The Lord of Lost Heart

or, A Plague on Both Your Houses

Despair all ye nations, for the time draws apace,

When the rot of the cynic shall steal our good grace.
And our sweetest of dreams shall fade to lost hope,
Our pride and our arrogance; our noose and our rope.
- The Song of Death

Introduction
The Lord of Lost Heart pits the PCs against the forces of Nurgle in the prosperous village of
Hohlesbruck. Two families – the wealthy Faulebrands and the noble Verlorens – are engulfed
in the machinations of the Fly Lord, and the ties of affection and blood are too strong for any
but an outsider to reach the bottom of the plot. The players will have to use both brains and
brawn to survive, and in the process, will witness how Chaos can subvert even the noblest of
sentiments.

Plot Synopsis
BACKGROUND his new Father to help him share his gift
with those who had brought him there.
Esther Verloren was the beautiful daughter
of Hohlesbruck’s lord of the manor, Mils On the night of Reinhardt’s fall, Esther
Verloren. She was courted by two men of was taken ill with the Green Pox – she
noble birth from the neighbouring towns – survived, but was hideously scarred. When
the handsome Ricard Talsberg, and the Ricard returned from the Pistolier corps,
worthy Reinhardt Anhame. he was disgusted by her appearance,
discarding her and taking up instead with
On the eve of the Storm of Chaos, both the young Alexa Faulebrand. Driven out of
men were to be called away to war – she her mind with sorrow and jealousy, Esther
made her choice in Ricard, regretfully prayed to any god who would listen to
turning Reinhardt away. Heartbroken, make Alexa as ugly as her – and Nurgle
Anhame rode away, no longer caring for answered her prayer.
his own life, and losing himself in the
pursuit of battle. In the closing days of the THE PLOT
war, his troop of knights was slaughtered
in a fierce battle with a Beastman warband Two other strangers have arrived in
– Reinhardt survived by taking up the Hohlesbruck along with the PCs – the first
weapon of the entombed Chaos Champion is Doctor Reifennen, a travelling physician
the mutants had gathered to worship, and and secret worshipper of Nurgle directed
was lost to the service of Nurgle. there by Reinhardt. On the night of
Throwing himself into the embrace of the Esther’s prayer, daemons of Nurgle danced
god who understood his despair, Reinhardt the Dance of Death around Alexa’s home,
asked inflicting Ricard’s fiancée with the
Neiglish Rot: Reifennen plans to sequester
the young lady from her family as soon as with an eye for the main chance, Ribault
she falls ill, allowing the disease to reach gets wind of Esther and the Doctor’s plan,
its horrifying fulfilment while using his and sees an opportunity for blackmail.
‘patient’ to provide the raw materials to
infect the rest of the town. Unknown to them all, Reinhardt is
watching from the woods, the unseen
The other is Dionyse Ribault. Unlike orchestrator of the entire scheme. He cares
Reifennen, he has been here some time, nothing for Alexa’s fate, or Reifennen’s
spying on the shipments that Aloysius dreams of an epidemic – he has returned
Faulebrand – the village’s wealthy miller – only to bring the gift of his Lord’s peace to
sends out to neighbouring towns, in order the woman he loved, and to find the
to tip off the band of robbers currently reckoning he was promised with the man
hiding in the woods. A career criminal who stole her from him.

GM NOTES

The Lord of Lost Heart is a rather linear adventure – mainly due to the need to pace the
PCs’ discoveries so that they don’t bring about a premature ending. This is best concealed
and compensated for by treating the chapter-by-chapter notes below as sort of check-list
rather than a fixed progression: the PCs are thrown into an investigative adventure in a
small community, where all witnesses and sources are accessible by a short walk. As
such, they may conduct their investigations in an entirely different order – information-
gathering sections from one chapter can be cut and pasted into another with a little
improvisation and no real loss to the game.

The only fixed events are those precipitated by the actions of the Nurgle-worshippers and
Ribault’s robbers – things like the abduction of Esther’s maid or the murder of Ribault
happen on their own timeline, and will happen with or without the PCs. These events
serve the important purpose of keeping the plot moving, and of opening new avenues of
investigation – as such, it may sometimes be worth shifting the location or the details of
such an event to unwittingly suck PCs who are fixated on red herrings back into the main
plot.

On a completely unrelated note: A GM about to run The Lord of Lost Heart may want to
read the Cast pages before getting stuck into the meat of the plot, as they go into the
background of the key players and the relationships of the various characters in rather
more detail than the synopsis. Ingenious PCs can always find ways to derail a plan – if
they manage to completely break the pre-written form of events, the personalities and
motivations of the NPCs given should be enough to improvise a new course of action.
 Prologue

This prologue exists only as a way to re-route the PCs to Hohlesbruck: the GM can easily
dispose with it if they can see an easier way to guide them to the village, or if they wish to
transplant the village elsewhere in the Empire.

GUARD DUTY
Aloysius Faulebrand, the wealthy outside the village, the bodies of the
patriarch of the Faulebrand family, has bandits Aloysius was afraid of are heaped
been in Eldagsen on business: there has by the side of the road – they have been
been trouble on the roads with a band of cleanly killed with a heavy sword, wielded
robbers, and he wishes to hire a group of with considerable force. PCs who are
guards for his return to Hohlesbruck. He adept trackers may discern that a horse
approaches the PCs in order to hire them in passed this way the previous night, and
this facility. was surrounded by the bandits: a second
rider approached at a gallop, and
Hopefully they agree to the job – if they presumably despatched them all. One of
don’t, some improvisation will be required them rode away into the woods, the other
to get them to Hohlesbruck! Asking continued for the village.
around in any of the surrounding towns
will yield a few rumours about If the PCs attempt to follow them, they
Hohlesbruck (see below). will find that the tracks of the first
horseman quickly disappear into the forest
In any case, the PCs are put on their way - Hohlesbruck awaits ahead.
to Hohlesbruck. In the thickest woods

Rumours

“They say Herr Faulebrand has bought up the old mill in Hohlesbruck.
(True)

“Greta Hofstadter said she’d seen a knight all in black ridin’ along the
Hohlesbruck road.”
(True – this was Reinhardt)

“They say Lord Verloren’s daughter’s mutated, and he bricked up the door to her
chamber with her still inside – no-one’s seen her outside his manor for months.”
(False – Esther has kept out of the public eye due to her disfigurement by the Pox)

Young Master Talberg’s gettin’ married down Hohlesbruck way, to some miller’s
daughter. What’s the world comin’ to?
(True)

There’s a witch who lives in the woods around Hohlesbruck. They say she’s been
there four hundred years.
(Partially true – Yilese lives in the woods outside the village, but is only sixty-
seven.)
 Hohlesbruck

A village of one hundred and forty-three souls, Hohlesbruck is a farming community situated
in a dell in the Great Forest, near where the River Delb meets the Talabec – its nearest
neighbour is the river-trading town of Eldagsen on the Delb, an important stopping-point for
river-boats and caravans (and therefore a likely place for PCs to pitch up en route to
anywhere else in the region). It mostly farms wheat and rye, grain from the mill being
transported by wagons to Eldagsen and other neighbouring towns for sale.

A map of Hohlesbruck is to be found in the Handouts section – feel free to give this to the
PCs as soon as they arrive, either as an in-game artefact (maybe one hangs on the wall of the
Heartless Man) or just as a playing aid – the village is small enough that the characters should
understand the lie of the land from a brief walk around.

What follows is a brief breakdown of Hohlesbruck’s notable locations, as labelled on the

map:

THE HEARTLESS MAN

Hohlesbruck’s only inn, the Heartless Man is a respectable establishment, run by a the
innkeeper Hans Totden and his wife Flora. Its sign shows a man with a clean, circular hole
through his chest allowing a clear view of the scenery behind him – it is a reference to local
legend (see the Legend of Black Gaerovald, Chapter III)

VERLOREN MANOR
The seat of Hohlesbruck’s ruling nobles for centuries, Verloren Manor is an old manor house,
situated on a low hillock overlooking the village. Partially screened from the village square
by trees, it is now inhabited only by Mils Verloren, his daughter Esther, and a skeleton
household staff, most of the servants having been dismissed many years ago when Mils’ wife
passed away.

FAULEBRAND HOUSE
The home of the wealthy Aloysius Faulebrand and his family, this grand home has been build
on the site of the much humbler dwelling the Faulebrands inhabited growing up in
Hohlesbruck, the old cottage having been razed to make way for its successor. It has been
built in the style of an Altdorf townhouse - albeit a townhouse with a small stable, and
surrounded by fields – and looks amazingly out of place among the villagers’ cottages.

HERR FLYCHER’S
The village butcher’s shop, one of the few buildings in Hohlesbruck to have a cellar (to keep
the meat cool) – Flycher and his wife live in cramped, separate rooms at the back of the
house, with the front being the public butcher’s shop. With the arrival of their lodger, Doctor
Reifennen has taken Mrs Flycher’s room, Mrs Flycher joining her husband – the Doctor is
also using the cellar to store the vials of pus he will extract from Alexa, so that he and
Flycher can taint the village’s meat.

HOHLESBRUCK BRIDGE
The only stable crossing of the fast-flowing Taalbruck, this old stone bridge sees much use as
the start of the direct land route to Eldagsen and the other towns on the Delb.
SHRINE OF SHALLYA
An old wayshrine that has been maintained down the generations, its construction has passed
out of living memory. The villagers leave offerings of flowers and sometimes more valuable
sacrifices in times of sicknesses, while the weathered stone walls of the shrine itself can offer
valuable shelter to travellers caught in a storm.

HOHLESBRUCK MILL
Recently bought by Aloysius Faulebrand, Hohlesbruck’s mill has been expanded and
improved: more than half of the flour produced here is taken out of town on Aloysius’
wagons, for sale in towns and cities as far as Altdorf.

COMMON PASTURE
Technically the property of Mils Verloren as lord of the manor, this is one of the few fields
not turned to the farming of grain for the mill – the villagers keep their animals here, with the
exception of the few fowl and goats in Bernhardt Flycher’s yard.

YILESE’S HOVEL
The home of the village’s wise woman, the hovel has stood for almost as long as the village,
passed down from mother to daughter from time immemorial – there is some speculation as
to what will happen when the current inhabitant dies, as she has no descendants, but it is
assumed she will pick a bright girl from the village to take her place. While the people of
Hohlesbruck respect Yilese as an apothecary and midwife, the hovel’s isolation has led many
of those from the surrounding towns and villages to tell stories of the Witch of Hohlesbruck –
stories which may have a grain of truth in them.
 CHAPTER I: Denial
Arriving at the Faulebrand residence, the PCs are thanked for their services and invited to the
open-air feast being thrown that night for Alexa’s engagement to Ricard: most of the village
will be in attendance. Meeting Alexa, she will mention that she feels unwell: any PC
qualified to recognise symptoms will notice that her complaints should be taken seriously.
Aloysius brushes them off, saying his daughter cannot miss her own banquet (for which he
has paid a great deal of money).

PCs who did not take up Aloysius’ job offer can find out about the feast from any passing
villager: it is open to the whole village, so they will hopefully seize the chance for free food
and alcohol.

THE FEAST

The feast is a chance for the PCs to ‘roadwardens’ he meant one

familiarise themselves with many of the roadwarden.
key players of the plot, and to gauge the
If pressed on the fact that the
various rivalries and relationships in roadwardens use pistols while the
Hohlesbruck. bodies were clearly dispatched by a
sword, he will become offended,
At the banquet, the PCs can make the challenge the PCs as to whether they
acquaintance of Mils Verloren, Ricard are calling him a liar, invoke his status
Talberg, Doctor Reifennen and Dionyse as a physician and stop talking to them.
Ribault, as well as the entire Faulebrand
family (if they have not already met). Dionyse Ribault actively seeks out the
company of people like the PCs, as the
Mils will keep himself to himself. If villagers distrust his foreign accent and the
approached, he will be polite and quiet, nobles his appearance. He seems to know a
unless a lower-class PC is insolent: he is lot about the bandits, and makes
conscious of his station as lord of the insinuations about the noble families to
manor, but not unnecessarily arrogant. anyone will listen:

Ricard will be jovial and hospitable, but
Mils hates the proceedings and is
will not pay particular attention to the PCs hiding it.
as strangers.
Ricard is marrying Alexa for Aloysius’
money.
Doctor Reifennen is reasonably
Aloysius is marrying off Alexa in
approachable, also being a stranger in order to buy his way into the
town: it is reasonably easy to extract from aristocracy.
him that he was the one attacked by
Having mentioned the above, Dionyse
bandits on the road, and he claims to have is very amused by the hypocrisy of all
been saved by the roadwardens. He sits as the fine and virtuous speeches.
close to Alexa as he can manage,
Maybe some of them are even so
discreetly watching her. deluded as to believe their own lies (he

If confronted with the fact that only subtly implies Alexa).
one rider came to his rescue, he will be
rather thrown, and say that by If asked about his own business in town,
he will be jokingly mysterious, but suggest
that he will be leaving soon. If the PCs believes him. He works up on Yilese’s
avoid him, he will attempt to befriend garden.
Ricard instead. If they ask him about his
origins, he will say he left Bretonnia Towards the end of the banquet, Ricard
because he found it too restricting, and will make a speech, expressing all sorts of
praise the Empire as a land of opportunity. fine sentiments towards Alexa, her family,
and the village. During Ricard’s speech,
The villagers will gladly point out Mils to Alexa faints and has to be taken away to
the PCs and tell the story of Esther and her room: Doctor Reifennen immediately
Ricard, delighted to have a new audience. volunteers to help.
If asked, they will tell them about
Reifennen’s arrival last night (looking Watching them go, Ribault will make the
rather shaken), and Ribault (been in town following observation, delivered to the
for a while, lodging on the edge of town – best effect if spoken from behind the PCs
arrived around the same time as the trouble when none of them knew he was there:
with the robbers started, often vanishes for
days at a time). The general consensus “What have I been saying? Death of my
seems to be that he’s invited himself to the life, they are all the same. All pretences
banquet. most happy on the outside, when
underneath, something, it is rotten.”
Eckhart, the village idiot, claims to have
seen shadowy figures dancing around the Grinning enigmatically, he will excuse
Faulebrand residence last night. No-one himself without explaining any further.

SHADOWS

This is an addendum to Chapter I that the players may not see anything of – only the most
paranoid of PCs, or those whose suspicions have been roused by the events of the banquet or
the murdered bandits (or perhaps supernatural warnings, if the party contains a priest or
wizard), will keep watch that night, in which case they can see the following events.

Doctor Reifennen leaves the Faulebrand know the deceased, and doesn’t exactly
residence very late – he writes a letter and grieve.
delivers it to Verloren Manor himself,
before heading to the Flychers’ house and Both NPCs are glib enough to demand that
taking up lodgings. any PCs they encounter (either by spotting
them or being confronted) leave them
Ribault shadows the Doctor to the manor alone, stating that they have not done
– he then returns to his lodgings, fetches a anything wrong. Reifennen will insist that
raincloak, and heads out into the woods. If his business with the Verlorens is private,
the PCs follow, they see him find the while if Ribault is confronted for looting
bodies of the bandits, examine their the bodies, he will claim he was planning
wounds, take any valuables they have left, to take the items back to Lord Verloren as
and stand for some time in thought before evidence they were dead, and that
heading back to the village. He seems to someone would have looted it if he’d left it
there.
 CHAPTER II: Anger

THE PRODIGAL SON

The next morning, Leopold Faulebrand - his way back to the Flychers’, demanding
Aloysius’ son - rides into town. Aloysius to see his letters of accreditation.
is angry with him for missing the banquet, Reifennen is offended and refuses
which Leopold shrugs off. Hearing his (although he does in fact have them in
sister is ill, he wishes to see her, but plentiful supply, from respectable places),
Reifennen denies him access, and and an acrimonious confrontation
Aloysius complies. The village is abuzz develops, ending with the doctor saying he
with the news, even if the PCs are not is not obliged to listen to Leopold and
present to see. striding off. Leopold will willingly speak
to PCs who get involved, and after the
As soon as the PCs are in a position to confrontation, will spend most of his time
witness it, Leopold, who has taken up in the Heartless Man.
lodgings at the inn, accosts Reifennen on

Leopold’s Take
Leopold does not like the seemingly innocuous situation in Hohlesbruck at all: he is
extremely protective of his sister, and sees her being exploited on all sides.

As something of a rogue himself, he recognises Ricard’s monetary motive for
marrying Alexa, and points to how Ricard treated Esther.

He is also painfully aware of his father’s desire to marry Alexa into the nobility,
and sees Aloysius’ pandering to Ricard as shameful.

He also believes that the Faulebrands owe a debt of gratitude and friendship to
the Verlorens for their past in Hohlesbruck, which his father is sullying by
associating with Talberg – he believes this is because Aloysius is trying to erase
the family’s lowly Hohlesbruck origins by pretending they never happened.

He is suspicious of Reifennen’s obsequiousness towards his father, and
extremely alarmed by the sudden nature of Alexa’s illness.

THE VILLAGE IDIOT

If the PCs do not show any interest in careful of Yilese), he will recount a very
Eckhardt’s story during or immediately basic story: he saw tall silhouettes
after the banquet, have Eckhardt become traipsing round the borders of the
very animated at this confrontation, seeing Faulebrand estate, as if dancing. Then one
it as another sign that ‘bad things’ are of them looked at him, and he was scared
happening, and try to tell them about the and ran away. He is addle-brained, and
dancers he witnessed last night. clues to the fearful identity of the dancers
will be muddled together with figments of
If the PCs choose to visit Eckhart in his imagination and his inability to clearly
Yilese’s garden (any villager will point express himself or comprehend the PCs’
them the way, while warning them to be questions. The clue he is best able to
convey is the revolting smell of the marriage, as it is ‘bad business’. She is
dancing daemons. easily annoyed, in which case she will
swiftly and fearlessly evict the PCs from
Unless they question him only very her property – if they convince her they
briefly, Yilese will emerge to defend him. mean well, however, she will speak with
Yilese is extremely sharp, and will issue a them, and prove substantially more useful
cryptic warning not to get mixed up in the and informative than Eckhart.

Yilese’s Thoughts

She suggests that Eckhart is not lying: he is too simple, and she recognises
elements of the Dance of Death from her knowledge of folklore, although she is
cryptic enough to protect herself from accusations of witchcraft or heresy.

It is her opinion that the gods punish heartlessness, and it is heartlessness that
will bring down their punishment on the Faulebrands. If the PCs attempt any
kind of discussion of her theological point, she will laugh at them, as she is not
referring to any of the gods of the Empire.

She knew the Faulebrands before they left Hohlesbruck decades ago, knowing
Leopold as a child, and can accurately recount the entire story. She implies that
she knows much about all the people of Hohlesbruck, even living so far outside
it – alluding subtly to the Verlorens.

She will not easily recount the story of Esther and Ricard – she is unaware of
Esther’s scheme, and thinks people should leave the poor girl alone.

THE MISSING MAID

That night, Mils approaches the PCs: his plying her with alcohol – she showed him
daughter’s maidservant has gone missing, what she wanted read, and they left very
and Esther is in a state of great distress. shortly afterwards, in order not to speak in
Having heard about them (from Aloysius the landlord’s hearing. PCs who were in
if they took his job in the Prologue, from the Heartless Man may actually have
the villagers if not), he asks them to help. witnessed this – if they followed Ribault,
they will have seen him enter his lodgings,
Tracing the maid’s movements leads to the and lost sight of him there.
Heartless Man, where she was last seen –
she was enquiring about finding someone Ribault was last seen heading off into the
literate, and Ribault volunteered. The woods by the member of the town militia
maid being rather flirtatious and not too on guard, with a heavy rolled-up blanket
bright, he charmed her into agreeing, over his shoulder.

The Truth
Doctor Reifennen’s letter of the previous night was addressed to Esther, informing her
that he had arrived to help her plan – Esther had given it to her maid to destroy, trusting
in her illiteracy and (mistakenly) in her loyalty. Curiosity got the better of her, leading
to the events of the evening - realising its value, Ribault knocked her out, and left the
village to dispose of the body, concealing it in a rolled-up blanket. If he was followed
from the Heartless Man, he will have been aware of it, and secretly left his lodgings via
the window in order to fool those watching the door.
Tracing Ribault into the woods leads to the make this an evidently winnable fight,
lair of the surviving robbers, to whom particularly with the element of surprise.
Ribault entrusts the maid – he does not The robbers are cornered, and will stand
want her blabbing. If the PCs eavesdrop, and fight: Ribault, meanwhile, will flee via
they hear Abel Korpen, the chief robber, a narrow, secret exit at the back of the
arguing with Ribault. cave.

The robbers accuse Ribault of Ribault is extremely adept at evading

jeopardising their scheme by pursuit, and will vanish into the woods: if
committing such a flagrant crime: they the PCs chase him, ingenious efforts
argue he cannot return to the village. should be rewarded, but Ribault has to

Ribault responds by saying the scheme escape. If his knack for daring escapes and
was already ruined, pointing to the his knowledge of the terrain do not suffice,
slaughter on the road. have him surrender and subsequently slip

The robbers deny that it could have out of their grasp through some cunning
been the roadwardens. scheme. He is a hardened criminal and will

Ribault claims that Aloysius was happily murder anyone set to guard him –
getting wary anyway, and that this he is probably more than a match for many
scheme with the letter will bring in a PCs. However, he is not particularly
much bigger profit. To placate the vindictive, and won’t waste time finishing
robbers, he offers them the girl after he an opponent who is not in a position to
is done questioning her about the letter, threaten him if he could be running away.
asking only that they dispose of her
somewhere secret when they are done. Depending on how much they tell the
Verloren’s, Esther’s maid will probably be
At this point (i.e. before Ribault escapes dismissed on her return to the manor – in
and before anything nasty happens to the any case, being illiterate, she unfortunately
maid), the PCs will probably intervene – is still none the wiser as to the contents of
tailor the number of surviving robbers to the letter.

THE DUEL

On returning to the village, they will hear as a pistolier, having very little combat
that Leopold has struck Ricard, and the experience himself. Local law permits a
two are to fight a duel at dawn. Leopold PC to fight in Leopold’s place, if any of
can be found in the Heartless Man, the party have befriended him and feel like
drinking heavily – he fears Ricard’s skill offering.

The Offence
Leopold, it transpires, has been drinking all day – attempting again to gain access to
Alexa’s sick-room, when Ricard tried to prevent him (reasoning with him), he struck
him. As a noble, Ricard cannot let the offence stand, although he is not particularly keen
to kill his betrothed’s only brother: if there was a Faulebrand capable of protesting to
him, he would gladly stand down. Unfortunately, Aloysius is on such poor terms with his
son, and so enamoured with his son-in-law-to-be that he sides completely with Ricard’s
slighted honour. Pacifistic or socially adept PCs might discover Ricard’s feelings, and try
to convince Aloysius to ask Ricard to step down, or persuade Leopold to apologise.
Unless the PCs prevent it (see above), the growing evidence that her condition is
duel is fought: neither combatant serious.
particularly wishes to kill the other. If the
PCs do not interfere, Ricard will hit Doctor Reifennen will try to treat
Leopold, but aim (and succeed) to cause a Leopold for his wound – Leopold will
non-fatal wound: the various parties will incoherently refuse, demanding of any PCs
still refuse to apologise to each other, and who he has befriended that they take him
Aloysius will still side with Ricard, as to Yilese instead. If the PCs do not
soon as he sees his son is not dead. As lord intervene, his protests are in vain, and
of the manor, Mils presides, and will Reifennen administers a pre-prepared
declare the matter settled. Alexa, poultice containing Alexa’s diseased blood
obviously, cannot attend: this may be – Leopold, too, is now infected with the
useful in alerting the players to the Rot.
 CHAPTER III: Bargaining

If the PCs abandon Leopold to Reifennen, There are tracks on the way to the cottage
he will sink into a fever and be taken back that have clearly been made by a man’s
to the Faulebrand residence, to rest in his boots: PCs who have tracked Ribault may
old room as a patient under Reifennen’s recognise his footprint. If the PCs attempt
care. He quickly becomes coherent again, to warn Yilese or persuade her to come to
and refuses to allow Reifennen in to treat the safety of the village, she will laugh at
him out of stubbornness, unknowingly them, saying that her mother and her
preventing the doctor from cultivating the grandmother and their ancestors before
Rot further. them lived here, and have endured much
worse than robbers, relating the story of
If the PCs take Leopold to Yilese, she will Black Gaerovald as an example of such a
treat him with a mixture of genuine peril. She clearly relies to a certain extent
medical acumen and folklore. She is to the superstitious aversion of bandits for
amenable to anyone who helps Leopold, harming her family, and exploits it rather
and will answer questions to a certain effectively: she is ignorant of the fact that
extent – it is now possible to extract from Ribault, as a city-dweller and a foreigner,
her that she attended Esther during her is unlikely to pay such things any
illness, and a little of her opinions attention.
regarding Esther and Ricard (she sides
decidedly with Esther)

THE LEGEND OF BLACK GAEROVALD

Once there was a great warrior named Gaerovald: he fought in the tribal wars of
unification under Sigmar, but when he returned home, he discovered his brother had
taken up with his wife, usurping his place as chief of the tribe. Sinking into the deepest
despair, he cut out his own heart – Nurgle heard his lamentations, and it amused him to
grant the chieftain immortality. Unable to end his own existence, Gaerovald slaughtered
his wife and brother before cutting a swathe of devastation through the hills, cutting out
his victims’ hearts in search for a replacement for his own, with which he had cut out
his compassion and humanity.

Nurgle’s curse was such that Gaerovald could only be killed with the very sword that
cut out his heart – his own sword. The chieftains of the tribes around Gaerovald’s heard
of this, and, determined to end the menace to their people, freed the boldest thief in their
prisons, telling him that if he could steal Gaerovald’s sword he would be pardoned. The
thief succeeded and Gaerovald was struck down: his body and his accursed sword were
buried somewhere in the hills near Hohlesbruck.

It is important for the PCs to hear this legend one way or another – it’s a popular
local myth, so if Yilese does not get the opportunity to tell them, they can hear it from
the innkeeper of the Heartless Man, the Verlorens, or any villager who gets the chance
to relate it. The people of Hohlesbruck love to try and scare outsiders with the story,
saying that Gaerovald rises from the grave when Morrsleib is full to seek out hearts to
replace his own, or any number of similar embellishments to put the fear of the heartless
man in their audience.
Either leaving Leopold with Yilese, or not Ribault: Does Lord Verloren know?
having gone to her cottage in the first Yilese: .o.
place, the PCs find themselves back in the
Not knowing he was overheard,
village. When they return to their inn, they Ribault told Yilese that he planned to
find their landlord has been taken ill – this pay the Verlorens a visit after dark,
is the first sign of Reifennen’s plan being saying that she had confirmed that he
enacted through Flycher’s butcher-shop. had “something most interesting to
At this point, either Eckhart comes sell”.
running into town, crying that his mistress
has been murdered, or Leopold comes If it is Eckhart who returns, he relates that
staggering after the PCs: Ribault appeared
He was in the garden and saw the man
at the cottage (having waited for the PCs to approach. It seems Ribault deliberately
leave if they went there at all), questioned tried to unnerve him, albeit in a
Yilese, and then killed her. mockingly friendly way.
If it is Leopold who returns, he relates that
He heard them arguing, and

Ribault was initially civil, knocking at eavesdropped on their conversation
the door and being admitted. After a because he was afraid the man would
short conversation, however, Yilese hurt Yilese.
declared that she knew what kind of a
The man did hurt Yilese, but he was
man he was, at which point he turned too afraid to intervene. He overheard
nasty, questioned her much more the key questions in Leopold’s
aggressively, and subsequently killed account, but these can only be got out
both her and Eckhart (who tried to of him by guiding him very carefully
defend her). through his own confused story in

Leopold survived by lying very still – search of such information.
Ribault did not search the hovel, so did
He overheard Ribault saying he was
not notice him. planning to visit “the lady” (Esther) –

Ribault’s questioning took a peculiar Eckhardt only knows Esther through
line – he seemed to be asking about the fact that Yilese treated her during
Esther. He and Yilese’s conversation her illness, and will refer to her in
was rather opaque to an outsider, but reference to this piece of history
the key questions were: (letting the PCs know about it if they
Ribault: Was it Talberg’s? didn’t already).
Yilese: Yes.
When he heard his mistress scream, he
started running and didn’t stop.

The Truth
Having read Reifennen’s letter, Ribault is plumbing the depths of Esther and Ricard’s
story with a view to blackmail. Yilese treated Esther in her illness, and is the only one
who knows that Esther was pregnant with Ricard’s child – she miscarried due to the Pox,
and she and Yilese kept it secret from the world. This is what the two questions refer to –
was the baby Ricard’s, and does Lord Verloren know about the pregnancy or the
miscarriage? Ribault is rather pleased to discover that both answers make his blackmail
all the more effective, although the truth he already possesses about Esther’s connection
to Alexa’s illness is more dangerous by far. His reason for hunting out this information
is more understanding Esther’s motives (the better to manipulate her) than enhancing his
store of damning information – and to be able to intimidate her by appearing omniscient
about her past.
Returning to the scene of the crime, the a friend, along with the incriminating
cottage shows the clear evidence of letter: they will be made public if he is
Ribault’s actions – by the time the PCs can killed or imprisoned.
arrive, however, he has made good his
escape, taking Yilese’s old mare. Should the PCs burst in on them, he holds
Esther hostage, asking her if they are
The PCs should hopefully seize the working for her: when she confirms that
moment and race Ribault to the manor: they are not, he does not try to bargain
though he has a large head start, he has with the PCs any further, escaping through
first headed into the forest, to leave his the window.
‘insurance’ in the empty robbers’ cave.
At this point, the PCs have two options:
Nevertheless, Ribault is still just ahead of pursue Ribault, or stay behind (and hear
them: he secures entrance to Verloren Esther’s account of his blackmail attempt).
Manor through the servants’ quarters, Depending on how prompt the PCs were in
leaving his stolen horse in the stables and following Ribault, and how inclined to
killing a servant who notices him enter. eavesdropping they are, they may already
have overheard a part of it themselves –
Ribault steals a ring of keys from the dead they are most likely only to have heard the
servant and slips upstairs, letting himself end (the miscarriage and the demand for
into Esther’s chambers and commencing to money). If they heard the beginning
blackmail her, threatening to tell her father (relating to Alexa), Ribault was cryptic
and the authorities about both her enough to prevent them immediately
miscarriage and her plot to poison Alexa understanding the plot, but it’s enough to
unless she pays him an extortionate sum. let them know that the Bretonnian thinks
Esther is somehow deeply implicated in
He claims to have written down his Alexa’s sickness, and that the Doctor is
suspicions and placed them in the hands of working with her.

PURSUIT

Ribault is, as previously mentioned, off his victims, hoping that wounded
extremely resourceful when it comes to friends will slow his pursuers down
evading pursuit: his flight should make for more than dead ones.
an enjoyable challenge.
A heavy fog has descended on the
lower parts of the woods. At this stage,

Ribault first descends from Esther’s it becomes very easy to lose Ribault –
window down onto the stable roof: the clever PCs who lose sight of him may
PCs might have left one of their guess that he is headed for the robbers’
number guarding his stolen horse, in cave.
which case he will have to flee on foot.
PCs who stay on Ribault’s trail will

Ribault flees towards the woods, hear Reinhardt Anhame passing them
taking the road if he is on horseback, in the fog, catching a glimpse of a
and running through the open ground cloaked, armoured rider on a great,
surrounding the Manor if he is on foot. dark horse before he overtakes them.

If any PC becomes isolated pursuing
If Ribault is cornered before he can
him, he will take any opportunity that reach the cave, Reinhardt rides into
presents itself to lay a trap, perhaps their midst, cutting down Ribault and
waiting behind a tree-trunk to stab riding off into the darkness with his
them: he will not hang around to finish head. His Chaos Steed does not tire
 and can weave expertly between the to Reinhardt, claiming that he is
trees – he will easily lose any PCs who guiltless and wants to recover
give chase. something the bandits stole from him.

If Ribault reaches the cave, Reinhardt Once he is close enough, he tries to
cuts him off, waiting in front of the stab him – funnily enough, that doesn’t
cave mouth: deducing that this is work, and Reinhardt kills him.
probably the knight who killed the first Reinhardt will then ride away before
group of robbers, Ribault guesses that any PCs can challenge him.
he is dealing with someone with a hero
complex, and tries to talk his way close

The PCs should be able to work out that Ribault was running to the cave for a reason – if not,
an NPC can suggest it to them after they return. He was bluffing about his ‘insurance’, since
all the robbers are dead and he has no friends in the village – the letter and his records of his
suspicions are stashed in the cave.

PAYMENT

If no PCs pursue Ribault, they can looking for the Breton and she was to
instead hear Esther’s version of the give it to them. Despite seeming in dire
blackmail attempt – she will cut out need of medical attention, the man then
everything about Alexa, making it rode away.
seem entirely about the miscarriage.
The innkeeper’s wife will willingly
Ribault specified when and where he relinquish the package, which she has
wanted the money left – at the been commanded not to open: it
Heartless Man, tomorrow at sunrise. contains Ribault’s head, and a sealed
With his escape, she has no choice, but envelope addressed to Esther,
cannot leave it herself without arousing containing her letter and Ribault’s
suspicions, so entrusts the PCs with the record of his discoveries.
task. Winning their sympathy should
be relatively easy with her story. Either way, the PCs should now have in

She gives the PCs what money she their possession the incriminating
can get together, along with items of documents: if they break the seal, Esther
jewellery that make up the total Ribault will know they know her secret; if they
asked for in their value. When they go don’t, she will still be paranoid about it.
to the tavern at dawn, however, Ribault Dismissing them under the pretext of not
is not there: the sick innkeeper’s wife wanting her father to know, she will pay
says an armoured knight showed up them anything they ask. The documents
instead, clearly heavily wounded in the themselves can be found under Maps &
chest, and left a package in Ribault’s Handouts – they are Reifennen’s Letter and
name, saying some men would come Ribault’s Insurance.
 GM NOTES

The PCs may bring Ribault down before he can even reach the woods, or successfully
protect him from Reinhardt (in fact they should be given a chance to – the sound of
approaching hooves is a bit of a giveaway).

In the latter case, Reinhardt will abandon the chase if they kill Ribault themselves, or if
they make it impossible for him to kill Ribault without killing all of them.

If this means they retrieve Ribault alive and retrieve the documents, this is the greatest
success they can achieve! Ribault will obviously try to betray them if he can on the way
back, but assuming they successfully get him somewhere secure, Esther and Reifennen
will be forced into desperate measures to stop him blabbing to the PCs in an effort to save
his skin: Reifennen will most likely find an excuse to poison him.

If they retrieve Ribault alive but don’t have the documents, Ribault will remain silent,
knowing that the information about Esther is a bargaining chip he has to reserve for the
Verlorens alone. He will maintain his bluff of having left the documents with a friend,
telling Esther she has to release him for him to call said friend off – it’s up to the PCs to
track the documents down!

If they kill him before he can make it to the woods, and aren’t figuring out where the
documents are, Reinhardt will find them and deliver them as in the bargaining branch (but
obviously without Ribault’s head).

The PCs may read the documents and decide to go directly to the authorities with them:
unfortunately, the authorities are Mils Verloren, who refuses to believe their slanders
about his daughter, and will order them imprisoned if they press their allegations. If they
work this out and leave town to muster help, they will need to stop at a roadside inn
before they reach another town – in which case skip straight to the Dance of Death
encounter in the next chapter, but in this new setting. Any significant help they manage to
obtain from outside town (e.g. a priest or witch hunter) will be killed by Reinhardt before
they can return to the village, leaving the PCs to face the Nurgle followers alone again: a
second attempt to raise help will be blocked by Reinhardt.

If the PCs make further enquiries about Yilese after her death, Mils will be saddened,
having valued her attentions to his daughter during her illness, and grown up with her
watching over the village: Aloysius’ acquired snobbery, however, leads to him pretending
to be almost completely ignorant of her existence prior to her murder – while he is still
shocked by Ribault’s actions, he will praise Doctor Reifennen’s ‘scientific’ medicine over
the old woman’s folklore, prating about the danger of such peasant herbalists falling into
dark practices with wholly unintentional irony.
 CHAPTER IV: Fear
The PCs may need the day following Reinhardt in the early hours of the
Ribault’s flight to be persuaded to revisit morning, after Reinhardt had killed
the cave and find the incriminating Ribault. He tried to follow Reinhardt, but
documents – if they already have them, lost him.
then there are several possibilities.
By now he is seriously ill, although the

If Leopold went to Yilese, and the horrors of the Rot are not yet apparent –
players have not read the any qualified PCs will recognise this, and
documents: Leopold is back in the this may be the beginning of an argument
Heartless Man and very interested in with Reifennen about what care is
the events that have transpired, appropriate for the young man. Reifennen
believing they probably implicate defends himself by pointing out that
Ricard in some kind of shady business. Leopold refuses to allow him into his room
He persuades Mils to allow him and to treat him.
the PCs to search Yilese’s cottage,
looking for evidence of what she knew. Leopold is contagious. Characters

If Leopold went to Yilese, and the touching him may contract the Rot – the
players know the contents of the difficulty of the toughness test involved
documents: Leopold suggests they depends on the mercy of the GM (as there
must steal them back. He will pay a will be repeated risks of contracting this
house-call to Esther on false pretences disease in the finale, and the Rot may well
while any PCs who care to join him spell the end of a PC), but should probably
rifle her possessions to reclaim the be low as long as the full symptoms have
letter. They will find only its ashes in not manifested themselves.
the fireplace.

If Leopold was taken by Reifennen: Regardless of Leopold’s current status,
Leopold escapes his confinement and they should be made aware that more
runs off, forcing Reifennen to appeal people are now being taken ill all across
to the PCs to track him down. the village, in far higher numbers than
before. The villagers are now terrified that
In the third case, they will find Leopold by Alexa’s falling ill heralded the onset of
the bridge, seemingly raving: he in fact plague.
caught a glimpse of Reifennen speaking to

THE DANCE OF DEATH

Growing increasingly fearful about these NPC, as if the dance is not disrupted they
inquisitive outsiders, Esther prays to will all contract the Neiglish Rot, which is
Nurgle to strike down the PCs in the same effectively a death sentence. PCs who hear
way he did Alexa – once the sun sets, mist the chanting and witness the dancing must
begins to pour down from the woods into take a Willpower Test or gain an Insanity
the village. At midnight, a Plaguebearer Point; the fight with the daemons may well
and a troupe of Nurglings (see Tome of cause further saves against Insanity Point
Corruption) will materialise out of the fog gain, at the GM’s discretion, as hand-to-
outside their inn, and dance the Dance of hand combat with the legions of Nurgle is
Death around it. Either the PCs should likely to be particularly horrific. The
awaken themselves, or be alerted by an Nurglings will swarm anyone who attacks
the Plaguebearer leading the dance with rider to convince them not to attempt to
little or no self-preservation, while the raise the alarm themselves, publicly
Plaguebearer itself will attempt to continue making the link between the rider who
the ritual for as long as is feasibly possible, slew her father and the rider who killed
only breaking off to fight once it and in its Ribault. She claims that the outlaw must
troupe come under serious attack. Once have been involved somehow in the
they are defeated, the daemons’ corpses daemonic plot, and perhaps double-crossed
dissolve into the Aether. his masters.

Nevertheless, there will be witnesses to As a result, the village is paralysed by

verify the PCs’ story: Esther will terror – some may blame the PCs as
continually argue that there can’t have ‘outsiders’ with the least provocation,
been actual daemons in their village, as while many will cower inside their houses,
such things simply don’t happen here. If and work on the fields slows to a crawl.
the PCs have voiced any suspicions of With Yilese dead, every villager and his
Esther to Mils, he may begin to grow dog comes up with his own superstitious
uncomfortable with Esther’s attitude – wards against Chaos, and doorways are
whatever the circumstances, he can’t quickly festooned with rabbits’ feet,
ignore the incident, and sets off for the daemonsroot, horseshoes, hammer
nearest city, aiming to bring the matter to symbols, and other such talismans. The
the attention of the Witch Hunters. PCs may have the same idea – none of the
villagers’ methods are effective, but those
Reinhardt intercepts Mils’ coach once it with the right skills to sift the wheat from
is out of sight of Hohlesbruck, killing the chaff of folklore may be able to find
Mils, the coachman and Mils’ servant. The some minor help in the books Yilese left
PCs may go to see for themselves: by the behind.
time they reach the wreckage of the coach,
he is long gone, but the tracks of his horse There are two further effects that heighten
are easily recognisable, leading away into the superstitious panic gripping
the woods. Hohlesbruck: firstly, the fog lingers
unnaturally, becoming particularly dense
As the new lady of the manor, Esther now at night. Secondly, cases of sickness
avoids taking any action, shielding herself continue to spread; the commoners cannot
and Reifennen – she exploits the villagers’ afford Reifennen’s ‘services’, and with
low expectations of her as a ‘broken’ Yilese dead, the peasants are on their own.
woman, and invokes the spectre of the

THE HORSEMAN HUNTS

Leopold now either escapes Reifennen’s keeps everyone away and that there is a
care (again) or approaches the PCs bad smell coming out of her room.
normally: If Reifennen succeeded in
infecting him, he claims rather deliriously Alternatively (or in parallel), the PCs may
that Reifennen is behind it all. If the PCs investigate the rash of new sicknesses
kept him out of Reifennen’s care, he says across the village, and discover that all the
more rationally that since Reifennen sent victims bought food from Bernhardt
Esther the mysterious letter, the only lead Flycher.
left to them is Reifennen. Either way, he
claims Alexa is worsening, that Reifennen Working on orders from Reifennen and
Esther, Flycher will approach them before
they can put any plan they compose into they have a genuine chance to kill him, but
action, saying he knows something about he will reclaim his weapon and retreat with
the sickness, but that he can’t talk publicly it as quickly as possible. In the unlikely
– he asks them to meet him at Yilese’s event of Reinhardt dying here, the plot can
now-abandoned cottage. still progress with Reifennen as the main
villain – on the removal of his helmet,
This is a trap: Flycher is not waiting for Esther, Mils or Ricard might recognise
them, but Reinhardt is, concealed in the Reinhardt, for those PCs who wish to try
fog. He pursues them on horseback: they and solve the mystery of the heartless
can take refuge in the wayshrine of Shallya knight. However, it is probably best if he
on the path, which Reinhardt cannot enter, gets away.
or they can outrun him (difficult unless
they have mounts of their own) – he will Reinhardt’s Chaos Steed is not
not cross the bridge into Hohlesbruck, as indestructible, and killing it may give the
he does not wish to show himself to the PCs a valuable opportunity to escape
whole village. (since the heavily-armoured Anhame
stands little chance of killing them on
PCs who rumbled Yilese’s slightly foot).
heretical inclinations may think to ransack
the cottage for magical assistance: those By now, it should be clear as day that
with the Magical Sense talent or academic Flycher is their enemy: PCs with a knack
knowledge of alchemy will be able to pick for public speaking or in positions of high
out two magical potions from the clutter of status can rally the village behind them,
tools and ingredients inside, one of which exploiting Hohlesbruck’s state of panic;
is a Hair Tonic, the other of which is a otherwise, the standard approaches of
Potion of Pain Denied (see Realms of stealth or straightforward violence are
Sorcery, p199-200) – they require a Hard obviously open. Hohlesbruck is too small
Academic Knowledge (Alchemy) or Trade to have anything approaching a Watch,
(Apothecary) test to be identified, as they and with everyone hiding from the
are unlabelled. However, since nothing daemons out to eat their children, if a
stops Reinhardt from entering and he can bunch of armed toughs kick in someone’s
quickly cut his way through the door if it is door, it’s actually unlikely that anyone will
blocked, staying long in the hovel is not a try and stop them directly – people will
good idea. run to Esther, who will take some time to
organise a response from the village.
If they shelter in the shrine, either Leopold Flycher will not answer his door to the
or Ricard (if Leopold is sick) will raise the PCs or anyone else, and Reifennen will be
militia and come looking for them at at the Faulebrands’, very preoccupied with
sunrise, forcing Reinhardt to retreat to Alexa – he will refuse to see anyone, and
avoid being mobbed. Aloysius will support him.

As a third alternative, if they show enough In Flycher’s cellar they can discover the
fight, they might force him to retreat. Due vials of pus that Reifennen has been
to the effects of the Sword of Gaerovald, collecting (contact with the contents
however, at this stage Reinhardt is requires a Toughness Test to avoid
effectively indestructible (see the Cast contracting the Rot, with difficulty
page for Reinhardt), and will only retreat if depending on dosage), and how the doctor
he loses a limb or his head, returning to and the butcher have been using them to
Gaerovald’s barrow to heal. An taint the meat: Flycher and his wife will
enterprising PC might disarm him – if so, fight to the death, knowing that the
exposure of their secret means the Witch fits of palsy may sound the alarm or terrify
Hunters’ pyre for them both. Flycher will any help they bring from the village.
gloat freely (particularly if Leopold is
present) about Alexa already being ‘lost’, With the evidence finally in their grasp,
and the plan already being too far they are now free to confront Reifennen. If
advanced to stop – as a cultist of Nurgle, they didn’t bring Leopold with them, he
he is not particularly bothered about self- runs up to them as they leave the Flychers’
preservation. house, demanding to know what’s going
on - once he knows, he will want to
If they bring Leopold with them, and confront Reifennen immediately. PCs with
Leopold has been infected with the Rot, a more measured plan will have
then being brought into the inner sanctum considerable difficulty preventing him
of the Nurgle-worshippers will trigger a from doing so. Night is falling fast as the
collapse. His uncontrollable vomiting and final confrontation begins.
 CHAPTER V: Acceptance

CONFRONTING THE TRUTH

Aloysius, his wife Johanna, and Ricard are nearly completed the agonising
all already in the Faulebrand house with transformation into a Plaguebearer,
Reifennen. Hearing of Flycher’s fate, rendering her almost completely
Esther will hurry down to the village, unrecognisable. PCs with an unobstructed
hoping to forestall the PCs from exposing view of the sickbed should take a
Reifennen – if they go straight to the Willpower test to avoid gaining an
Faulebrand house, she cannot hope to get Insanity Point.
there before them, but she will still try to
brass her way out of the situation by Breaking down on witnessing her
demanding that ‘these thugs’ (the PCs) handiwork, Esther will confess her part in
release the learned physician – she is not events: she does not apologise or repent,
aware of what Reifennen’s grander plan instead professing her love for Ricard in
was, or the evidence he left in Flycher’s genuine distress.
house.
“I love you! Can’t you understand - could
If the PCs broke the law in dealing with that thing have cared for you like me?”
Flycher, she will attempt to get the
villagers to help her arrest them, but once Ricard will have to be restrained from
the accusations of daemon-worship start striking her. If he is healthy, Leopold will
flying, any villagers present will start assist in restraining him, almost as
being very circumspect about helping the disgusted with Ricard as with Esther –
accused. She may attempt to counter this regardless of his state of health, he will
by accusing the PCs of being the daemon- lock the room again, saying that the PCs
worshippers – this is only likely to work if must summon the Church of Sigmar to
they have already got on the wrong side of deal with his sister. If he has the Rot
the villagers, but she will play on their himself, he will realise his situation, and
heavy involvement in events so far, and in include himself with his sister in his
their being the only victims of the evaluation of what must be done.
unknown rider to survive.
Reifennen remains to be dealt with – a
At this point, Leopold will force his way healthy Leopold will want to kill him
into the confrontation, mastering his where he stands, while a sick Leopold will
debility if he has contracted the Rot be incapable of doing so. Whatever the
(although in that case he will be almost PCs decide, they will have to head back
delirious) – if the PCs have not done so downstairs to confront the perpetrator of
already, he demands that Reifennen gives the atrocity, who will confess any details
them the key to Alexa’s room. On his that remain unknown, taunting the PCs
orders, Reifennen is held downstairs – he that the village is already infected, and that
doesn’t want the doctor anywhere near his the Rot will spread.
sister.
“My god has answered the poor girl’s
Alexa’s sorry state is revealed: by now, prayer. I take comfort that yours are
thanks to Reifennen’s ministrations, the powerless to undo what I have done in His
Rot is exceptionally advanced, and she has name.”
 REUNION

Once he is done answering the PCs’ Reifennen too, depending on whether they
questions, Reifennen will refuse to speak give him an opportunity.
any more, instead muttering prayers under
his breath to his god. PCs who care to At this point, the PCs may wish to roll
listen can hear the words: initiative and attack their opponent (or
flee, if they were given a frightening
Reifennen’s Prayer enough taste of Reinhardt’s invulnerability
in Flycher’s trap): Reinhardt forestalls
Lo, let this night be solitary, let no them, saying he has no quarrel with them.
joyful voice come therein. He is, in fact, quite willing to talk: he is
here to talk to Esther and to kill Ricard,
Let them curse it that curse the day, and he plans on doing them in that order.
who are ready to raise up their
mourning.
If any of the PCs are infected with the
Rot, he will know it by looking at
Let the stars of the twilight thereof be them, and welcome them as a brother.
dark; let it look for light, but have
Finding out what the PCs think is the
none; neither let it see the dawning of truth, he will set them straight about
the day: the true reason for what has happened,
taking all responsibility on himself.
And let this night be exalted, in the
He sees Esther in the same state of
name of the Corrupter, the Lord of sorrow and suffering that he once
Lost Heart, who eases our suffering endured, and has come to relieve her
that we might understand its truth. from it with the same enlightenment
that he received.
At this point, Reinhardt is already
Once he states that his primary motive
approaching: he rides (or walks, if the PCs is Esther, Ricard or Leopold will
previously killed his horse) over the bridge interrupt, asking about the happiness of
into Hohlesbruck, and heads straight for others (i.e. Ricard and/or Alexa). He
the Faulebrands’ house, emerging out of then immediately drops his eerily
the fog. Any villagers who at this point benevolent tone.
dare to venture out of doors will scatter out
of his path – he will cut down any PC who “My new Father offered me two things.
for any reason is outside the house, but Peace with myself, and a reckoning with
will not pause to kill any opponent he can Talberg. I have already been granted the
freely pass to get to the house. first. I have come here to claim the
second.”
On arriving at the house, he opens the door
(forcibly if necessary), causing the Reinhardt then draws his sword on Ricard.
servants to flee in terror. With his last Ricard will attempt to talk him down, but
reserves of pompous bluster, Aloysius it is immediately apparent that this has no
Faulebrand approaches him and chance of working.. What follows is a
commands him to leave – Reinhardt will complex fight that should serve as the
kill him in reply, unless the PCs prevent campaign’s defining set-piece: it has the
Aloysius from getting too close. If the PCs following components.
have gone in for due process rather than
Ricard fights, but quickly starts
on-the-spot execution, he may kill looking for an escape route as he
realises that he is outmatched.

Reinhardt blocks off Ricard’s escape Esther. They can also get ingenious about
routes, forcing him to retreat upstairs slowing him down, particularly if
towards Alexa’s room. His Chaos Reinhardt or someone else starts a fire and
Steed blocks off the front door, unless the house starts collapsing. If they’ve got
it is already dead, in which case this far without fully figuring out the
Reinhardt will attempt to close it off invulnerable nature of their opponent, this
with an improvised bolt or barrier fight will probably be where they find out,
before he begins. as the vastly outnumbered Reinhardt fights

Reinhardt has little interest in killing indestructibly on, and their retreat is likely
the PCs now – he will try and prevent to be a little less organised.
them from interfering, and is not
averse to setting the house on fire in There are three possible outcomes
his wake to achieve this. (excluding Reinhardt killing everyone,

Leopold, if healthy, will fight: he now which needs no further elaboration):
sees Reinhardt as responsible for what
Esther dies. Reinhardt takes her body
has happened to Alexa. and rides away.

If she can, Esther will go so far as to
Reinhardt takes Esther and rides away.
sacrifice herself to prevent Reinhardt
The PCs take Esther.
from killing Ricard – this will disturb The last requires the PCs to do the
Reinhardt’s fanatical composure, and planning: at this stage, it’s incumbent on
once he is free of other distractions, he them to figure out how to defeat their
will carry her body away without opponent. Verloren Manor and
staying to fight anyone else. Hohlesbruck Mill both offer defensible

The transformed Alexa will be driven positions to retreat to if that’s what they
mad by Reinhardt’s proximity and tear feel like doing, but their real priority has to
her way out of her room – she, too, is be working out how to kill Reinhardt.
fixated on Ricard, and will kill him if Esther is their most powerful tool, and
she can, although it’s unclear as to while Reinhardt is unlikely to bargain with
whether her actions are hostile or an them (he sees them as representing no
insane show of affection. She threat), his fixation on her can be used as a
completely ignores everyone else, only very potent way of manouevreing him
attacking any other target if the only where the PCs want him to be..
way to Ricard is through that person.
She uses Plaguebearer statistics, but If Reinhardt rides away with Esther (alive
does not yet have the Cloud of Flies or dead), the PCs can commandeer
mutation or the Stream of Corruption transport from the Faulebrand stables to
ability. give chase. Reinhardt is headed for the

If Ricard dies and Esther lives, Gaerovald’s barrow, deep in the woods
Reinhardt will take her, saying that north of the village, and is easily followed.
Nurgle has upheld his end of the
bargain, and she must uphold hers. In the tomb, Reinhardt’s behaviour

If Reifennen is still alive, he will depends on whether Esther is dead or
attempt to escape in the chaos. alive.

If Esther is dead, he disinters
Unless the PCs disarm Reinhardt and Gaerovald’s remains to make way for
claim Gaerovald’s sword, they cannot kill hers, giving her a reverent burial.
him here. If they’re already aware of this,
If Esther is alive, the dank vegetation
the fight is about organising a retreat that of the tomb forms a gateway to the
will save everyone they care about, and Garden of Nurgle in the Realm of
possibly trying to separate Reinhardt and Chaos, through which she is pulled.
 Reinhardt does not force her through, hold of the Sword again), he will not
but stands beside her and persuades deliberately kill them: he will prise the
her: by this stage, she has lost so much Sword from their grip, saying that he is
that she will, eventually, willingly step done with Hohlesbruck and has more work
through. Unless the PCs are to do for Nurgle (recovering his religious
unorthodox to the point of heresy, convictions if Esther’s death shook them)
going with them simply means she will – as does his opponent. He touches the
be burned alive as well as damned. person who stole the sword as if blessing
them, and leaves, vanishing into the
Regardless of what Reinhardt is doing, he woods: his touch inflicts a highly
will have put down Gaerovald’s sword, infectious disease of the GM’s choice on
and this is the opportunity of the PCs to his victim.
kill him. His old sword is still here, as is
the decaying body of the Beastman If one of the PCs already has the Rot, he
shaman – if attacked and not killed will address his comments to them instead,
instantly, he will pick up his old sword and and won’t need to touch anybody before
fight. he leaves: his recognition may be the first
clue the PCs have that something is wrong.
If Reinhardt defeats his attackers (which is
definitely possible if he somehow gets
 Epilogue
Hohlesbruck still remains to be dealt with: a possible adventure is for them to try and
excepting the actions of very exceptional stop him making the inevitable pilgrimage
PCs, by now a large number of people will North to the Realm of Chaos – for if he
be infected with the first stages of the reaches the seat of his lord, who knows
Neiglish Rot (and the far-gone Alexa may what kind of a monster might return?
still be wandering about). In a worst-case
scenario, Doctor Reifennen may also have The Sword of Gaerovald also makes for an
escaped. The PCs have the choice of going interesting enduring element: a PC will
to the Witch Hunters (in which case have to wield it to slay Reinhardt, but even
Hohlesbruck will be burned to the ground, if they resist its power, its being left to rot
and they themselves may well be in the barrow is exactly how Reinhardt
suspected of harbouring the disease), or of found it in the first place. The PCs may
fleeing the scene – in which case many decide to try and take it to some magical or
peasants will flee the village as the plague religious authority for destruction –
takes hold, unwittingly spreading the Rot another potential adventure in the offing,
to neighbouring towns as Reifennen as only the most powerful magic has a
planned all along. A third alternative, if chance of unmaking such a weapon, and
they can pull it off, is the PCs on the long journey, the sword will do
‘ministering’ to the inhabitants of everything it can to find its way into the
Hohlesbruck themselves – whether this hands of a willing wielder once again.
means medical attention or the business Characters who carry the sword without
end of a flaming torch is up to them, but wielding it may find calamity after
only very advanced wizards or priests have calamity befalling them, as Nurgle’s sword
any chance of genuinely curing the Rot in attempts to drive them to the extremes of
even one individual. sorrow that will cause them to take it up.
They might also be dogged by the
For a GM who is inclined towards followers of Nurgle, who see the sword as
recurring antagonists, The Lord of Lost a sacred relic. If they leave the sword
Heart offers plenty of opportunities. behind, Hohlesbruck will soon contain
many souls lost in a sea of grief, their
If Reifennen escapes, he will continue in minds ripe to become its new wielder –
his travelling ‘practice’, poisoning perhaps it will return in someone else’s
communities to gain Nurgle’s favour: hands to remind them of their carelessness.
tracking him down before he strikes again If one of the PCs is a great warrior (as
could be an adventure in itself. Reinhardt was), it may even try to follow
them, unsatisfied with corrupting just any
If Reinhardt survives, he makes for a human, and hungering after the souls of
fearsome recurring enemy – with the heroes.
business in Hohlesbruck concluded, the
last remnants of his old personality fade Finally, if Esther survives to step through
into oblivion, leaving only the devoted the gate in the barrow, her fate is unclear:
Champion of Nurgle. His wound makes it she might have been devoured by
unlikely that he can function for long in daemons, sent mad, or remade as
plain view of society, but he could be Reinhardt was, a willing servant of Nurgle.
encountered working alone or with other The Realm of Chaos being what it is, she
Children of Chaos in the dark places of the could reappear anywhere at any time, as an
Empire. If the players wish to pursue him, enemy, messenger or omen.
 Experience

The distribution of experience depends on a group’s preferences for the speed of

advancement and a GM’s on-the-spot judgement, but a rough guideline for the allocation of
experience in The Lord of Lost Heart would be:

Chapter 1:
• 20 XP for shadowing Reifennen
• 30 XP for shadowing Ribault

Chapter 2:
• 50 XP for defeating the robbers
• 20 XP for safely rescuing Esther’s maid
• 30 XP for preventing the duel
• 30 XP to anyone who takes Leopold’s place and defeats Ricard.

Chapter 3:
• Up to 50 XP for successfully pursuing Ribault (with the full 50 being awarded if they
get as far as cornering him at the robbers’ cave)
• Another 30 if they preserve Ribault from Reinhardt
• 20 XP for discovering more about the blackmail attempt than Esther wants them to
know (through eavesdropping or reading the letters).

Chapter 4:
• 20 XP if they successfully go through with Leopold’s plan to search Esther’s room
• 100 XP for surviving the Dance of Death
• 40 XP for surviving Reinhardt’s attack (50 if they kill his Chaos Steed)
• 20 XP for rousing the village against Bernhardt Flycher
• 50 XP divided by the number of PCs present for defeating the Flychers.

Chapter 5:
• 10 XP for remaining in control of the confrontation (i.e. facing down Esther prior to
Alexa being revealed, not allowing Ricard to attack Esther, not allowing Leopold to
kill Reifennen on the spot)
• 40 XP for surviving Reinhardt’s attack – 50 if they manage to severely inconvenience
him (e.g. trapping him in a burning house, pushing him off a roof, etc.)
• 50 XP for escaping with Esther
• 50 XP for killing Reinhardt.
• If all else fails, and a PC kills Reinhardt by disarming him in combat and taking up
the Sword of Gaerovald, that PC alone gains 100 XP.
 THE CAST

Denizens of Hohlesbruck

Esther Verloren

“Could that thing have cared for you like me?”

Career Progression: Noble

Main
Profile
WS BS S T Ag Int WP Fel
27 31 30 34 36 42 35 41
Secondary
Profile
A W SB TB M Mag IP FP
1 10 3 3 4 0 1 0

Skills: Blather, Charm, Common Knowledge (The Empire) (+10%), Gossip (+10%),
Performer (Musician), Read/Write, Ride, Speak Language (Reikspiel) (+10%)

Talents: Etiquette, Luck, Savvy, Schemer

Trappings: Good Quality Noble’s Garb

The daughter of Mils Verloren, Esther was considered a beauty, and much sought-after by the
sons of noblemen around Hohlesbruck – both for her looks and the future lordship of a
prosperous village. After a short while, the field was narrowed to just two suitors: the
handsome but flighty Ricard Talberg, and the honest and worthy Reinhardt Anhame.

Ricard’s family had bought him a commission in a Pistolier corps, while Reinhardt’s reason
for coming to the Middenland had been to prove himself in the Knights Panther: as the Storm
of Chaos approached, both men were called away, and her conscience forced her to choose.
Though fond of Reinhardt as a true and trustworthy friend, she was in love with Ricard, and
chose him – heartbroken, Reinhardt rode out of her life. Afraid that they might never see each
other again, they spent Ricard’s last night in Hohlesbruck together – some weeks after he had
left, she realised she was with child.

It was not long after that – before the pregnancy had truly begun to show to any but a
practiced eye – that Esther fell ill with the Green Pox. Tended to by the wise woman Yilese,
she survived, but was hideously scarred – and lost the baby. When Ricard returned, she lost
him too, the young man trying to hide the fact that he was repulsed by her changed
appearance as he ‘let her down gently’. When Ricard swiftly began to court Alexa
Faulebrand, the daughter of her father’s wealthy ex-tenant, it was more than she could bear:
she prayed to any god who would answer her to make the pretty Alexa as ugly as she.

Nurgle answered her prayer. From her vantage-point in Verloren Manor, Esther watched a
thick fog envelop the village that night, growing thickest at midnight when strange, croaking
chants seemed to drift up to her ears. Daemons of the Fly Lord had come to Hohlesbruck,
and danced the Dance of Death around Faulebrand House. When the fog cleared, the sleeping
Alexa had been infected with the first seeds of the dreaded Neiglish Rot, and Esther’s fate
was sealed.

Quiet and retiring since the trauma of the Pox, Esther is rarely seen around Hohlesbruck, not
liking to show her pockmarked face – she is well-liked among the villagers, however, and
those who know her story tend to hold sympathy for her shabby treatment by Ricard. No-one
other than Yilese, however, knows of the lost baby: Esther has kept it a secret even from her
father. An intelligent young woman despite her fall from grace, she and Reifennen have the
Faulebrands in a vice that, without outside assistance, will surely destroy the entire family,
and perhaps the whole of Hohlesbruck.
Mils Verloren

“I just want what’s best for my daughter.”

Career Progression: Noble, Politician, Noble Lord

Main
Profile
WS BS S T Ag Int WP Fel
44 36 36 38 36 47 47 49
Secondary
Profile
A W SB TB M Mag IP FP
1 14 3 3 4 0 0 0

Skills: Academic Knowledge (Genealogy/Heraldry, Law), Blather, Command, Common

Knowledge (The Empire) (+10%), Consume Alcohol, Charm, Evaluate, Gossip (+10%),
Haggle, Perception, Performer (Actor), Read/Write, Ride, Speak Language (Reikspiel)
(+10%), Speak Language (Classical)

Talents: Dealmaker, Etiquette, Public Speaking, Master Orator, Savvy, Specialist Weapon
(Parrying)

Trappings: Best Craftsmanship Noble’s Garb, Dagger

Hohlebruck’s hereditary lord, Mils Verloren has been a solemn, quiet man ever since his wife
died giving birth to Esther. With no other children or surviving close relatives, he dotes on his
daughter, and is well-respected by the villagers, looking out for their interests and generally
governing the village in a responsible manner. While he is renowned as a fair man, the
villagers seldom trespass upon his time, preferring to sort most matters out among
themselves.
Ricard Talberg

“You know, I don’t think the army was the boy for me.”

Career Progression: Noble, Pistolier

Main
Profile
WS BS S T Ag Int WP Fel
38 54 36 35 45 33 27 48
Secondary
Profile
A W SB TB M Mag IP FP
1 12 3 3 4 0 0 0

Skills: Animal Care, Blather, Common Knowledge (The Empire) (+10%), Consume Alcohol,
Charm, Gossip (+10%), Read/Write, Ride (+10%), Speak Language (Reikspiel) (+10%)

Talents: Etiquette, Quick Draw, Public Speaking, Rapid Reload, Sharpshooter, Specialist
Weapon (Fencing, Parrying)

Trappings: Pair of Pistols with ammunition and gunpowder for 20 shots, sabre, Best
Craftsmanship clothing, Light Warhorse

A young man still, Ricard is one of the Talbergs of Eldagsen, a minor noble family that has
fallen from once-lofty heights into financial difficulties. A great charmer, but something of a
rake, he intended to marry Esther Verloren – after a spell in the Imperial Army (which he
found to be rather too risky for his tastes), however, he returned to find her greatly
transfigured by the Green Pox, and decided against the marriage. He had intended to let her
down gently and leave Hohlesbruck, but was distracted by the advent of Alexa Faulebrand –
eagerly pushed upon him by her ambitious father, he was both struck by her looks and by the
prospect of exchanging his aristocratic name for Aloysius’ Faulebrand’s money. Deciding
that Esther would get over it, he and Alexa were betrothed.

Outwardly a very confident, cheerful and charming man, Ricard is extremely self-centred –
while he is not malevolent, he lacks the ability or the will to consider others’ feelings before
his. When faced by threats outside his everyday sphere of life, such as those he encountered
during the war, he is in fact something of a coward – his main reason for leaving the
Pistoliers, though he seeks to hide it.
Aloysius Faulebrand

“A fine match for both families, that’s what I say.”

Career Progression: Burgher, Merchant

Main
Profile
WS BS S T Ag Int WP Fel
34 29 31 32 35 44 35 32
Secondary
Profile
A W SB TB M Mag IP FP
1 12 3 3 4 0 0 0

Skills: Common Knowledge (The Empire), Consume Alcohol, Drive, Evaluate, Gossip,
Read/Write, Ride, Haggle, Perception, Search, Speak Language (Tilean, Reikspiel (+10%)),
Trade (Merchant)

Talents: Dealmaker, Savvy, Super Numerate

Trappings: Good Craftsmanship Clothes, Dagger

Aloysius Faulebrand grew up in Hohlesbruck, a farmer’s son. Ambitious, once he became

head of the family, he left the sleepy village, heading instead to Altdorf: he has now returned,
a prosperous grain merchant, to make his mark on his ancestral home.

Aloysius now owns many of the fields around Hohlesbruck, villagers who have farmed them
down the generations now acting as his tenants – he has also bought the mill, and makes
regular shipments of flour to Eldagsen and other river-trading towns, using his contacts in
Altdorf to good effect. As his personal coffers continue to swell, his overriding concern is
legitimising his wealth by buying a ticket into the aristocracy – to this end, he has groomed
his daughter Alexa to be a noble’s bride, and seized the chance to snare Ricard when he saw a
young nobleman going free.

Regarded by many of the villagers as far too big for his boots, but too important a figure
financially for them to openly disrespect, Aloysius is excessively proud, demanding a
disproportionate amount of respect for his ‘station’. He plays down or perhaps wilfully
ignores Ricard’s history with Esther, having only returned recently to Hohlesbruck and thus
been absent for most of it: he does not see himself as owing any debt to the Verlorens, hoping
in fact to rise above them in the social hierarchy with his daughter’s marriage.

His greatest disappointment is Leopold – his son having no interest in the family business,
and remaining behind to pursue a dissolute life in Altdorf, is perhaps one of the main reasons
for his obsessive nurturing of his daughter to further the family fortunes. His wife, Johanna,
follows him in all things, perhaps unfairly believing her husband to be far cleverer than
herself.
Leopold Faulebrand

“Alexa always had a soft head.”

Career Progression: Burgher, Rogue

Main
Profile
WS BS S T Ag Int WP Fel
36 34 32 31 42 41 37 44
Secondary
Profile
A W SB TB M Mag IP FP
1 14 3 3 4 0 0 0

Skills: Blather, Charm, Common Knowledge (The Empire) (+10%), Drive, Evaluate,
Gamble, Gossip (+10%), Read/Write, Haggle, Perception, Performer (Storyteller), Search,
Speak Language (Breton, Reikspiel (+10%))

Talents: Dealmaker, Luck, Suave, Streetwise.

Trappings: Shortsword, Good Quality Clothing

Aloysius’ son, Leopold was barely more than an infant when his father uprooted his family
and moved them to Altdorf – growing up on the streets of that city, his character has been
formed as a city-dweller, retaining only childhood memories of Hohlesbruck. Streetwise and
independent-minded, he rebelled against the pomposity of his father, pursuing a rather
dissipated life with the money Aloysius allowed him, and finding other ways to make his
own. Seeing his more easily-led younger sister fall under Aloysius’ shadow, he has tried to
defend her against her father – while the two siblings are fast friends, Aloysius still holds a
great influence over Alexa that Leopold resents.

On hearing of Alexa’s engagement to Ricard, he has returned to his childhood home –

ostensibly to attend the celebrations, but in reality to evaluate Ricard. He is more than ready
to hate his sister’s suitor, particularly as his father approves of him so much.
Alexa Faulebrand

“I don’t feel too well...”

Career Progression: Noble

Main
Profile
WS BS S T Ag Int WP Fel
28 29 31 31 34 27 30 41
Secondary
Profile
A W SB TB M Mag IP FP
1 11 3 3 4 0 0 0

Skills: Blather, Common Knowledge (The Empire) (+10%), Performer (Musician), Charm,
Gossip (+10%), Read/Write, Ride, Speak Language (Reikspiel) (+10%)

Talents: Etiquette, Suave

Trappings: Best Quality Dress

Aloysius’ pretty daughter, Alexa has been spoiled ever since the Faulebrands’ fortune was
made – it has not had a particularly unpleasant effect on her character, however, being sweet
and outgoing, if a little dim. Shielded from the realities of the world and raised according to
Aloysius’ somewhat distorted ideas of an aristocratic education, she is rather naive, and slow
to suspect anyone of malevolent intent.
Yilese

“Take it from an old wife: there’s more to old wives’ tales than yon
doctors like to admit.”

Career Progression: Hedge Wizard

Main
Profile
WS BS S T Ag Int WP Fel
31 30 32 36 35 45 46 41
Secondary
Profile
A W SB TB M Mag IP FP
1 12 3 3 4 1 0 0

Skills: Haggle, Intimidate, Channelling, Trade (Apothecary), Heal, Magical Sense,

Perception, Search.

Talents: Hedge Magic, Petty Magic (Hedge), Savvy, Coolheaded

Trappings: Healing Draught

Yilese is Hohlesbruck’s resident wise woman, known apocryphally to many outside the
village as the Witch of Hohlesbruck. She serves the village as an apothecary and midwife –
many of the villagers owe her their health or their lives, ensuring she is never caught up in
one of the waves of witch-finding that tend to sweep the Empire. Nevertheless, she lives
outside the boundaries of the village, growing her own food in an eccentrically-ordered
garden, and the villagers hold her in a mixture of fear and respect.

Yilese occupies the same role that her mother and grandmother before her did, the tradition of
Hohlesbruck’s wise woman going back through time immemorial – with no children of her
own, the future of the post is uncertain, but despite by now being white-haired and wrinkled,
she shows no signs of failing health. Hard-headed and significantly more intelligent than
most of Hohlesbruck’s inhabitants (poor and wealthy alike), she keeps a matriarchal eye on
events in the village from her remote position, and has a strong sense of moral judgement.

As well as acting as a doctor, Yilese has an almost encyclopaedic knowledge of local

folklore, including the most accurate form of the Legend of Black Gaerovald. Many people
come to her asking in a roundabout way for magical remedies, to which she replies that that
would be against Sigmar’s law, and sends them away with something completely mundane...
 Outlaws
Dionyse Ribault

“If you had one thousand marks, you could hear it all... but
Madame Verloren, I think she will pay.”

Career Progression: Protagonist, Racketeer, Assassin

Main
Profile
WS BS S T Ag Int WP Fel
51 46 46 39 50 37 46 41
Secondary
Profile
A W SB TB M Mag IP FP
2 16 4 3 4 0 0 0

Skills: Common Knowledge (The Empire, Bretonnia), Dodge Blow, Evaluate, Gossip
(+10%), Intimidate, Perception, Shadowing, Ride, Speak Language (Reikspiel), Scale Sheer
Surface.

Talents: Disarm, Flee!, Menacing, Quick Draw, Suave, Street Fighting, Streetwise, Strike
Mighty Blow, Strike to Injure, Strike to Stun

Trappings: 2 daggers (1 at belt, 1 in boot), Good Quality clothing, rain cloak, tricorn hat.

Dionyse Ribault grew up in the city of Couronne – a peasant’s son, he quickly realised that
Bretonnia was stifling him, and headed East.

Ruthless and predatory, he has travelled all over the Western Empire under a variety of
names – changing them whenever he has to escape a murder or a robbery. He is something of
a hedonist, relishing life to the full, and takes a dark excitement in risky crimes. Always well-
dressed for someone of his low social class, he deports himself with a great degree of
swagger and confidence, claiming it is in his character to live well: if society denies him the
means to do so, he must take them from society.

He has been in Hohlesbruck for a little while now, spying on the Faulebrand cargo shipments
to Eldagsen for a band of robbers on the road. He bores of this work-a-day felony, however,
and is looking for something bigger and more daring. He has little respect for Korpen’s
outlaws, being a far more accomplished criminal and killer than they are.

The villagers distrust him – because he is a foreigner, because he is mysterious about his
reasons for being in Hohlesbruck, but most of all, because he’s clearly not a nice man.
Abel Korpen

“Rich pickings, lads, if that Breton would get off his arse...”

Career Progression: Outlaw, Veteran

Main
Profile
WS BS S T Ag Int WP Fel
42 40 36 37 45 30 30 29
Secondary
Profile
A W SB TB M Mag IP FP
2 13 3 3 4 0 0 0

Skills: Animal Care, Common Knowledge (The Empire), Consume Alcohol, Concealment,
Dodge Blow, Gossip, Intimidate, Perception, Ride, Scale Sheer Surface, Secret Signs (Thief),
Silent Move, Speak Language (Reikspiel), Swim

Talents: Rover, Strike to Stun

Trappings: Two axes (hand weapons), Crossbow, Leather Jack

A brutish and unintelligent man, Abel Korpen was the head of a band of robbers living hand-
to-mouth until he met Dionyse Ribault in a tavern outside Eldagsen – overhearing Korpen
talking about the vulnerable wagons travelling to and from Hohlesbruck, Dionyse devised
their current plan and set it into motion.

Korpen and his men are now making a much greater profit than they were before, but are
stuck in a grotto in the forest, awaiting their next victim – as with all small-time criminals
who get a taste of something bigger, they begin to grow restless, and blame Ribault for
holding them back. Korpen himself is likely the first to make trouble, being naturally a
belligerent, unpleasant character.
 Children of Nurgle

Doctor Stefan Reifennen

“I thank the gods that fortune brought me here in time to help.”

Career Progression: Barber-Surgeon, Physician

Main
Profile
WS BS S T Ag Int WP Fel
34 32 35 39 46 61 50 41
Secondary
Profile
A W SB TB M Mag IP FP
1 15 3 3 4 0 4 0

Skills: Academic Knowledge (Science, Daemonology), Charm, Common Knowledge (The

Empire), Drive, Gossip, Haggle, Heal (+10%), Perception, Read/Write, Speak Language
(Reikspiel) (+10%), Speak Language (Classical), Trade (Apothecary) (+10%)

Talents: Inured to Chaos, Resistance to Disease, Strike to Stun, Suave, Surgery

Trappings: Physician’s clothes (Good Craftsmanship), Trade Tools (Physician), Spectacles,

Persistent Cough.

On the outside, Stefan Reifennen is an educated, urbane man – a qualified physician, of the
rare kind whose services only the wealthy can afford. Beneath his genteel exterior, however,
the good doctor is in fact a secret worshipper of Nurgle – what events in his past turned him
to the path of damnation, none can say, but he seems drawn to the promise of power in his
lord’s service, abusing his position as a medical man to spread contagion and suffering rather
than relieve it. It seems very likely that Hohlesbruck is not the first town to fall victim to his
ministrations.

Reifennen presents a very mild-mannered, well-educated facade: his true character is that of a
cunning, ambitious schemer. He has an easily-injured pride, and quietly regards himself as a
genius in a nation of imbeciles: an egotism that he does not yet perceive is at odds with the
gospel of his master.

He has been brought to Hohlesbruck by Reinhardt, who slaughtered the group of Korpen’s
men who attempted to waylay the doctor on the Eldagsen road. He recognised Nurgle’s mark
on Reinhardt, and on hearing the story of Esther’s prayer, realised the immense potential of
the village – a chance to cultivate an outbreak not just of the plague, but of the Neiglish Rot
itself. He can use Flycher’s meat to contaminate the village, and then the villagers themselves
will contaminate the cargoes of flour that travel as far as Altdorf. If nothing else can gain him
the favour of Grandfather Nurgle, surely this will...
Bernhardt Flycher

“What do you want?”

Career Progression: Tradesman, Initiate of Nurgle

Main
Profile
WS BS S T Ag Int WP Fel
42 30 36 43 40 40 46 27
Secondary
Profile
A W SB TB M Mag IP FP
1 13 3 4 4 0 5 0

Skills: Common Knowledge (The Empire), Gossip (+10%), Drive, Haggle, Intimidate,
Evaluate, Perception, Read/Write, Secret Language (Guild Tongue), Speak Language
(Reikspiel), Trade (Butcher, Piemaker).

Talents: Savvy, Resistance to Disease

Trappings: Cleaver (Hand Weapon)

Mutations: Extra Ear (self-amputated)

Hohlesbruck’s village butcher, Bernhardt Flycher was always a surly, taciturn man – some
time in his thirties, he became much more so, with the whole village being worried for him
for a week or so when he was not seen by a single living soul.

This was because he had grown an extra ear in the night. Having the tools to hand, he cut it
off and bound the wound, but every night it grew back. Begging the gods for healing to no
avail, he eventually turned his entreaties to darker beings – when he implored the Fly Lord
for mercy, the cursed regrowth finally ceased, allowing him to venture once more into the
light.

Since then, Flycher has fallen deeper into the Plague Lord’s service – he is a little insane, and
silently resents the happy, clean villagers he sees passing in and out of his shop. Only his
wife knows his secret – a beaten, cowed woman, she has participated in Flycher’s
blasphemous prayers, and is at much at risk from the Witch Hunters as he, keeping her
fanatically loyal to her brutal husband. With Doctor Reifennen’s arrival in town, Flycher is
overjoyed at the opportunity to serve his dark god, to drag the rest of Hohlesbruck down into
the squalid world he inhabits, and perhaps reap the rewards of his service...
Reinhardt Anhame

“The faith of your gods is a child’s creed of denial. Embrace

your despair, and end your suffering.”

Career Progression: Squire, Knight, Chaos Marauder, Chaos Warrior, Chaos Knight
Main
Profile
WS BS S T Ag Int WP Fel
56 36 46 57 46 37 43 36
Secondary
Profile
A W SB TB M Mag IP FP
2 18 4 5 4 0 0 0

Skills: Academic Knowledge (Genealogy/Heraldry, Strategy/Tactics), Animal Care, Animal

Training, Charm, Command, Common Knowledge (The Empire, Chaos Wastes), Consume
Alcohol, Dodge Blow, Follow Trail, Gossip, Intimidate, Outdoor Survival, Navigation,
Perception, Ride (+30%), Search, Secret Language (Battle Tongue), Speak Language
(Reikspiel) (+10%), Speak Language (Dark Tongue, Classical)

Talents: Chosen of Chaos, Etiquette, Fearless, Hardy, Orientation, Menacing, Specialist

Weapon Group (Cavalry, Two-Handed, Flail), Strike Mighty Blow, Strike to Injure

Trappings: Heavy Armour (Full Plate of a Knight Panther with all insignia removed), Sword
of Gaerovald, Validus (Chaos Steed)

Mutations: Cloud of Flies (not always apparent – they hide inside his chest cavity)

Rewards: Heartless, Mark of Nurgle

Validus

Main
Profile
WS BS S T Ag Int WP Fel
40 0 46 46 31 11 21 0
Secondary
Profile
A W SB TB M Mag IP FP
1 24 4 4 8 0 0 0

Skills: Perception (+10%), Swim

Talents: Acute Hearing, Keen Senses, Natural Weapons, Strike Mighty Blow, Strike to
Injure

Mutations: Fangs
 The Sword of Gaerovald Heartless

The Sword of Gaerovald is a Chaos Weapon A character with the Heartless Chaos Reward
(see Tome of Corruption). It counts as a Best literally has no heart. They are animated by
Quality Sword (Hand Weapon), with the sheer force of will, and lose any remnants of
following special rules: joy or love in their souls.

Corruptor A Heartless character cannot be killed: they

Anyone picking up the Sword of Gaerovald take wounds as normal, but suffer no adverse
must pass a Willpower test or gain 1d10/2 effects from Critical Hits, except those which
Insanity Points. If this causes a character to sever the head or a limb: even then, their
go insane, they automatically gain the Heart bodies retain independent movement. They
of Despair insanity. Such characters will not need only return to the place where they cut
relinquish the sword under any out their heart for all injuries to be healed.
circumstances, and if and when they are
driven to kill themselves, they will use the They no longer need to sleep, eat, or perform
sword to cut out their own heart, invoking any other bodily functions – their body is a
the sword’s second rule. A character walking corpse, held upright by Nurgle’s
wielding the sword finds it difficult to power and sheer force of will.
appreciate life even if they pass the
Willpower test, seeing the futility of their A Heartless character gains immunity to all
actions, the hypocrisy of their companions effects based on pain, pleasure, fatigue or
and the bleak hopelessness of the future all desire, as they no longer have the capacity to
too easily. feel these things. The knowledge of their own
invulnerability also grants them the Fearless
Suffering’s Cessation talent.
Provided that someone else under the effect
The only way to kill a Heartless character is
of this rule is not still ‘alive’, someone who
with the weapon that cut out their heart: that
cuts out their own heart with the Sword of
weapon inflicts Critical Hits as normal, using
Gaerovald will not die: instead, they will
the Sudden Death rules.
gain the Heartless Chaos Reward.

Reinhardt Anhame was a loyal son of the Empire when he competed for the hand of Esther
Verloren – an initiate of the Knights Panther, he was honest, brave and true. It was Chaos’
silent triumph when he fell head over heels in love with the young Esther, a competition in
which he was doomed to fail – Nurgle’s victory when inevitable rejection plunged him into
the depths of despair.

Riding away to fight in the Storm of Chaos, Reinhardt attempted to lose himself in the pursuit
of martial perfection, rising rapidly through the ranks of the Knights. Towards the closing
days of the war, his troop’s march brought them close to the north of Hohlesbruck – the
familiar terrain roused old memories in his breast, and Reinhardt sank deeper into depression
than ever before.

The knights were alerted by the locals to what they assumed were beastman troop movements
– preparing for a night assault, they tracked the beasts to an ancient barrow in the forest. The
monsters had gathered to worship the tomb – taking the opportunity, the knights attacked,
using the element of surprise and their superior training to meet their enemies’ superior
numbers on an even footing. The beastmen fought back with shocking ferocity – when the
din of battle cleared, only Reinhardt and the beasts’ shaman remained standing.
The mutant sorcerer fled inside the barrow, Reinhardt pursuing – inside the ancient tomb, he
found the beast with its back to an open stone sarcophagus, braying a warning to him to stay
back. Having little care for his own life, Reinhardt attacked instead – defending its
blasphemous shrine with an unholy fury, the monster bested him, knocking his sword away
into the shadows. Falling across the open coffin, Reinhardt saw the withered skeleton of the
man within it held a sword – before the beastman’s stave could crush his skull, he seized it
up, driving it up to the hilt in his enemy’s chest.

It was as he removed the sword from the beastman’s body that the first waves of sorrow
washed over him – he had lost his company, lost his commander. If he returned as the sole
survivor, it would not be in glory but in shame. Then, the thoughts of Esther, sitting safely at
home so few miles to the south, began to overwhelm him – unaware that the rising tide of
despair was flowing from his contact with the sword, he broke down and wept, his soul
opened to the dreadful emptiness of the world he perceived. In that moment, he saw that to
feel was to suffer, that the only solace was in embracing the futility and bleakness of life –
and that that message was Nurgle’s kindness, comforting his children on their long road to
the grave.

Turning the sword on himself, he cut out his heart, that he might feel no more – animated by
Nurgle’s power, he did not die, but rose a new man. Nurgle had given him freedom from
pain, freedom from suffering and freedom from desire – and in return, taken his potential for
happiness, the remains of his love, and his soul. Such things were finite and futile, in any
case. He was driven now by a new purpose, one that invigorated rather than drained him –
bringing Nurgle’s message of acceptance of the inevitable to the rest of the world.

A fragment of his old personality lingered, however – it asked his new Father for one boon,
and Nurgle indulged it. He prayed to be allowed to show Nurgle’s truth to Esther Verloren –
and to bring the reality of suffering to the thoughtless pleasures of Ricard Talberg. For this
reason, he has returned to Hohlesbruck, and become the shadowy architect of the events of
The Lord of Lost Heart.

Reinhardt appears as an armoured knight, his tarnished armour dull and devoid of insignia –
he wears a tattered, black cloak and cowl over the top of his armour, and his chest is wrapped
with dirty bandages, both under and over his breastplate. They conceal a jagged rent in the
metal, beneath which is the open wound leading into his ribcage: the heart is missing, the
other organs shrivelled and clinging to the sides of the hollow cavity, which swarms with fat-
bodied flies and their larvae. Should the bandages be pierced or torn aside, the flies will
swarm out, blinding and choking his assailants.
Maps and Handouts

Map of Hohlesbruck
Reifennen’s Letter
Ribault’s Insurance