From rossi@cs.tu-berlin.deMon Aug 14 09:00:36 1995 Date: Fri, 30 Jun 1995 11:37:31 +0200 (MET DST) From: Oliver Rosenkranz Reply to: The wfrp mailing list To: wfrp@gojira.monsta.com Subject: WFRP: What to do after TEW (Le Grimoire) The following text describes a campaign outline which is settled only few months after the events described in the last part of the "The Enemy Within" campaign "Empire in Flames". Originally it has been published in the French WFRP magazine "Le Grimoire" (Issue 7, pages 12-16). This translation is posted to the internet with permission of its author! Do not expect TOO detailed text (hey, it's just an outline). As the author stated: "Each GM may be able to introduce a new campaign to his players with this material without being limited in any way..." Though may may feel free to use this in your home campaign, pleace notice that all of it still is copyright material (Game machanics by GW/Hogshead, the rest by "Le Grimoire"). I did all of the translation work by myself and there's absolutely no warranty that both contents are the same...You'll better know that I DO NOT SPEAK FRENCH AT ALL (!). Everything has been done using a French-to- German spellbook. :)) Believe it or not, I'm telling the truth... My native language is German, so please excuse any incorrect or otherwise terrible phrases herein. Thank you. Le Vieux Monde - The Old World ------------------------------ written by Sebastien Boudoud ("Le Grimoire" #7) translated by Oliver Rosenkranz Present Parties This is a key-event describing the meeting of the new Emperor with King Charles III. as a campaign outline taking place after the events of "Empire in Flames". At the end of this scenario the PCs are most likely "Heroes of the Empire", giving them the opportunity to change to a career with more prestigue (Noble, Chancelor, Marshall, Ambassador, Commander of ...). Therefore they are able to be part of the following negotiations and intrigues with the Emperor and his Bretonnian counterparts. Otherwise (if you haven't played "EiF" yet, for example) you have to adapt this meeting in a way, e.g. the PCs being cadets or musceteers in service of the king of Bretonnia (see "New Careers", Le Grimoire #7). Naturally the king uses the PCs to strengthen his position which puts them in the midst of this campaign, as you will see while reading the following supplement... * Emperor Heinrich X. Heinrich Todbringer is the eldest son of Count Boris Todbringer of Middenheim (see Middenheim, City of the White Wolf), who was killed during the events in last year's summer (see "EiF"). His mother died of a mysterious disease and his brother Stephan died in consequence of a mental disease, so he is the only heir apart from his sister Katarina, nowadays Countess of Middenheim. His situation is much the same as the situation of the population of his Empire: Countless people have lost their parents or friends during times of war. He has other political plans than his predecessor Karl Franz II. He judges with a certain harshness about these who were involved in his intrigues and doings (raising taxes and stupid plans). To carry out the reorganisation of the Empire successfully he first counts on making piece with his direct neighbour, Charles III. of Bretonnia. Along with this he is firm to achieve new negotiations about the situation of the Wasteland (see WFRP rulebook, "Marienburg"). Up to this day the Burgomeisters of Marienburg are supported by Bretonnia which grants the independence of the Wasteland since 2425 IC. Emperor Heinrich has a greediness on the richness and profitable products of the city to use them in hard times. The Emperor has recently heard of Kislev, the last bastion between the Old World and the Chaos hordes, suffering from pestilence. And the only one presenting herself as a friend of the family of tsar Radii Bokha (whose son died during the first confrontations in "EiF"), called Queen of Ice, tended to relieve the kingdom with an army of volunteers. Because the eastern territories do represent the last frontier between the Old World and the Chaos hordes, Heinrich X. wants to sned an army under (amongst others) command of the famous marshall Maximilian von Gensher (or maybe one of the PCs). Therefore he must make piece with his eastern neighbour. Among these chosen for the meeting is this woman: the countess of Nuln, Emmanuelle Liebewitz, who met the Emperor at one of these balls which last till next morning ... long before the civil war. * The Grand Theogonist Gludred IV. No Emperor has ever been able to access the throne without the approval of the Grand Theogonist, who is a member of the Elector council (see TEW campaign). However, the successor of Yorri XV., the old Gludred IV. differs from his predecessors, being unable to handle power. It is said, that during his speech at a meeting of this council someone had to prompt him...In short, the Emperor need not to care of this one. * Count Alberich Count Alberich Haupt-Anderssen is now 17 years old and is subject of being hatred against all allies of the Grand Duke of Talabecland, Gustav von Krieglitz (now dead) since he got his left arm heavily injured during a duel by him. His thirst for revenge is incredibly large... Several spies (watchmen, cook, etc) constantly inform him about any developments of the negotiations. Unmarried as he is, he seeks to have the attention of Countess Emmanuelle who so far has been antipathetic towards his advances. Each negative reaction from her side will make his anger grow even more. * Grand Prince Hals Shortly after the accession to the throne of the new emperor (who fought on the opponents' side during the Civil war) Grand Prince Hals buried the hatchet with the widow (or better protector) of Grand Duke Gustav von Krieglitz of Talabecland, while the Prince had been accused for the assassination of his son. After having heard that an army is marching up near Middenheim he sends an ambassador (PC) together with some spies as messenger to this meeting, to stay informed about the intentions of his old enemy Heinrich Todbringer. Does he maybe intend to pay back old bills? He pays attention anyways. However, he wants his messengers to intervene if danger occurs of Ostland's interests being touched (His vine...). * Countess Emmanuelle She is confident about the Emperor's feelings and would without a doubt be willing to become empress, to give birth to a heir and reign at his side. But she knows also that no empress survived a very long time as head of the Empire...She's very anxious of other women being concurrents, especially if they are younger than she is (Countesse Emmanuelle is 29 years old). And more, she knows that the security of the Empire depends upon whether he renounces a would-be-wife (see below). Therefore she is interested in these negotiations by her very own reasons, to be able to react if necessary (a PC chanceller or ambassador of Nuln would be a messenger for this side). * King Charles III. He is the son of Henri IV. 'The Delighted', who has been known for his stud consisting of more than 150 well-bred horses which only he did ride. Once each week he enjoyed the hunt. His courtisans would have been amused if they knew about the colour of the horse's hide. Each time he rided "Storm", a pure white horse... Charles III. called 'the golden head' (each Bretonnian noble his his nick-name), is a man of impressive appearance and eminent corpulence, naturally blonde. Charles III. is a ruler like Guillaume Barbenoire and therefore rules like an absolute monarch (without any privy council). Unfortunately he ignores the needs and well-being of Bretonnian population as all other Bretonnian aristocrats do. A king with all the power, a fallow administration in his empire with most of the governors being corrupt and clerics of Shallya who watch over this ensemble. When accepting the Emperor's invitation to Altdorf, he thought to discuss certain matters. Drawn by his cousin, the governor of Bordeleaux, he expects the nullification of an empirial law which forbids the import of Bretonnian vine into the Empire. To him, the Wasteland serves as buffer between Bretonnia and the Empire of Heinrich X. which looks instable to him. But Charles III. isn't narrow-minded if he is convinced of the Emperor's (or the PCs') goodwill during the three days of negotiations, he will stop supporting Marienburg from now on. But the king asks for the creation of a combined battalion (the Bretons ever had strange ideas) consisting of Musceteers on the one hand and of riders of the order of the Giant Helmet (founded by Emperor Karl-Franz to protect the emperor, nowadays one counts 86 riders) on the other hand. The king himself suggests the inclusion of his daughter Audrey; to give her to him as his bride - as a sign of piece. Heinrich risks to get caught in a trap. How could he refuse such an offer? Charles III. offers as a dowry (though empirial law does not prescribe this imperatively) a remote area between the Empire and Bretonnia: the Loren Forest. This area is three times larger than the county of Wissenland but without any real economical value, and it is shelter to the most important Wood Elf colony in the Old World which is unknown to most Humans. The independant attitude of the elven race has always been frustrating to Bretonnian nobility and king Charles sees this as a disguising revenge. Should Heinrich X. accept all of these causes, the unity of the Empire would be in danger (Norsca, Kislev, ...), and he's known as an resolute enemy of all independence movements. * Cardinal Dumourieux Being the equivalent of the Empire's Grand Theogonist, he plays the role of a prime minister and he's in posession of plenary power everytime the king is 'absent'. He is called "Red Minister" because of the colour of his clerical robe. Cardinal Dumourieux has been in 'business' since the times of Henri IV. and he is well experienced in the art of official duties (military, political and judicial). Often he uses his official functions as High Priest of Shallya to cover his personal activities serving his own material prosperity. He detests the Order of Musceteers, not because he is a cleric of Shallya and therefore against violence (he himself has a well trained Guard at his disposal who tangle from time to time with some certain musceteers), but because in his view this Order stands for public disorder. There is a law in Bretonnia which forbides the practice of duels...Will the Captain of the Musceteers stand in front of his men in times of trouble, and will the king be only amused of the quarrel instead of acting? Even more, the Cardinal knows that the queen has a love affair and he has material with him to proove this fact to an unbelieving king... If the Emperor's reaction to the offer of merriage with princess Audrey is positive, the counterparts have still to agree on the circumstances like where and under which deity, otherwise the wedding would be bounced. The Cardinal intends to bring all of these matters to light in these days, and he is willing to risk to delay the wedding for one month if no agreement can be achieved. * Queen Anne of Bretonnia he is nearly 40 years old but still a beautiful woman with blonde hair and green eyes. By the way, she frequently leaves the large palace of Oisillon to meet her lover, the Marquis Jocelyn De La Boissiere, in his chateau near Anguille. She is under permanent observation by the cardinal and his spies. The latter wait for the opportunity to catch her in flagranti. Luckily this secret remained unrevealed yet because of the help of her confidants, the musceteers. The queen always has the words of a Tilean ambassador swirling in her mind: "Best known are the rich, the strong and the famous, but they are all equal to the failure." [not sure about this because of lacking knowledge of french language] * Princess Audrey The princess is 21 years old and has two twin brothers, Louis and Bastien - 14 years old. Her fragile and shy appearance which gives her a ceratin charme only conceals a terribly currupt creature. She is attracted heavily by members of the opposite sex - especially those wearing uniforms - since her last voyage to visit her cousins in Guisoreaux some months ago. The majority of the young recruits and cadets would be able to tell details... What would be the reaction of the Emperor or of king Charles if someone would inform them about this behaviour? Doubtless the cardinal would do so because his motto "like mother like daughter" and this would mean the end of negotiations. A member of a secret sect makes out Audrey as possible eye of a needle to gain access to the Emperor himself for a circle of firm followers of Slaanesh. Audrey would probably rather die than choose a live behind the walls of a monastery. * The Burgomeisters of Marienburg They are absolutely against the idea of a reunification with the Empire and want to maintain their independence. Hence they have no interest in Emperor Heinrich and king Charles achieve agreement during this encounter. But if they try to defeat the conclusion of the treaty and someone will be able to find the Wastelanders guilty for that, king Charles would stop immediately his support for them and march on at the head of his army towards Marienburg. Because of the influence of cardinal Dumourieux, king Charles is also willing to profit by laying his hands upon the richesses of this city. * The Elves of the Loren Forest The chief heads of the Wood Elfes do not understand king Charles III.'s attitude. How could they - he disposes of an area which does not belong to him in reality. The Elven race has representatives all over the Old World, so they do not fear a confrontation. Which kind of reaction will be provoked on the Elves' side if these rulers threaten them with a royal army? Maybe another civil war? * Tzeentch Cult Beheaded by civil war, this cult which is based in Altdorf seeks to recover from this once again...its members operate in different ways: they infiltrate the horsemans' chorps of the Order of the Great Helmet or this of the musceteers and try to provoke a deadly altercation between these two Orders. They also have a plan to kidnap princess Audrey. They are able to intercept messages of the messangers to Nuln, if they succeed in capturing one of the semaphores (see TEW page 23) to send then false messages to the neighbour semaphores, up to Altdorf. ---- Please send any comments (which are most welcome) either to the WFRP mailing list (wfrp@gojira.monsta.com) or to me personally (rossi@cs.tu-berlin.de). I will forward the tenor of the feedback to the author (maybe also some kind of enhencement material ?!). BTW, issue 7 of "Le Grimoire" also includes the description of some new careers (like the musceteer - basic and advanced) which can be used in connection with this campaign outline. I did not send them along to give you some extra motivation to BUY "Le Grimoire". Enjoy, Oliver Rosenkranz rossi@cs.tu-berlin.de