9th Ulriczeit 2511 (Angestag): A Show of Gratitude, Viva Los Ubersreik, An Aborted Sewer Hunt, Bad Feelings and a Good Meal!
Dr. Lichtmann proceeded to inspect Salundra’s head wound. It was starting to tingle, but relative to the pain in her shoulder it was nothing. They talked while he tended to her. Gunnar and Ferdinand proceeded out of the hostel, where Grand’ma Rugger enquired after the patient. This didn’t seem to be the first time the doctor had received unexpected guests in need of medical attention. The drunk by the door hadn’t moved since they entered. Gunnar wondered if he’d died. This boarding house seemed like the kind of place where that may not matter too much.
The party proceed along the docks, moving west from the Teubrücke towards the Red Moon Inn. A docker with tattooed sleeves approaches them, obviously being encouraged by his co-workers, who have stopped working to watch. “This is som’thin small by way of a thank you for killin’ the Teufel Terror. People ‘av been disappearing in the night for a while. Anyway… it’s just something small.” He hands over a small pouch with a mix of small coins, coming to about a gold crown in value. The party continue to the Red Moon.
Once Salundra is settled in the room, Ferdinand and Gunnar decide to check out the gambling opportunities Kurlass Meingott mentioned at the Crooked Hammer. The Crooked Hammer is a back a little distance towards the bridge. It’s similar to the Red Moon Inn in many ways, but has a heavy curtain partitioning of an area from the main bar. They are greeted and when Ferdinand expresses an interest in card games, the barman calls Silvi over. She’s a woman in her mid fifties dressed as a barmaid, but she has a welcoming manner and a keen eye. Ferdinand makes the fourth in a foursome and proceeds to play several hands of Ubersreik in Flames. It’s an intriguing game, with each player playing attack and defence tricks, until players are progressively knocked out. Each trick is proceeded by a round of betting and the winning player takes the pot. Gunnar keeps a close eye on things, under the pretence of wanting to learn the game. Such spectating is not normally allowed, but neither Silvi nor Gert felt a need for an argument this early in the day, certainly not an argument with a Slayer. From Gunnar’s observations the games seem honest. Silvi also keeps a close eye on things. Ferdinand’s luck and skill are pretty good and he manages to make about thirty brass pfennigs. During the games, he chats with a player with scraggly blonde player who works in a warehouse along the river that used to store coal mined in the Duchy of Black Rock, but now stores food stuffs for the soldiers. A sign of the times.
They’re about to start another hand, when the sound of raised voices from the front bar can be heard. Gunnar goes to investigate, followed soon after by Ferdinand when when he bows out of the game. A disagreement has turned in a scuffle, with uniformed Altdorf soldiers and Altdorfers in Watch uniforms grabbing at collars and starting to shove each other. Fists start to fly and the bar owner shouts for calm. He’s ignored. Gunnar intercedes, initially unsuccessfully until someone accidentally punches him in the head. This peculiar moment shocks the scrappers. Gunnar manages to keep his cool and this incident is enough for the soldiers to come to their senses, with the Altdorf uniformed troops deciding to leave. Gert, the barman, and Silvi thank them. Silvi presents Gunnar with 1 GC by way of thanks and as a stake in the next game he might play in the Crooked Hammer.
As they leave they spot something slink back into the sewer, leaving an obvious mark in the snow. It was too fast to get a clear look at whatever it was, but both Gunnar and Ferdinand saw something. They search for an entrance to the sewers and quickly find a manhole to enter by. As Gunnar shoves it aside, Ferdinand conjours a glowing light about his person and they descend into the dank sewer. They hadn’t proceeded ten yards when Ferdinand freezes. It’s a few paces before Gunnar notices, turning to see Ferdinand fixated on some rats. Gunnar urges the mage on, and then flicks some rats into the waters with the head of his axe to show how harmless they are. Gunnar’s attempt, while (mostly) well-meaning unnerve Ferdinand and he begins to back away. He breathes heavily as he makes his way back out of the sewer. Gunnar proceeds a little further, but sees nothing, the opportunity lost. The first moments of a pursuit are essential and Gunnar knows that. He returns to Ferdinand and he’s clearly not happy with him. In silence they return to the Red Moon Inn.
Salundra has spent most of the day napping and feels the better for it. She then joins them in some good food. Yes! Good food at the Red Moon Inn. Maglyn is already having a significant impact on the ambience, and smell(!) in the Inn. Pork belly, taters and gravy make for a delicious meal. Ferdinand tries to apologise but Gunnar is having none of it. The meal is a strange mix of good eating and awkward silence. They turn in early in an attempt to get some solace and rest.
10th Ulriczeit 2511 (Festag): Kippers and Bacon, (Partial) Reconciliation, a Dojo, a Racketeer and ‘Follow that Cad’
Salundra slept dreadfully. Maybe it was the chat with the doctor, the incessant pain in her shoulder, the fact she’d napped during the previous day, or all of the above. Her shoulder throbbed and felt very off. Her forehead wound was twinging too. She was not feeling at all well. The smells from the kitchen, however, were good enough to entice her and the others downstairs for some breakfast. Maglyn had revolutionised the Red Moon Inn’s offerings in only a couple of days. The party have a good and hearty breakfast, comprising kippers on rye and bacon butties. Over this pleasant food and a decent ale, Salundra manages to get Gunnar and Ferdinand talking again. Gunnar still isn’t happy, but he’ll move on.
Gunnar, wanting to do his bit to alleviate some struggles in the city, decides to ask Eugen, who is serving tables now, if he’d like to learn some self-defense skills. Eugen jumps at the chance and suggests his friends would like to too! Once breakfast is over Gunnar and Salundra decide to head towards the docks, Salundra to see if she can spot Rudi and Gunnar to arrange a spot for the local kids to train. Ferdinand stays in the Red Moon Inn in a melancholy and reflective mood.
Gunnar finds the docker who presented the money to them and arranges to use an idle warehouse (it used to store steel from Black Rock) as a spot to train the local kids. The docker reckoned the Dockers Guild would be happy to support such activity. A Slayer would make for a good lure for the Dunkelfeucht and Teubrücke youth.
Salundra didn’t want to stray too far, but does want to find out what Rudi is up to. After a failed attempt to blag her way into a business across from where Rudi had been ‘racketeering’, she found a more receptive place to observe from. True to form, it wasn’t long before she spotted Rudi ‘doing the rounds’. She didn’t follow him, reasoning she was too tired (and beaten up) to do so without being spotted. She returns to the Red Moon Inn, where Ferdinand is in the mood to talk. He described how, in his youth, his abilities started to show. His parents feared what was happening and hid him away as often as possible. One time as an early teen, when his powers were flaring up, they placed him in a cellar. What they didn’t realise is that it contained a rats nest. For two days and nights he struggled to fend off increasingly reckless vermin in the darkened cellar. His calls for help were unheard or unheeded. No wonder he’s afraid of rats.
Just as Gunnar was leaving the warehouse he spots Rudi. The greedy sergeant is too caught up in his schemes to spot the Slayer. Gunnar decides to follow Rudi, who makes his way through Teubrücke, filling his pockets. He begins to cross the bridge, moving north towards the precinct. Snow is starting to come down heavily now, but Gunnar keeps Rudi in sight. Rather than head towards the barracks, Rudi veers westward, into Black Rock. He is visibly more cautious, but fails to spot Gunnar. Eventually, Rudi stops in beside a wall, his attention firmly on something just out of Gunnar’s eye-line. Rudi waits and watches for over two hours, even snacking on a lunch he had brought with him. He’s still visibly cagey, but Gunnar remains undetected, moving closer to take up a good vantage. Gunnar is cold, but he’s hardy enough to stay fixed on his target. Rudi seems to be spying on a Sigmarite chapel.
A white-haired woman in her mid-fifties, seeming to be in the clothing of a priest, leaves the chapel. This appears to be Rudi’s cue to move inside. Gunnar tries to sneak in behind him, but he was spotted by Rudi. The sergeant is the picture of calm. The flings a couple of knowing remarks at Gunnar, but gives nothing away. He then walked brazenly past Gunnar, obviously aware that he had been following him.
Gunnar looks around the small chapel, but before long the sister returns. It’s a little strange to find a dwarf in her chapel. In fact it’s a little strange to find anyone since the Altdorfers took over Black Rock. They chat and Gunnar mentions she should be ‘wary of some of her flock’. She understands the implication, if not the detail, and appears concerned. The sister is solemn in her duties and responsibilities. Any threat is taken seriously. Rudi’s interest in this place is concerning to Gunnar, but he is more circumspect than to discuss this with a stranger.
Gunnar decides to return to the Red Moon Inn and the party have another fine meal. This is followed by a solid night’s rest. Thankfully Salundra sleeps well. Between the sleep and a day of relative ease she has healed up quite a bit.
… and we’ll leave it there.
Until next time,
Owen