deadringer.pdf

Dead Ringer

A Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay Scenario

by Chuck Morrison

 TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Introduction

... page 2

The Elder ’ s Council ... page 13

Villagers ... page 14

Putting the Pieces Together ... page 14

In Morr ’ s Garden ... page 15

South Averland Red ... page 15

Arrival of the Desperate ... page 16

Denouement

A Bit of History

... page 2

Along a Lonely Road

... page 3

Wolf Bait

... page 3

Welcome to Ehrtzhofen

... page 4

The Gr ü ndenfest

... page 4

So Many Questions

... page 5

... page 16

Winding Down

... page 7

Tying Up Loose Ends

... page 16

The Doktor is Out

... page 7

The Price of Failure

... page 17

A Terrible Scene

... page 7

Whence Augustin Vorster? ... page 17

Curious, Cadaverous Tattoos

... page 10

Experience

... page 17

Words

... page 10

Dramatis Personae

... page 18

Letters

... page 10

Acknowledgments

... page 19

Shapes

... page 11

Handouts

... page 20

Investigative Complications

... page 12

Strange Rumblings

... page 12

Cover and Map Pencils by TJ Adamowicz

Cover Colors by Alfredo Lopez, Jr

page 1

.: Introduction :.

Dead Ringer begins just outside the town of Ehrtzho-

fen, which for the purposes of this scenario is located in

Talabecland and nestled against the Great Forest, but

with a bit of effort can easily be relocated to any remote

village in the Empire. It is a non-linear scenario that is

best run for a party of 3 to 6 Player Characters of any

experience level who have an investigative bent, strong

stomachs, and twenty-four hours to spare.

Everything was in place now, and only a single obstacle

remained: the current village physician, Augustin Vor-

ster. Bartenbach promptly fired Vorster, telling him that

his “term as village physician was up,” and he would be

replaced within the week. This devastated Vorster, who

loved Ehrtzhofen and had served it well for the past

dozen years. Bereft of his status in the community, his

position on the Elder’s Council, and the only occupation

he was trained to do, he sank into a deep and public

depression. Indeed, he would often be found at the

town tavern bingeing on every drop of alcohol available

until he passed out, only to begin the cycle anew the

next day when he regained consciousness. People whis-

pered he had gone mad.

A BIT OF HISTORY

Ehrtzhofen is a small village that can be found near the

Talabecland-Ostermark border, at the northern edge of

the Kölsa Hills and the southernmost reaches of the

Great Forest, just northeast of Kappelburg. It has been a

sleepy hamlet for most of its existence. Indeed, its vil-

lagers pride themselves on living in a town where noth-

ing of consequence ever happens. That is, until five

years ago, when a series of events was set into motion

that would change the tranquil village of Ehrtzhofen

forever.

During this time Paulin Wegener arrived from Freital

(by way of Talabheim, where he stopped briefly to pur-

chase medicinals) and took up his duties. He convinced

Halbgewachsen that he was suffering from a rare but

quite serious affliction that was only treatable with a

special elixir, which was to be administered daily. We-

gener hoped Halbgewachsen would die quickly, but the

old man was too hale and hearty, and a week of “ther-

apy” only served to weaken him enough to restrict him

to his bed. At this point Pfluger and Bolstetter, under

severe pressure from their creditors, told Wegener in no

uncertain terms to finish the job he was hired to do. The

next morning, Wegener dispensed five times his usual

dose, which should have been more than enough to kill

a normal man — but it only served to render Halbgewa-

chsen comatose. Wegener quickly declared him dead

and he was buried — alive — the next day.

Endris Pfluger was a poor merchant with lofty aspira-

tions when he moved to Ehrtzhofen eight years ago. By

taking out loans from a moneylender in Talabheim, he

realized his lifelong dream of owning and managing his

own bank. Unfortunately, the town of Ehrtzhofen did

not grow as quickly as Pfluger had hoped, and his

bank’s investments in the Talabheim market were dis-

astrous. He sank deeper and deeper into financial du-

ress until threats of debtor’s prison spurned him to an

otherwise unthinkable action: he would murder the

town’s wealthiest inhabitant, one Bertholdt Halbgewa-

chsen, and usurp his estate. He knew well that he could

not carry his plans to fruition alone, and so sought out

another inhabitant of Ehrtzhofen who was also in dire

financial straits: the town miller Cristoff Bolstetter, who

had approached Pfluger recently for a loan to repair his

decrepit mill. Bolstetter agreed to help if he could claim

a share of the profits. He knew of a physician in the

nearby town of Freital named Paulin Wegener who was

in need of a new job quickly, as he was in danger of los-

ing his current job for incompetence. Pfluger decided he

was the perfect person to carry out the poisoning of

Halbgewachsen, since he could do it under the auspices

of treating a vague malady, which Halbgewachsen was

perpetually fearful of contracting. Once Halbgewachsen

was dead, however, there would be the matter of dealing

with his estate, which would be overseen by the town

mayor, Eberlein Bartenbach. Fortunately Bartenbach

was amenable to the transaction, not because of any

arrears or financial necessity but simply out of greed.

Bartenbach announced shortly thereafter that Halbge-

wachsen had left no Last Will and Testament, and so his

estate had to be turned over to the village of Ehrtzhofen

for disposition. Another announcement came rapidly

after the first: Halbgewachsen was not as wealthy as he

appeared to be, but in reality was deeply in debt to

Talabheim creditors. The money that was left over after

all of the debts were satisfied would hardly even pay for

a Gründenfest (a semi-regular feast celebrating the

town’s founding), but in light of Halbgewachsen’s tragic

death, Pfluger would donate the rest. Pfluger acted as

host for that year’s festivities.

With the Gründenfest behind them, the ever-tenacious

town Bailiff Erschel Neunecker insisted on performing a

routine investigation of Halbgewachsen’s demise, de-

spite the claims of the physician and over the explicit

objections of the Elder’s Council. For lack of anything

else to do in the small town — indeed, this was the first

“real work” he had in months — Neunecker threw him-

self into the investigation body and soul. He had the

page 2

body of Halbgewachsen exhumed, and made a horrify-

ing discovery that would terrorize the town: desperate

scratchmarks on the inside of the coffin lid meant that

Halbgewachsen was buried alive. Certain now that he

was hot on the trail of something big, Neunecker con-

tinued his investigative work. An obscure entry in one of

Halbgewachsen’s voluminous journals led to a safe-

deposit box in Talabheim, which contained his missing

Last Will and Testament. This document left everything

Halbgewachsen owned to Fritz Trubin, the “town fool”

with whom he struck up an unlikely but very close

friendship. Neunecker returned to Ehrtzhofen intent on

blackmailing Bartenbach.

to be released. The general consensus was that he left

Ehrtzhofen to escape reprisal from one or more

wronged citizens. Not long after he disappeared, angry

townsfolk tore down the jail and gallows.

The death of Halbgewachsen and the disappearance of

Neunecker snapped Vorster out of his melancholy. Re-

alizing something was terribly amiss, he retraced Neun-

ecker’s investigation, discovered Halbgewachsen’s will

and unraveled all of the information implicating the

Elder’s Council in the death of Halbgewachsen. Vorster

even discovered Neunecker’s corpse when he noticed

that the earth over a very old grave had been recently

disturbed. When he exhumed the coffin, he found the

corpse of a badly beaten Neunecker, struck about the

head with imprints that matched the mayor’s golden-

tipped cane. He then proceeded to exhume the body of

Halbgewachsen under cover of darkness and discovered

the true cause of his death: poison.

Attempting to blackmail the good mayor was Neun-

ecker’s first — and last — mistake. He left the original

will in its place in Talabheim and brought a copy with

him to threaten the mayor. Neunecker believed he was

safe because Bartenbach did not know where the origi-

nal will was kept, but he hadn’t counted on the Mayor’s

volcanic temper. Bartenbach crushed Neunecker’s skull

with his cane that night, and buried the body in a place

where he thought no one else would ever find it —

someone else’s grave. The Bailiff’s disappearance sur-

prised the town, but he was not well-liked and had

many enemies; Neunecker had a nasty habit of arresting

townsfolk under false pretenses and then requiring a fee

At this point, the last vestiges of Vorster’s melancholy

vanished and were replaced by a single goal: revenge

upon the Elder’s Council for ruining his life for their

own selfish gain. This thought consumed him day and

night until he constructed a complex plan to expose the

members of the Council for the murderous, avaricious

reprobates they really were.

.: Along a Lonely Road :.

It is dusk as Dead Ringer opens; the PCs make their

way along a nondescript dirt road flanked on each side

with overgrown grass giving way to isolated copses of

trees, which eventually thicken into a dark forest. A

slight breeze rustles the leaves and the area is filled with

a relaxing quiet. Smoke rises across the treetops some

distance away, indicating the presence of a nearby town.

In the distance, sharp-eyed PCs spot a cloaked man

walking in the same direction they are headed. In the

rapidly dwindling sunlight, on a successful Average

Perception Test , a PC can make out the glint of a sword

hilt and a pair of handcuffs.

of charge for their troubles. He appears to be wary of

spending time outdoors alone at dusk. If the PCs offer

to allow him to walk with them, he gratefully accepts,

telling them that he has walked the entire distance from

Talabheim alone, and would be greatly embarrassed

should any ill befall him less than a mile from his desti-

nation.

WOLF BAIT

Suddenly, the forest behind them shudders. Branches

snap and leaves fly as the PCs turn around just in time

to view a robed woman crashing through the trees. Al-

most upon her is a pack of Giant Wolves (see Old World

Bestiary, p. 96-97 or Dramatis Personae for an ap-

proximation) with at least one wolf per PC. The woman

is bleeding from what looks to be a serious leg wound,

and clutches a dirty leather bag close to her chest. She

trips on a branch and falls to the ground at the feet of

the PCs. With a look of terrified desperation, she cries,

“Help me, please! By Sigmar’s grace, save my life!”

If the PCs do not approach the man within a few rounds

(and take no precautions against being heard), he hears

them and turns, hand on his sword. He introduces him-

self as Albrecht Lutenschleger. He is to assume duties as

Bailiff of the town of Ehrtzhofen immediately upon ar-

rival, and claims he is protected by the town militia and

traveling Road Wardens — if he is harmed in any way,

the full might of Ehrtzhofen will fall upon those respon-

sible (these are false boasts, since Ehrtzhofen has no

militia and the Road Wardens are nowhere to be seen).

Once it is determined that the PCs do not pose him any

harm (if, indeed, they do not), he will offer to escort

them to town and provide them with a place to stay free

The PCs have no choice but battle; the Giant Wolves are

upon them in an instant. Lutenschleger draws his

weapon and plunges in, acquitting himself in battle to

the best of his ability. The wolfpack operates on a strat-

egy of separating the PCs from each other and attacking

page 3

two wolves to one person. This will leave some of the

PCs free to strike, and others caught in the middle of a

torrent of snapping teeth and rending claws. If the bat-

tle goes badly (one wolf dies), the remaining wolves will

attempt to back the PCs up against the forest edge,

where two more Giant Wolves lie in wait. If the battle

goes very badly (more than two wolves die), the remain-

ing wolves will retreat into the forest and disappear to

lick their wounds.

part-time inventor in the town of Ehrtzhofen. She offers

take any wounded PCs to Vorster, who is sure to be

grateful, and may even reward them for their troubles in

addition to attending their wounds. Should the PCs

open Madalena’s bag themselves, they will find a hand-

ful of flowers and herbs, just as she said.

It is important that Lutenschleger does not die in this

battle, as he is integral in granting the PCs authority to

carry out investigations in his name in the next section.

He should be wounded, however — enough to be re-

stricted to bed (perhaps a deep leg wound or abdominal

wound would prevent him from being overly mobile).

This incapacitation will result in having to direct the

investigation from bed, which effectively makes the PCs

his agents, as they are the only ones in town he knows

or trusts.

The battle with the Giant Wolves should be strenuous,

but not life-threatening; ideally, at least one PC will

have suffered wounds. The woman that they saved in-

troduces herself as Madalena Precht and thanks them

profusely. She explains that she was gathering medici-

nal herbs and pretty flowers to decorate the garden of

her employer, Augustin Vorster, a retired physician and

.: Welcome to Ehrtzhofen :.

Ehrtzhofen is only a half-hour’s travel from the site of

the battle with the wolf-pack, tucked away within the

confines of the Great Forest. Inside the thick, cloying

branches that comprise the town’s boundary can be

found a single tavern, a forked river, a bank, a farm,

various hovels and even a few manors for the wealthy or

noble inhabitants. A gentle hill swells to the northeast

of the entry road, on top which lay a group of marble

seats clustered beneath a large pavilion. Ruins of an

abandoned jailhouse lay to the west, windows broken

and door askew, creaking noisily from a single function-

ing hinge. It is dark now, but the town is a bustle of ac-

tivity — crowds of people move to and fro, carrying lan-

terns and fussing around large tables as if in prepara-

tion for a festival. A few villagers can be seen lighting

torches on tall stakes to ward off the gathering dark-

ness.

Lutenschleger is carried by Vorster’s servants to a

nearby bed. While Vorster examines him, Maurice asks

the PCs to introduce themselves. Lutenschleger weakly

hands over papers identifying himself and his position.

“Town Bailiff, eh?” Vorster asks. “Haven’t had one of

those since our old one disappeared. What was it,

Madalena? Five years past?”

When the group has finished their introductions, Vor-

ster announces that he was planning a feast in honor of

the founding of the town (whose actual date has been

lost to the mists of time, and now acts as a convenient

excuse for whenever someone wants to host a large

party) — a “Gründenfest” — and he would be remiss if

he did not invite the PCs to be guests of honor. Indeed,

the feast is about to commence. He asks Madalena to

escort the PCs to the main table and seat them along-

side prominent members of the Elder’s Council under-

neath the hilltop pavilion. Vorster will join them as soon

as he is finished attending to the wounded Lutenschle-

ger.

Madalena limps in first, shouting out details of the PCs

glorious victory over the Giant Wolves of the Great For-

est. The raucous noise draws a sizable crowd about the

PCs, curious for more tidbits about the battle. Soon, the

crowd makes its way west of the jail to Vorster’s manor,

and Augustin emerges with a look of concern as he sizes

up Precht’s wound, but he quickly determines that the

extent of the wound is minor. Precht hands the leather

bag over to Vorster.

THE GRÜNDENFEST

As Madalena guides the PCs to their places, she relays a

brief history of the Gründenfest. It is a semi-regular

celebration of Ehrtzhofen’s founding, whose actual date

has been lost to history. She explains that the Elder’s

Council hosts the festival once a year, but prominent

members of the community (in other words, anyone

who can afford it) may announce a Gründenfest at any

time. As a matter of fact, this is the third Gründenfest

this year, and some years have seen up to eight. It is a

time of great celebration, where everyone in town is

invited to eat and drink to their heart’s delight. She

Vorster accepts the bag and says, “You must be more

careful Madalena, or these flowers shall be the death of

you.” At this point, Vorster notices that Lutenschleger

has lost a lot of blood and requires assistance. “Bring

that man into my home, and we’ll take care of him. You

can introduce yourselves inside. I owe each of you val-

iant people a great debt, one which I can begin to repay

now.”

page 4

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