GM's notes -- players don't read!

Plot Overview

Plot passed

In the Army

Introduction

The players started out in the army of Ranger-General Gottlieb Sturm. They spent several months marching around the countryside, in action against the secessionist forces of the Bandit King of L'Anguille. The army proved elusive and not especially strong. The bulk of Sturm's activity was in securing the hearts and minds of the citizens of Brettonia. The players' unit, led by Jens Svenkmeyer, encountered a beastly lieutentant of the Bandit King's - one Jerome the Flayer. In a horrifying encounter, they defeated him.

Grunhoff

The players unit was scouting the outskirts of the Great Forest, accompanied by Hangor, assistant to the Red Hand Dieter Schatten. They came across an old villiage, Grunhoff, which appeared to be isolated from the Empire.

Maragliano, of tower and gutter

Tilea is a place where money speaks the loudest, and the players have no particular direction. Money will talk. The players have an opportunity here to gain a good deal of wealth.

Arrival and Introductions

Ignatio della Crux will speak first to the magicians, and expound to them on his belief that magic must be used in order for it to be effective. He will engage them in something of a scholarly discussion, and mention that he has much use for people with their talents in his army. He'll also mention that Arturo needs some kind of secret work done, and that they seem like excellent candidates.

Ignatio figures he can find out what it is that Arturo wants, since the man refuses to tell him.

The players have arrived in L'Anguille; Ambrose has disappeared after dropping something of a bombshell. What will they do? The answer is simple; they will listen to Arturo Giovanni, as he promises to make them very rich indeed. His adviser has apparently put in a good word for them as stalwart combatants and they are sorely needed. Mr Giovanni has a problem. A scout patrol of his has gone missing, and their report is vitally important. Arturo will be surprisingly candid: he believes his brothers mean him harm. They are out of town at the moment, visiting old family in Remas, and so Arturo has taken this opportunity to spy on their operations on a family farm out near the swamp. He wishes the players to investigate the farm, and discover his missing patrol. He will pay, as he mentioned, handsomely for this, which will also serve as a 'tryout' of sorts to serve in officer positions in his army. The money he offers should be significant, about 100 gold.

Investigation UNFINISHED

The players should want to know more about Arturo Giovanni and his family's history. They can find this out in the town's library; a monograph of several volumes is featured prominently. The librarian will look somewhat put-upon to trouble with this obviously trivial matter, but he who pays gets featured billing! The family of Giovanni has a storied history; they have been stalwart pillars of Maragliano shipping for centuries, rising to prominence during Sigmar's conquest of the area. The monograph doesn't mention this, but it's apparent that the Giovannis were enablers of a sort during the war, and used the influence gained to subtly bolster their family's revenues. They have holdings all across Old Miragliano Principality. The farm in question isn't mentioned.

Further research in the library indicates that the farm is an old holding in an area known to be poor for any sort of crops. Apparently the farm produces some kind of wine, though the resident wine snobs will have never heard of it.

The wine is in fact the juice of plagued grapes, which has some interest in scholarly as well as nefarious circles. This is an aspect of Giovanni business that Arturo will be none too pleased to have known by others outside the family. In fact, the mission that he's sending them on is to ensure that this "scout patrol", which is actually mercenaries hired by the Fulvinis, are dispatched. He will speak with the most disreputable member of the group (jacob) to ensure this happens, and offer a sizeable reward (100gc) for its completion.

The Farm UNFINISHED

The farm is a blighted place; the crops in the large fields out in front are sickly and do not look edible. If the players have rushed to the farm, they will have to fight the 'scout' patrol led by Jefe Remano: Remano himself, a sergeant, Murtalo, his tracker, and Vincenzo, Guido, and Giutarro, all Mercenaries. If the players arrive late, they will find only Remano, sickly and struggling towards the road. He is obviously blighted, and the mages will be able to tell that this blight barely seems natural. A successful Heal test will show that his disease is extremely contagious and likely to wreak havoc if he can make it back to Miragliano.

The farm is located next to a stream, and looks to be tilled from marshland. A large, long wall surrounds what must be the farmhouse, but it is larger than would be neccesary for such a farmhouse. Towards the river, the wall gets significantly higher.

As the players approach, a woman and child emerge, greeting them. They are visibly ill; their flesh is sagging and coming off in strips; astute players will conclude that coming into contact with these people will almost certainly result in contraction of their disease; a heal test will conclude that the disease is the Apparitional Rot, a non-lethal, but disfiguring disease. Those carrying the disease are unaware of their condition.

A respite

Arturo tells the players to rest, that he must set things in motion, and that will take a while. The players will have free reign over Miragliano for a few days, since Arturo's doctor has cleared them for entrance into the city.

They may wish to find passage immediately to Altdorf; this should be prohibitively expensive.

The Trial

Arturo Giovanni has more tasks to set before the players: a trial in absentia of his brothers will not have the effect he wishes, which is to see them disgraced before his peers. Instead, he may set another task before his players: to retrieve his brothers, by force if neccesary, from their friends' estates in Remas.