Located in the main market place, the town’s crier calls the following public notices: The town is raising a force to join the ‘noble defenders’ of New Bechafen to the north Payment is 3/- a day. PCs should be aware this is ludicrously low.
A reward of 100GCs is offered for information that leads to the recovery of the silver statue known as ‘The Arab Soldier’ belonging to the 1st Kiel Infantry (Chancellor’s Own) Regiment.
GMs should also take the opportunity to draw attention to the statue (see below) located in the square.
Finding the Professor
It is (unsurprisingly) not difficult to find locals who will remember a party that contains two ogres and the other motley assortment of Stradovski and his companions. They stayed at ‘The Manor’, a rundown Four Seasons coaching inn now in private hands. Some of the pewter-ware still retains the company’s coat of arms (and should have been disposed of long ago). The smell of body odour, ale and stale food is overwhelming. It should also be quite simple to discover that the group bought a large amount of provisions – enough for approximately two months (without the ogres!). They also enquired for mining supplies, from where they bought simple climbing equipment and the masks that miners use to help breathe and keep out dust and grit. PCs can also purchase these, but will be charged 1 GC per mask.
What else is happening?
Canal: Actually, this is simply a rubble-filled trench, with very little visible. However,
it is a perfectly regular trench cut into bedrock that is covered at both ends by buildings and ground – in other words, its extent is unknown. Locals are completely disinterested. GMs are advised to describe it as a perfectly uniform trench, rather than a canal.
Crime Wave: There is a crime wave in the town at the moment. Robberies, muggings
and assaults of all type are causing consternation to the ordinary town burghers. The Virgin Troopers have been mobilised and patrol the streets, but with little apparent effect. Locals blame many different groups – young rakes, non-humans, ‘immigrants’ and strangers of all types – and PCs need to be careful.
Pornography: A number of civic leaders are concerned at the influx of pornography,
not of the subject matter itself but of the fact that someone appears to have mastered cheap printing with serious economic and social repercussions. PCs travelling with the
convoy (since it is carrying such material) and from Kislev (thought to be the source) might find themselves quizzed by a local dignitary over a few drinks on this matter.
Pull it down: Two soldiers can be seen guarding – a very loose description given their
inefficiency – a statue of Drannus dominating Kiel’s primary market place. The statue is in the style of statues of Sigmar, but is clearly of a different figure, a noble warrior though a little shifty when one looks closely. His beard is a little weedy, his eyes a touch close together and he has no topknot. It appears that, probably for reasons of political expediency in the face of events to the north, the League has decided that the Thurini tribe rather than the Fennone one dominated it. This makes Drannus, the leader of the Fennones at the time of Sigmar, an impostor – or an invader. Either way, his statue has to go. Unfortunately, this has caused some disagreement. Firstly, the Sylvanians have objected to such treatment of their great leader. Secondly, the League have found it remarkably difficult to find academics (of note) to support their claim. This has little effect in principle, but unfortunately it is a long agreed Empire law that vandalism of religious statuary is heresy (as well as a number of more mundane crimes), and (no surprise here) all statues of figures from the time of Sigmar are deemed to be religious for the purposes of the Act. Worse still, the nominal elector has also flexed his political muscle with the argument that north west Ostermark is hereditary Talabec tribal land,
and so any replacement statue should be of Krugar. Aside from acting as a little bit of colour, this scenario serves the needs of the authorities, who are in need, of course, of demolition experts working in secret. After all, how can someone accuse them of heresy if some foolish anarchists take it upon themselves to destroy the statue? PCs can earn some spending money (tailor the fee to taste) and will be provided with a simple bomb to destroy the statue. Since the two guards are disinterested and not expecting trouble, scaring them off should be very easy. In playtest, this was ludicrously easy due to lucky
‘silent move’ tests and incompetent ‘listen’ tests by the guards. Having taken ground floor rooms at the inn on the square corner, they simply lit the fuse, told the guards to run and fled themselves, appearing from their room as the explosion ‘awoke’ them.
Theft of the Silver Mess Statue: The silver statue known as ‘The Arab Soldier’
belonging to the 1st Kiel Infantry (Chancellor’s Own) Regiment has been stolen. Used as ornamentation for the officers, the precise origins of the statue are unclear, but local regiment tradition claims that it was brought back by crusaders. What is not in any doubt is that it has been stolen. The statue is of an Araby infantryman with spear and shield, mounted upon an ivory plinth.