The Enemy Within - Death on the Reik - part 1

Death on the Reik - By Ian Miller

Death on the Reik, often considered the highpoint of The Enemy Within campaign, is lauded for its open approach. Cruise the Reik on your river boat trading as you go. An interesting premise that falls apart if your party heavily invest in a shiny new coach. Ah the joys of roleplaying.

Here is a link to the recording of part 1 of Death on the Reik. Parts 2 and 3 will follow when ready and the other parts when we resume the game in February. I think there's about 3 x 9 hour sessions worth of play in Death on the Reik.

We left the protagonists in Bogenhafen where they were treated as hero's having purged the leading merchant houses, Steinhager and Teugen, of chaos cultists.

The PC's are Walter the halfling raconteur, Esmerelda the reluctant hedge mage, Solomon the halfling smuggler, Joten the dwarf sewerjack and Herdan the odorous gravewarden.

Key points in part 1

• 1:16 I'm shocked by the amount of gold the adventurers acquired during Shadows over Bogenhafen. Armour is bought and a coaching service launched.
• 4:30 Herdan spent time serving at the Garden of Morr. Heinz, the High Priest of Morr, warns him a Vampire known as Graf Orlock is plaguing the Reikland. Herdan considers a Vampire Hunting career.
• 6:30 Esmerelda donated her wealth to the Temple of Shallya. She also spends many days helping out in the soup kitchen, earning a career change to initiate.
• 17:07 Walter needed to complete two tasks to repay the groups debt to the thieves guild. The thieves guild provided them with plenty of help in the battle against the Bogenhafen cultists. The first task was to deliver a list to a Elvyra the pharmacist in Weissbruck. The second task was to deliver a small casket to 'Luigi' at the 'Cat and Fiddle Inn' in Kemperbad.
• 26:00 The group were summoned to an audience with the bed ridden Albrecht, High Priest of Sigmar, as he had all but recovered from his bout of Purple Brain Fever. In relating the tale of how they saved Bogenhafen the Priest seized on the name Etelka Herzan. He'd heard of her evil and encouraged the group to pursue the witch. On parting Albrecht gave the group a powerful ring forged by the dwarves and said to protect the wearer from the undead. They are also given a warrant authorising them to hunt and slay the witch Etelka Herzan.
• 62:00 Peiter, a bored noble and his bodyguard Deiter are the first passengers of the hero's coach service. They're promised a journey full of adventure. The group head to Weissbruck and encounter a dying boatman.

  

  The trading boat the group left adrift?!?

• 75:19 The boatman gurgled "Mutants" and gestured towards the river before perishing. The group split up. The fighters took a row boat and headed toward the drifting ship while the halflings remained with the coach. Esmerelda spotted a winged creature observing them from the trees, it flitted towards the coach.
• 89:00 The halflings mounted a spirited defense against the winged mutant, hiding around and under the coach, using their small size to their advantage. As their friends raced back to save them, Solomon managed to plug the flying mutant with his crossbow, driving it off.
  
  

  

  Mutants!

• 107:00 Once again the fighters rowed toward the ship. Herdan boarded and was confronted by two mutants. Joten attempted to board next but failed to notice tentacles wrapped around his torso. He was pulled into the river where his fighting prowess was severely curtailed. 
• 113:48 Herdan battled with a beaked mutant while the second mutant, a shaggy brute, leaped into the rowboat capsizing it and tipping Esmerlda into the river. The somewhat drunk nobleman Pieter offered support from the shore with his bow. We learn the drowning rules. Joten feels sad.
• 138:00 Herdan butchered beak face and dove into the river to rescue Joten. The shaggy mutant is felled by arrow fire from Peiter the noble. Dieter the bodyguard waded into the water and grabbed hold of the drowning dwarf to prevent him being dragged under. Herdan speared the tentacle mutant so badly that it retreated letting go of Joten. His companions rushed him to the shore where he vomited up half the river. He's alive, embarrassed and officially hates the river.

  

  Renate: mutant attack survivor

• 155:00 The boat is searched and Renate, a gypsy woman, is found hiding amongst the cargo. Despite the laws of salvage applying the group decide to leave the cargo laden vessel and continue to Weissbruck by coach. They buried the bodies of the boats former crew, took the row boat strapping it to the roof of their coach, and offered Renate a lift to the nearest town.