Tuesday, May 23, 2006

What I think is going on in Bögenhafen

We're now up to our fifth session of The Enemy Within. We're playing with a group of six (though not all of us can make it every time) and whilst the odd session gets postponed we still manage about a session a week. Whilst we do a lot of playtesting and quick run-throughs at BI this is our chance to get right into character and develop a group of PCs over a lengthy period.

The campaign is now well underway and plots are becoming convoluted. From the GM's side of the table it is both a joy and a concern to see the red herrings ardently pursued as the main plot creeps by quietly unnoticed. However, the odd events going on in the town and the strange reactions from many of the people the characters have met (including a near incomprehensible but jolly member of Bögenhafen's bourgeoisie and a group of elf-hating watchmen) are building up to a holistic vista of nastiness that even the PC's are hard-pressed to ignore. In an attempt to further focus their attentions on what's going on I had each of the players write up a short essay entitled "What I think is going on in Bögenhafen".

Some spoilers follow, so if you haven't read The Enemy Within campaign please beware...

What I think is going on in Bögenhafen, by Gideon Funter (Mal Green)
Oh it all got very complicated very quickly. All we were doing was gallumping along and having fun on the way to receiving a huge payout for doing nothing and all of a sudden we find out we've been duped! Trying to work out the plot which brought us gullible idiots to Boganhafen has hurt my head - intelligence of 47 is not helping at all. Anyway I'm keen to blunder on and bust the mysterious den of chaos that we've found - that seems straightforward, how difficult could it be?

What I think is going on in Bögenhafen, by Alexa Drull 18 3/4 (Kate Flack)
Well, I recon Heinrich has an unfortunate resemblance to some sort of criminal mastermind like, what bounty hunters are tryin' to capture - but they're bein' a bit clever like, on account of his extreme dangerousness. So, like idiots, we've come here to Bögenhafen an' started askin' round an' drawin' attention to ourselves. Like as not, we'll be jumped by a pack a mercinary fellas the next time we're drunk. What is probably like to be this evenin'. Meanwhile, we've discovered a dirty little secret about one of the merchant familys what run this place, what kind of means we're on their hit list too. On the other hand, about the best chance we got of making some serious Karls is findin' out if we can blackmail the merchants. Still, I ain't happy about it at all - I mean, I never seen fellow coves so cowed by bean sellers before - that Bögenhafen is a funny place an' no mistake. Still, as my old pa used to say, 'ain't no profit in an easy route' I figure there's clank to be made - we just got to be canny is all.

What I think is going on in Bögenhafen, by Hans Gottried (Owen Barnes)
There is indeed something deeply wrong about this place and with the recent unfolding of events I feel as if I have blundered into some poorly scripted melodrama as one might watch in any of the theatre houses of the Empire. While my good-natured companions are a-cry with it being the taint of Chaos and presence of evil magicks, I personally think the strange behaviour of the inhabitants of Bögenhafen is in fact a side effect of living in the town itself. Possibly it is the result of residue swamp gases or maybe some brain disease that springs from close proximity to the river, whatever the case I have observed its malign influence everywhere, especially in the children, who are far less respectful of their elders than they should be and should know better than to bother a man carrying a blood splattered chicken.

What I think is going on in Bögenhafen, by Kurt Heidel (Ed Morris)
"Just a quick trip down the river," she said. "It’ll be fine," she said, "we’ll be rich beyond our wildest dreams." I tell you this, that’s the last time I listen to Alexa. Oh well, if only all women could be like my mother, and no, I don’t mean dead and rich. I’m too trusting, that’s my problem…and honest, as honest as the day is long. Anyway, I digress, basically, if you ask me, we’ve been stitched up tighter than a Marienburg kipper. The money’s gone, we seem to have walked into a trap and to make matters worse we seem to have stumbled into a den of the Ruinous Powers, praise be to Sigmar, bless his name. I’m not normally a religious man but it pays to keep your options open, especially when you have already had an unfavourable encounter with a Witchhunter, well, we didn’t know he was a Witchhunter now did we. At least in my defence I can say that I didn’t hit him, not with that sucking chest wound of mine. So, a game of cards was it? Slippery Pig I believe you said, of course you’ll have to bear with me, I’m no gambler.

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