Chapter XII: Through the Drakwald
T hrough The
C hapTer XII
d rakwald “Archaon may be defeated but the beasts of the Drakwald remain. Woe to the traveller who braves the depths of the forest.” — Uli, Zealot
T hrough the Drakwald is a short adventure intended to introduce players to the Warhammer World, the WFRP rules, and an Empire reeling from the ravages of Chaos. If you intend to participate in this adventure as a player, please stop reading here. The rest of the adventure is for the GM’s eyes only. — I nTroduCTIon —
T his adventure is designed for characters in their first (or at most, second) career, and is set in the aftermath of the “Storm of Chaos”, a devastating invasion of the Empire led by Archaon, Lord of the End Times. The forces of Chaos have been beaten back from Middenheim and its surroundings, leaving desolation in their wake. Survivors are trying to rebuild amid the ruins of Middenland, fighting off remnant bands of Beastmen and other perils. The adventure begins in Untergard, a small town not far from Middenheim. Count Boris Todbringer has sent gifts to the people of Untergard as a reward for their valour during the Storm of Chaos. Even as the people of Untergard celebrate this news, though, Mutants attack across the bridge. Then word comes of a Beastman force approaching Untergard from the south. The war, it seems, it not over U ntergard was founded roughly 100 years ago. Villagers from the Grimminhagen area, fed up with the oppressive taxes of Graf Sternhauer, packed up their belongings and headed south. The Graf was furious, but he was also certain these malcontents would be swallowed up the Drakwald Forest. The villagers followed the river south until they found a suitable spot for a settlement. They built a village on the west side of the river and managed to scrabble out an existence against all odds. More than that, the village began to grow. The small settlement turned into a town, eventually expanding to the eastern side of the river. With supreme effort, the people of Untergard dragged enough stone south to build a wide bridge to connect the two halves of town. Within two generations the village of exiles had turned into a centre of local trade. The bridge was the only crossing south
after all. While the town’s patched-up and improvised defences are strong enough to hold back the occasional warband, Untergard cannot hope to stand against this new threat; the inhabitants must evacuate, and try to reach Middenheim and the protection of Count Todbringer. On this desperate journey, the Player Characters will take the role of protectors, providers and even investigators, for all is not as it seems amongst the refugees of Untergard. From blood feud to the horrors of war, the adventurers will gain a taste of all that the Warhammer World has to offer. The GM should read through the adventure carefully before running it, and a novice GM should also review Chapter 9: The Game Master thoroughly before the first session. of Grimminhagen and the town became a natural stopping point for trade barges coming up the river. This success had a price, however. When Archaon’s forces invaded Middenland, Untergard and its bridge became critically important. Khazrak, the most powerful Beastman warlord of the Drakwald and the arch nemesis of Count Todbringer, led a surprise night time attack against Untergard. Khazrak’s Beastmen assailed the walls, broke inside, and completely overran the eastern half of town. The defenders rallied at the bridge, however, and a nine-day battle for Untergard ensued. Thousands of Imperial troops and Dwarf allies reinforced the town and the bridge became a scene of unbelievable carnage. Stymied, Khazrak destroyed the eastern half of town and took his forces north. The focus of the campaign soon shifted to Middenheim itself and
— u nTergard —
236
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online