The return to The Old World via 4th edition is set for the 7th of March. This Friday will be a session 0. Mostly orientation for the group and going over character details. If I manage to get into the narrative side of things I will detail that in a session blog.

So here’s he line-up of characters that are heading into the final chapter. I’ve done prologues for these, which are plot-hooks written to bring them into the story. I won’t detail those hooks here but I will give a short summary of their involvement.

The Linchpin, the ‘glue’ as it were that ties most of these characters together is Valkana of Lionoak. Valkana was a High Elf mage PC played by Courtney in in the aftermath of Power Behind The Throne campaign. She is now a npc but one who is intricately involved in investigating the Purple Hand cult.

Ser Akhart Duval – Bretonnian Knight of the Realm and the eldest brother of Ser Gado Duval who featured in the Power Behind The Throne. Ser Gado was slain by a fallen Knight pledged to the Purple Hand. Ser Akhart is riding forth to seek vengeance for his brother and to root out the cult. He is guided by Valkana, who once fought alongside his younger brother, Ser Gado.

‘Lady’ Nikolina, Ice Witch – Nikolina is a sorceress envoy sent by the Ice Court to accompany Kislev’s ambassador who is riding to Altdorf with a urgent decree. They are waylaid by agents of the Hand who make an attempt on Kislev’s ambassador. The two will eventually split before the start of the game with Nikolina being sent to break bread with a minor noble lord, Klaus von Hartmann, who claims to know a lot about the cult.

Clleffan Shakeweed – Halfling Investigator. Clleffan was hired by Klaus von Hartmann, a noble who owned an estate and some land a few miles out from Altdorf. Clleffan was hired specifically to track down Hartmann’s missing son, Luther Hartmann. Luther Hartmann was an agent of the Palisades, an organization that Clleffan never heard of, but one that his father was seemingly acquainted with. Klaus believed that a cult calling itself the Purple Hand took his son, and wanted Clleffan to find him. Clleffan never really put much faith in this ‘cult’ business and thought that the old man had a vivid fantasy, but still, he was willing to cough up the coin regardless. The halfling spent months searching for Luther in Altdorf, coming to the conclusion that Luther was very much alive, but laying low for some reason. Well… he eventually found Luther. Dead. It was clearly murder, but dressed up to make it look like a drunken accident. Further examination revealed a five fingered open palm with an eye in the middle carved into his chest. Clleffan soon found himself drawn into the conspiracy…

Emmerich Rohmer – Sigmarite Warrior Priest. Rohmer has spent most of his time travelling the southern parts of the Empire, largely avoiding the civil war that has engulfed the Empire. In Averland, he discovers a dead imperial courier with a summons meant for another temple priest that speaks of dark tidings concerning Altdorf’s Temple and the Sigmarite church as a whole. It worries him greatly, and Rohmer makes the long back towards Altdorf. Along the way he discovers Valkana of Lionoak at a coaching inn being assailed upon by agents of the Hand. Unaware of the cult and its ambitions, Rohmer comes to the aid against the aggressors who have already slaughtered innocents as part of the collateral to get at the High Elf. Rohmer will find himself unwittingly drawn into the conspiracy that is the Enemy Within.

Frederich Ludevicus – Priest of Morr. Frederich found himself stationed at Altdorf’s Church of Morr, often assisting with prayer services and attending to funeral rites. In 2514, riots and unrest breaks out in Altdorf due to the continued absence of the Emperor Karl-Franz. To placate the commoners, the Crown Prince Luitpold, Franz’s son, comes up with a bold plan. He will don his father’s armor, mount Deathclaw and rise up in the sky. The people will rejoice and any rioters will quell in fear. The idea was not his own however… Agents of the Hand working within the Palace manipulate and cut the straps to Death Claw. The Crown Prince achieves the desired result when he is hoisted up high above the city upon Death Claw, but a sharp turn by the beast flings him from the saddle. He falls to his death, and for all those who saw his descent, believed they saw the Emperor. Now there was no doubt in their hearts anymore; to them, the Emperor was dead. Altdorfers, for a brief time, became united in their grief.

Ludevicus, working with his senior colleague, Siegmeyer Doltz, were given the honor and task to clean and prepare the body of the Emperor for what would no doubt be a grand funeral. For Ludevicus, it felt odd however. He, a mere initiate and Doltz, not even the High Brother of the Order, were given such a task. He felt that the Imperial Palace’s own appointed Raven Priests would have been given the task, but Doltz allayed any suspicions he had. Things came to a head when it came to preparing the body. Ludevicus had noticed that the man lying on the stone slab was not the Emperor, but the Crown Prince. He had seen the Emperor for himself a long time ago during his coronation, albeit from the very far back, but he had a greater recollection of the Crown Prince. This was Luitpold. When he raised this with his colleague, Doltz simply told him to keep quiet and do the work. That told him everything he needed to know.

Ludevicus would later discover Doltz hanging from the rafters of the church. For all appearances, it looked like he hanged himself out of grief. Ludevicus would then receive a mysterious letter from a Brother Superior requesting to meet him in the church yard at the height of the moon; midnight. Ludevicus knew if he went, he would never be seen again, or maybe he too will find himself hanging by the rafters… He fled Altdorf, spending over a year traveling the Empire and performing his duties as a priest. By chance, he was summoned to perform the funeral rites for a elderly noble’s son, and soon found himself embroiled into the conspiracy.

There we have it. The die is cast and the table set. This will be the final chapter of my long, long LONG running campaign.

Should be fun!