Geheimnisnacht – a WFRP Adventure

Geheimnisnacht – a WFRP Adventure

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Geheimnisnacht This Encounter is based on the short story “Geheimnisnacht”, which can be found in the book Trollslayer by William King and is copy righted to the original author.

Act 1: On the road The PCs are travelling along the road on the night of Geheimnisnacht. It is raining badly and visibility is cut in half (–50% to Perception Tests based on sight and –25% to Perception Tests based on hearing). While they are moving along the road there is a coach approaching from behind them. As it comes closer have all the PCs make an Agility test to jump out of the way as the coach does not slow down. It is a large black coach pulled by 4 black horses, there are no markings of any kind on the coach and the driver is all shrouded in black.

When the PCs pull themselves out of the gutter they may try to follow the coach. The road they are on leads into a small village.

Act 2: The village When the PCs first come to the village they notice that it looks deserted. All doors are locked and windows shuttered. If they try to enter any house all doors have a TB of 4 and 8 Wounds. Locks can be picked normally.

What they find upon investigation is that all the locals have locked themselves up for the night and everyone seems to be armed with a weapon of some sort. And will attack first screaming a prayer to Sigmar to protect them. At the inn the PCs find the same situation. If they knock at the door or start to bang it down they hear whimpering inside and also prayers to Sigmar. Again these prayers are to help them against the Daemons at the door. Once inside the scene is like this:

Inside, the inn has a low common room. The bar is made from some planks on barrels. In the corner, 3 armed men can be seen; they all look like travelling peddlers and look worried.

There are also a number of serving girls and a woman in the corner, crying. If anyone asks what is going on they are told that Geheimnisnacht is not a night for travelling as the Daemons of the land run free that night and the only ones on the road are up to no good.

If they ask what’s up with the woman, the bar man explains “our Gunter is missing, on a night like this and all”.

If they mention the black coach, everyone goes quiet. One of the peddlers says “you’ve seen the black coach? You’re lucky to have lived to tell the

tale. Some say that it is driven by Daemons. I have heard it pass here on Geheimnisnacht every year. Some say it carries wee children from Altdorf who are to be sacrificed in the woods.”

If they ask about this they are told of a local legend which says that every year the coach goes by and anyone who has seen it will be sacrificed to the Chaos Gods. Gunter looked out the window and two years ago when it drove by – at this the old woman starts to cry again.

When the PCs ask who Gunter is, the barman says “he is my son; he went to chop fire wood this afternoon and has not returned. It is unlikely that he is lost in the woods, as he knows them like the back of his hands. He should have been home hours ago. I fear that he has been taken by the Daemons “

During this the woman continues to cry saying “Gunter is a good boy, how will we survive without him?”

Also one of the peddlers says “it’s like the Hauptmann’s daughter, Ingrid.” When asked who Ingrid is, the barman explains: “She was betrothed to his son; she lived in Hartzroch the next village down. Goodwife Hauptmann looked in on her teenage daughter after sunset. She had though she had heard moaning coming from her room. When she went in the room was empty, the window wide open and banging in the breeze. Ingrid was found in the woods the next day covered in bruises and in a terrible state. Ingrid said that Daemons and wild things carried her away to the woods. There she saw a stone circle and a number of people surrounded by Daemons and monsters, they made to sacrifice her at the alter but she broke free and prayed to Sigmar to protect and guide her, she made it to a safe spot in the woods and hid, the cultists didn’t find her. We went and searched the area where this happened and found all sorts of tracks, both animal and human and Daemon. And there was what looked like an altar with a young baby gutted like a pig.”

With this the old woman asks the PCs if they would go to the Stone Circle to look for Gunter. If they agree she will give one of the human PCs a small iron charm, it is in the shape of a twin tailed comet (a Sigmarite charm with no magical abilities). She says that Gunter wears the same. The barman says that he will also give the PCs 5 silver shillings if they go – that’s all of his savings.


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Act 3: The Forest As the PCs trudge through the forest, over head the moon Morrslieb has become very bright, and its green glow stains the sky. A light mist has gathered and has reduced visibility (–20%) the further they walk on the more the mist thickens. At some point have all of the PCs make a Perception Test based on hearing with the above modifier. If they fail they are surprised by a group of mutants. There is 1 mutant per PC (or more if you have an experienced party). Remember that this ground counts as difficult ground due to the mist and the fact that it hinders the sight.

As they move on the woods become deeper and more tangled. The trees take on the aspect of uncanny beings, twisted and horrified. The PCs get a feeling of being watched continuously. At this point the PCs encounter 1 mutant; it is dancing in a pool of moonlight.

As the PCs move further on they hear chanting from ahead (again, a Hard Perception Test). As they move forward they see a clearing ahead with a number of standing stones in it.

As the PCs inch to the edge of the clearing here they heard the chanting get louder. From their vantage point in the long grass they can see a crude ring of standing stones amid which stands a large altar. The stones glow greenly with the light of some luminous fungus. On the altar is a brazier which gives of clouds of narcotic smoke.

Within the ring a number of humans dance about. They are masked and garbed in long cloaks. The cloaks are thrown over one shoulder revealing naked bodies, both male and female. In one hand they have finger cymbals in the other switches of birch with which they whip the person in front of them; with each hit they chant “ygrak tu amat Slaanesh!”

Beside the monolith the PCs can see 6 bodies; closer examination will reveal that all have had their hearts removed. These hearts can be seen laid out in a Circle on the altar.

The rhythm of the dance gets faster until the dancers are in frenzy lashing each other until they draw blood. Then with out warning they stop and all is silent.

On the other side of the ring the PCs see that the black coach has arrived. The door swings open and out steps a large figure, he is dressed in heavy purple robes (1 Armour Point). In his arms he carries a large bundle of deep scarlet cloth. Due to the people in the centre, the stones and the fog a ballistic shot at this individual will be Very Hard.

He steps forward into the circle and shouts “Amak tu amat Slaanesh” rising the bundle over his head. All PCs may make a Perception Test to notice that

there is a small child in the bundle. The crowd responds with “Ygrak tu amak Claanesh, Tzarkol taen amat Slaanesh”. And they continue in this fashion for 18 rounds unless disturbed. When they finish the Coven master moves to the altar in the centre and places the bundle on it, from their vantage point the PCs can see that the child is alive.

Act 4: The fight If the PCs attack they have to deal with the 4 coven members, and also 4 Mutants that are in the surrounding woods. The Mutants arrive 3 rounds after the fight breaks out. You may adjust these numbers to suit your group – the fight should be won without too much trouble, but should not be a cakewalk.

During the fight the Coven master tries to escape using the child as a hostage if needed. The humans there also try to defend the master as best they can, which will not be much given their nakedness.

If the Ritual is completed the child is killed and a Daemon is summoned. This Daemon kills all the cultists except the master and then proceeds to the village and starts to kill all and sundry, in which case the PCs will have to deal with it or flee but leave the Daemon and cult leader at their backs.

Act 5: Clean up If the ritual is stopped then the PCs will probably want to search the site or destroy it. This should be impossible for them as the circle is an old Waystone, and if it is destroyed, the Winds of Magic would be disturbed in this place (an Academic Knowledge (Magic) Test will reveal this.

If they search the bodies they find a matching Sigmarite charm on the coven master, and if they remove his mask they find Gunter. Also they will find Ingrid among the bodies of Mutants if they where given a description. The best solution to this is to return with the bodies and say they where killed by the coven. This will at least make the deaths easier for the families concerned. The child is Ingrid’s, her parents did not know that she was a mother, so again it is best to conceal the truth.

Experience Listening to the barman 5 Agreeing to find Gunter 10 Finding the Stone Circle 10 Stopping the ritual before the child is killed 15 Killing Gunter 5 Stopping Gunter and apprehending him 20 Not stopping the Ritual –30 Concealing the truth 30


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NPCs

Gunter, Coven Master Race: Human Career: Cult Magus of Slaanesh (ex-Cult Acolyte of Slaanesh, ex-Peasant)

Main Profile WS BS S T Ag Int WP Fel 41% 41% 36% 41% 61% 66% 36% 76%

Secondary Profile A W SB TB M Mag IP FP 2 17 3 4 5 2 0 0

Skills: Academic Knowledge (Daemonology +10%, Magic +10%), Animal Training, Channelling +10%, Charm +20%, Common Knowledge (the Empire), Concealment, Consume Alcohol, Disguise, Drive, Cook, Evaluate +10%, Gossip +10%, Intimidate +10%, Magical Sense +10%, Outdoor Survival, Performer (Dancer), Read/Write +10%, Set Trap, Silent Move, Speak Arcane Language (Daemonic +10%, Magick), Speak Language (Reikspiel +10%, Classical) Talents: Aethyric Attunement, Dark Lore (Slaanesh), Dark Magic, Fearless, Flee!, Hardy, Inured to Chaos, Keen Senses, Lesser Magic (), Lightning Reflexes, Menacing, Petty Magic (Chaos), Specialist Weapon Group (Sling), Streetwise, Strike to Stun, Savvy, Suave Mutations: Agile (+10 Ag), Fast (M+1), Extra Toes (1 on each foot) Armour: Heavy Purple Probe (counts as Fur Armour) Armour Points: 1 on all Locations Weapons: Ritual Dagger Trappings: Robe

Human Cultist (use as many as you need) Race: Human Career: Peasant



Skills: Animal Care, Animal Training, Charm Animal, Common Knowledge (the Empire), Concealment, Drive, Gossip, Outdoor Survival, Set Trap, Speak Language (Reikspiel), Silent Move Talents: Hardy, Flee! Armour: None Weapons: Peasant’s Weapon – Flail, Pitchfork, Staff, etc. (Damage SB–2) Trappings: Robes

Mutant (use as may as you need) Race: Human Career: Peasant




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Skills: Animal Care, Animal Training, Charm Animal, Common Knowledge (the Empire), Concealment, Drive, Gossip, Outdoor Survival, Set Trap, Speak Language (Reikspiel), Silent Move Talents: Hardy, Flee! Armour: None Weapons: Peasant’s Weapon – Flail, Pitchfork, Staff, etc. (Damage SB–2) Trappings: Robes Mutations: #1: Bestial Appearance – Face of a Bat (Acute Hearing, Fel=20%) #2: Pincer Hand – (Natural Weapons with Precise Quality) #3: Turnskin (Treat as Beastman) #4: Piercing Tongue (Natural Weapons with Precise Quality); Elastic Limbs #5: Additional Arms (Attacks=2, Toughness=51, Toughness Bonus=5) #6: Wings (Flies as a Hoverer) #7: Irrational Fear (Dwarfs), Horn on Forehead (Natural Weapon) #8: Bizarre Colouration (Purple) #9: Tentacle Fingers #10: Scale Skin (1 Armour Point on all Locations) #11: Invisibility (Transparent Body, –10& to all Melee Attacks and –20% to all Missile Attacks) #12: Inside Out (guts leak out of body)

The Stone Circle

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Geheimnisnacht – a WFRP Adventure