalty of –10 to any Stealth Tests. 0 Locations: The Hit Locations the armour protects. 0 APs: The number of Armour Points the armour provides to the protected Hit Locations. 0 Qualities and Flaws: Any Qualities or Flaws that the armour may possess.

The armour does not cover the entire Hit Location. An opponent who rolls an even number to determine hit location, or a Critical Hit, ignores the partial armour’s APs.

Requires Kit

Armour with this flaw can only be worn if a Soft Kit is worn underneath it.

Weakpoints

The armour has small weakpoints where a blade can slip through. If your opponent has a weapon with the Impale Quality and scores a Critical, any APs of your armour are ignored.

Combining Armour

Different grades of armour may be worn on different parts of the body, but the notion that different grades of armour may be layered on top of one another is a misconception. Often suits of plate are finished with areas of mail or leather to cover gaps and points of articulation.

Armour Qualities

Armour can possess the following Armour Qualities.

Impenetrable

The armour is especially resilient, most attacks simply cannot penetrate it. All Critical Wounds caused by attacks scoring an odd number to hit you, such as an 11 or 33, are ignored.

Soft kits are woollen doublets and hose designed to be worn under armour. They provide padding needed to prevent chafing and laces and holes to attach pieces of armour to. They can be worn under any armour and must be worn under certain pieces of plate.

Overcoat

Certain types of armour can be worn on top of other types. Brigandine pieces and Plate Breastplates can be worn on top of either Leather or Mail armour. However, a Breastplate worn in this way could not be combined with a Soft Kit.

Boiled leather is constructed from thick pieces of hide. It is rigid and tough and cannot be worn under mail or the more complicated pieces of plate. Brigandine armour or a plate breastplate could be worn over boiled leather.

Reinforced

Some Soft Kits are designed with sections of mail placed to compensate for chinks in a full suit of plate armour. If a kit like this is worn under plate armour, that plate armour loses the Weakpoints Flaw.

Chainmail is made from thousands of interlocking iron rings. It is heavy and requires regular cleaning and oiling to prevent corrosion. Brigandine armour or a plate breastplate could be worn over chainmail.

Visor

Brigandine consists of padded leather or fabric into which many small metal strips, or lames, have been riveted. Brigandine pieces are bulky and cannot be worn under other forms of armour. Lamellar armour, or scale mail, may look rather different to brigandine, but has the same qualities.

Some helmets come with a visor that can be raised to provide a wider field of vision. If the visor is closed the helmet performs as described. If the visor is opened the helmet loses any special abilities associated with its design and gains the Partial Flaw. Perception Tests are made with a –10% penalty when visors are open. It takes an Action to open or close a visor.

Plate armour is painstakingly crafted from sheets of iron or steel. It is tailor made and close-fitting, so may not normally be worn over other types of armour. Breastplates may be an exception to this general rule, as many of them are designed to be worn over padding or chainmail.

36

II

SUITS OF STEEL

Armour Armour

Price

Enc

Availability

Penalty

Locations

APs

Qualities & Flaws

SOFT KITS Soft Kit Reinforced Soft Kit

18/-

1

Scarce

-

Arms, Body, Legs

-

-

2GC

1

Scarce

-

Arms, Body, Legs

1

Partial, Reinforced

BOILED LEATHER Leather Jack Leather Jerkin Leather Leggings Leather Skullcap

12/-

1

Common

-

Arms, Body

1

-

10/-

1

Common

-

Body

1

-

14/-

1

Common

-

Legs

1

-

8/-

0

Common

-

Head

1

-

CHAINMAIL Chainmail Chausses Chainmail Coat Chainmail Coif Chainmail Shirt

2GC

3

Scarce

-

Legs

2

-

3GC

4

Common

-

Arms, Body

2

-

1GC

2

Scarce

-10% Perception

Head

2

Partial

2GC

3

Scarce

-

Body

2

-

BRIGANDINE Brigandine Jack Brigandine Jerkin

3GC

3

Scarce

-

Arms, Body

2

Overcoat

2GC

2

Scarce

-

Body

2

Overcoat

PLATE Bracers

8GC

3

Rare

-

Arms

3

Breastplate

10GC

3

Scarce

-

Body

3

Open Helm

2GC

1

Common

Head

3

Plate Leggings

-10% Perception

10GC

3

Rare

-

Legs

3

Great Helm

2GC

2

Rare

Head

3

Bascinet

3GC

2

Rare

Head

3

Armet

3GC

2

Rare

Head

3

Sallet

4GC

2

Rare

Head

3

-20% Perception –20% Perception –20% Perception –20% Perception

37

Impenetrable, Requires Kit, Weakpoints Impenetrable, Overcoat, Weakpoints Partial Impenetrable, Requires Kit, Weakpoints Impenetrable, Weakpoints Impenetrable, Visor, Weakpoints Impenetrable, Visor, Weakpoints Impenetrable, Visor, Weakpoints

II

WA R H A M M E R FA N TA S Y R O L E P L AY

Helmet Designs

The exacting design of the Armet means that it can withstand blows that might damage other helmets. Every time the helmet might lose a point of AP, roll on the Armet Damage table.

There are a great many designs of helmet used in conjunction with plate armour, and Tilean, Bretonnian, and Imperial armourers all have their preferred designs. There is little practical difference between these designs, they are all strong, fully enclosed helms with visors which weigh much the same and provide the same sort of protection. However, in some circumstances particular designs may afford extra protection.

ARMET DAMAGE

Great Helm

D10 Roll

Effect

1-5

The helmet is damaged as normal.

6-9

The helmet is not damaged.

10

The helmet is not damaged, but the mechanism for opening the helmet is jammed. The wearer cannot remove the helmet and must eat and drink through a straw until it is either broken open, or fixed by a Hard (–20) Trade (Blacksmith) Test.

The Great Helm is the archetypal form of a fully enclosed metal helmet. They are considered old fashioned in Tilea and the Empire but are still common in Bretonnia. Early examples of these helmets had a square top. Later designs tend to have a conical top which lessens the impact of hammers and swords.

Bascinet

The Bascinet typically incorporates a conical visor, leading it to be known as a ‘pigs-snout’ helmet by many soldiers. This design provides additional protection against missile fire, as slingshots and arrows are deflected by the conical visor.

Sallet

If missile fire strikes the wearer of a Bascinet, and originates from in front of the wearer, then the helmet provides 4 APs rather than 3.

The Sallet is typified by having heavy plates projecting over the neck to the back, and being combined with separate pieces, either a gorget or bevor, to provide protection to the throat, chin, and face.

Armet

The Armet is a Tilean design which fits closely on the head, being narrower around the neck. To facilitate the snug fit the helmet has an integral mechanism that must be worked to open and close it.

A wearer of a Sallet who takes a Critical Hit to the head will take 1 less Wound from the Critical Hit than they otherwise would.

38

•

THE CULT OF HANDRICH

Though they do not amount to a large cult, the followers of Handrich claim purview over any place where commerce thrives. Whenever people clasp hands to seal a deal, wherever coins are minted and counted, there the god of trade and wealth is present. His worshippers include merchants, pedlars, financiers, and caravan guards, anyone concerned with making money through honest trade. Nowhere is he more prevalent than Marienburg. Here, Haendryk, as the Wastelanders know him, stands second only to the sea god in the citizens’ regard. The cult’s doctrine teaches pursuit of wealth to be the ultimate good in life. Prosperity for one brings prosperity to everyone. The poor, however, view Handrich as an embodiment of all those forces which keep them in poverty. As the cult grows so does the anger and resentment it faces, often egged on by nobles sharp enough to spy a threat in the merchants’ growing power. But, in the cut-throat world of business, there is no shortage of people happy to have a god help them make a profit.

III

•

THE HANDRICHAN FAITH

Seat of Power: The Counting House, high temple of Haendryk in Marienburg Head of the Cult: Arch-Priest Simon Goudenkruin, Haendryk’s Greatest Worldly Profit Major Festivals: None, though Marktag is seen as a sacred day Popular Holy Books: Die Kunst der Gier, All Those Which Gleam Holy Symbols: A coin without insignia, clasped hands, a warehouse with open doors

III

WA R H A M M E R FA N TA S Y R O L E P L AY

FOUNDATION OF THE CULT

HANDRICH IN THE EMPIRE

Stories regarding Handrich’s origins are many and conflicting. Some scholars state he originates in Estalia and Tilea, making his way to the Old World alongside Myrmidia. He enjoys a strong following there, especially in Tilea where mercenary armies make a god of coin a popular figure. Others place him within the Old World’s established pantheon as either the son of Manann, or the less flamboyant brother of Ranald who eschewed his sibling’s dishonest quest for godhood, instead presenting the gods with an offer they could not refuse.

Handrich fell out of favour in the Empire after the Wasteland seceded. To a certain sort of mind, his worship was an affront to the Empire’s bruised dignity and during that time he was often paid little more than lip-service. Instead, worship of Ranald filled the void, worshippers turning to the trickster god in his persona as the Dealer.

Legends

of the

Though many might consider the two gods diametrically opposed, some people still follow both in equal measure, viewing them as two sides of the same (possibly fraudulent) coin. This has even led to speculation Handrich may simply be Ranald playing the long con, something hotly denied by his priests.

Wasteland

Marienburgers contest all of these, and as this city acts as his cult’s main seat, their telling has become the most prevalent. According to Wastelander lore, Haendryk was once a mortal man and citizen of Marienburg. The son of a trader, he accompanied his mother on many great expeditions, and found the world of commerce opening before him like a flower. The mortal Haendryk proved himself a financial genius and many stories are told of his great skill as a trader, selling stone to Dwarf miners or inventing whole systems of banking.

The Cult Prospers Anew

In recent years, the Cult of Handrich has been gaining support and popularity in the Empire. Many traders see the success of the cult in Marienburg as a sign and seek to emulate Handrich’s worship in their own business practices. The priesthood have also shown themselves invaluable to anyone conducting matters of business. They offer their services as both financial advisers and overseers, acting as a third party whenever an agreement requires witnessing. This has allowed the cult to gain a great deal of influence, and they are well compensated for their efforts.

Wealth poured into Haendryk’s coffers and with this he elevated Marienburg, turning it into the bustling trade hub it is today. At last, his skill in mercantile matters transcended mortal ability. The gods allowed Haendryk into their ranks, naming him the god of coin and commerce.

Indentification

with

As the desire for Marienburg’s coin overcomes patriotic pride, more shrines and temples to Handrich can be found across the Empire’s bustling trade routes, though only the largest cities boast dedicated temples. Instead, places of worship are combined with established guild meeting houses or banks, with guild leaders carrying out religious duties when no ordained priest is present.

Haendryk

Marienburgers cling to Haendryk’s ascension with fierce pride. Many of the city’s most well-respected merchant families claim descent from him, backing this up with (very expensive) family trees and genealogical records. The story gained further popularity after the Wasteland’s secession, granting the burgeoning nation a much-needed sense of legitimacy.

Growth Potential

Yet the cult remains relatively small due in part to opposition from the Empire’s nobility. Handrich’s cult teaches a path of upward mobility through wealth, and in this the merchants disrupt the status quo which keeps the nobles in power. Many go out of their way to undermine the cult’s efforts to establish itself, though most address their ire towards the merchants who worship Handrich, rather than the god himself.

His cult capitalised on this, ascribing their foundation to those merchants Haendryk taught as a mortal. Marienburg became the centre of his cult, his followers carrying his strictures with them along the various trade routes. Their god’s story, and their city’s story, show the transformational powers of trade and wealth, something which they argue anyone can achieve should they only put in the effort.

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Personalities

of the

Katja de Teuling (2135 IC – 2182 IC)

Cult

Founder of the Defenders of Capital, the closest Handrich’s cult has to a knightly order. Katja served as a caravan guard, investing her fees into her own mercenary company. This she dedicated to protecting Handrich’s servants as they kept the arteries of trade open. For a price.

Wavemaster Sullandiel ‘Fartrader’ (–3224 IC – –1861 IC)

An Elf merchant-poet from before the War of the Beard. He served as ambassador to Karaz Bryn and was granted the epithet ‘Fartrader’ as recognition of his exploits. During this time he penned All Those Which Gleam, a collection praising the craftsmanship and affluence of the Elves’ then-allies. The work is considered a classic, lauded for rich use of language, imagery, and metaphor.

Though a skilled warrior, De Teuling was first and foremost a businesswoman, and saw in Handrich’s tenets of honesty the secret to success. No warrior under Katja’s command would dare steal from the caravans which hired them, and the Defenders gained a trusted reputation.

Handrichans adopted the collection as an important work, showing the validity of their pursuit of profit. Sullandiel’s lengthy praise for the Dwarfs’ mastery of gold smithing, they say, reveals the transcendental beauty which lies behind appreciation of wealth.

Now, many years after her death, De Teuling is treated by travelling merchants as a patron saint. Her sword and coin icon is pressed onto cash boxes for protection on long journeys. The Defenders of Capital, meanwhile, were bought out by the high temple not long after their founder’s demise, and continue to serve as effective trade guards for hire. Their purview has since expanded to bringing any who deal dishonestly to justice, sending investigators to hunt down con-artists, providing their fees are met.

Several passages touching upon the bonds of friendship between Dwarf and Elf at the time are also quoted by Handrich’s priesthood as showing how honest trade truly unites all people. For their part, most Elves feel Sullandiel’s satirical bite is muted by translation.

High Priest Simon Goudenkruin (2459 IC – Present)

Armanda de Pantaleon (1768 IC – 1831 IC)

Jokingly nicknamed ‘Haendryk’s Profit’, Marienburg’s current high priest (and de facto head of the cult) Simon Goudenkruin is a controversial figure under whose leadership the cult has grown in power and influence. As a young apprentice in his father’s shipping enterprise, stories of the god’s mortal life inspired Goudenkruin and he spent the often-lengthy trade excursions discussing Haendryk with other traders. It wasn’t long before he was inducted into the priesthood, where his insights into the limitations and freedoms of the faith’s strictures, along with financial assistance from his father, saw him rise rapidly.

A Tilean trader and devotee of Handrich who, inspired by stories from the famed Tilean explorer Marco Columbo, introduced paper money to the western nations. Paper money had been used in Cathay for generations, allowing merchants flexibility in their transactions. Armanda attempted to replicate this but was forced to abandon her efforts when they narrowly escaped the ire of a local princeling, who did not understand the finer points of financial theories.

As high priest, Simon’s teachings revolutionised the cult. He places particular importance upon Haendryk’s tenet that wealth signifies a worthy character. Anyone can improve their station if they put in the effort. Therefore, Simon argues, anyone who lives in poverty is choosing poverty. Under his direction, the rites of initiation have been loosened, allowing in those who can prove they already hold Haendryk’s favour. Many Marienburger merchant families secured positions for their scions thanks to Simon’s changes.

Despite Armanda’s failure, her essays and correspondence have since attracted much interest from Economicks scholars within the cult. There has even been talk of introducing the concept to Marienburg, although some priests believe removing coins, Handrich’s own holy symbol, would be blasphemy. Nonetheless, the temple’s famous lines of credit and notes of mark are often held as proof of concept. Armanda is also venerated by Ranaldans for persuading people to hand over their gold in return for bits of paper.

Such practices have not gone without criticism. Some view Simon as eroding Haendryk’s tenet that all deals must be carried out without mercy, replacing the sacred act of haggling with a network of cronyism. However, their voices are drowned out by the clink of coin, a sound sacred to Haendryk.

NEW CAREERS

There are a few new carrers in Archives of the Empire Volume 3. Three of these are versions of the priest career, the Priest of Handrich, Priest of Solkan, and Priestess of Rhya. They may be adopted by players who roll Priest as their starting career. The Animal Familiar career is peculiar to those who play Animal Familiars.

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For negotiations to have meaning, both parties must be speaking truth. Conning someone makes a mockery of the whole affair, and Handrich’s worshippers shun anyone found dealing in falsehoods. Yet, while Handrich expects honesty, he also demands no quarter be given. Only one’s own wealth matters, and acting in any way not for your own ultimate good, such as giving someone a generous rate due to family ties, is frowned upon. Exploiting those same ties to get a better deal, however, is encouraged.

BELIEFS For Handrich’s followers, wealth is the ultimate signifier of a life well-lived. However, money earned through trickery or toil is not enough, it must be gained through their patron’s most prized traits: wit, honesty, intelligence, and ruthlessness. Handrich expects his followers to pursue profit with all their guile and cunning, while staying within the strictures of honest business.

Finally, Handrichan tenets justify pursuit of individual wealth as the means by which all society is elevated. Riches mark intelligence and the right to hold office. If someone had the strength of mind to accumulate such wealth, this is proof they are best equipped to distribute it. Commissioning art, funding military expeditions, even charitable concerns: through these, Handrich’s favour trickles down to all people. Losing wealth, though, is a sign Handrich has forsaken you, so his followers are exacting in their savings.

Handrichans believe their god is present wherever negotiations take place. The give and take of commerce, the quick wit of its practitioners, these bring a person closer to Handrich, and haggling is as much an act of worship as prayer. However, his followers never expect his assistance. Handrich demands independence, but he is happy to reward those who please him. A particularly successful transaction is considered a sign he enjoyed a worshipper’s performance.

Strictures

of

Handrich

Handrich’s worshippers are encouraged to interpret his strictures as they will, keeping to their letter while working to exploit their loopholes. This, they say, encourages the flexibility of thought one needs to succeed. The cult’s critics consider it trickery in the open, dishonesty masquerading as a lawful contract.

No Day Without Profit

A follower of Handrich must ensure the day is profitable. Coin is preferred, but profit can mean many things depending on the person. The important thing is the worshipper should act for their own net gain, whether this be closing an important trade deal, or getting one’s fellows to buy the next round of drinks. It is understood that the greater a person’s station, the more Handrich demands of this stricture.

Deal in Truth

The Cult of Handrich forbids false dealing, as trickery erodes the trust all trade is based upon. Followers cannot obscure the value of their wares, nor sell something they have no right to. While they must deal truthfully, this is not the same as dealing honestly. Followers are free to exaggerate benefits, neglect to mention complications, or use information at their disposal to get the upper hand. Lying to gain an advantage would be in violation of this stricture, but using insider knowledge of a competitor’s financial situation would not.

Help Those Who Help Themselves

Handrich earned his godhood and looks down on anyone not willing to do the same. While Handrich’s followers are called to share their earnings to benefit society, it must not be in a way which Handrich views as encouraging laziness.

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Handrich and Ranald

A priest of Handrich would never give a beggar money for shelter, for example. Instead, they might direct them to a workhouse to earn their keep and contribute to the running of the institution.

A strained relationship exists between Handrich’s and Ranald’s followers. This is a surprise to those peasants who consider them the same being with different names, except one expects you to shake his hand and thank him for fleecing you. But to Handrichans, Ranald’s dishonesty cannot be tolerated.

Some in the cult interpret this as a condemnation of taxation, which they view as governments taking money not rightfully theirs. They fulfil this stricture by lobbying political figures to enact tax cuts, allowing them to distribute their money as they see fit.

Many merchants still choose to honour Ranald alongside Handrich. While they may follow Handrich’s strictures, sometimes one needs a few extra tricks. Some worshippers, upset with the cult’s current direction, have begun turning to Ranald in his aspect as the Dealer, a persona which Handrich’s high priest calls a mask the trickster god uses to con people away from the true artistry of trade.

Always Get the Best Deal

Trading is a holy act, a pure competition of wits with only one victor. Therefore, a follower of Handrich must always get the best possible deal, regardless of circumstances. If a person is looking to buy grain, they must pay for it. The fact that their village is starving should not warrant merciful treatment.

THE BROTHERHOOD

The Brotherhood are a secretive order dedicated to Ranald. Little is known about them, including whether they are an actual organisation or just a loose association. On ocasion they use the practice of business to bring down pompous individuals. Most are honest merchants who call upon Ranald for bounty and improved commerce, although there is a seedier side. The Brotherhood teaches the tenets of cooperation and competition — help your brother when he needs it — but through competition, the best elements rise to the top.

However, the best deal does not always mean the most profitable. After all, if you take everything a person has, then who will trade with you next time? Sometimes, the best deal is one which builds relationships and leaves everyone happy, so that more profit can be extracted in the future.

Relationship With Other Cults

Handrich’s cult has positive relationships with worshippers from other cults, and Handrichans often serve as their financiers. Amidst the grand iconography of many churches can be found inscriptions honouring the god of coin’s contributions.

Mischievious elements of the Brotherhood enjoy targeting followers of Handrich. Impersonating the god of coin’s priests is a favoured tactic, allowing them to get closer to their prey and eroding trust in the cult. The Defenders of Capital go to great pains hunting down any of the Brotherhood they hear about for this reason.

The cult holds particularly strong ties with the Cult of Manann, especially in Marienburg where priests of both deities bless voyages to ensure crew and cargo’s safety. Priests of Manann visit Handrich’s high temple to make use of the cult’s collection of up-to-date trade gazetteers, while Handrich’s priests study the charts in Manann’s temple, ensuring they can advise their clients of trade routes and risks.

FOLLOW THE MONEY

The cults of Rhya and Myrmidia have rather odd relationships with that of Handrich. Arguments between Rhya’s and Handrich’s priests are not uncommon, given the latter’s dismissal of the ‘simple’ labour of farmers. However, they come together on market days, and small shrines to both stand in such places.

Three merchants arrive at a Handrichan meeting house and begin haranguing the clerk behind the counter. They each claim the other two owe them a shipment of fine fabrics, which they have not received, and which each one of them is adamant the others are holding. They were introduced to one another by a priest from this meeting house.

Handrich’s followers feel a certain kinship with Myrmidia’s cult. They argue battlefield tactics can be implemented in matters of business, and financing military engagements is an acceptable form of charity within Handrich’s strictures. Followers of Myrmidia, for their part, are happy to associate with Handrichans, but many find their constant assurances of fellowship aggravating.

In truth, a priest of Ranald has been manipulating them into buying and selling the same non-existent shipment for almost two months, posing as an itinerant Handrichan priest. This devotee of Ranald has made a tidy profit off the confusion and will soon leave, after they finish covering their tracks in the financial ledgers.

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Empire temples tend towards frugality, their finery deliberately understated to convey financial sensibility. The Wasteland temples, however, prefer to keep their wealth on display in imitation of the high temple in Marienburg.

WORSHIPPERS Handrich’s cult attracts anyone concerned with trade and coin. Merchants are his primary supplicants, but those who work with gold, such as jewellers, also honour him, while caravan guards pray to him to protect their charges.

The Counting House

The High Temple of Haendryk, known locally as the Counting House, shows what wealth can accomplish when unbound by frugal practicalities or, some say, good taste. In structure, it follows a similar footprint to other Handrichan temples, but once inside, worshippers are assaulted with an array of decorations in gold and silver.

Minting houses, banks, and well-established shops have shrines to Handrich kept on a shelf. The first coin made each day is considered Handrich’s, and is placed on the altar in the belief that what is given to the god will be returned twice over. It is rare to find followers among the lower classes. Instead, the cult recruits from established mercant families or guilds. Many such families seek positions for their young scions to secure favourable treatment, and the cult accepts anyone for a fee.

Exquisite paintings cover the walls, while stained glass windows tell stories from Haendryk’s life in Marienburg (often featuring discreet signs explaining which mercantile family sponsored their creation). Watery light pours down from the central dome, its own glass depicting the tragedies which might befall one at sea. Most suspect this to be a nod to the cult’s relationship with Manaan’s, but in truth it was donated by an insurance company.

Initiation Rites

The cult’s initiation rites have been undergoing changes. Since its inception, prospective initiates presented an offering to a local priest. The priest then set a mathematical examination to ensure they would be able to better themselves (some speculate the difficulty of this depended upon the offering). Once the priest was satisfied, the initiate was instructed in Handrich’s tenets, before being placed in a trade caravan to experience commerce for themself.

All through the day, the temple is filled with the quiet murmur of commerce, punctuated by the discreet clink of coin. Sermons are rarely held in the central meeting hall, save on festival days, instead being relegated to side-chapels. The main space is given over to desks, each with their attendant priest. For a fee, supplicants may seek either financial advice or a loan from the temple. All clergy members see it as their duty to help in such matters, and for a large enough sum one can even secure an appointment with the high priest himself.

Once they finished this period of travel, the initiate returned to the temple and presented the priest with a greater offering. They then faced one final test. Usually, they completed a difficult business deal, such as selling fish to fishermen, or persuading a priest of Sigmar to sell their hammer. This earned them a full place within the order, just as Handrich earned his godhood.

Relics

It is said that, upon Handrich’s ascension, every coin he touched in his lifetime took on his finger print. These coins — almost invariably gold, though lower-value ones have been reported too — are much prized by the cult and are kept in ornately jewelled reliquaries, or worked into talismans worn by highranking priests. The standing rule is that any cult member who finds one must return it to the high temple in Marienburg, but there are more than a few distant chapels which find possessing one a good draw for pilgrims.

High Priest Simon Goudenkruin recently introduced ‘The Pyramid of Gold’. Those who hold great wealth, he argues, already have Haendryk’s favour, and it is hubris to set such blessed people further tests. Therefore, in return for a far larger offering, a person may join the cult and become a full priest without undergoing the trials. Should they wish to advance, however, they need to introduce others to the cult, who must also buy their way in. This has tripled the temple’s profits, and families even outside Marienburg are sending children to secure advantageous positions. Some worry such practices are unsustainable, but so far it has proven a great success.

The Imperial practice of honouring the skulls of saints did not at first find much favour among Handrich’s followers, given that theirs is a god entirely devoted to the material life. Such relics have since begun to grow in popularity as a means of showing off the wealth achieved over the course of one’s life. Many merchants leave vast sums to have their skulls prepared with silver and set in dedicated ossuaries, where anyone who sees them will know here lies someone who truly followed Handrich’s example.

Sacred Sites

There are very few dedicated temples to Handrich, save in the largest cities and trading ports. Those which do exist serve a dual function as both site of worship and bank or meeting place, and follow the same basic layout: a central hall with semi-circular apses where donations can be displayed or private meetings held.

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Even merchants who don’t request this treatment may find themselves decorating a chapel shelf, their families realising it is useful to be seen as influential and wealthy enough to afford such an honoured place for the dearly departed.

THE PHILOSOPHIES OF COMMERCE

The Cult of Handrich is not large enough to sustain the orders that other cults divide themselves into. However, there are various schools of thought which followers gravitate towards.

DIE KUNST DER GIER

Handrich’s cult recognises very few religious texts, but follows the science of Economicks closely. Die Kunst der Gier, by the Altdorfian philosopher Anja Rosenbaum, recently caused quite the stir, calling for trade free from oversight and in service entirely to one’s self. Many Handrichans now keep a copy of this text, citing it in taxation disputes.

The School of Coin Favoured by bankers and money lenders, the School of Coin believes the path to knowing Handrich comes through accumulating wealth. The more coin one holds, the closer one comes to Handrich’s blessed ascension. Those who follow this school tend towards thriftiness, keeping careful track of every coin spent and received. The popular caricature of the miserly Haendrykian in Wastelander satirical dramas originates from this school.

Holy Days

Handrich teaches success is possible for everyone, providing they have the drive and intelligence to seize it. Despite this, the common folk rarely have much to do with the god of commerce and, should someone of lesser means enter a Handrichan temple, they usually find themself under suspicion. Marktag is the exception.

The School of Commerce The School of Commerce teaches that trade is how societies become civilised. Just as Handrich elevated Marienburg through his patronage, these students elevate all society through buying and selling. The school attracts traders and caravan guards, though there is an emerging argument that physical goods are not required to ensure trade continues. Priests have begun experimenting with speculative markets, trading in the promise of goods such as flowers which have yet to be grown.

This day celebrates Handrich’s ascension and sees the temple doors, if not flung open, then at least left ajar to allow traders of all ilks to sell their wares. These festivals differ from traditional market days in that produce and livestock are rarely sold. Instead, jewellery or clothing are favoured. Marktag is a lively event, and some commoners save up to purchase small luxuries here, it being considered good fortune to carry such an item until the next Marktag.

The School of the Hand Favoured by skilled craftsmen and jewellers, the School of the Hand argues that money is only good for what it can accomplish. Money is a worthless dream, a mass hallucination, important only for the beauty it brings to the world, and followers believe it was with this realisation Handrich achieved ascension. Patronage of artists is held as a grand ideal, as is providing funds to civic concerns. There is talk of the school’s followers separating from the Marienburg cult, something High Priest Simon Goudenkruin wishes stamped out.

Priests keep a careful eye over the proceedings, offering blessings and spreading Handrich’s message of improving one’s station. Meanwhile, favoured merchants are invited into private chapels, where larger auctions and negotiations are held.

BACK-ROOM DEALS As the temple fills with the hustle and bustle of Marktag, the heads of Marienburg’s most influential merchant families make their way, one by one, to a private chapel watched over by attendant priests. Rumour has it that this meeting will set the course of trade in Marienburg for the coming year and only the very favoured are allowed to attend. Constance Der Ruyling, merchant venturer, is not one of these favoured. However, she doesn’t plan to let that stop her. If someone could gain access to the meeting and inform her of what is discussed she would pay them handsomely.

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PRIEST OF HANDRICH

‘They made us a deal we couldn’t refuse.’

Human

‘Learn to read the flow of coin and you may be able to read the mind of the world.’ – Father Van Der Putt, Economicks Lecturer

You follow the ways of Handrich, always looking for the best deal in the transcendental pursuit of profit.

‘Not all that gleams is gold, but whatever that priest is wearing sure shimmers like it.’ – Hetta Gronsdottir, Thief

Though not as common as other cults, Handrichan priests are sought after for their financial sense and discretion. Many do preach sermons, teaching Handrich’s tenets of self-reliance and the glories of material wealth, but they more often serve in private capacities, overseeing transactions to ensure honesty or offering financial advice. Most tend to temples found in large trading centres, or join caravans and trade expeditions as part of their service to Handrich.

PRIEST OF HANDRICH ADVANCE SCHEME WS

BS

S

T

I

Agi

Dex

h

Int

WP

h

– Otto, Altdorf Beggar

Fel h

Career Path h Clerk — Brass 5

Skills: Bribery, Charm, Consume Alcohol, Evaluate, Gamble, Gossip, Haggle, Lore (Theology), Pray, Research Talents: Bless (Handrich), Embezzle, Numismatics, Read/Write Trappings: Abacus and Slate, Handrichan Icon, Brown Robes

Circuit Trader — Silver 4 Skills: Animal Training, Cool, Intuition, Language (Any), Lore (Politics), Perception Talents: Briber, Carouser, Dealmaker, Invoke (Handrich) Trappings: Gazetteer, Lock Box, Well-tailored Robes Officiant — Gold 2 Skills: Intimidate, Leadership, Lore (Any), Secret Signs (Guilder) Talents: Bookish, Cat-tongued, Robust, Super Numerate Trappings: Handrich-touched Coin, Subordinate Clerks, Temple Profit — Gold 4 Skills: Entertain (Speeches), Lore (Any) Talents: Public Speaker, Schemer, Strong-minded, Wealthy Trappings: Subordinate Officiants, Warehouse

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Supply and Demand

MIRACLES OF HANDRICH

Range: Fellowship yards Target: One batch of trade goods in line of sight Duration: 1 hour Having successfully identified a place looking to sell or buy certain goods through a Difficult (–10) Gossip Test, you may invoke Handrich to make the amount available appear to increase or decrease. This does not affect any goods in your own possession. For example, a merchant looking to buy grain will suddenly find rats have got into their existing supplies, while someone selling rare linens discovers extra stock tucked away in a back room. You may change an item’s Availability by one level (Common becomes Scarce, Exotic becomes Rare, etc.) to affect its Bartering Ratio, as per WFRP page 291.

Below are six Handrich Miracles which follow the usual rules on WFRP page 222. Handrich helps those who help themselves — he earned his own godhood after all — and so his Miracles tend to reward the already-successful. As such, they can be invoked after a successful Test to improve its results. Handrich isn’t one for selflessness, and failing to profit from a Handrich Miracle you have invoked will cause you to gain +1 Sin point. You are free to define ‘profit’ as you will, but the GM has final say.

HANDRICH’S BLESSINGS

Priests of Handrich can access the following Blessings as per WFRP page 221:

Trickle Down

Range: Fellowship yards Target: Fellowship Bonus people Duration: Fellowship Bonus Rounds Through the gift of a gold coin and the promise of increased wealth to come, you introduce those you wish to befriend to Handrich’s beneficence. A successful Charm Test while speaking to people of lower Status gains +1 SL for every SL of the Pray Test to invoke this Miracle.

Charisma, Fortune, Hardiness, Protection, Wisdom, Wit

A Deal’s a Deal

Range: You Target: You Duration: Instant Upon a successful Haggle Test, you may say a word of thanks to Handrich before shaking hands on the matter. This adds +2 SL to the Haggle check, which rises by 1 per +2 SL gained on the Pray Test invoking the Miracle. In addition, the person with whom you are haggling is left with a good impression of you.

Twist of Fortune

Range: Fellowship yards Target: 1 Duration: Instant Handrich examines the fortunes of all and suggests a deal could be reached. You may spend 1 point of the target’s Fortune as though it were your own. However, they may choose to contest this by making a Challenging (+0) Fellowship Test against your SL. If they beat this, they keep their Fortune point. If they beat your SL by +4 SL, then they may choose to spend a point of your Fortune as their own.

Carry My Burdens

Range: 1 yard Target: One non-monstrous creature (as determined by the GM) Duration: Until the journey’s completion You have the goods and the deal is set. Now trust in Handrich to provide the means of delivery. If you succeed on an Animal Training Test, the target creature will serve as your pack animal, no matter how wild or aggressive it was. It will not attack or follow orders, save for carrying anything you wish as you travel. Upon completing the journey, the creature reverts to its previously wild state. This Miracle can only be used on one creature at a time.

The lost Fortune must be spent by the end of the session in which it is lost. When the next session begins, the lost Fortune is restored to its original owner.

Shake On It

FROZEN ASSETS

Range: Touch Target: 1 Duration: Fellowship Bonus Rounds You ask Handrich to witness this deal, and seal it with a handshake. The target cannot act in opposition to this deal for at least Fellowship Bonus Rounds. If they do wish to contest some part of it, they must make an Average (+20) Cool Test contesting your SL. If successful, they can refuse to take an action dictated by the deal. For every additional 2 SL they achieve, they may take one action in opposition to the deal. You will know if they break the deal. You suffer +1 Sin point if you break the terms of the deal while this Miracle is in effect.

Marienburg wishes to capitalise on trade with the Bjornlings, and to this end a diplomatic delegation is being sent to Skjold in order to establish a trade outpost. Naturally, the Temple of Haendryk needs to send representatives to negotiate the best deal from the Norscans for their plentiful supplies of precious furs. Even more naturally, very few want the job. The high priest is calling for volunteers, as well as eying up some political rivals who he thinks might be perfect envoys.

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MINOR GODS, FOLK • WORSHIP & HEDGECRAFT •

Life in the Old World is heavy with religion. In every aspect of life, everywhere you travel, there are inescapable reminders of the gods, from the major pantheons to the more obscure deities and spirits. Outside temples, people find their own ways to respect the mystical forces who shape their lives. This folk worship is not unique to Humanity, as the Dwarfs, Halflings, and Elves have their own pantheons and peculiar relationships with the divine.

HUMAN RELIGION ‘From long-dead, barely remembered ancestors, to capricious spirits, minor deities, and the most powerful gods; they all have this single thing in common. They do not necessarily impart power to mortals, though of course they could do this. No: they depend on our worship. They must therefore be our servants, not we, theirs.’ – Reichardt D’Auckignes, deceased (struck by lightning) IC 2508

IV

M I N O R G O D S , F O L K WO R S H I P & H E D G E C R A F T

Roots

in

Antiquity

SAMPLE SPIRIT:

The Old World has been inhabited by superstitious and godfearing Humans for thousands of years. New ideas and new gods have appeared over time, gradually changing the way Humanity thinks and behaves, just as older gods recede into nothing more than folk memory. Emerging beliefs and the relics of countless old practices survive to this day in every corner of the Empire.

‘Lord’ Bärenbaum — Deep in the wooded foothills of the Hagercrybs is the tiny village of Duderfurt, where the residents live in fear of a local spirit they call ‘Lord Bärenbaum’. Only ever seen out of the corner of one’s eye, the spirit emerges from the woods at twilight, whispering demands for fresh milk, cat flesh, and blood. Those who glimpse him describe a hulking, bear-like figure covered in lichen, with cold blue eyes glowing in the half-light.

THE OLD FAITH

Bärenbaum is never satisfied and he has taken the life of several villagers who refused his requests.

Long before Sigmar, long even before the other gods, the people of the Old World were united in the worship of Ishernos, the god-and-goddess of nature, and a wide but mostly forgotten pantheon of minor gods and spirits.

Ancestors

and

Venerated Souls

Human ancestor worship is an ancient practice, sometimes linked to the Old Faith, whereby a family honours its known (or imagined) ancestors, to give thanks and to seek their protection from beyond the grave. Some witch hunters, Sigmarites, and priests of Morr consider talking to the dead perilously close to necromancy.

They were drawn to the stone circles that they found arrayed across the land, and a class of shaman known as ‘druids’ emerged to teach and record the folklore of these ancients. These traditions are still upheld in rural pockets of the Empire, in half-forgotten hamlets and remote valleys. They seem primitive and are occasionally mistaken for Chaos worship, but present day followers of the Old Faith feel their ancient connection to the land and an inheritance that goes back to its first people.

This form of worship is common amongst rural and illiterate people, so peasant families who uphold this tradition memorise their ancestors as best they can. Weddings often involve reciting the list of the in-laws’ ancestors. The nobility undertake ancestor worship of a different kind, less concerned with veneration than celebrating the importance of their forebears to elevate the status of their own noble family. They often employ scholars to make their family tree as illustrious as possible.

Ancient Spirits

Ancient spirits have long been worshipped across the Old World and beyond. They manifest in a certain location and are shaped by mortals’ perceptions of the area. A recognisable terrain feature such as a copse, a rocky crag, or a river, will often have an associated spirit. Spirits are not restricted to natural phenomena. An old house, ruin, or castle can also have its own ancient spirit.

Venerated souls are individuals who have achieved official recognition from a major cult. It is not unusual to find a holy site or temple specifically dedicated to a venerated soul — a follower who epitomised the relevant god’s values. Some achieved their status unofficially, by provoking such widespread devotion independent of cult approval, perhaps inspiring a cult of its own. Some of these grass-roots phenomena are co-opted by official cults in order to control or benefit from the devotion they inspire — witness the hysteria surrounding the recent rise in the cult of Valten, a young man who is said by some to be the Chosen of Sigmar.

Spirits can be contacted and summoned by mortals in a similar way to daemons or ghosts. They appear in forms sympathetic to their environment or shaped by their temperament — from unusual Human forms to beings made from plant, rock, or mist. They are peerlessly knowledgeable about their local area and so their wisdom is much sought after. They have myriad personalities and dispositions, often sly and elusive or capricious and belligerent — some taking pleasure in the misfortune or even death of mortals. Any mortal who wishes to learn from or attempt to get the better of the spirits should keep their wits about them, and will be expected to placate them with offerings.

SAMPLE VENERATED SOUL:

Dieter the Just — A Verenan priest from the mid-25th century, Dieter was elevated as a venerated soul after his daring efforts to expose and destroy the Huyderman crime ring in Nuln. He was murdered in his chambers, his tongue pulled out and nailed to the top of his head. The cult recognised him twenty years later and now he is venerated for his unflinching quest for justice.

Despite official discouragement, the worship of spirits is still prevalent, even the norm, from the deserts of Araby to the steppes of Kislev. There is little to distinguish between ancient spirits and gods, other than their scope and power. Perhaps they are of the same essential stuff.

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HEARTH AND HOME

THE CULT OF KHAINE

Many of the great buildings of the Empire are temples, and many of the most spectacular events are religious festivals. Worship can be a great social occasion and much of it is done publicly, such as the immense open air rites of Taal at the spring equinox in Talabheim or Nuln’s ‘Righteous Procession’ dedicated to Verena. Devotion is also a private affair, with small services conducted among extended families, or simple solitary reflection in one’s own home.

Seat of Power: None Head of the Cult: None, but a semi-legendary ‘Slayer in the Dark’ is said to preside over all cults in the Old World Primary Orders: Order of the Bloodied Hand, the Four Arms of Khaine Major Festivals: Hexensnacht (Death Night) Popular Holy Books: Tenebris Geheimnis, The Lafayif Alea’qarab (‘Scrolls of the Scorpion’) Common Holy Symbols: Scorpion, Serpentine Dagger

Most homes have a small area devoted to the household’s private worship: perhaps just a section of wall where they light candles to show their respect, or a table with simple sculptures or charms, where the family place offerings.

To Humans, Khaine is the patron of murder, a bloodthirsty god who craves the souls of those killed in his name. Although he is a recognised member of the Old World pantheon, most folk shun him and his worship is proscribed in all but the most degraded communities. Khaine vies with his brother Morr for the souls of the dead, but his claim extends only to the victims of murder.

These areas will often be decorated with images and symbols of the household’s most favoured gods, ancestors, and venerated souls. These vary, depending on the household’s disposition and role in society, but in the Empire it is generally expected that a small space is set aside for Sigmar.

Khaine’s worshippers have no central authority, so depictions of their god vary. In the northern Old World he is a cloaked figure with a tall red helm, dripping blood from his left hand. Across the south and east he is depicted as a squat, grotesque figure with a leering, fanged mouth and four arms — holding a serpentine dagger, a scorpion, a beating heart, and the fourth dripping blood.

MINOR GODS The Empire is home to countless minor gods. Some are minor because they have a limited domain, and therefore will only ever attract a few adherents, some because they are associated with a local setting, some because they are inherently unattractive to most Humans, and some because they are merely unfashionable.

Some confuse Khaine with Khorne, but whilst the two hunger for blood, Khaine is a patient deity who prizes artful murder over rage and violence. The Khainite philosopher Melmoch justified murder in his name as a means to channel the killing urge inherent to Humanity, which would otherwise emerge as mindless violence and feed the gods of Chaos.

Minor gods are more specific in their purview than the major deities, and some are subservient to them, such as river gods who are considered the children of Manann. Others represent local interests only. For example, in the Silver Hills of Nordland, the god Gnistre is believed to move through the rock, leaving behind the veins of silver which bring wealth to Salzenmund and the surrounding region.

SAMPLE MINOR GODS:

Haleth — Lady of the Hunt. Possibly an aspect of Rhya, Haleth is an athletic woman armed with a bow. She is worshipped by hunters in the Northern Empire, who pray to her to find their quarry and guide their arrows and spears.

The Powers That Be

As the official pantheon of the Empire became more established, vested interests grew less tolerant of the greyer areas of theology. It would be convenient for the Empire’s rulers if there were only a handful of cults, which all supported their rule.

Borchband — God of Rhetoric. A god venerated by two distinct sets of worshippers. Politicians and lawyers entreat him to give them the power to inspire others to do their bidding. Agitators worship him for the same reason, typically at odds with the former group.

The worship of spirits, ancestors, and to an extent the minor gods, is usually low key and localised. This is easy to tolerate. However, occasionally a cult will grow up and threaten the status quo, or a local god’s more fanatical followers will destabilise an entire region.

Bogenauer — God of the River Bogen. The townsfolk of Bogenhafen pay dues to Bogenauer in thanks for the trade and livelihood that he brings to the town. Bogenauer was originally the principal deity of a small tribe of Unberogens who settled in the area.

In these cases, the official cults are quick to act and put down upstart cults or steer them in a more conventional direction. The Sigmarites are especially egregious in this regard.

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Strictures

Worshippers

Khaine’s followers typically come from those who have killing as a profession. Cut-throats, assassins, pit fighters, and even soldiers start out taking life as a necessity, but when it becomes a source of pride or imparts a feeling of power, the insidious whisper of Khaine drives them on to greater acts of murder.

0 0 0 0

All death is sacred, but only murder is sacred to Khaine Murder is an act of devotion, do not rush it Murder is its own reward Do not let an opportunity to kill pass you by — each such moment is a blessing given by Khaine 0 Do not betray the cult, even in death 0 Do not conceal the work of Khaine, even if it leads to your discovery

Some join secret cults, which exist in the shadows, hidden from the attention of the law and the respected religions. These groups plot to murder victims through guile and stealth — preferring strangulation, slashed throats, and a furtive blade to open combat. These cults vary in their ceremonies, structure, and their preferred methods of murder but share consistent themes — rituals are conducted in black robes trimmed in red, victims are killed regularly and usually carved with symbols of Khaine such as the scorpion. Beyond this they follow their own practices. Some conduct sacrifices in subterranean shrines, while others fight one another to kill the weakest among them.

THE ARTISANS OF DEMISE

The Artisans are a select group of aristocrats who strive to perfect the art of murder. Each member competes to perpetrate the most aesthetically satisfying assassination, which should take place in public, reflect something unique about the victim’s character, and have absolutely no motive beyond the pursuit of artistic excellence and the veneration of Khaine.

Other Khainites are solitary — the reclusive assassin, the itinerant loner, or the hidden serial killer. A small number of necromancers revere Khaine for his opposition to Morr and the belief that he is more willing to release murder victims for their vile magicks.

Each ‘piece’ is given a title and may take months to plan and execute. The society meet once a year in a different Old World city and often plan their artistry to coincide with this occasion. There is an understanding amongst the Artisans that each of them is a legitimate potential victim.

Holy Sites

Cultists of Khaine can be found throughout the Old World, but there are no significant centres of worship for such a fragmented religion. Towns, cities, and ports with shifting populations tend to harbour more cultists, as victims are easier to find and discovery less likely. Temples and shrines depend on cult membership — from a richly-appointed chamber in an assassins’ guild to a stinking oubliette beneath the butchers’ quarter. Beneath Wurtbad is a large bowl-shaped temple known as the ‘Cradle of Blades’ where cult leaders from across the Empire meet each year, but they are too disparate and headstrong to coordinate real alliances. On the Middenheim-Erengrad Road is ‘The Forest Inn’, a coaching house which has become a secret temple to Khaine, preying on unwary travellers.

Penances

Those who defy Khaine’s strictures usually make recompense by becoming the next victim. Cunning followers can restore favour by conducting an act of spectacular murder, such as slaughtering a priest of Morr in broad daylight or butchering an entire room of guildsmen.

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THE CULT OF SOLKAN

Worship Today

In the Empire, Solkan worship is the preserve of eccentrics and extremists. Solkan’s rigid, inflexible morality appeals to those drawn to absolutes, who burn to impose order on the unpredictability of real life. Although the cult is not proscribed, it is unpopular, especially amongst the cults of Verena, Ranald, Sigmar, and Shallya. There are few shrines to Solkan and most are found in private residences — usually a whitewashed room with an altar bearing a golden sword and a window facing the rising sun.

Seat of Power: None, but the most notable temple is in Remas Head of the Cult: Dominus Ultor Primary Orders: Order of the Shattered Amulet, Order of Light and Law Major Festivals: Summer Solstice, Geheimisnacht (Night of Vigilance) Popular Holy Books: Liber Flamma Purgatio Common Holy Symbols: Flaming Sword, Golden Mask or Clenched Fist

A small number of Witch Hunters revere Solkan as the only patron unbending enough to quell the forces of Chaos and change. Covert Solkanites have infiltrated the Order of Sigmar and seek to eliminate the perceived failings of the Empire’s patron god.

Solkan is the unyielding god of righteous vengeance. He is the most prominent of the Gods of Law, obscure deities almost forgotten in the Old World. Solkan embodies the need to avenge wrongs and eradicate corruption. He is portrayed as a tall man in Classical robes, wearing a gold mask sculpted with an immaculate beard and an expression of resolute fury. Around his head is a blazing nimbus, representing his role as a sun god.

Söll still has followers in Wissenland, in the former province of Solland. It is no coincidence that the Solland Runefang was named ‘Grudge Settler’ and the provincial symbol is a golden sun. Worshippers in Solland believe their god will avenge and restore their sovereignty, by wiping out the Orc successors of Gorbad Ironclaw. There is a part-ruined temple to Söll just outside Steingart, with faded wall frescoes of Söll vanquishing a horde of Bloodletters.

Solkan and his followers see the world in black and white — he hates chaos, change, and ambiguity. Only through eradicating corruption and restoring order can he rule over an unending realm of stability.

History

Solkan is a relatively mainstream god in Tilea — a strict but benign force of stability and rectitude. Most Tileans invoke his name when they have been wronged, feel entitled to revenge, or when a situation has become overly complex. He is a patron of the vendetta, a particularly Tilean feuding tradition with particularly stringent rules.

In the distant, mythic past, the Gods of Law fought a war against the Gods of Chaos. Solkan was the most martial of the pantheon, so he met with Khorne and his servants in battle. While the Avenger’s blazing sword won many victories, his fellow gods were captured or forced to retreat. The Gods of Law lost the war and disappeared into obscurity. Only Solkan clings to power, much diminished, albeit with a renewed fury against the Ruinous Powers.

Tilea’s Solkanite inquisitors investigate and torture those suspected of spiritual corruption. Their seat of power is Solkan’s most significant temple in the Old World, in Remas. This imposing structure of unblemished white limestone towers above the city, its 200-foot spire topped with a golden sword that turns upon a pivot to point towards the sun. From this temple the Dominus Ultor directs his inquisitors and priests to never rest in a quest to seek out the unclean for retribution.

Ruined temples suggest the oldest Human cult originated in Tilea around ancient Remas. Solkan had a place in the myths of the southern Old World, the unsmiling judge in the pantheon of Classical gods. Roostmaster Gregor of the Verenan monastery of Eyrie claims Solkan’s cult is older — that he is a primaeval sun deity originating from Ancient Nehekhara, or even a preHuman entity from the ranks of the mysterious Old Ones.

Beliefs

Elsewhere in the Empire and Bretonnia are primitive cave paintings of a solar figure with a flaming sword. The sun god Söll is a northern incarnation of Solkan, the patron of the Menogoth tribe. Worship declined with the ascendance of the cults of Sigmar and the Lady — today, northern Solkanites in the Empire are influenced by the modern Tilean cult rather than their own ancestral heritage.

Followers of Solkan insist the world was once perfect, as the Gods of Law ruled all. But the Ruinous Powers tore a hole at the top of the world and disorder permeated the mortal realm. Worshippers believe Solkan demands they enact retribution against everything tainted. He is the purifying fire, the light of the brightest sun. One day Solkan will leave his celestial palace to burn away Old Night and restore order — until then, no man or woman can escape his scrutiny.

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Righteous anger is the only pure emotion for Solkanites. Other strong feelings feed the Ruinous Powers and must be controlled. Compassion and moderation are signs of weak resolve which give Chaos a foothold in the world. Solkanites have special enmity for those who use magic or prophecy — powers which draw on Chaotic forces. The cult is disdainful of other Old World gods — although they have learned to keep these views discreet. They believe the ‘soft’ gods accommodate Human failings and allow the pervasive advance of Chaos.

Strictures

0 Revere the sun’s cleansing light each day 0 Suffer nothing tainted by the Ruinous Powers — seek it out and obliterate it completely without pause or negotiation 0 Suppress all emotions, other than righteous fury 0 Do not tolerate signs of impurity such as flirtation, music, dancing, or frivolity of any kind 0 Never compromise

Such uncompromising followers frequently see deviation and lack of purity in one another — especially when pragmatism overrides dogma. The cult has many splinter orders, ranging from secretive mystery cults in the Empire to powerful organisations in Tilea.

PLAYING A PRIEST OF SOLKAN

Solkanites are zealots, more extreme and inflexible than even the most fanatical Sigmarite — and they don’t play well with others. Character Solkanite priests could quickly become insufferable for your group, overwhelming social situations and refusing to accept nuance or compromise.

The Order of Light and Law — An order of inquisitors, powerful in Remas and influential elsewhere in Tilea and Estalia. In 1586 IC, the priesthood was slaughtered by the Daemon Prince Be'lakor as they tortured the oracle Necrodomo. They have lost face in recent years since they failed to protect Remans from a summoned daemon known as the Mardagg. In the Empire, witch hunters who follow Solkan typically align themselves with the Order of Light and Law.

As such, priests of Solkan work best as antagonists or NPCs. If you have a very skilled player, who is willing to keep their faith restrained, accumulate Sin points, and play out the tensions as they inevitably break strictures, it may work well. Alternatively, you could run a whole party of Solkanites, constantly accusing one another of backsliding…

Order of the Shattered Amulet — A peculiar fellowship of itinerant priests who seek the four fragments of Solkan’s amulet, shattered by a daemon of Khorne. This circular amulet was decorated with an unknown inscription and four serpents, consuming one another in a circle. Recent discoveries suggest the shards have been uncovered by Skaven. Cult of the Vengeful Blaze — A secretive cult in Altdorf, the Cult of the Vengeful Blaze have infiltrated the government and military of the Empire’s capital. For more details, see Altdorf: Crown of the Empire. Knights of Purity — The Brotherhood of Purity is a charitable organisation in Marienburg, which is a front for the Knights of Purity, xenophobic fanatics dedicated to eradicating the smallest hint of Chaos wherever they see it. The Sword of Solkan is their agent, a mysterious vigilante who hunts and executes mutants in the port city. Söll’s Faithful — A localised folk religion in ‘Auld Solland’, the priests of vengeful Söll agitate for Solland’s independence and against the earthy rites of Rhya.

Penances

Penances from Solkan are tests of resolve and purity. Typical tasks involve avenging a great wrong or utterly destroying the tainted, especially when they require the penitent to burn something they hold dear. Solkan is never satisfied — penance is common amongst his cult.

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PRIEST OF SOLKAN Human

You live to enact the divine will of Solkan, restoring pure order to a world hopelessly corrupted. Priests of Solkan are austere, humourless individuals. During rituals, they wear white and gold robes in the style of ancient Tilea. Many don a golden mask in imitation of their god, with a stylised countenance of implacable fury.

‘ You think the Order of Sigmar are fanatics? Wait until you meet a Solkanite — they can glean corruption from any innocent word or action' — Antal Buchen, Talabecland Road Warden ‘They’re unhinged and totally sincere. I suspect we could discern some ancient wisdom if we managed to see past their deranged rants and attempts to burn the whole College.’ — Hierophant Lotta Hohensehf

Certain priests revere the whole pantheon of Law, fighting a losing battle to reassert their influence in the Old World. Nevertheless, it is the Divine Avenger that dominates their thoughts and actions.

PRIEST OF SOLKAN ADVANCE SCHEME WS

BS

S

T

I

h

h

Ag

Dex

Int

WP

Fel

h

Career Path hAcolyte — Brass 2

Skills: Athletics, Cool, Endurance, Intimidate, Intuition, Lore (Theology), Outdoor Survival, Perception, Pray, Research Talents: Bless (Solkan), Holy Visions, Read/Write, Strong Minded Trappings: Hand Weapon, Symbol of Solkan, Wooden Mask

Priest — Silver 1 Skills: Art (Writing), Gossip, Language (Classical), Leadership, Lore (Politics), Melee (Basic), Talents: Etiquette (Cultists), Hatred (Chaos), Impassioned Zeal, Invoke (Solkan) Trappings: Ceremonial Robes, Goldplated Mask, Staff of Law or Sundial Inquisitor — Silver 3 Skills: Language (Estalian or Tilean), Lore (Chaos), Lore (Torture), Ride (Horse) Talents: Acute Sense (Any), Holy Hatred, Menacing, Strong-minded Trappings: Black Inqusitor’s Attire, Entourage of Acolytes, Instruments of Torture, Riding Horse Grand Inquisitor — Silver 5 Skills: Charm, Entertain (Speeches) Talents: Fearless (Magic Users), Iron Will, Pure Soul, Resistance (Any) Trappings: High Quality Robes, Replica of Solkan’s Amulet, Temple

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MIRACLES OF SOLKAN

Light of Stasis

Range: 4 yards Target: 3 Duration: Fellowship Bonus Rounds You utter a terse prayer to the Gods of Law requesting respite from change. The scene around you is bathed in pale light and all within is trapped in temporary stasis — frozen and unchanging for the duration of the Miracle. All targets cannot act or move in any way — anything affected by the passing of time (falling objects, missiles, injuries, Conditions, etc.) will pause until the end of the Duration.

Below are six Solkanite Miracles. See WFRP page 222 but note, Solkan will not allow a priest with any Sin Points or Corruption Points to work a Blessing or Miracle in his name.

SOLKAN'S BLESSINGS Priests of Solkan can access the following Blessings as per WFRP page 221: Battle, Conscience, Courage, Hardiness, Might, Tenacity

Still the Winds

Range: Fellowship Bonus yards Target: Area of Effect (Fellowship Bonus yards) Duration: Fellowship Bonus Rounds You beseech the Gods of Law to calm the Winds of Magic. For the duration of the spell, within Fellowship Bonus yards, all magic is dispelled, magic items temporarily lose their magical qualities, and Channelling and Casting Tests automatically fail. Second Sight reveals the Winds are inert within the area of effect.

Absolute Purity

Range: You Target: Area of Effect (Fellowship Bonus yards) Duration: Instant With a cry to Solkan, you inflict the Avenger’s wrath on the impure. A wave of cleansing flame washes Fellowship Bonus yards from your person, inflicting agony on all that Solkan abhors. Anything in the area with Undead, Daemon, or Spellcaster Traits, any Sin or Corruption points, or any Arcane Magic, Chaos Magic, or Petty Magic Talent receives 1d10 Wounds, ignoring Toughness and APs — this includes you and any allies or bystanders.

THE GODS OF

LAW The Gods of Law are a spe nt force. Theologians and mystics may invoke their names or hunt for lore in ancient tomes, but these deities are too otherworldly and absolute for the moder n world. The full pantheon remains un fathomable — each god rep res ents an aspect of purity, largely inc ompatible with Human psy cho logy. Perhaps only a cold-blooded , reptilian intelligence cou ld ever truly comprehend their complexit y. Solkan is the only god wh ose role adapted to Human perspectives — the restoration of order an d purity translates readil y int o the need for revenge. Alluminas — The embodim ent of pure stasis, a god of everlasting, immobilising light. Hierop hants of the Light Order occ asionally invoke Alluminas during their rituals and several Lig ht Wizards are actively researching the Gods of Law. Astasis — Also known as Arianka, a deity that rep resents purity of form. During the war wit h the Ruinous Powers, Ar ianka was imprisoned by Tzeentch. Rumours of her earthly loc ati on live on in the folklore of the eastern Old World. It is said that a set of crystal keys can free her from her coffin. Daora — A representation of pure, total knowledge. Sc holars believe Daora is an ancient aspect of Verena. Unnamed Craft Deity — There are hints of an unkn own god in a fragmented scroll found in Magritta. This entity embodied pure creation, the imposition of order on crude matter. The pantheon is symbolis ed by a sundial, which rep resents a fixed point around which the light of the sun procee ds in orderly revolution.

Fist of Vengeance

Range: Fellowship Bonus yards Target: 1 Duration: Instant You call on Solkan to smite those who defy his will. An almighty concussive blast hits your target, inflicting 1d10+WP Bonus Damage, ignoring AP.

Flaming Blade

Range: You Target: You Duration: Fellowship Bonus Rounds Solkan grants your weapon the power of his pitiless fury. If you are wielding a sword, it is wreathed in white hot flames. It becomes a Magical weapon with +6 Damage. Anyone struck by the blade gains +1 Ablaze Condition.

Fury of the Righteous Sun

Range: Fellowship Bonus yards Target: Area of Effect (Fellowship Bonus yards) Duration: Instant You implore your god for total illumination. A blinding light pours from the sun, making it impossible to see. All within Fellowship Bonus yards receive a number of Blinded Conditions equal to your Fellowship Bonus. The searing light also acts as a magic missile with Damage of +2 on all it hits.

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Dark Druids

CULT OF THE OLD FAITH

Ancient tribes that migrated north into the Empire practised many types of spirit-magic, including mortuary rituals that would later influence necromancy. The oldest druidic circles often consist of waystones repurposed into animal totems in the likeness of old southern gods. Mounds and dolmens housing the remains of barrow kings are sometimes guarded by these statues. Over the centuries, witch hunters and Jade Wizards have driven Old Faith druids into obscurity by claiming that their nature gods are truly Chaos daemons.

Seat of Power: None Head of the Cult: None Primary Orders: The Hunt, the Truthseekers Major Festivals: The Summer and Winter Solstices, the Spring and Autumn Equinoxes Popular Holy Books: None Common Holy Symbols: Sigils of the Old Gods, Circles, Triskeles, and Spirals

Worshippers

THE NAMES OF LOST GODS

Seen as the most backwards and bucolic of the Empire’s folk, worshippers of the Old Faith forsake the new gods and live by the ancient traditions. The Old Faith was once ubiquitous throughout the lands that now comprise the Empire, and far beyond. Now it is consigned to the margins and the wilderness, closer to the nature which it reveres and away from the persecution which suppressed the Old Faith over the centuries.

These deities are sometimes worshipped by surviving followers of the Old Faith, though it is a dangerous practice to make mention of them too openly. On one hand the Witch Hunters of the Order of the Silver Hammer do not take kindly to openly uttering names of gods from pantheons they believe best forgotten, but a worse fate may be to fall into the hands of a necromancer, who seeks knowledge of the traditions of old gods to better commune with spirits who inhabit ancient barrows.

There is not any one true Old Faith, it is a collection of beliefs and traditions that date back to the time before the gods as they are currently understood were worshipped.

Goederan, the Mother of the Gods. Goederan is not conceived of as an earthly force, but a cosmic one who gave rise to the gods. She is seen as a rather distant and unrelatable figure, who journeys the skies in her silver chariot.

Adherents of the Old Faith are organised around the family, with long lineages closely associated with Ishernos, the godand-goddess figure seen as governing nature and fertility. The most exalted are the Druidic Families, who see themselves as descendants of Belthani shamans.

Medhe, the Stormlord. Medhe was a very important figure to the folk who settled in the ancient Vorbergland, and many barrows are decorated with his sigil. At one time he may have been a significant god of magic, for many enchanted artefacts, including swords and cauldrons, are said to have been blessed by the Stormlord. He was perhaps the most invoked of the powers of the Old Faith, seen as a more reliably interventionist force than his divine mother.

There are rare individuals in towns and cities who revere the Old Faith, usually from a philosophical standpoint. The Jade Order of wizards was founded by Teclis and took inspiration from the druids’ natural affinity for the wind of Ghyran. There remain members of the Order who hold sympathy with the Old Faith, even studying it to see how its trappings and practices might be of benefit to their own magical workings.

Naiedhe, the Trickster Goddess. Naiedhe is seen as a goddess associated with many petty charms and conjurations. Legends are told of her ability to use magic to confound enemy sorcerers and weave enchantments of her own.

Holy Sites

The holy sites of the Old Faith are the stone circles, dolmens, and cromlechs which stand across the Old World. Followers believe these places of power have belonged to Ishernos since the creation of the world, but they are mistaken. The first Humans to settle the Old World stumbled upon the waystones of the Asur and other older civilisations, sensed their power, and worshipped there. These places remain sacred, even as Asur have explained to select Old Worlders why the stones were erected.

Cailledh, the Goddess of Rage. A battle goddess. Small statues of a warrior woman are occasionally found in barrows and other ancient sites. Scholars suppose that Cailledh may have been a precedent for Myrmidia The God of Death. The nameless deity who rules the watery otherworld where the spirits of living beings are said to pass after death. Little is known of this deity, and it has no formal name or official title, being thought unknowable by those who have not passed on.

Many stone temples have been desecrated over time, whether by Humans, Beastmen, or other creatures. More subtle places of worship go largely undetected. Ponds, grottos, glades, copses and the like serve as hidden sacred sites for the cult. They are only given away by the pooling of power and their circular shape.

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Albion

and the

However, something about the stones also attracted mists and rain, and over a short period of time the fertile land of Albion became a boggy region where few crops grew.

Truthsayers

The island of Albion lies in the Great Ocean to the west of the Old World. It is a mysterious place, shrouded in fog and swathed in wide stretches of stinking peat mire. Little is known of the island, and much of what is said about it is rooted in legend rather than fact. Whilst the sea journey to the island from the Old World is not necessarily long, the mists and squalls that rise up around Albion serve to mislead and confuse all but the most skillful of navigators.

The Truthsayers were isolated. They preferred the safety of their remote Isle to the danger of the outside world and became introverted and reclusive. The Giants of Albion also suffered from their imposed isolation. Centuries of inbreeding dulled their minds. When the danger of Chaos vanished, they became bored and restless and resorted to mindless displays of strength in order to pass away the time. The tribes of men on the island also suffered a similar fate, they degenerated into a race of warring tribesmen and primitive cave dwellers.

Albion is the home of a druidic tradition that bears a degree of similarity, in terms of its aesthetics and rites, to the Old Faith as practiced in certain rural areas of the Old World. However, the tradition underlying the role of Truthsayer is distinct from that of other ancient practices in the Old World.

During all this time the Truthsayers continued to teach a chosen few of each successive generation their secret magic, waiting for the day when their masters would return. Each Truthsayer would be taught in minute detail the ritual ceremonies that were needed to maintain the mists that enveloped the land. They would each learn of the nature of the stones and the offerings that were made so that the magical power of these stones never waned. Over time though the ancient laws were forgotten and although the Truthsayers still practise their art, it is but a shadow compared to the powers that used to be at their command. Some practises still survive, and on nights when Mannslieb is full, the Truthsayers gather and perform ceremonies in order that the mystical energies stay bound to the stones.

The Coming of Chaos

To hear the Truthsayers tell it, once the isle of Albion was a bright and sunny island, where crops grew and the forefathers of Elves, Dwarfs, Humans, and Giants received tutelage from godlike beings on the manner of enlightenment and plans for the development of the world. However, before such lessons could be properly imparted, a great disaster befell the world. Hordes of daemons and other chaotic creatures emanated from the polar wastes of the world and sought to overrun it. The Truthsayers claim that their own founding members instructed the Giants of Albion to construct the Ogham monuments, rings of standing stones possessed of the mystical properties that helped stem the flow of Chaos and spared the world from the depredations of the daemons.

Whilst the practices of the Old Faith may resemble those of the Truthsayers, and work to similar ends, most followers of the Old faith believe in their own pantheons of gods rather than the mysterious architects of Albion.

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The Dwindling

of the

Old Faith

Penances

The Old Faith struggles to survive. The gods and powers associated with the traditions of the Old Faith are long passed out of memory of all but a few stalwarts, and no longer seem to grant miracles or blessings even to their most faithful followers.

The most common penance for Old Faith worshippers is to spend time in the wilderness, alone. This is often welcomed as an opportunity to refresh and reflect rather than seen as a punishment.

The practice of Hedgecraft is assumed by many folk to be an extension of the Old Faith. In fact it is not, but a tradition of spellcraft that has roots of a similar vintage. Hedge Witches may bear a certain aesthetic resemblance to druids, but this is because they prefer rustic clothing and ritual trappings that share an archaic and folksy design. Hedge Witches may well seek out followers of the Old Faith to share in their folklore and ritual practices, but Hedge Witches do regard the followers of the Old Faith as rather reactionary and unwilling to recognise that their gods and goddesses have been superseded.

The most common punitive penance is to be exiled from one’s home, permanently. This is seen as the painful severing of ties with one's very nature.

Strictures

0 0 0 0

Respect all that is natural Never harm an animal except in self-defence or for food Do not disturb the places of power Care for our holy sites, repair them when they are damaged, honour them when they are disrespected 0 Keep the traditions of the Old Faith and see that they do not die

The followers of Taal and Rhya have some sympathies with the followers of the Old Faith. These deities are almost as ancient as the beliefs of the Old Faith, and many theologians suspect that Ishernos, the god-and-goddess of the Belthani, gave rise to Taal and Rhya. The domains of wild nature, and domesticity and agriculture are important aspects of Ishernos that have been split up and embodied in Taal and Rhya. Followers of the other old gods, Manann and Ulric, are ambivalent towards the Old Faith, bearing it no particular enmity, but seeing it as very much a spent force.

PRIESTS OF THE OLD FAITH The following Careers could be taken by Characters who venerate the Old Faith: 0 Nun 0 Priest 0 Warrior Priest

The followers of more recently established cults, such as those of Morr, Shallya, Verena, Myrmidia, and Ranald, are also ambivalent towards the Old Faith, but do regard its practice with more patronising amusement. These are gods and goddesses of civilization and cities, and they have little in common with the folksy rites of Old Faith druids.

However, because the gods of the Old Faith are largely faded and forgotten, the powers available to a follower of the Old Faith are less potent than those available to the followers of other gods. They are more varied in their application, however, as a follower of the Old Faith can appeal to their distant pantheon, rather than to a single jealous deity.

The followers of Sigmar are also inclined to aim mockery and superstition towards followers of the Old Faith. This is usually harmless, if condescending, behaviour, but on occasion followers of the Old Faith have been persecuted as witches by particularly zealous Sigmarite Witch Hunters.

When a follower of the Old Faith gains the Bless (Old Faith) Talent, they are not given six Blessings as the followers of other gods, but may choose whichever six Blessings they like. However, when the Character acquires the Invoke (Old Faith) Talent, they do not learn any Miracles. Instead they may learn an additional Blessing, and may purchase additional Blessings for the same XP cost that a Character with the Invoke Talent would normally spend on extra Miracles.

A tradition of druidic practice is also common to the religious caste of the island of Albion, though this is distinct again from the Old Faith. The Truthsayers of Albion are heirs to a tradition of following the great plan set down when the Old Ones walked the earth. Their practices may resemble the rites of the Old Faith in appearance, but they are far more potent and practical, and have not dwindled with time.

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Hedge witches accept responsibility for the well-being of their neck of the woods; this includes the land as well as the people, for often the two are tightly linked. They are healers, counsellors, and often historians of the little things scholars ignore — names for small springs, local family lineages, and which sow produces the healthiest piglets. When their land and their people call, they are there. Hedge witches survive by the protection and support of their communities, to which they have proven their bond by upholding their responsibilities. If they have to run, their skills keep them safe and fed in the wilderness. Knowing when to run is often a matter of being informed sooner, not later, whether by their communities, or through personal observation and wisdom.

LIVING AT THE HEDGE Hedge witches are defined by three words: community, responsibility, and survival. What these words mean to each hedge witch can differ, but they are all important. Hedge witches are often confused with members of the Old Faith, but whilst the two traditions may share much in common, the dividing line is that the Old Faith is the practice of ancient (and increasingly obsolecent) religion, hedges witches practice ancient (and not so obsolescent) magic.

THE HUNT The Hunt is a loose network of Old Faith followers of the eastern margins of the Empire, especially Talabecland and Ostermark. Knowledge of fellow members is limited to those who live close by, and with such a dispersed membership, communication throughout the Hunt is deathly slow. When sacred sites or cult members are threatened, the Hunt comes together belligerently, to help or exact revenge. Violence is not inherent to the Old Faith, but the Hunt believe that it is the only way to protect against the onslaught of the modern gods.

Most hedge witches bond themselves to groups of people, typically small rural settlements and dispersed farmsteads. Even loners in mountainside hermitages are usually within a day’s travel of a community. Hedge witches on the road tend to their fellow travellers, innkeeps and their patrons, and the coachmen who dare to live a life on the road.

When the Hunt strikes, it does so surgically, then members disappear into the countryside.

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MAGIC AND KNOWLEDGE

History of the Hedge Witches

When the Belthani, the early tribes, first arrived in the lands that would become the Empire, there were hedge witches among the people. Such folk practised their arts openly, brewing potions, crafting charms, and advising tribal chiefs. As the tribes settled in different regions, distinct traditions evolved. In Averland, hedge witches are thought to arise from the rites practised by Brigundian priest-kings; in Nordland and Ostland, there is evidence to suggest that the worship of a nearly forgotten goddess, Halétha the Guardian, gave rise to the customs local hedge witches follow; in nearby Middenland, a divine ‘Chieftain of Cats’, presumed by many to be an antecedent of Ranald, is credited as a divine progenitor; and in Wissenland, folk have come to believe that hedge witches were inspired by Verena, who blessed them with a gift of wisdom and arcane knowledge.

There are no formal schools for the Lore of Hedgecraft. It is a magical tradition passed from teacher to pupil, shared between friends, and traded with trusted acquaintances. Often, a hedge witch comes from a long line of hedge witches, with knowledge handed down, parent to child, generation after generation. Hedge witches without heirs look to siblings’ children or trustworthy and capable offspring from well-liked local families. Inevitably, exceptions exist: the hedge witch who saw and understood the Winds of Magic from childhood; one befriended and taught by a spirit of the fields; another who badgered their local wise woman and proved themself worthy. Effective hedge witches never stop learning. When paths cross, and if they recognise a kindred spirit, they learn from each other, taking the opportunity to share local information and knowledge, both mundane and magical. Hedge witches are wary and careful, but also practical, grasping lucky chances when they appear.

The common threads explain the belief among many hedge witches that they are the beneficiaries of divine favour, carrying down through the centuries a blessing bestowed on them by a deity. They therefore tend to regard themselves as being more like priests than witches. The cults of Ulric, Taal, and, later, Sigmar, always viewed hedge witches with suspicion. The Taluten tribe of Talabecland were evangelical about their devotion to Taal, and tended to regard hedge witches as rivals. Many practitioners of Hedgecraft claimed that the wilds were full of dangers only they could confront, which deepened the divisions between hedge witches and the devotees of Taal. The Teutogens of Middenland worshipped Ulric, God of Wolves, Battle, and Winter. The values of the warrior god clashed with those who resorted to the tricksy ways of the Chieftain of Cats. They too came to distrust the hedge witches.

Mundane knowledge and lore are as important to hedge witches as any spell, frequently more so. People visit hedge witches — and, importantly, trust them — for practical wisdom and advice on many matters, such as farming, herb lore, and child and animal care. They’re often the local historian for events going back generations; they know where the forgotten graveyard is, who was the product of an affair two generations back, and why the old mill was closed down seventy-four summers ago. They enthusiastically grasp any opportunity to learn more about where they live and anything their communities might be exposed to. Imperial wizards often proclaim that knowledge is power; hedge witches know that knowledge is survival.

But it was when the worship of Sigmar spread throughout the Empire that hedge witches began to suffer true persecution. There are hedge witches who claim the trouble grew out of a form of professional jealousy, that Sigmarites were envious of the reputation hedge witches had earned for themselves as guardians of communities. Sigmarites, for their part, simply claim that hedge witches are true witches, twisted by Chaos, and that the wages of Witchcraft are to be burned at the stake. The genuine affection that many rural communities held towards practitioners of Hedgecraft stalled their persecution, but by the Age of Three Emperors in 1547 IC, hedge witches were regularly executed in areas of the Empire where Sigmar or Ulric held sway.

Hedge witches are often first to speak to pedlars and travellers, seeking to know who’s visiting and what news they’re bringing. They are the last to speak to visitors when they leave, keeping up with what everyone has said and bought. They always buy something from vendors, cultivating friendly, trusting relationships, and thereby learning things folk wouldn’t tell just anyone. Consequently, hedge witches often know all about nearby towns, the state of the roads, and noteworthy or infamous folk. (It also means their homes are often full of small items they don’t need and are happy to sell.) However, a good hedge witch seeks to distinguish truth, exaggeration, and outright nonsense in all of their dealings.

By the time of the Great War Against Chaos, witch hunters drew scant distinction between hedge witches and any other sorcerer. Even in Middenheim, where other wizards enjoyed a degree of freedom, hedge witches were persecuted, and across the Empire, Hedgecraft had degenerated into a forbidden, furtive practice.

Keeping an eye and ear open means hedge witches quickly learn of trouble heading for their community. A dishonest trader, a company of greedy soldiers, or an incognito Imperial wizard and entourage searching for potential apprentices: all bring problems with them and are better known of before they arrive.

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IN THE CITY, ON THE ROAD

While the word ‘hedge’ suggests countryside, hedge witches are not limited to villages and forest hermitages. Plenty travel the roads and waterways, working the inns and safe harbours. They become pedlars selling herbs and charms. They travel with carnivals, regaling audiences with tales from folklore. They tend the Reik’s sailors with healing and bone-setting. This is a good and often safe life for a hedge witch. While it exposes them to people who regard them as outsiders, it also keeps them moving, one step ahead of anyone following them. Others establish themselves in towns, even cities, where their skills are just as valuable. With poor sanitation and crowded streets, there are many more sick people than in the fresh air of the countryside. There are plenty of horses that need doctoring, too. City hedge witches know which houses are growing useful herbs in their guttering and which wells are unsafe to drink from. They know the layout of the streets and alleys, the history of the local gangs, and who’s on the rise in the Teamsters’ Guild. Even the Cult of Shallya calls on them. The witch hunter threat remains, but the Physicians’ Guild can be a bigger problem; at least they threaten fines rather than fire. A sensible hedge witch is more than happy with that, as long as their skills are trusted, respected, and called upon. However, common folk who are entirely in the dark are more likely to turn on a hedge witch should the truth emerge. It’s often better that local folk know the truth, but be able to easily brush it aside. A supportive village is better than any secret society.

Those few remaining hedge witches who followed their traditions did themselves no favours in 2304 IC, when Magnus the Pious, at the urging of Teclis, announced amnesties for ‘hedge wizards’ who would be willing to abide by Teclis’s program of tuition. Many hedge witches regarded the broad term, lumping them in together with a motley assortment of seers, illusionists, and conjurors, as an insult, and the imposition of an Elven understanding of magic as unjust. Many opf them rejected Teclis’s offer, and as a result they have remained targets of fear and oppression.

While some hedge witches live outside their communities, in nearby caves and forests, most hide in plain sight. They are farmers, working the land, tending their animals. They may only have a small field or a handful of goats, or just work the baron’s land, but they fit in. Their other skills, while important, are secondary to who they officially are: just another peasant.

Avoiding Persecution

Magic taught outside the Imperial Colleges is outlawed. Even easy-going communities can be turned against a well-liked hedge witch when the crops fail again, or by charismatic, manipulative figures out to cause trouble. For this reason, hedge witches are very cautious when using spellcraft. Instead, they prefer to work magic in the least obvious manner possible. The key to this is their mundane skills: lore, healing, and herbalism.

Alternatively, they could marry a well-established or important figure, usually someone respected and trusted, such as the blacksmith or a farmer known for their honesty and fairness; the pairing combines skills, local usefulness, and popularity, offering greater protection. Practical hedge witches agree that marrying for love is very nice, but mutual fondness and respect are far more valuable in every way.

Petty magic can be disguised as honest knowledge and experience: Purify Water can be seemingly accomplished by the addition of herbs; Spring by dowsing or professed local knowledge and application of a shovel; Animal Friend is down to your likeable nature; Careful Step is simply being comfortable in the wilds; Bearings comes through knowing where the sun rose this morning. Hedge witches are always wise to be ready with a natural explanation for anything they do.

HEDGE MOOTS

Hedge witches isolate themselves from one another to avoid attention, but it was not always so. Upon a time, hedge witches scattered around a region gathered at seasonal hedge moots under a full Mannslieb to share knowledge, gossip, cake, and a few jugs of cider. They celebrated the season and paid respect to local gods and spirits. Moots often took place at sites connected to the Old Faith: stone circles, dolmens, and barrows. Rarely known to outsiders even in the past, such gatherings are unheard of nowadays. There are many hedge witches who seek a way to safely reinstate the tradition.

A hedge witch is rarely called a ‘hedge witch’, because hedge witches get burnt. Even ‘wise woman’ or ‘cunning man’ are risky prospects, though often ignored even by witch hunters. Instead, they are known as the herbalist, midwife, or horse-doctor. This is not just local folk being discreet to avoid accusations of harbouring a witch. Sometimes they are honestly unaware magic is at work.

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Other Hedgefolk are expert craftsmen, able to fashion elaborate charms and talismans for various purposes. Lastly, the relatively unknown hedge walkers are masters of the spirit world, known for their ability to ‘walk the hedge’, the boundary between the physical and the immaterial.

THE LORE OF HEDGECRAFT Hedgecraft has been practised for uncounted centuries in the Old World. During this time, several distinct traditions have formed. Arguably the most famous are the so-called ‘cunning folk’ or ‘wise ones’, practitioners of folk magic known for their skills at warding against any evil, be it disease, mischievous spirits, or the influence of other witches.

Dagger of the Art

CN: 4 Range: You Target: You Duration: Willpower Bonus Rounds You grasp a stick no longer than eight inches in length and transform it into a magical weapon. This counts as a dagger that possesses the Magical Quality. The Dagger of the Art is particularly potent when wielded against enemies with the Ethereal or Corrupted Creature Traits. It inflicts Damage of SB + 8 to these foes. You can retain the Dagger of the Art after the duration ends by passing a Challenging (+0) Channelling Test each round thereafter.

ALTERNATIVE SKILLS AND TALENTS The Hedge Witch Career emphasises herbalism. You could also consider a Hedge Witch to be an animal doctor. Players who want to demonstrate this can swap Lore (Herbs) for Animal Care, Trade (Herbalist) for Animal Training, Trade (Charms) for Charm Animal, Craftsman for Hardy, and Master Craftsman (Herbalist) for Robust. A first tier Hedge Witch should have Secret Signs (Hedge Witch) and Language (Belthani) along with other Skills. This enables a travelling hedge witch to spot local ones and vice versa, impart warnings of dangers, and share information such as where useful herbs grow and where dangers might lurk.

Fellstave

CN: 9 Range: See text Target: See text Duration: 1 month When you first learn the Fellstave spell, choose a target creature type from the following list: Beastmen (including Minotaurs and Centigors, but not Skaven), Daemons, Orcs and Goblins, Ogres, Fimir, Trolls, or Undead. GMs are encouraged to add other creatures to this list as they see fit. You may learn this spell multiple times for the same XP cost as any other new spell, choosing a new target creature type each time. In order to cast this spell you must whittle a Fellstave, a post of wood no shorter than three feet in length and four inches in diameter. Carving warding symbols into the wood and chanting ancient words of power, you demand that all foulness flee your righteous spell. The Fellstave is driven into the ground and then the spell is cast. If the spell succeeds, for the following month, the Fellstave acts as a ward against the chosen creature. If any creature matching your chosen type draws within 100 yards, they must make a Challenging (+0) Cool Test or receive a Broken Condition. Creatures who recover from Broken Conditions must make a Challenging (+0) Intuition Test. If they fail, they realise that the Fellstave caused them to experience a magically induced panic, which may mean they avoid it in future, or seek to have it destroyed.

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Goodwill

You may also return to your body and touch it to end the spell. If your body is killed while you are walking the Hedge, your spirit wanders aimlessly for eternity.

CN: 0 Range: You Target: AoE (Fellowship Bonus yards) Duration: Willpower Bonus Rounds You create an atmosphere conducive to friendliness and good spirits. All Fellowship Tests within the Area of Effect receive a bonus of +10, and Animosity and Hatred Psychologies have no effect.

Nepenthe

CN: 0 Range: Touch Target: Special Duration: The drink lasts Willpower Bonus hours, its effects are permanent You must have a cup or other drinking vessel at hand to cast this spell. As you chant the incantations, a thick mist issues from your mouth and coalesces in the cup as a thick silver liquid. If a person drinks the liquid, they immediately forget all they know of a given individual of their choice.

Invigorate

CN: 2 Range: Touch Target: 1 Duration: Willpower Bonus Rounds Your spell invigorates your target’s body. The target ignores all Fatigued Conditions for the duration.

Nostrum

CN: 0 Range: Touch Target: Special Duration: Willpower Bonus hours You incant a spell over a prepared draught, imbuing it with magical power. If drunk while the spell is in effect, the target immediately heals your Willpower Bonus in Wounds and is cured of one disease of the spellcaster’s choice. For every +2 SL on your Casting Test, the draught cures an extra disease.

Lovelock

CN: 10 Range: Touch Target: See text Duration: Until midnight You must have a cup or other drinking vessel at hand to cast this spell. You utter the secret words of Hedgecraft, and as you do so, honey drips from your lips, which you catch in the cup. If someone drinks the philtre, it causes them to fall in love with the first person they would find romantically appealing, if any at all.

Part the Branches

CN: 0 Range: You Target: You Duration: Willpower minutes Your pupils dilate as you complete your incantation, allowing you to see into the spirit world. This allows you to perceive invisible creatures, spirits, and Daemons.

Mirkride

CN: 0 Range: You Target: You Duration: Willpower Bonus minutes Speaking ancient words of magic, your spirit leaves your body, stepping into the Hedge, the dark space between the material world and the spirit realm. For the duration, you stand apart from the world, able to witness it visibly, but not affected in any way. Physical barriers are no impediment to you, and you may walk through non-magical obstacles.

Protection Pouch

CN: 5 Range: Touch Target: See text Duration: 1 week + 1 week per SL In order to cast this spell you must possess a small pouch, crafted from the body of a small animal such as a bat or shrew. As you incant the words of the spell, a small crop of strange purple herbs grows at your feet. You can harvest these herbs and place them into the pouch.

Your spirit form possesses all the Characteristics, Skills, and Talents you had as a physical being, but you are completely invisible and silent to anyone on the physical plane. You are immune to non-magical damage. You may not interact with physical objects but may cast spells which do. The following creatures are visible to you, and you may interact with them: invisible creatures, spirits, ethereal creatures, and Daemons.

If a person wears the herb-filled pouch around their neck, they benefit from +1 SL to any Cool Tests they make to resist supernatural effects, including Fear and Terror caused by Undead creatures and Daemons. They also benefit from +1 SL to Endurance Tests made to resist contracting diseases or suffering from Poisoned Conditions.

Your body remains in place, immobile and insensate, suffering from the Prone Condition. At the end of the spell, you are pulled suddenly back to your body.

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Protective Charm

Sightstep

CN: 0 Range: Touch Target: Special Duration: Willpower Bonus days You imbue a charm such as a small piece of jewellery or pocketsized trinket with a spell of protection. Those bearing the charm gain the Magic Resistance Talent. If they already have that Talent, the charm does nothing.

CN: 7 Range: You Target: You Duration: Willpower Bonus minutes This useful spell has saved the lives of many hedge witches. You incant a short invocation which dampens your own magical nature, obscuring yourself from those able to sense the Winds. Those with the Magical Sight Talent notice nothing strange about you, and you gain a bonus of +2 SL to any Stealth Tests you make to hide from Daemons, spirits, and ethereal creatures. You may not cast magic yourself while the spell is in effect, and may not dispel or channel.

Silvertide

CN: 4 Range: You Target: You Duration: 1d10 hours You proclaim a charm that provides you with the luck to find lost coins. Over the course of the duration, you find pennies on the ground, at the bottom of forgotten pockets and hems, behind ears, under cushions, and so on. By the time the spell is finished you will have discovered 1d10 pennies.

The Ousting

CN: 8 Range: Willpower Bonus yards Target: 1 Duration: 1d10 years You incant words of banishment, demanding that a creature from beyond the Hedge return to its place of origin. One creature with the Ethereal or Daemonic Trait within range must pass a Challenging (+0) Willpower Test or suffer a number of Wounds equal to your Willpower Bonus. If this reduces them to 0 Wounds or fewer, they are immediately banished from the physical world, unable to return for the duration.

Wyrd Ward

CN: 4 Range: Touch Target: 1 Duration: Willpower Bonus hours Hedge witches are no friends of those who work with Dhar, and witches and warlocks are amongst their oldest foes. A hedge witch can grasp a witch and declare this quick curse, depriving them of their connection to corrupt magical energy. After casting the spell, you must succeed on an Opposed Willpower Test with the target. If you win, the target suffers –2 SL to any Language (Magick) or Channelling Tests made to cast spells from the Lores of Witchcraft, Necromancy, Daemonology, or any Chaos Lore for the duration.

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THE CULT OF RHYA

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Depictions of Rhya represent her as a tall, gracious woman, often heavy with child and wearing a crown of barley and wheat. Artists often show her accompanied by handmaidens, spirits of nature and minor goddesses who serve her on earth. While Rhya is kind, she is not merciful like Shallya. Those who harm youngsters, neglect the land, or forget to sacrifice to Rhya should expect cold anger.

Humans have always needed sustenance from the earth, and love and healthy offspring in the home. As goddess of summer, fertility, and the harvest, Rhya protects people and their families from starvation and keeps them together through times of strife. Followers thank Rhya for every healthy birth, every harmonious union, and every bounteous harvest. She is a god of plenty, but never excess. Properly honoured, Rhya brings sustenance but does not reward greed. She blesses lovers with romantic intimacy rather than compulsion or domination. Rhya’s opposition to the Dark Prince Slaanesh is rooted in the distinction between bounty and indulgence.

Rhya is the consort and equal of Taal, King of Nature. Their relationship is harmonious, although neither is monogamous and both have children with other gods. Mortals see a tension between Rhya’s domestication of crops and livestock and Taal’s dominion over the wild. Devotion to Rhya is greatest where her beneficence is most needed, in the countryside, amongst the fields and farms. Ancient stone circles and oghams are her temples, some dating to a time before Humans even came to the Old World.

Each year, Rhya’s followers herald the coming of summer and the passing of Ulric’s winter rule. Later, as the nights draw in, Rhya relinquishes the land to the Wolf God, as she knows life must rest to be renewed in the spring.

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FOUNDATION OF THE CULT

MYTHS OF RHYA Bringer of Life

Rhya’s devotees have always been simple folk who live from the land, so written histories of the cult are rare and unreliable. Oral traditions are little better, as they evolve and change to suit the listener rather than present literal truth.

The earth was once barren of life and cold underfoot. The maiden Rhya was so beautiful that the Lord of the Sun gave her a gift of warmth and light. Where she walked on the ground, the soil gave forth grasses, flowers, trees and fruit. As she sang, the animals climbed from the soil. When men and women came, she promised that they and the soil would be fruitful if they showed her due respect.

The most primitive Humans that first migrated to the Old World needed to stave off hunger and to find shelter from predators and the cold. They venerated a god known as Ishernos, who represented respect and fear of nature and provided protection from the harsh world. Theologians posit that this god later split into Taal and Rhya, with the latter bestowing the blessings of spring and summer — new life and food foraged and hunted from the land.

The Taming of Nature

It was a time of famine. The berries and roots had withered and the creatures of Taal eluded even the most skilled hunter’s spear. Every stomach was empty and men, women, and children grew weak and died. Rhya sent her handmaidens Rigga and Vidagg to the women of the tribe. They brought sheaves of wheat and docile aurochs, and whispered secrets of taming the wild. But they kept their voices low so that King Taal would not hear.

As the tribes gave up their nomadic lives to settle, they revered her as the Earth Mother, who is said to have brought the secret of agriculture. The Belthani, as the earliest Human tribes are called, believed that Rhya gave them the gift of domesticated grain, tamed animals, and the secrets of farming. In gratitude, the Belthani venerated Rhya at the mysterious stone circles they discovered across the land. A rudimentary priesthood developed from the women who guarded the secrets given by Rhya.

Fruit of the Goddess

When the world was young, Rhya and Taal fell in love. They were joined beneath the bowers of a great oak tree. From their union came stormy Manann and countless spirits of forest, meadow, and valley. Neither Taal nor Rhya constrained the other, and the goddess gave birth to many offspring with other gods. It is said that the first of the Menogoth tribe were the children of Rhya with a mortal man.

Some scholars think Rhya is a modern incarnation of the goddess venerated by the Old Faith. Others consider her the first civilising god, bringing settlement and order to the capriciousness of nature. As more tribes settled, those who depended most on farming favoured Rhya over the other primal gods. The Asoborns, Bretonni, the Brigundians and the Menogoths gave the goddess special reverence. The Taleuten tribe gave Taal a dominant role, but worshipped Rhya as his divine consort.

Nature and Nurture

A woman, heavy with child, was lost in the woods. Ulric claimed her fate was his to decide, for she was in the domain of his pack. His brother Taal declared that the wild must be free to do as it will. Only Rhya stood in defiance of her consort and his brother. She showed them the she-wolf defending its cubs. She showed them the eagle feeding eaglets in the nest. She showed them that even the serpent warms its new-hatched young. Ulric and Taal softened, bowed to Rhya, and she guided the mother back to her hearth.

Even the fiercest warrior king saw the need to stave off famine and ensure healthy births. When Sigmar established his Empire, the worship of Rhya remained important, but increasingly removed from urban centres of power. The cult never formalised, and while priests of Ulric, Taal, and later Sigmar wrestled with the politics of the new Empire, Rhya’s cult remained pragmatic and focused on the eternal earthbound concerns that had always been her dominion. When Gilles le Breton united Bretonnia, Rhya’s cult was displaced by the Lady amongst the ruling classes. But peasants stayed loyal to the fertility goddess and several Empire scholars have scoffed that the ‘Lady’ is clearly a misinterpretation of Rhya by people who eat too much cheese

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Worship of Rhya is more rarefied in the cold provinces of the north, where it is harder to eke life from the land. Nordlanders who live close to the Laurelorn Forest practice an archaic form of worship, which they believe is closer to how the Earth Mother was revered by the first people in the Empire. In the forests of the north, Rhya is occasionally venerated as Haleth, a patron of hunting.

THE CULT IN THE EMPIRE Rhya is well-loved by the people of the Empire, although those in towns and cities give the goddess little thought until they need her blessing — to ease childbirth, fill the granaries and markets, or bring an end to a harsh winter. Priestesses visit larger settlements to attend to expectant mothers, but they are reluctant to spend long hemmed in by walls and stone.

Aspects

Rhya’s true heartlands are the villages and farmsteads of the Empire’s countryside, where her beneficence is essential to survival and prosperity. Rustic life is said to be ‘under Rhya’s care’ for good reason. If you live in the countryside, she accompanies you from birth, as you grow, find love, marry and bear children of your own. Even at death she hands your soul to Morr and, in some traditions, expects your body to be buried to sustain future life from the soil.

The Daughters of Rhya — An eminently practical tendency in the cult, these priestesses and nuns are the guardians of Rhya’s Wisdom, an oral tradition related to childbirth. All have given birth at least once in their lives and dedicate themselves as midwives and counsellors for mothers-to-be. In private, they advise women on how to avoid unwanted pregnancy and how to deal with abusive partners. Rhya supposedly whispers in her Daughters’ ears when a birth of great importance is imminent.

The Cult of Rhya does not build grand temples, but there are a handful of abbeys scattered across the land. Older priestesses preside here as prioresses, surrounded by Rhyan nuns and acolytes who tend to their livestock and herb gardens.

the

Goddess

The Bringers of Bounty — The most prevalent Rhyan practice is that of the Bringers of Bounty. These priestesses perform rituals of fecundity for crops and livestock, and lead festivals and public rites at the equinoxes, usually in partnership with Taal’s priests. These are spiritual leaders of their communities and dispensers of down-to-earth advice on matters of farming, the heart, and the family.

The most exalted priestesses are known as Hierarchs or Green Watchers. These women have risen to prominence for their devotion to Rhya and the deeds they do in her name. They travel with an entourage of subservient priestesses who have chosen to learn from them.

Across

of the

The Cult of Rhya does not have sects or orders like the Empire’s other cults. However, there are tendencies and informal bands of priestesses who favour specific aspects of the goddess:

Land

The Corn Mothers — This is a clandestine coven within the cult, who meet in secret to preserve Rhya’s greatest mysteries, those which are not shared outside her priesthood. When they convene, the Corn Mothers don masks woven from wheat stalks to hide their identities.

In the southern Empire, Rhya is treated with the utmost respect, particularly in rural Stirland. The other breadbasket provinces, Averland and Wissenland, draw much of their prosperity and influence from fruitful orchards and dairy farms. The southern nobility respect the priestesses and holy sites of Rhya more than any others in the Empire — the memory of failed harvests hangs heavy over even the most uncaring ruler. In the eastern Empire, Rhya’s worship is associated with and subsumed into the cult of Taal. The people of Talabecland, Ostermark, and Ostland relegate her to a role subservient to her consort’s more politically-influential cult. Priestesses within the eastern Cult of Taal and Rhya sometimes bristle at their position and have occasionally retreated into older, more primal religious practices, away from the eyes of the priests of Taal. The provinces of the populous west treat Rhya as a rustic goddess, revered in her place. In the Suden Vorbergland, she is given special regard because the locals believe the region’s flourishing population have been blessed by Rhya. In the Reikland she is associated with Dyrath, a goddess from the Hägercrybs. Dyrath may be an aspect of Rhya, one of her handmaidens, or another fertility goddess entirely.

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Beyond

the

The Blessed Phoebe

Empire

A historical priestess immortalised in the Divine Dialogues — a rare example of Rhyan doctrine in text which was first published in 1782 IC. In the book, Phoebe debates with the Morrite priest Ortus Szich on the matter of life and death. They disagree over whether the rebirth of crops from the soil is akin to necromancy. Phoebe comes across as a quick-witted and erudite peasant to Szich’s dry rhetorician.

In Tilea, Rhya is known as Ishea and is shown in the garb of an ancient Tilean woman of high birth. Priestesses have more mystique than their Empire counterparts and their rites are more secretive. In northern Tilea, Rhya is a determined protector of granaries against the attentions of rats. In Bretonnia, peasants typically favour Rhya over Taal and every village has a shrine to the goddess. The ruling classes dismiss her followers as primitive rustics. The priests of Shallya sometimes ally with Rhyans to protect children from being taken by the Fay. Such practice is outlawed and punished by Damsels of the Lady if discovered.

Baron Harvan von Heine

Born in 2219 IC, this Averlander noble favoured Rhya above all other gods and grew powerful on the abundant yields from his holdings. He welcomed priestesses to his estates near Pfunzig. Von Heine had many children and his descendents still venerate Rhya and provide mercenaries to defend her temples.

Explorers have returned from Lustria telling of ruins carved with a tall female figure wearing an elaborate headdress, quite unlike the reptilian creatures that rule the jungles. They have called this figure Rhya, but her true identity is obscure.

Mother Jeska Schopf

PERSONALITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THE CULT

Schopf is the current Green Watcher of the Reikland, based in the temple in Altdorf. She represents the goddess on the Emperor’s Grand Conclave, although she has an aversion to politics. If she hears of possible famine or unnatural births in the Reikland, she calls on priestesses and itinerant bands of adventurers to investigate. For more on the Temple of Rhya in the capital, see Altdorf: Crown of Empire.

The Green Watcher

Katrinelya, Hierarch of Rhya

The original Green Watcher is a shadowy historical figure, perhaps a number of women rather than one individual. The tribes united by Sigmar all had traditions of a very tall woman who travelled the land, bringing them seeds, taming beasts, and clearing stone circles for Rhya’s worship. She gave tribal chieftains artefacts that promoted harmony and good fortune for their people.

Hierarch of the cult in western Talabecland and companion of Niev, hierarch of Taal, Katrinelya is influential amongst locals, as she is a compelling speaker and closely allied with the political power of her husband’s cult. Although both appear old, they are nimble and graceful in their movement. In recent times, their gods have appeared to them in dreams, drawing them west to the southern Reikwald Forest for an unknown divine purpose.

Mother Frasach

STRICTURES AND BELIEFS

Commencing in 1623 IC, a terrible famine afflicted the land divided by the Age of Three Emperors. In deepest Stirland, Mother Frasach led a month-long ritual to banish the blight affecting the crops, to feed the land and restore life throughout the southern Empire. Many were saved by Frasach’s actions. The ritual involved certain unsavoury practices, but none questioned such a miraculous event.

Rhya’s strictures (WFRP page 209) are sacrosanct for all priestesses and devout followers of the goddess. The welfare of families, children, crops, and livestock are paramount, as is the sanctity of life and love. The core of this belief is passed down by oral tradition and practical worship, so priestesses and worshippers learn prayers and religious practice by observation and imitation. While the strictures are consistent, there are localised variations in beliefs and rites, as traditions are passed down by venerable priestesses. Her followers believe that Rhya is ever-present between Mitterfruhl and Mittherbst. When the breeze moves across a field of wheat or barley, they believe that she is moving across the land. In Wissenland and the Vorbergland they say that statues of Rhya come to life before dawn and breathe on the soil to invigorate it. If one sees Rhya walking abroad, they will find new love before the next summer solstice.

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All rural communities believe that they must put something back into the earth to repay Rhya for her generosity. This sacrifice could be the first reaping from the fields, the first fruit to ripen, or the firstborn to the village livestock. In secluded locations, sacrifice may be more sinister. Persistent rumours abound of blood and even human life given in exchange for Rhya’s blessings. Sacrifices must be something which can provide sustenance to growing life — Rhya has no interest in gold or material wealth. Fish and wild animals are also forbidden, as they belong to Manann and Taal respectively.

WORSHIP

Rhyans believe that all love is sacred when it brings fulfilment to those involved. They protect lovers from disapproval by others, providing the partners treat one another with respect. Priestesses officiate at rural weddings and sometimes in larger towns. The marriage ceremony is the symbolic joining of two people. The rites vary across the Old World. In the most common, the priestess binds the wrists of both parties with mistletoe, while they make pledges of faith and dedication.

As a goddess of the summer and fertility, worship of Rhya is inherently seasonal, like the waxing and waning of life. During winter, rites tend to be quiet and solitary, chiefly concerned with childbirth and the family. There are invocations to Rhya to intercede with Ulric to relinquish the land when spring comes. In Wissenland, followers believe that Rhya descends into the soil in winter, to nurture dormant life while her handmaidens warm livestock in their barns.

Most people who work on the land worship Rhya. Farmers, herbalists, midwives, traders in foodstuffs, lovers, hedge witches — all desire the blessings of the goddess of fertility, life, and summer. Her worship is woven into the fabric of rural life and her presence is constant. People attend formal rituals at specific times in the season, but it is normal to mutter prayers, invocations, and thanks to Rhya throughout the day.

From spring to autumn, rites are conducted in the open. Wheatfields, ancient oghams, and stone circles play host to timeworn, familiar, and joyful rituals. Singing is common, with dances and laughter following prayer. Children and young folk often play a key role in the rites, embodying new life.

WHEN THE CROPS FAIL

Rhya is one of the more benevolent gods, but when livestock are stricken with illness or the crops wither through drought or disease, worshippers find themselves at her mercy. Sacrifices become more desperate. Villages have starved to death after overzealous worshippers burned all their stocks of food to win Rhya’s favour. Peasants seek to blame one another for bringing down Rhya’s curse, and violence or murder can easily follow. 

Flowers and fruit are draped from wooden statues of the goddess. There are countless regional variations; for example, the Rite of the Hare in Averland is louder and more spontaneous than in Ostland, where villagers practice their songs for many weeks in advance.

The Corn Mothers protect secret beliefs which are unknown outside their covens. The practice of bringing new life into the world is rife with mystery and they have a sophisticated understanding of reproduction and inheritance beyond that of most Human scholars. They also have insight into truths about the gods which would bring the Witch Hunters should they become known.

In towns and cities, prayers to Rhya are limited mainly to those wishing for harmony in romance or healthy children — although Shallya often supplants Rhya for the latter. Stirland is different, as Rhyan festivities and ceremonies are part of urban life in Wurtbad, Hornau, and the other towns in the province. During times of famine (including the hungry months of the summer, before harvest time) even the most sophisticated burgher offers a small sacrifice or prayer to Rhya.

Rhyans are strident in opposing the Prince of Excess, who corrupts what the goddess protects. Slaanesh takes love and simple bodily pleasures and twists them into cruel mockeries of Rhya’s sacred purview. There is a fine balance between Rhya’s provision of abundance and Slaanesh’s craving for excess. Priestesses learn how to temper the appetites of their followers to keep them from corruption.

Rhya is sometimes worshipped in ceremonies paired with other gods, celebrations of Taal and Rhya being by far the most common. In some regions, priests of Morr and Rhya conduct joint services to commemorate the passing and revival of life. In the north, priests of Rhya and Ulric exchange gifts at the equinoxes to symbolise the passing of summer and winter.

Rhyans are rarely zealots, but there are extremes of faith. The Celebrants are cultists who worship Taal and Rhya and seek to live close to nature, worshipping through consumption of strange herbs and intoxicants to help them commune with their gods. The Celebrants reject civilisation; their appearance becomes savage and many die from exposure or the attentions of wild creatures.

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MAJOR FESTIVALS

RELATIONS WITH OTHERS Taal — As King and Queen of the northern gods, Taal and Rhya’s cults have a strong mutual alliance and usually present a united front. There are tensions, where Taalites tend to dominate the Cult of Rhya rather than treat it as an equal.

Mitterfruhl — ‘Spring Growth’

The spring equinox is the beginning of Rhya’s time in the year. Winter is over, green shoots emerge from the soil, and animals start the mating season. The goddess shares this day with her consort Taal and her son Manann, all of whom expect sacrifice.

On a spiritual level there can be conflict between the two cults wherever domesticated animals are predated by wild beasts. However, as both cults tend to sympathise with one another this rarely proliferates beyond genial banter.

The Mitterfruhl rites to Rhya take place in the fields, where the priestess and gathered worshippers sing songs to implore their goddess for a fruitful year. A portion of food left over from winter stores is ploughed back into the earth and fed to livestock as a sacrifice. That night, those who hope that this year will bring them new love or children lay gifts for Rhya at her shrines and stone circles. These are personal to the petitioner, but woven garments, loaves of bread, and figures carved from fruit are common offerings.

Manann — Rhyans respect followers of the goddess’s son Mannan and they recognise one another’s domains of land and sea as separate but interdependent. That said, like any disappointed mother, Rhyan priestesses quietly disapprove of Manann’s moods and indifference to suffering. Ulric — Taal’s brother is close to Rhya and the two have a familial bond, deeply significant to her followers. Priests have solemn respect for the turning of seasons, as Rhya hands the land to Ulric at the autumn equinox and he returns it to her at the beginning of spring.

Sonnstill

The summer solstice is Rhya’s holiest day and the longest day of the year, when the goddess is at her most radiant, summer is at its height, and the sun appears to hang in the sky. In villages across the Old World, peasants enjoy a festival of celebration and fertility. They bedeck their cottages with flowers, erect a maypole on the green and spend the day dancing, singing, and praising Rhya.

Sigmar — the Empire’s cult pays its respect to Rhya more in theory than practice. They know the old gods were important to the ancient Unberogens, but see the modern cult as backward and potentially a dubious influence on the simple folk of the Empire. Rhyans occasionally step up to defend rustic folk being persecuted by zealous Sigmarites.

Each village has its own traditions for celebrating Sonnstill, which may be alarming or bizarre to outsiders. For example, in Nordland’s Rol valley, worshippers flatten spiral paths in fields of growing maize. A sacrificial goat is led through the spiral to the centre, where it is killed, its blood drained into the soil and the body roasted and eaten. In southern Stirland, a she-goat plays a more illustrious role as it is crowned ‘Queen of the Farm’ and encouraged to join the dancing. At sunset, as the light fades, festivities take a more sombre tone. Lovers sneak off for privacy and a priestess leads revellers in songs tinged with apprehension that Rhya may abandon them before the harvest.

Shallya — The two goddesses have a relationship of mutual support, as Shallyans often adopt traditionally Rhyan roles in towns and cities — overseeing childbirth and protecting mothers and children. They unite in opposition to Nurgle, who can infect crops and livestock just as he does Humanity. Isha — Rhyans do not understand the Elves’ relationship with their goddess of nature, fertility, and life, but those who know of Isha see her as kin to Rhya. The Asur, Eonir, and Asrai recognise Rhya as an imperfect Human interpretation of Isha and, uncharacteristically for the elder folk, they treat this with respect rather than condescension.

Mittherbst — ‘Less Growth’

At the autumn equinox, Rhya relinquishes the year to Ulric. Worshippers build bonfires, on which they burn some of the year’s harvest in gratitude to Rhya and to ask that stocks last the winter. In Wissenland, a man dresses head-to-toe in an outfit made from stalks and fruit tree twigs. This character parades through the village and past farms, its purpose lost to history.

Esmerelda, Hyacinth, and Josias — Halflings don’t treat their gods with the solemnity that Humans do, but they recognise a decent goddess in Rhya. Likewise, the Cult of Rhya see some of the prominent Halfling gods as reflections of aspects of their goddess, and therefore to be treated with esteem — even in Stirland, where Halflings can be particularly irritating.

At sundown, the women of the village take the last remnants of the harvest and weave them into a small humanoid effigy, a symbolic vessel for the spirits of the crops to shelter in during winter. This effigy is brought into a farmhouse until spring, when it is buried back in the earth.

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The Old Faith — Rhyans have a complex relationship with the Old Faith practised in the most remote corners of the Empire. Adherents of the Old Faith treat Rhya as the Earth Mother and therefore central to their own beliefs. More hostile druids see her as a betrayal of nature, tethering it to the needs of Humans and therefore disrespecting the earth.

The Röten Gorge — A shallow gorge carves a path through the hills between Eigenhof and Rötenbach in Wissenland. From spring to autumn, the slopes are a sea of flowers of all hues. These provide nectar to the many beehives lining the slopes. Rhyan nuns tend to the bees and collect the sweet red-tinged honey.

Ahalt the Drinker — a primitive fertility god that predates Sigmar’s coming, bloodthirsty Ahalt’s cult has recently reemerged in the south. His priests burn prisoners in wicker men at Mittherbst and revel in feeding their dark god, who demands Human sacrifice. Ahalt loathes Taal and Rhya for usurping his rule — if their priests and priestesses are captured, they make particularly pleasing sacrifices for Ahalt. The priestesses of Rhya want to suppress the cult of Ahalt — it is anathema. Even worse, some of the cult’s rituals can be mistaken for Rhyan rites.

Biberhof — the village of Biberhof in Stirland is enclosed within a broad circle of oghams, with two more concentric rings running around the village green and through the grassy lanes between cottages. The whole village is a site sacred to Rhya. Each Sonstill, a colossal leafy likeness of the goddess is driven through the streets on a cart and erected at the heart of the village. A small barracks on the outskirts houses a company of the White Swords, a warrior society who swear to protect Taal and Rhya’s holy sites, with no official recognition by the cults.

SACRED SITES AND RELICS

Most priestesses of Rhya come from humble stock, drawn to her priesthood by a natural affinity with animals, ‘green fingers’ with plants, or a powerful drive to care for the young and expectant mothers. They are part of their communities, marrying, bearing and raising children, and helping with the daily tasks of rural life. They usually have large families and many a Rhyan priestess has inherited their calling from their parent.

Holy sites dedicated to Rhya are typically ancient. Many were erected by Asur colonists or the Old Faith for mysterious purposes lost to time. The Ring of the Maiden — Ten miles north of Wolfsbach in Stirland, surrounded by miles of fields rich with grain, there is a low circular rise ringed with standing stones. A spiral labyrinth is cut into the turf, ascending to the crest, where a stone slab is surmounted with a wooden statue of Rhya.

The Cult of Rhya has no formal hierarchy. It is a community of priestesses spread across the land, respected for their close and personal relationship with the goddess. Initiates are chosen by priestesses from their flock, typically once they have passed through puberty. They learn prayers, rites, and stories from their guardian priestess, helping with the physical and spiritual demands of life in the faith. When the initiate is ready for priesthood, their guardian declares this to the local community.

This is one of Rhya’s most sacred sites in the Empire. Priestesses travel from many miles to make offerings and commune with the goddess. Even passing Elves pay tribute to the site, although they keep their reasons to themselves. Sacred Pool of the Mother — East of Wolfenburg is a shallow basin fringed with fruit trees and a round pool with clear green water. Submerged in the centre of the pool is an ogham, swathed in pond weed. The priests of Taal and Rhya in Ostland conduct Mitterfruhl rites standing in the shallows. The hierarch of Ostland, Ludmilla Giesling presides here. Karlsbaum Monastery — Deep in the Reikwald, near Grunwald, is an abandoned monastery amongst the trees. The gnarled trees are apple, pear, and plum trees grown wild. The undergrowth consists of root vegetables, herbs, and plants from more exotic climes. The monastery itself is fashioned from living flora which thrives in the uncanny warmth and persistent bright sun of this spot. While the monastery is deserted, the spirit of Rhya pervades the land and priestesses visit to pray in seclusion.

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PRIESTESS OF RHYA

‘Mother Hanna looks out for us, she does. My youngest wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for her. She gave my other half the courage to propose, then she wed us by the standing stone. She made sure the village didn’t go hungry and then she brought the little beast into the world, screaming his lungs out fit to burst. I guess Rhya must have wanted me to have all eight… more’s the pity.' — Heldira Klempf, Stirlander Matriarch

Human

You are a vessel for the Earth Mother’s wishes and blessings amongst the mortals who depend on her beneficence for comfort and survival. Priestesses of Rhya live amongst the common folk. They wander between farms, villages, and sacred sites, talking with people, offering blessings, and keeping a close eye on the land and the pastoral care of their flock. People depend on them to stave off famine, bring new life into the world, and give practical advice on love and matters of the family.

‘I’ll be honest, she scares me a bit. Doesn’t suffer fools and I worry that if the crops fail again she’ll resort to more drastic measures than killing a few sheep.' — Rolf Thaler, Headman of Hochloff

PRIESTESS OF RHYA ADVANCE SCHEME WS

BS

S

T h

I

Ag

Dex

Int

WP

Fel

h

h

Career Path

h Initiate — Brass 2

Skills: Animal Care, Charm Animal, Endurance, Gossip, Intuition, Lore (Local), Lore (Theology), Outdoor Survival, Perception, Pray Talents: Bless (Rhya), Holy Visions, Orientation, Suave Trappings: Practical Tunic and Robes, Symbol of Rhya (wheatsheaf or spiral)

Priestess — Silver 1 Skills: Charm, Cool, Entertain (Singing), Heal, Intimidate, Lore (Herbs), Talents: Etiquette (Cultists), Gregarious, Invoke (Rhya), Read/Write Trappings: Carved Staff, Healing Poultice, Trade Tools (Herbalist) High Priestess — Silver 3 Skills: Entertain (Storytelling), Leadership, Lore (Spirits), Stealth (Rural) Talents: Coolheaded, Impassioned Zeal, Pure Soul, Strong-minded Trappings: Entourage of Priestesses and/or Initiates, Quality Robes, Sacred Site

Green Watcher — Silver 5 Skills: Lore (Medicine), Navigation Talents: Commanding Presence, Field Dressing, Public Speaker, Tenacious Trappings: Entourage of Nuns and Priestesses, Riding Horse

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A procession accompanies them to a sacred site for the ordination ceremony and the initiate is bestowed with a girdle woven from flowers. The congregants are invited to feast with celebration and dancing — a popular event for locals.

SPIRITS OF THE LAND Priestesses can tame and command spirits of nature that embody domesticated wilderness — the plants, animals, and places where the wild has been tamed by Rhya in service of Humanity.

Priestesses progress in the cult by learning from older priestesses, who share their wisdom and affinity with Rhya. Sometimes the priestesses’ calling takes them away from their communities to follow mysterious paths ordained by Rhya. They usually fall in with other travellers and adventurers, seeking to bring their goddess’s blessings to new regions. There are no Warrior Priests or Witch Hunters of Rhya.

GMs are encouraged to invent their own domesticated spirits. They should be eccentric, proud, and not subservient — each has their own will. Here are some examples: Polevik — The Grainfathers are bloodthirsty spirits of grain found in Kislev and the eastern Empire. They appear as hundreds of stalks with tiny faces, arms, and legs. Polevik are impatient for blood sacrifice to feed the soil.

Priestesses rise at dawn with the sun, wash in rainwater, and begin their ministrations as the land wakes. They provide practical advice and fulfil their responsibilities with the regularity of rural life, varying only with the seasons. They tend to the oghams and shrines which form Rhya’s temples, holding ceremonies and rites there several times a week. They are vigilant for threats to land and life, especially famine and blights. They use their understanding of people and psychology to identify and limit strife or unhealthy changes in their flock.

Frau Roggen — A spirit of hemp, who dwells in fields where the crop is grown. It resembles a small, hairy old woman who fusses over everything. Frau Roggen can possess scarecrows to see off trespassers and unwanted animals. The Herdlord — A gestalt spirit that inhabits a flock of sheep or herd of goats. It has no physical form, but speaks through the mouths of the animals. It is arrogant but fearful when challenged by a forceful personality.

Rhyan priestesses tend to be sympathetic. They are honest and direct, but temper their messages and advice with understanding. Priestesses can be strict and unyielding with those who betray their lover, take more than their fair share, or slack off during the harvest. Vestments are chosen by the individual priestess — there are no strictures regarding garb. Green and brown fabrics are preferred, woven from coarse fibres or flax linen and decorated with embroidery of flowers or fruit. In cold weather, they wear sheepskins for warmth. Priestesses may carry a staff as a badge of office, often carved to resemble a head of wheat. During ceremonies, priestesses may wear a crown of barley in imitation of their goddess, while others insist that they must greet their goddess skyclad and find any excuse to strip naked.

STRANGE ERUPTIONS

MALE PRIESTS OF RHYA

Male Priests of Rhya are the exception in her priesthood, but they do exist in the Empire and beyond — Corrobreth in Unterbaum is an example (Death On The Reik, page 57). Townsfolk often mistake them for druids or even hedge witches, but rural folk accept them as long as they can bring plenty to their farms and harmony to their relationships.

0 Last year, Siegenhausen suffered a drought. The villagers and farmers were destitute as the harvest was little more than dust. This year could not be more different. Huge cabbages, turnips, apples, and strawberries are ripening early, while hogs and cattle grow fat on excess feed. Priestess Karin is seldom seen outside the village, but when she met the Green Watcher Adelina, the older priestess was perturbed — Karin was vague and deterred Adelina from coming to witness Rhya’s miracle. Now the Green Watcher wants someone to investigate exactly what the priestess of Siegenhausen is doing.

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Rhya’s Dominion

CARRY ON KISSING

Range: 4 yards Target: 1 Duration: Until sunrise or sunset, whichever comes sooner You cry an invocation for Rhya to summon a nature spirit and command its obedience. You must focus on a natural feature where a spirit could reside — such as a field of crops, a pool, or a clump of brambles. If the Miracle is successful, the spirit appears and will complete one task in the name of Rhya. Spirits tend to be over-literal in how they interpret demands, and no request can break the strictures of Rhya. Tasks could include watching others on the priestess’s behalf, harassing those who trespass in the spirit’s domain, or finding something lost nearby.

0 A priest of Ranald has stolen a powerful love philtre from the priestess Ethild and poured it into the wells. Now the townsfolk are getting frisky and even the least ‘conventionally attractive’ members of the Characters’ party are getting attention. Ethild has realised the cause and needs help. She isn’t happy in an urban setting and would rather keep the whole thing discreet — she’s already had problems with a powerful and prudish Witch Hunter.

MIRACLES

Rhya’s Flock

Rhya’s Abundance

Range: Fellowship yards Target: Special Duration: Fellowship Bonus Rounds You whisper deep secrets from the time when Rhya walked the earth taming the wild. A flock, herd, or pack of domesticated animals submits to your will, answering ancient commands heard by their ancestors. You can sense the mood of the animals and see through their eyes. By reaching out to the beasts’ minds, you can calm or agitate them. You can make them stampede, fall asleep, attack, or simply become your eyes and ears (and sense of smell, taste, and touch) — they can do anything within the creatures’ natural behavioural range.

Range: Touch Target: You Duration: 1 Round You sing of the summer and the radiance of Rhya, to bring forth a bounty and expel all foulness. Stored food and uncooked ingredients slowly swell and divide in two, doubling everything you touch. Mould, vermin, insects, and other sources of spoilage disappear and old food becomes fresh once again. You can touch one barrel, crate, or basket of food per round.

Rhya’s Demand

Range: You Target: Area of Effect Duration: Instant You sing subtle harmonies, drawing together melodious strands of resentment from deep within the earth — demanding recompense from those who have not shown Rhya gratitude. All humanoid creatures within Fellowship Bonus Yards who have not made a sacrifice to Rhya (or another diety of nature or powerful nature spirit to whom the cult of Rhya are well disposed, such as Isha or Taal) since the last spring equinox lose 1 Wound (+1 for every SL) and gain a Fatigued Condition.

Rhya’s Taming

Range: Touch Target: 1 Duration: Until the next sunset You reach out a gentle hand to a creature of the wild and hum soothing melodies to calm and tame. Take an Average (+20) Charm Animal Test to domesticate any uncorrupted, wild animal of Large Size or smaller. If successful, it will become docile towards Humans, Elves who honour Isha, and similar allies. For every Success Level it becomes increasingly tame and pliable, although it will not willingly leave its natural territory.

If five or more individuals are so affected then the ground within Fellowship Yards becomes infertile and nothing will grow there for d10 years from now.

Rhya’s Rage

Range: You Target: You Duration: Fellowship Bonus Rounds As you intone a chant of quiet resolve, you feel Rhya’s power surge through your being, ready to defend those who need protection. This Miracle can be cast only when you are defending children or a home or farmstead occupied by its inhabitants. You gain the Immunity to Psychology and Painless Traits, and +2 SL to Melee, Strength, and Toughness Tests.

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• ANIMAL FAMILIARS •

Animals can be condemned to burn as mutants or daemonic servants. Witch Hunters have even put animals on trial, charged with aiding sorcery. Of course, witchcraft trials are inherently biased against defendants who cannot testify. Those rare animals which can talk are usually presumed guilty of daemonic possession. Witches aren’t allowed to testify on their own familiars’ behalf, therefore Amber wizards or priests of Taal sometimes act as interpreters in high-profile witch trials.

A small percentage of wild animals are naturally gifted with Aethyric sensitivity. Spellcasters of the Witchcraft, Hedgecraft, and Arcane Elven traditions use magically gifted animals as Power Familiars to enhance their own spells. Animal familiars differ from the exotic ‘homunculus’ familiars constructed by wizards at the Colleges of Magic. Unlike homunculi, which absorb a portion of the wizard’s soul-energy during creation, gifted animals are spirit-bonded without any initial sacrifice. However, the eventual death of an animal familiar is traumatic to its patron spellcaster.

MAGICAL TRADITIONS

Glyphs depicting druidic animals are found upon ancient, preImperial tablets such as the famous Talastein Carvings. Until the founding of the Colleges, animals were by far the most common type of Power Familiar. Magical constructs during the pre-College period were usually simple domestic servants or carnival novelties. However, Archmage Teclis cautioned Humans that animal spirit-bonding could lead to Chaos corruption, and thus over time, more sophisticated homunculi began replacing animals as wizard familiars.

Animals can only be Power Familiars (never Combat or Spell Familiars) and they follow the same rules regardless of magical tradition. Animals are reluctant to bond with evil wizards, though exceptions can sometimes be found amongst Beastmen and Dark Elves. Details such as temperament, social status, and caster relationship vary by magical tradition.

Hedge Witches

Hedge Witches believe animal familiars are sacred creatures, bestowed with divine spirits. Gifted animals are therefore treated as equals or even revered as superior beings. Animal familiars are rarely given tasks that would demean them or jeopardise their safety. Hedge Witches do not necessarily worship familiars, but instead see them as spirit-avatars. If a familiar is killed or corrupted by Chaos, the hedgewise takes responsibility and makes a personal sacrifice to the god-spirits.

HOMUNCULUS CONSTRUCTS At the Colleges of Magic, the term ‘homunculus’ refers broadly to any magically animated familiars. Homunculus technically means ‘little person’; however, College wizards have expanded the definition to include such curiosities as winged grimoires, talking candlesticks, and mechanical animals. Rules for Combat, Spell, and Power Familiars of the constructed variety can be found in Winds of Magic. Power Familiar constructs may use the Career provided at the end of this chapter, instead of the sidebar option on Winds of Magic page 185.

The role of animals in Hedgecraft traces its origins to preImperial druids. Culturally advanced nomads migrated from the south and introduced Old Faith religions to the northern barbarians. Stone obelisks resembling stylized animals can still be found across the Empire, however most of them have eroded or been desecrated over time. Hedge Witches strive to preserve these ancient totems. Mysterious ‘shadow druids’ are rumoured to be capable of animating statues with the spirits of old gods.

Animal familiars are commonly associated with witchcraft in the Empire today. As a result, witches take measures to pass their familiars off as normal pets. The few College wizards who keep animal familiars follow naturalistic traditions such as Life or Beast magic. Elves may be accused of fay sorcery with or without a familiar, though Elves are in fact less vulnerable than Humans to the perils of spirit-bonding.

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The Spirit-Bonding ritual on page 80 replaces the Create Familiar ritual used for homunculus constructs.

Witches

Solitary witches keep animals for both companionship and magical assistance. Typically, witches have just one familiar, but their cottage might be home to multiple animals. The kindly witches even leave food outside for wildlife. Animals being kept for spell ingredients or charms might be confined in cages against their will. A familiar is often tasked with overseeing the witch’s menagerie. Animal familiars can also help witches to forage, and warn of approaching predators or Witch Hunters.

Animals aren’t as capable of following detailed instructions and communicating abstract concepts as homunculi. Combined with their lack of hands and limited language skills, this means that animal familiars cannot be relied upon to run errands or conduct research. Druids and Hedge Witches would argue, however, that animal intelligence is merely different from homunculus intelligence. Animal familiars are in fact more attuned to nature, weather, and the seasons than the average College wizard.

Witchcraft spells require raw, uncontrolled magic, increasing the risk of corruption for both caster and familiar. Heavily mutated familiars are often euthanized before they can undergo transformation into a Chaos Spawn. Animal familiars are sometimes possessed by daemonic entities. Witches can usually deduce when a familiar has been possessed, because it often develops a taste for Human blood.

Perhaps the most significant drawbacks of animal familiars are their requirements for food, sleep, and air, and their vulnerability to damage. Small-sized animals might be able to withstand a single attack, but Little animals cannot survive even one blow from a sword. Fortunately, animals have strong survival instincts to keep them out of danger. However, the timidness of animal familiars can sometimes leave spellcasters without magical aid in critical situations.

College Wizards

The Lores of Life and Beasts are animistic traditions that benefit from their casters being spiritually connected to the wilderness. Therefore, animal familiars are kept by a significant number of Amber and Jade wizards. Outside of those two Colleges, however, animal familiars are rare. Itinerant Grey wizards sometimes employ animal familiars for subterfuge, and a handful of Celestial wizards use bird familiars. In Altdorf, animal familiars are regarded as quaint, inferior alternatives to homunculus constructs.

NPC ANIMAL FAMILIARS These NPC profiles are for a selection of commonly used gifted animals, advanced to tier 2 of the Animal Familiar Career (page 82). New Creature Traits and Talents described later in this chapter are indicated with italics. NPC witches can be assigned the animal most befitting their personality.

Despite the stigma against animal familiars, College wizards have built constructs in the likeness of animals for a variety of reasons. Hierophants of the Light College adopt animal iconography originating from old ceremonial customs, and certain animal forms are known to sympathetically attract particular Winds of Magic. Though many wizards enjoy showing off their strange homunculus constructs, others prefer more innocuous looking animal constructs to assuage people’s fears (or assuage them to some degree, at least).

Badger

Badger familiars are especially suitable for Amber wizards who don’t shy away from fighting. Badger-bonded spellcasters share the animal’s ferocity and toughness. However, a badger’s stubbornness can sometimes lead to disagreements. Halflings are very fond of badgers. Humans respect them and covet tufts of badger hair for making charms against witchcraft.

BADGER

Abilities & Limitations

M WS BS S

Animal familiars provide benefits in addition to the standard Power Familiar spellcasting assistance. The spirit-bond also enhances a caster’s abilities according to the familiar’s species. For example, badger familiars improve the spellcaster’s resilience, foxes aid subterfuge, and so on. These shared abilities are called Companion Traits (see page 81). Animal familiars can only confer Companion Traits and magical assistance when positioned close to the caster (within 4 yards).

T

I

Ag Dex Int WP Fel W

4 35 - 15 25 35 30 - 15 15 15 5 Creature Traits: Animal Telepathy, Armour 1 (3), Belligerent, Bestial, Companion Trait (Resilience), Hardy, Night Vision, Size (Little), Skittish, Trained (Broken, Magic), Weapon+4 Optional: Arboreal, Messenger, Size (Small), Territorial Skills: Cool 25, Dodge 35, Endurance 30, Entertain (Any) 20, Intuition 40, Language (Wilds) 20, Outdoor Survival 45, Perception 40, Stealth (Rural) 35, Swim 33 Talents: Acute Sense (Smell), Animal Assistant, Sixth Sense

Animal familiars possess useful Creature Traits and are less conspicuous than homunculus familiars. Unlike homunculi, however, animal familiars are not customisable, and their capacity for learning new Skills and Talents is lower.

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Cat

Fox

Cat familiars are popular choices for witches because they’re easily disguised as pets. The stealth gained from cat-bonding is also useful for escaping angry mobs. Cats are proud, independent creatures with a tendency toward vanity. It’s commonly believed that cats bestow the luck of Ranald and can see into the spiritworld.

Fox familiars are typically used by travelling Jade wizards, Elves, and hunted witches. Fox-bonded spellcasters excel at outwitting adversaries. Though foxes prefer to avoid large crowds or battles, they make ideal wilderness guides. Farmers vigilantly guard their livestock against fox raids. City folks might associate foxes with Wood Elves or fay trickery.

CAT M WS BS S 5

35

-

T

I

FOX

Ag Dex Int WP Fel W

15 15 40 45

-

15 20 20

M WS BS S

3

5

Creature Traits: Animal Telepathy, Bestial, Companion Trait (Stealth), Night Vision, Size (Little), Skittish, Stealthy, Stride, Trained (Broken, Magic), Weapon+3 Optional: Arboreal, Infected, Messenger, Territorial Skills: Athletics 48, Climb 50, Cool 25, Dodge 50, Entertain (Any) 25, Intuition 45, Language (Wilds) 20, Outdoor Survival 45, Perception 48, Stealth (Rural and Urban) 50 Talents: Animal Assistant, Luck, Scale Sheer Surface

35

-

T

I

Ag Dex Int WP Fel W

15 20 40 35

-

20 20 20

4

Creature Traits: Animal Telepathy, Bestial, Companion Trait (Deception), Night Vision, Size (Little), Skittish, Stride, Tracker, Trained (Broken, Magic), Weapon+3 Optional: Arboreal, Infected, Messenger, Size (Small), Territorial Skills: Cool 25, Dodge 40, Entertain (Any) 25, Intuition 45, Language (Wilds) 25, Navigation 45, Outdoor Survival 45, Perception 45, Stealth (Rural) 40, Stealth (Urban) 38, Swim 38, Track 45 Talents: Animal Assistant, Magical Sense, Orientation

Crow

Owl

Crow familiars are favoured by witches and Grey wizards who travel incognito. Crow-bonded spellcasters can avoid recognition when venturing into towns. The crow’s strange intelligence, scolding call, and mobbing behaviours are unsettling to Humans. Crows might be unfairly accused of stealing food, spreading diseases, or even being agents of the Plague Lord.

Owl familiars are favoured by hedge wizards, Elves, and some Celestial wizards. The premonitions experienced by owl-bonded spellcasters are often described as spirit-visions. Owls like to survey their surroundings from perches, and they’re usually silent. The hoot of an owl can be interpreted either as an ill omen or a sign from Verena.

CROW M WS BS S 2

30

-

T

I

OWL

Ag Dex Int WP Fel W

10 10 35 30

-

20 25 15

M WS BS S

3

2

Creature Traits: Animal Telepathy, Bestial, Companion Trait (Transformation), Flight 80, Size (Little), Skittish, Trained (Broken, Magic), Weapon+2 Optional: Arboreal, Infected, Messenger, Territorial Skills: Cool 30, Gossip 20, Entertain (Any) 20, Intuition 45, Language (Barnyard) 23, Language (Wilds) 25, Navigation 40, Outdoor Survival 38, Perception 40, Stealth (Rural) 35 Talents: Animal Assistant, Magical Sense, Super Numerate

35

-

T

I

Ag Dex Int WP Fel W

10 15 35 30

-

15 25 15

3

Creature Traits: Animal Telepathy, Bestial, Companion Trait (Divination), Night Vision, Flight 60, Size (Little), Skittish, Stealthy, Trained (Broken, Magic), Weapon+3 Optional: Arboreal, Messenger, Territorial Skills: Cool 30, Dodge 35, Entertain (Any) 20, Intuition 43, Language (Wilds) 20, Outdoor Survival 40, Perception 45, Stealth (Rural) 38, Track 40 Talents: Acute Sense (Sight), Animal Assistant, Luck

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Animal Familiar Generation

Stoat

Stoat familiars are common amongst Hedge Witches and wizards who subsist on hunting and forage. The stalking ability obtained from stoat-bonding is also useful for espionage and murder. Stoats are challenging familiars that bite when they’re hungry, and sometimes nest in clothing or backpacks. Their reputation as crafty, cold-blooded killers isn’t entirely undeserved.

Animal Familiars are generated as Characters after spiritbonding has been completed (page 82). The bonded Character’s Player usually keeps their familiar’s character sheet and makes XP spending decisions. Personalities and behaviours are determined collaboratively between Player and GM. Animal Familiar generation follows the standard process, with a few exceptions: 0 In addition to Skills and Talents, Animal Familiars also have Creature Traits. 0 Animal familiars don’t have Ballistic Skill or Dexterity scores, and they begin with fewer Skills and Talents than regular Characters do. 0 Size (Little) gifted animals add WPB to their Wounds. This is an exception to the Size rules on WFRP page 341. 0 Animal Familiars have access to special Talents and Creature Traits, described on page 79. They cannot use homunculus Familiar Talents from Winds of Magic.

STOAT M WS BS S 6

40

-

T

I

Ag Dex Int Wp Fel W

10 10 45 40

-

15 15 15

2

Creature Traits: Animal Telepathy, Bestial, Bite+2, Companion Trait (Perception), Night Vision, Size (Little), Skittish, Stealthy, Trained (Broken, Magic), Weapon+2 Optional: Arboreal, Infected, Messenger, Territorial Skills: Climb 45, Cool 20, Dodge 45, Entertain 20, Intuition 50, Language (Wilds) 20, Outdoor Survival 53, Perception 53, Stealth (Rural) 45, Swim 45 Talents: Animal Assistant, Second Sight, Rover

Spellcaster Characters can give a portion of any XP they earn to their Animal Familiars. At GM discretion, Animal Familiars may also receive XP for game sessions in which they played a significant role. The maximum familiar XP award is generally 25–50% of the amount earned by a Character.

Animal Familiar Characteristics Badger

Cat

Crow

Fox

Owl

Stoat

Weapon Skill

2D10 + 25

2D10 + 25

2D10 + 20

2D10 + 25

2D10 + 25

2D10 + 30

Ballistic Skill

-

-

-

-

-

-

Strength

D10 + 10

D10 + 10

D10 + 5

D10 + 10

D10 + 5

D10 + 5

Toughness

D10 + 15

D10 + 10

D10 + 5

D10 + 10

D10 + 10

D10 + 5

Initiative

2D10 + 25

2D10 + 30

2D10 + 25

2D10 + 30

2D10 + 20

2D10 + 35

Agility

2D10 + 25

2D10 + 35

2D10 + 20

2D10 + 30

2D10 + 20

2D10 + 30

Dexterity

-

-

-

-

-

-

Intelligence

D10 + 5

D10 + 5

D10 + 10

D10 + 10

D10 + 5

D10 + 5

Willpower

D10 + 5

D10 + 10

D10 + 15

D10 + 10

D10 + 15

D10 + 5

Fellowship

D10 + 5

D10 + 10

D10 + 5

D10 + 10

D10 + 5

D10 + 5

Wounds

TB + WPB

TB + WPB

TB + WPB

TB + WPB

TB + WPB

TB + WPB

Fate

1

2

1

2

2

2

Resilience

2

1

2

1

1

1

Extra Points

-

-

-

-

-

-

Movement

4

5

2

5

2

6

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Owl

OPTION: ANIMAL FAMILIAR SIZE VARIATIONS

Skills: Dodge, Intuition, Outdoor Survival, Perception, Stealth (Rural), Track Talents: Acute Sense (Sight), Luck, Sixth Sense Creature Traits: Bestial, Flight 60, Night Vision, Size (Little), Skittish, Stealthy, Trained (Broken, Magic), Weapon+3

The animal species in this chapter are Size (Little) by default. Badgers and foxes may instead be Size (Small) to represent bigger varieties. The Wounds score for these larger familiars is (2 x TB) + WPB. Size (Small) wild animals generally elicit more attention than Size (Little) ones do, making them less popular with witches.

Stoat

Skills: Climb, Dodge, Outdoor Survival, Perception, Stealth (Rural), Swim Talents: Magical Sense, Rover, Second Sight Creature Traits: Bestial, Bite+2, Night Vision, Size (Little), Skittish, Stealthy, Trained (Broken, Magic), Weapon+2

Mootland badgers can even grow to Size (Average) and be ridden by Halflings as mounts. Familiars of that size are rare, however, because of the danger they’d pose if corrupted by Chaos. Some witches prefer Size (Tiny) familiars such as rats, bats, and toads, which only have 1 Wound but can be easily hidden in a pocket. Very young animals may be treated as a Size class smaller until they mature.

Starting Skills, Talents,

and

ANIMAL SKILLS & PARENT CHARACTERISTICS Physical differences between animals and Humans change the Characteristics used for certain Skills. Animals have natural instincts enabling them to survive in the rugged wilderness where claws, beaks, and keen senses can substitute admirably for hands. Furthermore, animal musculature and bone structures are better suited to activities like climbing and swimming.

Traits

You may choose 2 Skills to gain 5 Advances each, and 2 Skills to gain 3 Advances each. You may select 2 Talents from the 3 choices listed. You begin with all the listed Creature Traits.

Badger

Skills: Cool, Endurance, Intuition, Outdoor Survival, Perception, Swim Talents: Acute Sense (Smell), Second Sight, Sixth Sense Creature Traits: Armour 1, Belligerent, Bestial, Hardy, Night Vision, Size (Little), Skittish, Trained (Broken, Magic), Weapon+4

0 Outdoor Survival: Substitute Initiative for Intelligence. 0 Climb and Swim: Substitute Agility for Strength.

FINDING A GIFTED ANIMAL

Cat

Gifted animals can be spotted in the wilderness using Second Sight or Magical Sense. Except for crows, the animals in this chapter are nocturnal, meaning they leave their lairs at night. Each night the caster spends searching for a potential familiar, roll a Hard (–20) Perception Test to determine whether a gifted animal was spotted. Roll randomly for the species of animals spotted by this method (75% are mature; 25% are young).

Skills: Athletics, Climb, Dodge, Outdoor Survival, Perception, Stealth (Rural or Urban) Talents: Luck, Scale Sheer Surface, Second Sight Creature Traits: Bestial, Night Vision, Size (Little), Skittish, Stealthy, Stride, Trained (Broken, Magic), Weapon+3

Crow

Young animals are more adaptable as familiars than mature ones, but they are usually found at the den or nest. An animal lair can be located with a Challenging (+0) Outdoor Survival or Average (+20) Track Test. The caster may choose the species being sought. Each lair has a 50% chance of containing a gifted young animal. Note that wild animals defending their lairs usually gain the optional Territorial Creature Trait, and Charm Animal Tests made at lairs are Very Hard (–30).

Skills: Gossip, Intuition, Perception, Language (Barnyard or Wild), Navigation, Outdoor Survival Talents: Magical Sense, Sixth Sense, Super Numerate Creature Traits: Bestial, Flight 80, Size (Little), Skittish, Trained (Broken, Magic), Weapon+2

Fox

Skills: Navigation, Perception, Outdoor Survival, Stealth (Rural), Swim, Track Talents: Luck, Magical Sense, Orientation Creature Traits: Bestial, Night Vision, Size (Little), Skittish, Stride, Tracker, Trained (Broken, Magic), Weapon+3

Alternatively, casters with the Aethyric Attunement Talent can meditate in the woods to summon a familiar. Each night of meditation, roll a Difficult (–10) Channelling Test to determine if the caster’s spirit-call was answered.

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The Game Master can choose an animal species befitting the caster’s personality (50% are young, 50% are mature). Gifted animals summoned by this method approach within 1 yard of the caster, however they must still be captured or befriended (see Bonding With Animal Familiars below).

Animal Familiar Behaviours

Once animal familiars have spirit-bonded, they instinctively follow the caster everywhere. Most familiars are happy to perch on a shoulder or ride in an open pack. Circumstances such as Psychology or Conditions might physically separate casters from their familiars. If the separation distance is greater than 4 yards, the caster can no longer benefit from either Companion Traits or the Animal Assistant Talent. Spellcasters can dispatch their familiars beyond 4 yards by making an Average (+20) Charm Animal Test.

The final option for acquiring a gifted animal is to purchase it from a specialty merchant. Gifted animals count as Exotic Availability, meaning procurement requires the Commission Endeavour (WFRP page 197). The standard cost for a gifted young animal before Haggling is 200 GC (100 GC for a mature animal). The caster may choose the species. Animals purchased by this method have already been tamed. Merchants who capture and sell gifted animals are hated by Wood Elves.

Animal familiars cannot follow complex instructions more than 4 yards from their caster. Simple delivery or scouting missions are understood, but anything more complex might require an Intelligence Test by the animal. Spirit-bonded animals aren’t mindless servants — they retain a capacity for independent thought. Should the caster attempt to bring a familiar into a burning building or similarly hostile environment, the familiar can refuse if it succeeds an opposed Cool Test against the caster. If they do so they may instead wait safely outside.

Bonding With Animal Familiars

Before a spirit-bonding ritual can be performed, the gifted animal must either be broken or befriended. Both approaches use the Animal Training Endeavour (WFRP page 196). Befriending is resolved using the Charm Animal Skill instead of Animal Training (the Animal Affinity Talent grants autosuccess for befriending). Mature wild animals are harder to train; reduce Animal Training or Charm Animal Tests to Difficult (–10). Tamed and befriended animals gain the Trained (Broken) Creature Trait, which negates their Bestial Creature Trait.

Animal Communication

Casters cannot communicate easily with Newly Bonded, tier 1 Animal Familiars. The Charm Animal Skill conveys only basic messages (e.g. stay, calm, run away), otherwise a familiar simply follows its caster around by default. Certain spells such as Beast Tongue (WFRP page 245) enable more nuanced conversation. Communication isn’t required for casters to benefit from Companion Traits or the Animal Assistant Talent.

After the Animal Training Endeavour has been completed, the caster and animal must spend at least a week becoming attuned to each other’s spirits. This requires constant physical proximity (generally within 2–4 yards) except when the caster is sleeping. No die roll is needed, only time and togetherness. Upon completion of attunement, the gifted animal gains the Trained (Magic) Creature Trait, which negates their Skittish Creature Trait. Spirit-bonding can now be performed.

A tier 2 Animal Familiar can learn the Animal Telepathy Talent. NPC animal familiars are assumed to be tier 2 unless otherwise specified. A more complex relationship develops at this stage because the animal can express emotions and abstract concepts. Spellcasters can also explain plots or situations to their familiar via telepathy.

Spirit-Bonding Ritual

CN: 30 Type: Any Lore Learning XP: 150 Ingredients: You must have a magically gifted animal to become your Power Familiar. Conditions: The animal familiar must already have been broken or befriended (an Animal Training Endeavour) and attuned to your spirit (at least 1 week). Sacrifices: Animal familiars do not require a sacrifice during spirit-bonding. However, you might suffer trauma if your familiar is killed (see Corruption & Death, page 81). Consequences: The ritual fails, and the animal loses its Trained (Magic) Creature Trait. The ritual can only be attempted again after a week of re-attunement.

At tier 3 (Spirit Companion), Animal Familiars can learn to speak the caster’s native language. Though verbal communication is coarser and more simplistic than telepathy, the ability to speak with a spellcaster’s friends enables the familiar to become an active party member. Animals can always communicate with other animals of their own species. Gifted animals can also communicate with different animal species using the Language (Barnyard or Wilds) Skill. The animals included in this chapter generally speak Wilds; only cats, foxes, and crows are likely to speak Barnyard. Wild animal familiars are useful intermediaries with forest creatures, whereas urban familiars can converse with the party’s horses, dogs, and mules.

More than One?

A spellcaster can attempt to bond with several animals, though the CN of the spirit-bonding ritual is doubled for every existing animal familiar the spellcaster has.

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The caster can suppress these behaviours during an encounter by making an Average (+20) Cool Test. Corruption Side-effects are more extreme behaviours that tend to worsen progressively with every Physical or Mental Mutation gained by the soulbonded caster.

Language (Barnyard or Wilds)

These Language Skill specialisations can only be learned by gifted animals, and a select few Beastman bray-shamans and Wood Elf shapeshifters. The creature can speak with either wild or domesticated animals by making strange noises that only beasts can understand. Most animal familiars can learn only one of these dialects, but Crows can learn both.

Deception (Fox)

Talents: Blather, Schemer

Corruption & Death

Behavioural Effects: Caster’s eyes gleam with cunning; speaks in riddles and metaphors; nagging desire to roam about for no apparent reason.

Spirit-bonding increases the vulnerability of both spellcasters and their animal familiars to corruption and trauma. Whenever animal familiars are exposed to Corrupting Influences (WFRP page 182) the caster must also test for Corruption, and vice versa. If both caster and familiar are exposed to the same Corruption source, just roll once for each of them. Familiars tend to mutate more quickly than witches and wizards, because their Skills and Characteristics are usually lower.

Corruption Side-effect: Caster becomes paranoid and reclusive.

Divination (Owl)

Talents: Holy Visions, Sixth Sense Behavioural Effects: Caster is surrounded by faint magic aura; has a desire to initiate random philosophical discussions; is often deep in contemplation.

The premature death of a spirit-bonded companion is traumatic. If the familiar dies, the caster must make a Hard (–20) Cool Test or suffer 2d10 Wounds ignoring TB and Armour (Elven wizards can roll at Challenging (+0) Difficulty instead). Additionally, the caster gains a Trauma Psychology (WFRP page 191) appropriate to the situation. Death by natural causes does not cause trauma. Animal Familiars suffer the same fate if their caster dies, though those that survive and spend a Fate Point may live on as minor elementals or nature spirits.

Corruption Side-effect: Caster becomes obsessed with minor facts and details.

Perception (Stoat)

Talents: Hunter’s Eye, Shadowing Behavioural Effects: Caster’s body movements are jerky; lies and exaggerates for personal gain; constantly looking for new opportunities.

New Talents & Creature Traits

The Talents and Creature Traits in this chapter are only available to Animal Familiars. New Creature Traits can be purchased by Animal Familiar Characters at a cost of 100 XP each.

Corruption Side-effect: Caster becomes territorial and misanthropic.

New Talent: Animal Assistant

Max: 1 This Talent is specifically for Power Familiar (Animal) Characters. For the Power Familiar (Homunculus) version, see the Winds of Magic sourcebook, page 186. The Animal Familiar may assist a soul-bonded spellcaster with any Channelling or Language (Magick) Tests they make. The familiar can also assist Outdoor Survival Tests, and Perception Tests that are magical in nature. Each assistant provides the normal +10 bonus (WFRP page 155) whether it knows the Skill or not.

Resilience (Badger)

Companion Traits (New)

Stealth (Cat)

Talents: Robust, Tenacious Behavioural Effects: Caster’s breathing makes a snuffling sound; temptation to be insensitive when giving opinions; focuses single-mindedly on the task at hand. Corruption Side-effect: Caster becomes argumentative and aggressive.

Each Animal Familiar species confers a different Companion Trait to its spirit-bonded spellcaster when positioned within 4 yards of them. Companion Traits give the caster access to two Talents. If the listed Talents are already known, add +1 SL. Traits of multiple familiars can be used simultaneously.

Talents: Alley Cat, Rover Behavioural Effects: Caster’s footsteps are completely noiseless; vacillates between friendly and cold; frequent insomnia and napping.

Companion Traits also cause Behavioural Effects that might be considered unnatural by those who notice.

Corruption Side-effect: condescending.

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POWER FAMILIAR

Transformation (Crow)

Talents: Nose for Trouble, Master of Disguise

Gifted Animal

Animal familiars lend both mystical and primal abilities to spiritbonded witches and wizards. The ritual linking familiar to spellcaster creates an Aethyric conduit between their souls.

Behavioural Effects: Caster’s voice sounds dry and creaky; interrogates suspected cheaters or liars; fascinated by mysteries and puzzles. Corruption Side-effect: Caster becomes judgmental and mocking of others.

New Creature Trait: Animal Telepathy

The Animal Familiar can communicate silently with its spiritbonded spellcaster. Communication is non-verbal and therefore may be as complex as needed (bearing in mind the animal’s Intelligence score). The caster may also initiate communication with the familiar. The maximum range of Animal Telepathy is 4 yards.

New Creature Trait: Messenger

The Animal Familiar can deliver messages up to its Intelligence miles in distance. No Intelligence Test is needed by the familiar to follow complex instruictions when more than 4 yards from its spellcaster. Messages being delivered through unexplored terrain might be delayed or expose the familiar to danger. Messages can be written on letters tied to the animal or spoken by familiars with a relevant Language Skill.

New Creature Trait: Sensory Sharing

POWER FAMILIAR ADVANCE SCHEME

The spellcaster can see, hear, and smell through the senses of its spirit-bonded familiar. Spells cannot be cast from the familiar’s body, nor can Animal Telepathy be used for communication beyond 4 yards. The maximum Sensory Sharing range (in miles) is the lower value of either the caster’s or familiar’s Willpower scores.

WS

BS

S

T

I

Agi

Dex

Int

WP

Fel

h

h

h

Career Path h Newly Bonded

Skills: Cool, Dodge, Entertain, Intuition, Language (Barnyard or Wilds), Outdoor Survival, Perception, Stealth (Rural or Urban) Talents: Animal Assistant, Coolheaded, Savvy, Second Sight Creature Traits: Companion Trait (Species)

New Creature Trait: Invisibility

Once per day, the Animal Familiar’s body can become fully translucent with a barely perceptible outline. Perception Tests to notice the familiar are Very Hard (–30). When hiding, the familiar can only be spotted by characters with the Magical Sense Talent. Invisibility lasts the familiar’s Willpower score in hours and cannot be deactivated prematurely.

Animal Familiar Skills: Charm Animal, Navigation Talents: Sixth Sense Creature Traits: Animal Telepathy, Messenger Spirit Companion Skills: Language (Caster’s), Lore (Magic) Talents: Animal Affinity Creature Traits: Sensory Sharing Witchling Skills: Charm, Leadership Talents: Flee! Creature Traits: Invisibility

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• ALTDORF — A WORLD •

TO ITSELF

Altdorf is a cosmopolitan place, home to communities with distinct characters of class, origin, and even Species. When creating a Character from a large city such as Altdorf, the basic Reikland character from the WFRP core rulebook does serve as a template for the average townsperson, with no strong ties to any particular demographic. However, within Altdorf there are those whose background does have a more marked effect on their Skills and Talents. Unlike Middenheim, where a notion of a single archetypal citizen might apply, in Altdorf, different Characters may be associated with different districts, or even different streets.

South Bankers

Folk from the South Bank tend to be well educated, and used to mixing with high society. Even servants and tradesmen of Mauerblumchen and Zwillingsgrab will be used to the airs and graces of the nobility and priestly caste.

Humans (Altdorfer — South Banker)

Skills: Animal Care, Charm, Cool, Gossip, Language (Any), Leadership, Lore (Any), Melee (Basic), Melee (Fencing), Ranged (Blackpowder), Ranged (Bow), Ride Talents: Doomed, Etiquette (Any), Noble Blood or Pure Soul, Read/Write or Supportive, Savvy or Suave

Eastenders

Altdorf ’s East End is a teeming rookery where criminality, disease, and insurrectionist fervour run riot. It is home to Altdorf ’s Dwarf community, whose honour, integrity, and conscientiousness juxtapose with the wiles of their Human neighbours. The Imperial School of Engineers is also here, so a minority of the inhabitants are educated and eccentric.

Humans (Altdorfer — Eastender)

Skills: Cool, Evaluate, Gossip, Haggle, Intimidate, Intuition, Language (Battle or Thieves’ Tongue), Lore (Reikland), Melee (Brawling), Ranged (Blackpowder), Sleight of Hand, Stealth Talents: Argumentative or Flee!, Criminal or 1 Random Talent, Doomed, Nimble Fingered or Read/Write, Savvy or Suave

Dwarfs (Altdorfer)

Skills: Consume Alcohol, Cool, Endurance, Evaluate, Intimidate, Intuition, Language (Khazalid), Lore (Dwarfs), Lore (Geology), Lore (Metallurgy), Melee (Basic), Trade (any one) Talents: Craftsman (Any) or Resolute, Magic Resistance, Night Vision, Read/Write or Relentless, Sturdy

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Those who are not so enamoured of it point out that it is a haven for smugglers, racketeers, corrupt officials, and worse.

The City North

Altdorf 's City North is home to a number of distinct communities. The largest district in the city is there, the Hexxerbezrik, however it is not a bustling area of residences and marketplaces, but a strange and haunted swathe of the city, housing the eldritch Colleges of Magic and their many ritual sites, arcane devices, and experimental edifices. Many people aside from wizards do live there, but they are not untouched by the experience.

Humans (Altdorfer — Hexxerbezrik)

Skills: Cool, Evaluate, Gossip, Intimidate, Intuition, Language (Classical), Lore (Reikland), Lore (Magic), Melee (Basic), Perception, Sleight of Hand, Stealth Talents: Doomed, Beneath Notice or Read/Write, Savvy or Suave, Second Sight or Sixth Sense, 1 Random Talent

Humans (Altdorfer — Docklands)

Further east is the Docklands area, where the hard labour fuelling Altdorf ’s thriving commercial life is done. Those who love Altdorf salute the Docklands for its boisterousness and diversity, as ships from all over the world arrive to load and unload cargos before their crews take time to relax in the nearby Street of a Hundred Taverns.

Skills: Consume Alcohol, Evaluate, Gossip, Haggle, Intimidate, Intuition, Language (Thieves’ Tongue), Lore (Reikland), Melee (Brawling), Row, Sail, Sleight of Hand Talents: Criminal or Etiquette (Merchants), Dealmaker or Menacing, Doomed, Savvy or Suave, 1 Random Talent

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•

ALTERNATIVE CHANNELLING

‘The finest carpenter in Altdorf can’t make so much as a stool without some wood, nor can the best handgunner strike their target if they lack dry powder. It’s the same for us, only our materials are a bit more useful than wood, and a damn sight more explosive than gunpowder.’

VIII

•

KEY DIFFERENCES

The updated rules on Channelling are the same as those found on page 22 of Winds of Magic, and are repeated here for those who don’t have access to that book. These rules are optional, but you are encouraged to use them, especially for parties that are blessed (or burdened!) with more than one magic user. The main differences are as follows:

— Albrecht Wint, Magister of the Bright College While the rules presented for Channelling in WFRP (page 237) allow wizards the flexibility to cast powerful spells, they can also require spellcasters to spend quite a bit of time in combat taking no action other than Channelling.

0 You no longer need to declare which spell you are trying to cast when you begin Channelling, allowing for more flexibility with magic. You do need to declare which Wind you are gathering, though this should not be an issue for most Human magic-users.

While this is fine, and does help to keep powerful spells from being cast too often, it can also be frustrating for some Players. If you feel your game can withstand some more active magic users, the following optional rules may be substituted for those found in the rulebook.

0 Critical Channelling no longer instantly achieves enough SL to cast the spell on the following Round. Instead it grants you additional bonus SL to your ongoing Test.

Channelling Test

Some magical spells require more magic than can normally be found ambiently flowing through the world. To power such spells, a wizard can draw the Winds of Magic to themself. This is called Channelling. To channel magic for a spell, select the Wind which you wish to gather to yourself, and for which you have the appropriate Talent and Skill. Then, as an Action, make a Simple Challenging (+0) Channelling Test to draw the Wind to you. You need not specify which spell you intend to use this power to cast. If you are successful, you gather a number of SL equal to your Willpower Bonus. These SL can be added to any future successful Casting Test made to cast a spell of the appropriate Wind. You can channel additional power if you wish, though attempting to hold more SL than your Willpower Bonus can be hazardous. While holding such channelled power, you may continue to act as normal. Any turn in which you don’t spend an Action Channelling, however, you lose one SL of your gathered power.

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HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH?

Critical Channelling

If you roll a Critical when Channelling, you gather a number of SL equal to your Willpower Bonus plus the SL of the Channelling Test.

These rules intentionally place no upper limit on the amount of power that a wizard can channel. Eventually, after a minute or so, this power will start to leak from them catastrophically, which should prevent magic-wielding Characters from claiming that their Character is always in possession of several ‘standby SL’, ready to unleash at a moment’s notice.

Fumble

If you roll a Fumble when Channelling, note the number of SL of magic power you are already holding. All these are then lost. If the amount of SL lost in this way is equal to or less than your Willpower Bonus, roll a Minor Miscast. If it is greater than your Willpower Bonus, roll a Major Miscast instead.

If you do find that Characters have begun stockpiling this power before a fight, you may wish to cap the amount of SL which can be gathered in this way at a number equal to 3 × Willpower Bonus, which should help to keep things under control.

Interruptions

Any time you take damage while holding the power of a Wind, make a Challenging (+0) Endurance Test. If you fail, lose an SL of gathered power for each Wound you lost.

CANTS Cants are another use for channelled power. These are semiinformal practices taught in hushed whispers in the Colleges, as no one is quite sure if their use is sanctioned. Most wizards who know of these abilities, however, make good use of them.

The Price of Power

Holding on to the Winds of Magic in this way is relatively safe for short amounts of time, but outside of carefully prepared ritual spaces, it can quickly become dangerous. Attempting to hold on to such power for longer than a minute results in a Minor Miscast every Round thereafter, or a Major Miscast if you are holding more power than your Willpower Bonus — see Fumble above.

In addition to using channelled power to cast difficult or particularly spectacular spells, practised wizards can carefully shape small motes of this power to achieve minor though not insignificant effects. With power gathered from Channelling, a spellcaster with the appropriate Lore Talent may learn to use any of the Cants listed below. If they expend at least 1 SL of gathered power using a Cant, they do not lose the SL they normally would for spending a Round without Channelling.

Death and Unconsciousness

If your Character should lose consciousness or die while holding such power, you should treat this as though they just rolled a Fumble and apply the rules for such above.

Casting

with

These effects are varied, and in most cases do not require an Action to make use of except where explicitly stated. Even if a Cant does not require an Action, a magic-user may make use of no more than one each Round.

Channelled Power

When you attempt to cast a spell while holding power you have already gathered, declare which spell you are attempting and make a Casting Test in the usual way. If you succeed, and have gathered power of the Wind corresponding to the spell you are attempting, you may add these SL to the SL from your Casting Test. This is typically done to cast spells of a high CN, or to gain the benefits of Overcasting (WFPR page 238).

Learning Cants

Cants are taught only informally, and are often discovered and rediscovered in parallel with learning more codified techniques. A Character may learn one Cant for free when they learn their first spell of that Lore. They master a second Cant when they learn their third spell, and a third Cant when they learn their sixth spell. For example, as soon as they learn any one spell from the Lore of Beasts, a Character may choose a Cant such as Faces of the Wild (below) and may use that effect as they wish. On learning a third spell of the Lore of Beasts, a Character could learn either Talons of Ghur or Thick Hide.

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The Lore

of

Face of the Wild

Beasts

The Lore

Brighten Blaze

By expending 1 SL of gathered power, you sprout fangs, fur, claws, or other intimidating features. You gain the Fear (1) Creature Trait until your next turn.

of

Fire

By expending 1 SL of gathered power, any non-magical fire you can see within Willpower yards grows in intensity. A candle flame burns as violently as a torch, a torch as brightly as a campfire, and so on. This both increases the illumination provided, and may cause nearby creatures to gain an Ablaze Condition if the GM rules they were standing close enough to be caught in the enlarged fire.

Talons of Ghur

You may expend a number of SL of gathered power, up to a maximum of your Willpower Bonus, to add +1 Damage for each to any unarmed attack you make until your next turn. You may decide to apply this effect after you have made your Melee Test, but before the GM has described the results.

Set Alight

Any time you strike an opponent with a Melee attack, you may expend 2 SL of gathered power to inflict one Ablaze Condition upon them.

Thick Hide

By expending 3 SL of gathered power, you increase the AP of all leather armour you are wearing by 1 until your next turn.

Fervent Bellow

By shouting your encouragement and expending 3 SL of gathered power, one ally who can hear your voice loses one Broken Condition.

The Lore

of

Visions of Trauma

Heavens

You may expend 1 SL of gathered power to gain +1 SL on any Dodge or Melee Test you make to avoid or parry an attack.

Crackling Blade

You may expend a number of SL of gathered power, up to a maximum of your Willpower Bonus, to add +1 Damage for each to any Melee attack you make with a metal weapon. You may decide to apply this effect after you have made your Melee Test, but before the GM has described the results.

Visions of Fortune

The Lore

Eyes of Death

of

By expending 3 SL of gathered power, you peer into what is to come and shout a warning or advice to an ally who can hear your voice. They receive a +2 SL bonus to use on any one Test during their next turn. You may not use this cant on yourself.

Death

By expending 1 SL of gathered power, you are granted a vision of another creature's death. You may ask how close a creature you can see is to death. The GM must describe, in relative terms, how many Wounds that creature has remaining.

Whispers of Doom

By expending 2 SL of gathered power, you can learn the Dooming of any creature you inflicted at least 1 Wound on during the previous Willpower Bonus minutes.

Death’s Visage

By expending 3 SL of gathered power, you can take on the aspect of the grave. For this round, you no longer need to breathe, and can ignore the effects of Fatigued, disease, and Poisoned. Creatures with the Undead Trait will ignore you unless you attack them directly, or if they are intelligent enough to see through your ruse.

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The Lore

Reinforcement

of

Purging Light

Metal

By expending 2 SL of gathered power, a melee weapon you are holding or a single piece of ammunition begins to glow with furious light. Until your next turn, targets struck by a weapon or piece of ammunition under the effects of this Cant must make a Challenging (+0) Endurance Test or gain a Blinded Condition. If the target has the Daemonic Trait, they take an additional +3 Damage from the attack as well.

By expending 1 SL of gathered power, all metal armour you are wearing provides 1 additional AP of protection until your next turn.

Heart of Iron

In response to receiving a Critical Wound, you may choose to expend 2 SL of gathered power. The struck location toughens unnaturally, resisting a potentially mortal blow. Your attacker must roll twice on the appropriate Critical Wound chart, choosing the least harmful result.

Perfection of the Self

By expending 3 SL of gathered power, you are engulfed in a cleansing light. Until your next turn, you may ignore the effects of any Diseases, Poisons, Critical Wounds, or Mutations that afflict you. Even severed limbs are temporarily replaced by airy constructions of pure Hysh.

Quicksilver Blade

By expending 3 SL of gathered power, one metal weapon you are holding begins to flow like water. Melee attacks you make this Round count as spells of Chamon and enjoy the benefits listed for spells of the Lore of Metal described on WFRP page 249 — ignoring the AP of metal armour, and inflicting additional Damage equal to the AP of metal armour worn on that Hit Location.

The Lore Staunch

of

Life

By expending 1 SL of gathered power, you remove all Fatigued and Bleeding Conditions from yourself.

Invigorate

As an Action, you may expend 2 SL of gathered power and touch another creature. Until your next turn, that creature gains +1 SL to all Tests involving their Strength or Toughness, and automatically passes any Test to resist the effects of disease or poison.

The Lore Ulgu’s Touch

of

Shadows

At the start of your turn, you may expend 3 SL of gathered power to immediately gain the Regenerate Creature Trait (WFRP page 341) until the start of the next Round.

By expending 1 SL of gathered power, you cloak yourself in raw Ulgu. You may add a number of SL up to your Willpower Bonus to any Stealth Tests you make this Round, adding them after the dice have been rolled but before the GM has described the result.

The Lore

Not Your Problem

Regenerate

Brighteyes

of

Light

By expending 2 SL of gathered power you become less of a threat in the eyes of others. If there is at least one other viable target which a hostile enemy can attack on their next turn, they will attack that target instead.

By expending 1 SL of gathered power, your eyes begin to give off a faint light. You gain the Dark Vision Creature Trait until the beginning of your next turn. Additionally, you become immune to the Blinded Condition while the effect persists. Blinded Conditions you already have are ignored for the duration of this effect but return once it ends.

A Passing Shadow

By expending 3 SL of gathered power, you become impossible to restrain. You may slip free of any existing bonds, and all attempts to grab, hold, or otherwise prevent your movement fail. You may pass through difficult terrain without hindrance, and your almost insubstantial form may even slip past barred windows and through other tight spaces.

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LORD ADALBERT • KNOPP-INZEL •

0 Lord Knopp-Inzel and his entourage are staying in the same inn as the party. They occupy a table in the taproom, where the knight is having a good-natured dispute with Brother Samhel. They disagree on the role of the Reiksguard in the Fourth Siege of Altdorf. They invite members of the party to adjudicate between their cases, offering a round of drinks in return.

‘Were you in the Marktplatz yesterday? Some crazy old knight called Lord Knopp-Inzel picked a fight with the head of the Watch. He got himself a good hiding and then got chucked in the river. It's a shame really, he seemed harmless.’ — Werner Stoll, Weissbruck Scribe ‘Someone told me Knopp-Inzel is about again, trying to get the Jungfreuds back in Ubersreik. He’s losing his mind, but he was sharp as a pin in the old days. Knew everyone who mattered in Altdorf.’

0 The party are in a village when they hear excited children running down the lane. Lord Knopp-Inzel and his retinue ride into the village, Leonard blowing his bugle while the knight demands support from the village to restore Ubersreik to the Jungfreuds.

— Lady Kisaiya von Bruner, Ubersreik Dowager Lord Knopp-Inzel is old, his mind is failing, and people dismiss him as a reckless eccentric. But this elderly knight is on a quest to restore the Jungfreuds to Ubersreik. Riding through the Reikland with his trusty retinue, he duels with blackguards, tries to rally the peasantry, and fights injustice as a true veteran of the Reiksguard should. Admittedly, this usually ends in injury and humiliation, but what’s a few hundred laughing villagers when honour and the integrity of the Empire are at stake?

0 The party are in a town. They see Lord Knopp-Inzel sat on his horse outside the Town Hall, calling out the burgomeister for a duel. He has heard that the Town Council declared in favour of Karl-Franz’s seizure of Ubersreik. 0 On the road, the party happen across a small group of bandits who wait patiently while Lord Knopp-Inzel and his retinue prepare to bring them to justice.

This article provides a profile of Lord Knopp-Inzel and his entourage of ne'er-do-wells. They can act as a comic diversion or play a greater role in your campaign. Before old age clouded his mind, Lord Adalbert worked as a spy, seeking out cults and covert treason — which sometimes involved Reikland’s most powerful. Between episodes of dementia and delusion, the old knight’s memories return and he hints at knowledge which many would rather remain secret.

0 Choose the PC who looks most suited to a fight. They feel a tap on the shoulder and turn around to find an old man in armour challenging them to a duel. He thinks he just heard them say something questioning the honour of Reiklanders. The GM is best placed to decide how to use Knopp-Inzel and his retinue. They can provide a short comedic interlude with the delusional old knight making a fool of himself. Alternately, you can play on the tragedy of his encroaching dementia and his loss of self.

ENCOUNTERING ADALBERT It should be easy to integrate Lord Knopp-Inzel into any campaign, as a brief interlude, a precursor to a new adventure, or part of an ongoing scenario. The retinue can cross paths with the PCs on the road, or turn up in any village or town in the Reikland — other than Ubersreik, where Lord Adalbert’s agitating won’t be tolerated.

Adalbert can be a useful distraction or a source of old secrets you may want to introduce to your campaign. Several adventure hooks at the end of the article illustrate how this could work.

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Lord Adalbert

‘I beg to differ, sir. You may state your case most eloquently, but I’m afraid that you have made a grievous error. No man of the Reikland could stand aside while you slander the good name of the late Rodolf von Sigismund. Therefore, it pains me greatly, but I feel I must offer you the opportunity to erase the stain on your character through honourable combat.’ ‘I’m awfully sorry, but I seem to forget so many things these days. Have we met? I can’t be sure. Were you in Salzenmund during the Oaken Mask business? I think you worked for the count? Your face is familiar. I’m so terribly sorry, but I can’t recall… I’m really not myself today. What were we talking about?’ Lord Knopp-Inzel’s grandfather was a founding Reiksguard knight and his son followed him into the Order, so Adalbert was destined to join their ranks himself. Proud to be part of such an august institution, he acquitted himself admirably in combat many times. He had a reputation for eagerness, sweeping forward at the head of the charge to meet his foe. This was tempered by a fine strategic mind, which did not go unnoticed. By the time he reached his thirties, Adalbert was being groomed for leadership. He served for a time in the Emperor’s personal guard where he met Luitpold III. During a ferocious battle with an Orc band, Lord Adalbert lost his right hand and lower leg to a furious downsweep from a Savage Orc axe. He was saved by Graf Roldolf von Jungfreud, father of the current duke. Now sporting a brass hand and wooden leg, he renounced frontline combat.

LORD ADALBERT KNOPP-INZEL — HUMAN FIRST KNIGHT (AND SPY) GOLD 2

Lord Adalbert’s service to the Reiksguard was not over. He joined the Untersuchung, a clandestine branch of the knightly order dedicated to hunting down treasonous and blasphemous threats to the Empire. He was a spy in the Imperial Court, Couronne, Remas, and Salzenmund. He controlled several networks of agents, taking responsibility for neutralising many treasonous plots and illegal cults. For several years he worked closely with the Altdorf Black Chamber, the principality’s spy network, where he got to know (but not trust) Graf Liepmund Holzkrug, now High Lord Ambassador of the Reikland.

M WS BS S 3

T

I

Ag Dex Int WP Fel W

60 33 40 25 45 39 30 30 45 45 10

Traits: Armour 4 (6), Easily Confused, Weapon (Lance) +10 (When charging on horseback), Weapon (Sword) +8 Skills: Animal Care 45, Athletics 49, Bribery 50, Charm 55, Charm Animal 55, Consume Alcohol 35, Cool 55, Dodge 49*, Endurance 40, Gamble 40, Gossip 55, Haggle 50, Heal 40, Intimidate 50, Intuition 55, Leadership 55, Lore (Battle 50, Heraldry 50, Politics 45, Warfare 45), Melee (Basic 80, Cavalry 80), Perception 60, Ride (Horse) 54, Secret Signs (Untersuchung) 45, Stealth (Rural) 49, Trade (Farrier) 45

After many years in service, Lord Adalbert retired in 2508 IC to the family estate outside Oberwald, with his longsuffering squire Leonard in attendance. Over the years he grew increasingly eccentric and confused, his keen intellect dulled by encroaching dementia. The old knight was outraged when he heard about Emperor Karl-Franz’s edict to take Ubersreik from the Jungfreuds. His sense of honour was offended and he decided to come out of retirement to right a great wrong. Calling for Leonard to bring his armour out of storage, he saddled up his old steed and rode forth on a misguided quest to restore justice and propriety to the Reikland.

Talents: Blather, Carouser, Doomed, Etiquette (Nobles), Gregarious, Read/Write, Rough Rider, Shieldsman, Strike Mighty Blow, Suave, War Leader, Warrior Born Trappings: Charcoal Stick, Destrier with Barding, Hooded Cloak, Lance, Plate Armour, Pouch containing 12 Gold Crowns and 10 Shillings, Reinforced Soft Kit and Great Helm, Saddle and Tack, Sword * Adalbert is still getting used to his prosthetic leg, and may not Dodge until he does so.

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Easily Confused

Beliefs

This is a new Creature Trait to represent creatures and characters who are dithering and uncertain, but not so much as to be considered Stupid.

0 The Empire is a sacred institution birthed by Sigmar and it is the solemn duty of all its subjects to uphold its strength and integrity.

Characters with the Easily Confused Trait should make an Easy (+40) Intelligence Test whenever their immediate circumstances undergo a change, surprising information is brought to light, or a new encounter begins. If the character fails the Test they receive a Stunned Condition.

0 Karl-Franz has behaved in a way unfitting for an Emperor and Prince of the Reikland. This shall not stand. 0 A knight is bound to fulfil his duty to his order, to death if necessary. This includes adherence to a strict code of honour — to have truth in his words, duty in his heart, and a sword in his hand. There is an obligation to speak out against traitors and correct the misguided.

The character retains the Stunned Condition, but may make an Easy (+40) Intelligence Test at the start of every following turn, recovering from the Condition if they succeed.

0 No real knight would travel without a retinue of sturdy compatriots, bold and true!

Points of Resolve may also be spent on recovering from Stunned as normal.

Why Isn’t He Dead?

Appearance

Lord Knopp-Inzel puts himself in grave danger every time he challenges someone to a duel or makes a public proclamation against the Emperor in support of the Jungfreuds. So why is he still alive?

Lord Knopp-Inzel is a thin, elderly man with an impressive white moustache and beard, styled in a fashion that was popular in the Reikland cavalry forty years ago. When outdoors, he wears a careworn suit of steel plate and carries a short lance in his brass hand. He rides an elderly warhorse weighed down with heavy barding. When not arrayed for battle, he wears moth-eaten courtly garb and several medals earned during his service in the Reiksguard.

Despite the harsh life of many in the Reikland, few would take pleasure in killing a charming, deluded veteran of the Reiksguard. Most of his duels end with a beating and humiliation, but very few opponents want him dead. If death or serious maiming looks like a risk, Brother Samhel or one of the other retainers will intervene — to pay off the adversary or use one of their own talents to rescue the knight.

Character

Most of the time, Lord Knopp-Inzel is in fine spirits. He has a strong sense of purpose and treats friends and enemies alike with good humour, providing they appear as loyal Imperial subjects. If he hears anyone denounce the Jungfreuds, the position of Emperor, the Reikland, or any other Imperial institution, he courteously challenges them to a duel. He treats such obligations seriously and shows resolve rather than anger. When the inevitable crowd gathers, he is fond of making proclamations about the importance of justice and how ‘Karl-Franz’s father would never have allowed all this.’ He is completely fearless.

On a few occasions, a shadowy figure has intervened to protect Lord Knopp-Inzel. He attributes this to a blessing from Sigmar, but the reality is more prosaic. Like several other powerful people, High Lord Holzkrug is acutely aware of Adalbert’s past and would prefer he lives as long as possible. It’s well known that when he was with the Untersuchung, Knopp-Inzel wrote a detailed account of every individual, cult, and conspiracy he encountered and secured it ready for release should he die. He placed copies of his dossier in the House Fooger vault in Marienburg, the Temple of Verena in Wolfenburg, and the Untersuchung archive in Altdorf. If someone kills Lord Adalbert, at least one of these institutions will release his dossier to the Cult of Sigmar, the Witch Hunters, and various other authorities. Nobody knows exactly what the dossier contains, but few powerful people in the Reikland are willing to risk it becoming public.

Confusion sets in during periods of calm or after an inevitable defeat. Adalbert forgets what he’s done, repeats himself and apologises to all who might listen for his failing memory. He becomes uncertain of himself, and mutters cryptically about old conspiracies, long-dead agents, and adversaries. This confusion sometimes gives way to a moment of clarity, when he speaks with authority and shrewd judgement for a few moments before his mind fogs over again.

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Exactly what Lord Knopp-Inzel knows is up to the GM — he should be a good source of intrigue, scandal, and historical intelligence. Some suggestions:

BROTHER SAMHEL — HUMAN PRIEST OF MORR SILVER 1 M WS BS S

0 Emperor Luitpold III had an intimate relationship with a lady-in-waiting who was in fact a Lahmian vampire. The Untersuchung discovered this and acted quickly to neutralise the problem.

4

T

I

Ag Dex Int WP Fel W

27 29 32 43 28 35 25 42 38 52 14

Traits: Weapon (Mace) +7

Skills: Athletics 45, Charm 67, Cool 48, Endurance 53, Entertain (Storytelling) 57, Gossip 62, Heal 52, Intuition 38, Lore (Theology) 57, Melee (Basic) 37, Perception 38, Pray 67, Research 57

0 15 years ago, a cult of Slaanesh called the Shimmering Caress thrived in the upper echelons of Kemperbad, Grissenwald, and Auerswald society.

Talents: Bless (Morr), Doomed, Invoke (Morr), Read/Write, Savvy, Suave

0 Certain senior wizards in the Colleges of Magic knew of Egrimm van Horstmann’s corruption and took no action before it was fully revealed.

Miracles: Dooming, Last Rites, Portal’s Threshold

Trappings: Book, Clothing, Hand Weapon (Mace), Pouch containing 19 Shillings, Religious Symbol, Robes

0 The previous High Lord Treasurer was passing state secrets to the Council of Ten in Marienburg. He was quietly removed but remains alive and influential.

Brother Samhel, Priest

of

Morr

‘Do you really think this is wise, Adalbert? After all, there are twelve of them, they’re rather burly, and I still have half a goblet of this passable Pritzstock red left.’

THE KNIGHT’S RETINUE

Lord Knopp-Inzel believes that every knight should be accompanied by a man of faith to tend to his spiritual needs. He’d prefer a Sigmarite, but his old friend Samhel is perhaps more fitting given his recklessness. The two are of a similar age and have known one another for almost twenty years since Samhel took over as priest of Morr at the temple in Oberwald.

When Lord Knopp-Inzel rode out from his estate, he took Leonard as his squire, and his friend, Brother Samhel. On his journeys around the Reikland he has picked up the dubious Oda Terenz and hired a Dwarf fool, Ridrek Blackhelm. They accompany him on the road, some taking payment and others earning their way in each place they visit. Together they look like a strange crew and they draw attention wherever they go.

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IX

L O R D A DA L B E R T K N O P P- I N Z E L

Appearance

ELLA TERENZ — HUMAN CON ARTIST SILVER 2

Brother Samhel is tall and dignified in his years, with patrician good looks and a slight smile which suggests the world is faintly amusing to him. He wears the plain black robes of the Order of the Shroud and carries a staff topped with an hourglass.

M WS BS S 4

T

I

Ag Dex Int WP Fel W

28 29 27 29 53 42 54 42 47 59 10

Traits: Weapon (Dagger) +4

Character

Skills: Bribery 79, Charm 74, Consume Alcohol 44, Entertain (Acting 79, Storytelling 74), Evaluate 62, Gamble 67, Gossip 79, Haggle 74, Intuition 63, Language (Thieves’ Tongue) 57, Perception 68, Sleight of Hand 69

Samhel is generally cheerful and well-spoken. He has a dry wit which he deploys when someone around him is being vainglorious. Samhel’s main flaw is laziness — he usually prefers the path of least resistance.

Talents: Blather, Cardsharp, Diceman, Doomed, Etiquette (Criminals, Nobles), Fast Hands, Luck, Savvy, Secret Identity, Suave

What He Wants

0 Brother Samhel joined Lord Adalbert because of their firm friendship. He cares for the knight and wants to stay close as his condition worsens. He suspects he’ll be giving his old friend the last rites before long.

Trappings: Backpack, Dagger, Deck of Cards, Dice, Expensive Town Clothes, Hood, Poor Town Clothes, Purse with 22 Shillings

0 Despite choosing to accompany Lord Adalbert, Samhel prefers a quiet life and a good wine. When drunk, he becomes sentimental.

Appearance

Ella wears fashionable town clothes that Brother Samhel deems a little flash. She has shoulder length dark brown hair worn under a velvet hat adorned with a large red feather. A capable actress, one can never be sure whether her expressions or even her age are genuine.

0 Samhel performs his religious duties with solemn diligence. He will ensure the dead receive their rites and go peacefully into Morr’s realm.

Ella Terenz, Con Artist

Character

‘Oh, hard luck. I would have sworn you were going to win that one. No, no, no, I didn’t say Lord Adalbert has an enchanted sword. You must have misheard me. What was it? Five gold? Let’s call it four as you’ve been such a good sport.’

Ella has been living on her wits for twenty years and she has almost lost track of her real personality, under the many masks she’s worn. She can switch from upper-class charm to concerned devotee to coarse Altdorf eastender as she needs.

Ella met Lord Adalbert after he picked an argument with a gang of stevedores in Fielbach and ended up head-down in a barrel of pickles. She originally planned to con some gold from him, but then saw a good opportunity to make more by joining his retinue. She uses the crowds he attracts to run bets on his duels and con gullible locals into believing he is blessed by the gods and requires donations.

What She Wants

0 Ella wants to make money from the locals wherever she goes. She uses many scams, but her preference is to accept crooked bets on Adalbert’s chance of survival. 0 She really needs Lord Adalbert to survive, as he’s proving lucrative. But Ella has developed a soft spot for the old fool and will protect him, even when profit isn’t threatened.

ECHOES OF SCANDAL

0 Ella wants to feel smarter than the people she meets, regardless of rank or standing. Even a small con or artful lie confirms to her that she’s a little quicker off the mark than other people. She really wants to trick an Elf.

0 The party are approached by an agent of the Oldenhaller family in Nuln, who will pay them handsomely for leverage against the authorities in Schilderheim. There have been rumours over the years that the von Uhland family was implicated in some sort of scandal around 2502 IC, thwarted thanks to the actions of Lord Knopp-Inzel. The Oldenhallers want the party to join the old knight on his travels, earn his trust, and uncover the von Uhland secret.

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IX

WA R H A M M E R FA N TA S Y R O L E P L AY

Adalbert’s job vacancy. Ambassador Farlson has an acute sense of humour and doesn’t like Ridrek, so he relished the chance to give him a humiliating mission. Blackhelm occasionally shuffles off to dispatch a coded runic report to Ubersreik.

Ridrek Blackhelm, Dwarf Fool

‘…and so the faithful hen died, and although the farmer’s wife was upset, she was glad that it had laid one final egg. The next day, she waited patiently and the egg hatched… but it was full of grey dust which simply blew away.’

0 Ridrek needs to stick with Lord Adalbert because he’s the perfect cover. This may mean protecting the brain-addled manling if he’s about to get killed.

Every good knight should have a fool, to speak truth to power and make it funny. Lord Adalbert hired Ridrek during a trip to Grissenwald, but the Dwarf hasn’t quite lived up to expectations. Ever the optimist, the elderly knight waits patiently, hoping that Ridrek is just about to unleash the side-splitting zinger to end all zingers.

Leonard, Squire

‘Shall I fetch the bandages, my Lord? Very good, my Lord.’ Leonard is Lord Adalbert’s long-suffering squire. He has served the knight since his Reiksguard days and despite being many years past his fortieth birthday, Adalbert still calls him ‘the boy’. It is Leonard who picks up his master after a beating and patches him up to continue his quest.

RIDREK BLACKHELM — DWARF ENTERTAINER (AND SPY) BRASS 5 M WS BS S 3

T

I

Ag Dex Int WP Fel W

42 27 30 43 22 33 56 32 57 20 16

LEONARD — HUMAN SQUIRE SILVER 3

Traits: Weapon (Dagger) +5

Skills: Athletics 43, Bribery 30, Charm 30, Cool 67, Entertain (Acting 33, Comedy 23), Gamble 42, Gossip 35, Haggle 30, Language (Khazalid) 42, Melee (Basic) 52, Perception 42, Perform ( Juggling) 38, Play (Tin Whistle) 66, Stealth (Urban) 48

M WS BS S 4

T

I

Ag Dex Int WP Fel W

36 31 42 32 45 45 31 35 30 32 13

Traits: Armour 2 (5), Weapon (Sword) +8

Skills: Animal Care 55, Athletics 65, Charm Animal 50, Heal 55, Lore (Heraldry) 55, Melee (Basic 36, Cavalry 51), Play (Bugle) 36, Ride (Horse) 65, Trade (Farrier) 51

Talents: Magic Resistance, Mimic, Night Vision, Public Speaking, Read/Write, Strong-minded, Sturdy

Talents: Doomed, Etiquette (Nobles), Roughrider, Savvy, Sturdy, Warrior Born

Trappings: Backpack, Blanket, Brightly Coloured Clothing, Dagger, Hooded Cloak, Juggling Balls, Pouch, Tin Whistle, Tinderbox

Trappings: Bugle, Cloak, Clothing, Mail Shirt, Purse with 18 Shillings, Riding Horse with Saddle and Tack, Shield, Sword, Trade Tools (Farrier)

Appearance

Appearance

Ridrek Blackhelm looks like he’s just received the worst news a Dwarf ever heard. His relentlessly dour expression contrasts with his amusingly-waxed beard, bright-coloured breeches, and gaudy hose.

Leonard wears his black hair in an unflattering ‘pudding bowl’ style. He dresses in the livery of the Knopp-Inzels, a red and yellow check tabard with a blue goat rampant. He carries a bugle which he uses to herald Lord Adalbert’s arrivals, retreats, and proclamations.

Character

Character

To Ridrek, the whole world is a constant disappointment. He is pessimistic and morose. Given that his jokes fall flat, he prefers to tell depressing stories which invariably end on a downer.

Leonard lives to serve. He anticipates and responds to Lord Adalbert’s every need and mishap, barely speaking other than to ask his master for instruction. Leonard is the model of an uncomplaining dogsbody.

What He Wants

0 Ridrek is never satisfied with the world around him and would like to sit quietly alone, brooding about all the awful things which are just about to happen.

What He Wants

0 Leonard wants Lord Adalbert Knopp-Inzel to die honourably, as soon as possible.

0 There is a reason Blackhelm is a bad fool — he’s actually a spy for Gjur Farlson, Karak Azgaraz’s ambassador in Ubersreik. The hold seeks intelligence on the political situation in the Reikland, so they took advantage of Lord

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A R C H I V E S O F T H E E M P I R E : VO L U M E I

One of the most highly regarded roleplaying campaigns ever written, Every Gamer should play the Enemy Within

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