Session V Report

General Summary

Setting up camp by the woodline, the group rests for the night just outside of Hugeldal, out of most of the place's stench and out of sight of the Doktor's dead body.    In the morning they set out, arriving at Brier Hill Mansion, the manor of Emmerich von Jungfreud, a small town built around it. They are welcomed by the lord of the lands himself, who invites them for dinner after learning that Raaf treated Wendelin (although not finding out that they were the ones who stopped his hired help from retrieving the boy from Ubersreik!).    On the advice of Helmut, the group searches through town, speaking with one Bert Breytenbach, owner of the local tavern, who mentions the presence of Tileans in town not too long ago - and quite a lot of them, remarking that they were rather neat and orderly for soldiers, and well-equipped. He also tells them that some of the local soldiers killed Hugeldal's doktor Verfullen.   The group tracks down one of these soldiers, Volkbert Neumann, and confront him, asking him after the execution of the doktor. His story doesn't add up and when he feels insulted by the notion of Tilean mercenaries being better than Reiklander men like him, he attacks Morathric, giving the Elf several punches before Will restrains the soldier, crushing the bones in one of the man's fingers in the process.   The group convenes with Helmut, who mentions he and Gerlinde have found out that there is a trapdoor leading somewhere in Emmerich's office on the ground floor, and that the Tileans had horses of fine stock. The party goes to dinner and after a tense stand off regarding the Tileans, of whom Emmerich does not wish to speak, everyone retires to their chambers, with the intention of sniffing around at night.   When the group is either signaled to leave their rooms or woken up, they learn that the situation has changed - they enter the courtyard, and find Gerlinde by the body of Emmerich von Jungfreud, face down, seemingly having either fallen or jumped off of the balcony of his private quarters. The group sets out to quickly investigate before everyone is woken up.   Morathric struggles opening the lock of the door to the lord's quarters, falling down to the floor for a moment, although ultimately managing to unlock it with his magic. Raaf, meanwhile, finds himself disturbed as, through a window, he spots a balding, somewhat fat old man with an amused smile on his lips watching the body of Emmerich down below - the man completely vanished mere moments later when the Marienburger looks back at the scene after informing his friends of the figure.   In Emmerich's quarters, they find no signs of struggle, and an old tome on the man's desk, a letter tucked inside of it. The book itself is the Celestine Book of Divination - or rather, a copy of it - and the note seems a confession on Emmerich's part, where he admits to being guilty for the destruction of Hugeldal, and describes the sheer hopelessness felt at the situation of not only his family, but the Empire and indeed the world as a whole.    Underneath the hidden trapdoor, Morathric and Will find an armored skeleton laying in a chalk circle, with a burned book laying on a desk, seemingly a (possibly unsuccessful) ritual of sorts.    Resting for the night at the local tavern - for free! - the group sets out in the morning, to travel back to Ubersreik with news of Emmerich's confession and demise.

Rewards Granted

50XP for each character present.