WFRP - (5.5) Empire in Ruins Companion

THE SIEGE OF DIESDORF XI

Event DIESDORF VICTORY POINTS

Victory Points Notes

The Sinkel Theatre puts on a stirring play. 1 This increases morale in town.

North Gate sealed 5

South Gate sealed 5

The militia are fully equipped 2

The Down is demolished 5

The dam is destroyed and moat filled 4

Alexi Vockoff ’s suggestions are implemented 5

The Ulrican pilgrims and Bart van 8
Bart’s True Swords are rescued
Success in Major Hans’s plan As per table
in ‘The Trap’
Guild cellars distributed
1

The guns are moved from the artillery field into the town 2

The council pay compensation 1 The view that the council are fair
Ghal Maraz wielded in defence of the town Varies improves morale.

Other Character actions in defence of the city 1 to 10 Victory Points equal the total SL
from 3 Extended Challenging (+0)
Melee (Two-Handed) Tests, only
added if the Character wielding
Ghal Maraz gets involved in the
fighting.

The Characters can have a significant
impact on the outcome of the battle.

For every 100 armed citizens on the wall 1

SIEGE OUTCOME

Difference Outcome
29 or less
Points Day One. The attack is beaten off although there are numerous casualties.
30+ Points
Day Two. The fighting is fierce. The attack is repulsed in the afternoon. A few vicious
40+ Points but pointless attacks follow but during the night the attackers disappear.

50+ Points Day One: The attack is beaten off with casualties.
60 Points
Day Two: The fighting is worse and a lot die. A foothold is gained for some hours on
the West wall. As night rolls in the wall is recaptured and the attackers flee.

One of the gates is breached in the evening of the first day. If only one gate remains unsealed,
the attack is repulsed after vicious and sustained fighting follows for 24 hours. In the end,
the attackers flee. If two or more gates remain unsealed, Diesdorf falls and is razed.

The fortified main building of the Military College survives the onslaught.
The attackers destroy the town after raiding the magazine and retreat.

One of the gates is breached in the evening of the first day. After vicious and
sustained fighting throughout the night, Diesdorf falls and is razed.

The defenders are quickly overrun and the army enters the town and causes devastation.

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CHAPTER 12

TRIUMPH OF THE GRAVELORD

The Gravelord adventures can be used as a series of incidents Part One: The Best of Enemies can take place at any time when
that form a ‘B-plot’ to The Enemy Within campaign. With the party faces inevitable death at the hands of a superior foe.
a little work, they can be more fully fleshed out and form a Having decided that he, and he alone, has the right to end the lives
campaign in their own right. of his arch-enemies, Gräber saves them. With the Characters at
bay, he delivers one of his grandiose speeches explaining that he
THE STORY SO FAR will return to kill them when the time is right — when there is
more of an audience to witness his victory. Screened by his Undead
The Characters first encountered Hans Gräber in the Death on followers, he withdraws and the party is left to continue their quest.
the Reik Companion. This aspiring necromancer was once a
scholar-monk at the Sigmarite monastery near Dunkelberg, but Part Two: Dark Deeds in the Grey Mountains takes the form
was expelled for delving too deeply into the forbidden books of of a rumour rather than a direct encounter. While in Altdorf,
necromantic lore in the monastery’s library. Swearing revenge, the Characters hear of strange happenings far to the south near
Gräber devoted himself even more to the study of necromancy the Bretonnian border. Grognard Players might recognise the
and began styling himself ‘the Gravelord’ in tribute to his names of Frugelhofen and La Maisontaal, and a little research
idol, Heinrich Kemmler the Lichemaster. In Vengeance of the will lead the Characters to the legend of Heinrich Kemmler,
Gravelord, the Characters just happened to be on the same boat the infamous Lichemaster. It seems that Gräber is following the
as the abbot of Gräber’s former monastery when the Gravelord trail of every famous ancient necromancer he can find.
decided to take his revenge.
Part Three: The (Second) Siege of Streissan occurs as the
The next encounter with the Gravelord took place in the Characters attempt to escape Streissan, only to find the
adventure Flying Death Skulls in the Power Behind the Throne Gravelord has at last assembled his army and is marching on
Companion. Travelling from Altdorf to Middenheim, the Streissan.
Characters encountered a village terrorised by terrifying flying
skulls. In solving the mystery, they met Gräber in person for the Part Four: What Now? Discusses some options for continuing
first time and learned that the attacks were revenge for another the adventure after Empire in Ruins, should the Gravelord
slight in his past. survive.

In The Horned Rat Companion, Gräber happened to be
crossing the Middle Mountains at the same time as the
Characters, although for a completely different reason.
Nonetheless, he became convinced that the Characters are
Imperial agents of some sort, sent to stop him — for in his
own mind, there can be no greater threat to the Empire than
himself. In Return of the Gravelord, the Characters heards
hints and rumours throughout the adventure before Gräber’s
Undead forces attacked the balloon they used to travel back to
Middenheim after thwarting the Skaven plot.

RUNNING THIS ADVENTURE

This adventure falls into five parts, which take place at various
points during Empire in Ruins. Although each encounter
happens entirely by coincidence — as far as the Characters
are concerned, at least — Gräber becomes more and more
convinced that the party is bent on thwarting him. After all,
what greater threat could the Empire possibly face than the
greatest necromancer the world has ever known?

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TRIUMPH OF THE GRAVELORD XII

THE GRAVELORD DEFEATED

While it is more satisfying if Gräber escapes each encounter But He Won’t Lie Down: Behind his ridiculous voice and his
with his skin (and his considerable ego) intact, you may find rampant egomania, Gräber is a skilled necromancer. During his
that impossible to pull off without obviously cheating. If the travels in the Middle Mountains on the trail of Dieter Helsnicht,
Characters do something brilliant and Gräber has no plausible Melkhior the Ancient, and Zacharias the Everliving, he could
way to escape death, let them have their victory — and then quite plausibly have uncovered some obscure necromantic ritual
surprise them by bringing him back for the next encounter. that allows him to survive death. The next time the Characters
There are various ways to pull this off: encounter the Gravelord, he could be Undead himself. Thanks
Fate Points: Fate points are one of the things that makes to the ritual, he keeps all of his memories, Skills, Talents,
the Characters special, and not every NPC deserves them. spells, and other abilities, and gains the Undead Trait plus any
However, they can be a great way of distinguishing a recurring other Traits you find interesting: Fear at level 2–4, Dark Vision,
nemesis NPC — a true arch-enemy — from the common herd. Painless, and even Ethereal are all possibilities.
Gräber is persistent enough to merit a few Fate points of his You Look Different: Many Ghosts owe their origin to obsessive
own, and with a little ingenuity it may be possible to devise a thoughts of vengeance, and disembodied spirits have been known
plausible reason for him to survive apparent death at the hands to possess the bodies of the living, or to animate the bodies
of the Characters. His Undead followers may have standing of the dead. On their next encounter, the Characters might not
instructions to take his body to safety if he falls, for example. recognise Gräber right away, but his new body still speaks with
If the Characters do not have any means of flying, the Winged a nasal whine and his speeches are just as bombastic as before.
Nightmare or the Carrion could take their master’s body out
of reach fairly quickly, allowing Gräber to rest and heal before
he appears again.

PART ONE: THE BEST OF ENEMIES

This encounter takes place during Chapter 4 of Empire in other enemy. The final conflict must come at a suitable time and
Ruins, as the Characters are on the road from Middenheim to place, with a large audience to witness his triumph. Therefore,
Shining Rock, or afterwards, on the journey south to Altdorf. If this unlikely rescuer is on hand to save the Characters when a
you would like to weave the Gravelord subplot into your game, fight seems all but lost.
it is best to have the graf order the Characters to scout the road
ahead, leaving them isolated. A likely moment would be when the Characters are scouting
ahead of the main part of the caravan, well out of sight of any
As a result of their previous encounters, Gräber has decided that assistance. As the Characters make their way south, they are set
the Characters are his arch-enemies and that he must be the upon by a group of Religious Fanatics, Nordlander Rebels, or
one to defeat them. Therefore, he must prevent anyone else from another group with a bone to pick with the Characters or the
killing them, and according to his inflated sense of drama, he graf of Middenheim and his servants. See Dramatis Personae
cannot simply kill them once they have been weakened by some on page 18 of Empire in Ruins for stat profiles.

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XII WARHAMMER FANTASY ROLEPL AY

The Undead Before too long, all of the attackers are dead and many of
them have been raised as Undead. There is a momentary lull
Profiles for an assortment of Undead creatures are provided at as the Characters and the Undead face each other, and then
the end of this chapter, and more can be found in Chapter 12 the whining voice is heard again. Screened from sight by rank
of the WFRP rulebook. The exact makeup of Gräber’s Undead upon rank of Skeletons and Zombies, Gräber delivers one of his
force is your decision: it should consist mainly of Skeletons and bombastic speeches. As he did in Altdorf (see Vengeance of the
Zombies, with a handful of ‘special’ creatures such as the Flying Gravelord in the Death on the Reik Companion), he uses the
Death Skulls (that the Characters have encountered before), the spell Murmured Whisper to make his voice appear to come from
Carrion, and the Winged Nightmare, if they survived previous the Skeleton or Zombie closest to the Characters.
encounters. The overall strength of Gräber’s force should be
sufficient not only to rescue the Characters, but also to make ‘Foolish mortals! As the price of your constant interference, your puny
it clear that they are at the Gravelord’s mercy when the battle lives are forfeit to the Gravelord!’
is over.
The Characters may take this to mean that Gräber intends to
Staging the Encounter wipe them out, but the massed Undead make no move to attack.
Instead, the whining voice continues.
The attack should come as the Characters are close to being
overwhelmed. Perhaps enemy reinforcements have just arrived, ‘These wretched creatures dared to usurp the Gravelord’s right to
perhaps the Characters have taken a Critical Wound or two, vengeance, and they died for their presumption!’
or the woods have come alive with an endless stream of arrows
or gunfire aimed their way. Whatever the case, the Characters Still, the Undead make no move to attack.
should seem to be facing certain defeat, with no help in sight.
The Undead arrive at the very moment when the Players begin ‘The time of your doom is not yet upon you, so go on your way — but
to believe that all is lost. Suddenly there is a commotion in know that the Gravelord will return to claim you!’
the rear of the enemy forces, although the Characters cannot
immediately tell what is happening. After a round or two, The front ranks of Undead stay in place while Gräber and his
the Characters catch glimpses of bone and rotting flesh as other minions withdraw. The Carrion rise into the air, along
their enemies fall. Above the din of battle, they hear snatches with Gräber on his Flying Nightmare, surrounded by a pack of
of blasphemous incantations in a whining, nasal voice that is Flying Death Skulls. Only when they have disappeared beyond
achingly familiar. Fallen enemies stand up and attack their the treetops do the other Undead slowly retreat.
former comrades.

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TRIUMPH OF THE GRAVELORD XII

Attack! Spotting him through the massed ranks of Undead is not easy.
Gräber responds to any attempts at violence by ordering his
That, at least, is how Gräber plans to have the encounter play Undead to seize the Characters.
out. He expects the Characters to be so awed by his appearance,
and so confused by the fact that he has saved them, that they Each Character is subjected to 1d10 grapple attacks (WFRP,
will be a docile and passive audience for his speech. As we have page 163) from the Skeletons and Zombies,. Gräber
seen before, Gräber’s plans usually favour the theatrical over the supplements their efforts as necessary with immobilizing magic
practical, and he consistently overestimates the psychological such as Entangle and Push. A successfully grappled Character is
effect he has on the Characters. stripped of all weapons, which are left in a heap a short way away.
Once all the Characters have been subdued, Gräber delivers the
Should the Characters have a few choice words for Gräber, rest of his speech, throwing in a few extra lines about the futility
allow him to become flustered in his response. The mask slips of attempting to resist the will of the Gravelord.
for a moment, and the petulant young man insists they take him
seriously. If the Characters persist, he leaves in a huff, reminding Pursuit
them that his vengeance is close at hand. Of course, don’t forget
he has numberless Undead at his beck and call, and is not afraid Having been rescued, threatened, and quite possibly
to use them. He merely hopes for a more theatrical end for his embarrassed by Gräber and his Undead followers, there is every
greatest foes, one worthy of being made into a tale told down chance the Characters decide to follow them, whittling down
through the ages. A terrific storm would be ideal, along with their numbers with harassing attacks and ultimately defeating
a few lightning strikes to set the tone. A sizable audience of the Undead horde. This can make a good ongoing thread for the
suitably terrified witnesses would also be ideal. Is that so much Gravelord sub-plot, and you can adjust the main adventure as
to ask? necessary to ensure that this does not take the Characters too
far out of their way — or that they arrive at some major plot
Of course, rather than simply stand, slack-jawed and fearful, points too late, and have to improvise in order to catch up!
as Gräber plays out his scene, the Characters are also likely to
attack. Gräber has made sure that he is out of sight and is using Alternatively, Gräber could simply use obscuring magic to give
magic to make his voice come from one of the Undead in the the party the slip or order his Skeletons and Zombies to fight a
front rank. delaying action while he and his more valuable Undead escape.

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PART TWO: Mixed in with the rumours provided in Empire in Ruins, the
DARK DEEDS IN THE GREY Characters may hear those given below. The Players may not
MOUNTAINS recognise their significance right away, and they can be omitted
if you think they won’t add to the Players’ experience or, worse,
Chapter 6 of Empire in Ruins sees the Characters back in might confuse and misdirect them. However, they are the signs
Altdorf as various factions struggle for power. Worrying news of where Gräber is and clues as to what he is doing. You might
and disquieting rumours come in from all corners of the Empire, remind the Players of them by some things they read or hear in
and the scheming nobles make as much political capital as they the monastery during Part Four, or one of the later encounters
can from each one. A few rumours from the southern Reikland may include some clue that makes the Players smite their
are being used to undermine Emperor Karl-Franz, although the foreheads in sudden realisation.
Characters may recognise them as part of a disturbing pattern.
Gräber’s Progress

Having travelled through the Forest of Shadows on the trails
of Dieter Helsnicht, Melkhior the Ancient, and Zacharias the
Everliving, Gräber has turned south to enact the next phase of
his grandiose plan. In the Grey Mountains, he intends to visit
the Mound of Krell and all the other significant sites in the
career of his hero, Heinrich Kemmler.

His ultimate plan is to find Kemmler’s remains, which he
believes are buried somewhere close to the Bretonnian
monastery of La Maisontaal, and reanimate them as a servant
and advisor. Along the way, he will crush all who resisted the
Lichemaster, especially the insolent monks of Taal.

FOR LGICROHGEMNAASRTDESR: THE

The name of Heinrich Kemmler, the Lichemaster, has a long
history in Warhammer Fantasy lore, dating back even before the
first edition of WFRP.
Terror of the Lichemaster was a battle pack for the second
edition of the Warhammer: The Game of Fantasy Battles
miniatures game. It saw Heinrich Kemmler leading a growing
Undead force against a farm, a mine, and the Imperial village
of Frugelhofen. A fourth battle, ‘Vengeance of the Lichemaster’,
appeared in the Third Citadel Journal and saw Kemmler
attacking the Bretonnian monastery of La Maisontaal in a
three-way battle that also involved a Skaven force. Three years
later, this story was adapted for roleplaying in the adventure
Lichemaster for the first edition of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay.
Since then, Kemmler has been a regular in army books, a
powerful necromancer available as a leader or hero
for an Undead army. His legend has been
considerably expanded in those sources, and
he remains one of the most iconic villains
in Warhammer Fantasy.

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TRIUMPH OF THE GRAVELORD XII

The Rumours 0 A great storm damaged the village of Frugelhofen, causing
many deaths. It seemed to be centered on the Frugelhorn
The Characters hear the rumours in the order given below. The mountain. This rumour is a concatenation of three separate
earliest rumours will have reached the court some days before events, and different versions heard from different sources
the Characters and may be old news by the time they arrive at may give some clue about this by emphasising one event over
the capital. If so, they might only come up if the Characters hear another. The lightning that was seen striking the Frugelhorn
one of the later rumours and decide to follow up. was a side effect of the necromantic magics Gräber employed to
open Krell’s mound and raise some of the casualties from past
0 Among the reports that have come in from Ubersreik is battles in the area, strengthening his forces. He is particularly
news that contact has been lost with a Dwarven mine to keen to have the service of those who died fighting for and
the southwest of the town, within the sphere of Karak- against the Lichemaster in his legendary campaign. The
Azgaraz. The head miner, one Gimbrin Finehelm, goes village of Frugelhofen was more than damaged, and so was
to Ubersreik quite regularly to sell his ore and buy Bogel’s Farm nearby. No one at the farm survived to tell the
supplies, and given the general situation in the Empire tale, but a few people escaped from Frugelhofen before it was
— and the rumours of renewed Greenskin activity in the entirely destroyed. Over the days after the Characters first hear
mountains — Ubersreik’s council is becoming concerned. this rumour, more precise reports come in from Lady Nacht
There is talk of hiring mercenaries or adventurers to scout and others in the area. The Characters can learn through them
the mountains, although Lady Nacht, the Emperor’s that the village and several outlying farms were destroyed.
representative, has yet to authorize such a course. They may also hear that the attackers were Undead, led by a
necromancer who made bombastic speeches in an irritating,
0 Gräber has struck the mine just as Kemmler did years ago, nasal voice.
punishing the Dwarfs for daring to resist his hero. When the
Characters encounter him next, a few of his Zombies may be 0 Someone has opened Krell’s mound near Ubersreik. It
rotting Dwarfs. If any Character has a previous acquaintance was always a place of ill omen, and the locals are worried
with Lady Nacht, for example, from the Starter Set or Rough about another Undead plague. A powerful Wight king and
Nights and Hard Days, this rumour may come directly from former Champion of Chaos, Krell, was unearthed by Kemmler
her, with a request that the Characters write to her with any at the beginning of his reign of terror.
further information they discover.

Handling the Rumours Companion includes some monsters and other ideas to enliven
mountain journeys. During their journey, the Characters can
The rumours in this section are only intended to be background learn a few things about Kemmler and perhaps even begin
colour: things that the Characters hear while in Altdorf that to understand Gräber’s obsession with him. Eventually, an
keep Gräber in their minds and support the encounters to opportunity to rejoin the main plotline should present itself
come. However, there is always the risk that the Players may — either Quintus arriving unexpectedly with the evidence of
regard them as a call to action and decide to head into the Grey Blackfire pass, or , if all else fails, a messenger carrying orders
Mountains before the main plot requires them to. If this looks from Graf Boris or Baron Heinrich can put the party back
as though it is going to happen, you have several options. on the right track. Remember that Baron Heinrich will have
access to the War Balloon after it is repaired of any damage and
Let Them Go: This will take a little work — matters in Altdorf could quickly snatch the Characters up and deposit them again
are certainly pressing — but if you wish, you may allow the somewhere more conducive to the plot.
Characters leave to investigate these rumours. Quintus
Fassbinder (see Empire in Ruins, page 106) is a key source Not So Fast: By this point in the campaign, the Characters
of information in sending the Characters to Blackfire Pass in are no longer entirely free agents. They may not be formally in
search of Ghal Maraz. Having Quintus tell the Characters service to a particular noble or house, but they have developed a
that it will take some weeks before he is ready to present his close relationship with Graf Boris Todbringer, Baron Heinrich,
evidence to them gives the Characters some leeway to chase ‘Princess’ Katarina, and quite possibly other Imperial dignitaries
down the Gravelord. While the political situation is dire, it as well. Not having encountered Gräber themselves, these
is clear that some time will be required for Middenheim and worthies will not be inclined to attach as much importance
Altdorf to muster the forces for outright warfare. If you wish, to these rumours as the Characters, and in these tumultuous
Quintus might later seek the Characters out in the south of the times they probably have other things for the Characters to do.
Reikland, taking the rare (for him) step of leaving the capital. Therefore, it is not too unlikely that they send the party on a
different mission, which keeps them closer to the main plot of
Should they leave, the Characters can spend some time traipsing Empire in Ruins.
around the Grey Mountains, trying to pick up Gräber’s trail and
getting into all kinds of scrapes in the process. The Horned Rat

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We’ll Look Into It: If the Players are likely to feel railroaded THE LEGEND OF KRELL
by some noble patron ordering them to ignore the rumours, but
if the time is not right for them to take off into the mountains Krell was a mighty Chaos Champion in the days before the
on a wild goose chase, you can use a blend of the previous two birth of Sigmar, the ruler of a barbarian tribe that had been
options. The party’s noble patron takes their concerns seriously corrupted by the Chaos God Khorne. Krell carved out an
but stresses that they are too valuable, and present circumstances empire among the tribes before turning against the Dwarfs to
too fraught, for them to simply wander off chasing rumours. the south. He allied with the Night Goblins that stormed the
Instead, their patron hires another party of adventurers, or Dwarf strongholds of Karak Ungor and Karak Varn, but was
detaches a few specialist troops from the army, to follow up eventually slain assaulting the Dwarfhold of Karak Kadrin. His
on the rumours and report back. The Characters are given the followers carried away his body and buried it in a barrow tomb
opportunity to brief these investigators before they set off, but in the Grey Mountains.
hear nothing of them again. For added dramatic impact, the Nearly 1,500 years later, Nagash came upon the tomb when he
Characters may spot one or two of these investigators — now was searching for the Crown of Sorcery. He raised this mighty
Zombies — among Gräber’s followers in a future encounter. hero to fight with him against Sigmar at the Battle of the River
Reik. The Undead army was all but destroyed after Sigmar
THE LEGEND OF THE felled Nagash, but Krell and his Grave Guard cut their way
LICHEMASTER through the Dwarf lines and escaped to cut a bloody swathe
across the land. Krell was finally cornered and defeated at the
The dread name of the Lichemaster strikes fear into hearts across Battle of Glacier Lake. His body was imprisoned in a magically
the Old World, and the tales told of his exploits are many. constructed tomb.
Here is a brief summary of the information the Characters may
be able to glean through research and rumour.

0 A century ago, Heinrich Kemmler was an ambitious young Centuries later, Heinrich Kemmler came upon Krell’s tomb
necromancer. He travelled in the Lands of the Dead — even, it is and freed the ancient Wight. After Kemmler’s attack on La
said, making the Dark Pilgrimage to Nagashizzar — and returned with Maisontaal, he and Krell were hunted down by Duke Tancred
a knowledge of necromancy second only to that of Nagash himself. II of Quenelles and Krell was slain. His remains were brought
back to the mound where Sigmar had buried him, and its
0 He gathered a dozen lesser necromancers around him, but many were magical defences were strengthened.
subverted by the Necrarch Vampire Brachnar the Damned. After a
series of wars across Estalia, Bretonnia, and the southern Reikland, 0 The Abbey of La Maisontaal, on the Bretonnian side of the Grey
Brachnar was defeated. Mountains, was attacked by an Undead force and a sealed vault was
opened. The bones of Heinrich Kemmler were removed.
0 While searching for one of the Nine Books of Nagash, Kemmler
was imprisoned by the Liche Crovan, but defeated him in a magical 0 Gräber has attacked the abbey just as Kemmler did in 2491,
duel. After this, Kemmler began to style himself ‘the Lichemaster.’ consciously recreating Kemmler’s career.
Afterwards he ravaged northern Tilea and Bretonnia for almost
twenty years, before being defeated by Bretonnian forces led by King 0 Observers posted on the borders of the Elf wood of Athel Loren
Theobald II. Fleeing from pursuit, he was ambushed by a resurrected report that a great Undead army is ravaging the forest. Some recall
Brachnar and reduced to a half-mad, wandering beggar. In this pitiful the so-called Winter of Woe in 2497.
state he wandered the Grey Mountains and the Vaults for a decade.
At one time he sought refuge in the Abbey of La Maisontaal, but the 0 Gräber is continuing to recreate Kemmler’s career, moving into the
abbot recognised him and once again he was forced to flee. forest and using the ancient Human burial mounds there to raise a
new Undead horde.
0 High in the Vaults, Kemmler happened upon the ancient burial
mound of Krell (see The Legend of Krell box), and there he made 0 A rumour is circulating among the northern armies that Karl-Franz
an unholy pact with an unknown power. Kemmler’s power was and the Reikland have stooped to necromancy to strengthen their
restored and Krell was free from his magical imprisonment to act forces, and may plan to create an Undead empire. Some insolent
as a commander of the Lichemaster’s forces. After strengthening his northerners openly claim that Karl-Franz is actually a Vampire, a slave
army by slaughtering the village of Frugelhofen and some outlying to the Von Carsteins of Sylvania.
farms and mines, Kemmler assaulted La Maisontaal in 2491. Betrayed
by Skaven allies, he was defeated by Duke Tancred II of Quenelles. 0 The baseless rumour is indeed circulating, but only among the most
violently anti-Altdorf northerners.
0 Four years later, Kemmler slew the Duke at the Battle of Montfort
Bridge. He then turned eastward into Athel Loren, plundering the
ancient Human barrows there and animating the Barrow Kings to
ravage the forest of the Elves. At the Battles of the Cairns in 2497,
Kemmler was defeated. Krell was slain, and so, some say, was the
Lichemaster himself.

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TRIUMPH OF THE GRAVELORD XII

PART THREE: Upon reaching the walls, it is clear that escape has become
THE (SECOND) SIEGE OF (more) difficult. A host of soldiers is gathering around the
STREISSAN town, still a ways off but numbering in the thousands. They are
heading to lines occupied by Alptraum’s soldiers some days or
During Empire in Ruins, the Characters have the opportunity weeks prior, and threaten to surround the town in short order.
to assist in ‘freeing’ Streissan and it’s fall into the hands of The host carries tall banners, black and bearing, of course, a
Marius Leitdorf. Occasionally affable, often inscrutable, and great skull. Those with a telescope can see that they are mostly
always unpredictable, Leitdorf is no lasting friend to the Skeletons and Zombies, though Flying Death Skulls, Carrion,
Characters. If he learns they are carrying Ghal Maraz, he will and other fell things fly above the oncoming army.
do everything in his power to take it, and the Characters will
be left attempting to flee the town after their second trip there, If the Characters are attempting to leave by the city gates,
possibly with Master Albertrus Nyman and his family in tow they are turned back, fanciful talk of their having Ghal Maraz
(Empire in Ruins, page 166.) forgotten for the moment. Any attempt to sneak out results in
the Characters fumbling into the hands, or claws, of Gräber’s
To complicate matters even further, this is precisely when the forces. You should give the Characters an opportunity to retreat
Gravelord decides to strike for the final time. Gräber has come back to the town, where ladders may be thrown down for them
to his former home to take his revenge and ransack the library — either to assist in their rescue, or to seize the Hammer if the
for the knowledge he needs to resurrect his idol, Heinrich troops are aware of it.
Kemmler.
The army is an Undead force commanded by Gräber. Currently
Having completed his long pilgrimage in the footsteps of led by Krell, its orders are to approach openly and draw
Kemmler, he heard some evidence that the University of attention away from what Gräber plans to do next: sneak into
Streissan might hold copies of some particularly ancient books the university.
on the intertwining of Necromancy and Chaos. Though this
was far from certain to be the case, the Characters’ presence at An Interesting Approach
the first siege of Streissan has, in Gräber’s mind, cemented the
rumour as absolute fact. After all, the Characters are his greatest Any Character who makes a successful Challenging (+0) Lore
nemeses, and so must have gone there to vex him. The fact that (Undead) Test notices the following:
he comes across them again, having returned to the town, only
makes him more certain they are there to hide from him the 1 SL: A couple of Carrion are hovering over the vanguard,
very knowledge he seeks. keeping pace with it rather than ranging ahead. If the Character
has encountered Gräber before, they may be expecting to see
The town, ravaged by war, is the perfect backdrop for his final him riding a Flying Nightmare, but it is nowhere in sight.
victory over the Characters and the resurrection of the great
Heinrich Kemmler, who at least in Gräber’s mind, will recognise 2+ SL: There do not seem to be any ethereal Undead anywhere
the Gravelord as an equal at last in the force.

The Alarm While it is obvious to anyone that the army is making no attempt
to approach stealthily, any Character who makes a successful
Events kick off as the Characters, having found Master Albertus Challenging (+0) Lore (Warfare) Test notices that it seems to
Nyman, are departing the town. If they have avoided Leitdorf ’s be doing everything it can to announce its arrival. Drums are
interest, it is merely unnerving. If they are actively fleeing his booming, banners are flying, and the ranks seem spread out a
forces, they might already feel on edge. As they approach the little wider than usual to make the force seem larger than it is.
gates, a bell peals out over the town. The deserted streets remain
so for a moment, but as the bell rings on, troops begin to rush What the Characters make of this information is up to the
to the walls, and private homes open doors and windows so that Players.The fact is that Gräber wants all eyes on the approaching
those within can assess the situation. The sound is one of the army so that he and his ethereal detachment can enter the town
three warning bells of Streissan, a mighty dull iron monument unnoticed, taking the inhabitants by surprise.
that hangs above the town’s temple of Morr — it is only rung
when there is threat of Undead assaulting the town. Most have
never heard its tone outside of a yearly ceremony, and it is
enough of a novelty that even the worried citizens of Streissan
take an interest.

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Preparations The Hammer and The Priest

The Characters have a few minutes to observe Streissan’s If Leitdorf is aware of the Hammer and his forces become
preparations to meet the attack. In response to the alarm aware of the Characters’ presence during preparations, Leitdorf
bell, those forces still in good order collect weapons and take offers them a final opportunity to give him the weapon willingly
up positions on the wall. Non-combatants — the old, the or be killed. Father Olaf, an elderly priest of Sigmar, inserts
sick, and the less able — have all long been confined to their himself into this standoff asking to see the Hammer. If the
homes, but nevertheless a few boisterous elderly folk attempt to Characters show it to him, the old Sigmarite instantly falls to
join the defence. Word has quickly spread that the enemy are the ground before it. After a powerful moment he arises, the
Undead and despite days of persecution at the hands of Marius fire of a younger man alight in his eyes. Father Olaf chastises
Leitdorf ’s forces, the threat of being eaten alive by a shambling Leitdorf, telling him:
horde of monstrosities does much towards unifying the town’s
citizens. Priests of Morr and Sigmar, who had avoided taking a ‘Those that bear the Hammer of Sigmar are his Chosen Few, and to
political stance on the siege and takeover of Streissan, emerge to block their passage is to spit upon the Heldenhammer himself.’
bolster morale. Many begin to pray, calling on Sigmar to grant
Miracles and Blessings that strengthen the town’s walls and The old priest’s voice carries unnaturally far and with a
gates against the approaching Undead. Pigeons are released, shuddering presence, enough to cow any immediate threat of
bound for Averheim, Nuln, and Altdorf with news of the attack. violence from anyone save Leitdorf himself. Drawing his blade,
With weapons ready and eyes fixed on the foe, the defenders of he looks set to act, before his horse, Daisy, strides towards
Streissan wait. Father Olaf and begins to eat his hat. The awe and tension of
the moment evaporates as Leitdorf laughs aloud and sheaths
his blade.

He fully intends to seize the Characters and take Ghal Maraz
before they leave the town, but for now he lets them be.

The Old School Spirits

Just as the Characters start to think about what they should
be doing, a terrible sound comes from the university, carrying
over the din of preparations. A terrible scream, inhuman and
chilling to the very bone, echoes over Streissan. In the silence
that follows, far more Human screams are heard faintly coming
from the university — the Gravelord has arrived.

If the Characters head to the university, they see a group of
ethereal Undead creatures passing through the walls of the
buildings that make up the campus. There is one Cairn Wraith
(WFRP, page 329) for each Character (you can alter the
numbers as needed if the party is particularly strong or weak),
plus one Tomb Banshee (WFRP, page 330) and Gräber himself
(page 117), who has cast Spirit Walk to make himself Ethereal.

If the Characters do not go to the university, it quickly
becomes clear that they should. The Undead outside the city
launch feints and minor attacks, holding back the great bulk
of their forces, while survivors of the university attack swarm
the walls, attempting to get out of the city rather than remain
with the ghosts inside. If the Characters still refuse to head to
the university, worry not — Gräber will come for them soon
enough.

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TRIUMPH OF THE GRAVELORD XII

Gräber’s Plan GHOSTSMEAR

Gräber is using his army’s approach as a diversion to cover the Though Priests of Morr refer to it reverentially as Morr’s Blessed
incursion of his ethereal force. Once in the university, he plans Oil, most who have had cause to use the shimmering tincture
to slaughter the defenders and send his Tomb Banshee and in battling the undead refer to it as ‘Ghostsmear’ or simply
Hexwraiths (see page 118) to surprise the city’s defenders from ‘The Good Stuff.’ Spirits, spectres, ghosts, banshees and other
within, just as the army outside is attacking. Meanwhile, Gräber ethereal undead that would normally only be harmed by magical
himself plans to ransack the library for the forbidden books he is weapons can be damaged by a weapon coated in Ghostsmear.
sure are kept there. While he will discover some chronicles that One application lasts an hour under ideal conditions, but may
tell of Sigmar’s battle against Krell and the career of Heinrich be washed from the blade sooner if it is raining heavily or the
Kemmler, he does not find the lores of necromantic knowledge blade becomes submerged. Additionally, if the weapon is used to
he seeks. Gräber soon realises that they are no longer present — injure a living creature while covered in Ghostsmear, the effect
a chancellor of the university long ago burned the foul things, is instantly dismissed as the infusion of living blood renders the
which Nyman can confirm if the Characters learn of Gräber’s oil inert.
plans and think to ask him. Gräber, for his part, assumes the Ghostsmear is never offered for sale, but only created at need
Characters took them when they were in the city earlier and by devout priests of Morr. It requires 3 Gold Crowns worth of
swiftly turns his attention, and his wrath, on them. ingredients and a night of fevered prayer to create. Ghostsmear
can be stored for one year before losing its effects.’
Contact with the Enemy However, the Characters are likely quite powerful by now, and
have had plenty of warning that Gräber is a threat to them. If they
Gräber is not expecting the Characters to be at the university — failed to prepare properly, you may simply wish to let the spirits
he had not realised they returned to the town after their earlier do some serious harm to them. This is WFRP, after all, and Fate
visit. Their presence will complicate his position considerably points exist for a reason!
and convince him even further that they are an elite force of
witch hunters sent by the Emperor himself to hunt him down.
Gräber’s reaction is a mixture of frustration at the obstacle
the party represents and satisfaction that his arch-nemeses
have appeared once more, confirming his own opinion of his
importance.

OUR WEAPONS ARE To Gräber, there could be no greater affirmation of his destiny
USELESS! soon reaching its zenith than the presence of his greatest
enemies here, at the mercy of the greatest army he has ever
Creatures with the Ethereal Trait (WFRP, page 339) can be commanded.
trouble, as some parties simply have no way to deal with them.
Only magical attacks can damage them, and while the Characters Before entering combat, Gräber casts a number of protective
have had some opportunities throughout The Enemy Within to spells on himself, in addition to the one that makes him Ethereal.
acquire such weapons, they are only really guaranteed to possess These are Aethyric Armour (which he can extend as described on
Ghal Maraz at this point. Leaving a single Character to deal WFRP page 242), Distracting, and Terrifying. All four of these
with all of these creatures may be a tall order. Miracles and spells have a Duration of Willpower Bonus Rounds, and will
magic also work against Ethereal creatures, but if the party does expire four rounds after combat is joined.
not have any other way to deal with the creatures, you may wish
to change up the encounter. A priest of Sigmar or Morr may Gräber spends the first round making one of his bombastic
be on hand to work a Miracle or Blessing, such as Blessing of speeches, and as usual its dramatic impact is somewhat lessened
Righteousness (WFRP, page 226) , that will allow a Character to by his small stature and whining, nasal voice. The Tomb Banshee
harm the spirits, or they may be fewer in number. Priests of Morr hovers by his side as he speaks, and the Hexwraiths (page 118)
can also create special oils that allow a weapon to harm spirits, form a screen in front of him, ready to fight anyone who tries
though these are rare and expensive to create, so any priest will to approach.
only have a little to hand. Alternatively, the ward which protects
the restricted section may temporarily make all the spirits present ‘So, we meet again! The Gravelord commends your persistence,
sufficiently manifest for them to be harmed by mundane weapons. but this time there will be no mercy! Prepare to die, and serve the
Such an effect would be brief, perhaps 2–3 rounds, but would Gravelord forever! Attack, my children!’
give the Characters some time to strike back against the dead.).
At his command, the Tomb Banshee begins a Ghostly Howl
and one Hexwraith moves to fight each Character. Any ‘spare’
Hexwraiths begin slaughtering anyone else about or gang up on
the most dangerous Character, especially any Gräber knows to
be capable of spellcasting or commanding Miracles.

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XII WARHAMMER FANTASY ROLEPL AY

If confronted at the university, Gräber makes his way to the If the Characters are elsewhere, such as hiding out in the
library, an imposing old building of stone with a much less Nyman basement or helping defend the walls, then Gräber
imposing thatched roof.To continue his search (passing through eventually finds them and attacks them directly. He pauses
the shelves in his Ethereal state), he heads for the Restricted first to compliment their cunning in retrieving the books he
Collection. Any Characters who try to follow him have to seeks before he could get there, which doubtless leaves them
negotiate the walls, locked doors, and a maze of shelves, which confused..
means that he will probably reach the door to the Restricted
Collection first. Though he will not find what he is searching The Attack Begins
for there, the section does contain many dangerous books, and a
previous chancellor hired a wizard to set several wards upon it. Regardless of whether or not the Characters are at the university,
The wards dispel Gräber’s Spirit Walk, and he will have to deal once Gräber reaches the Restricted Section his Spirit Walk
with the inconvenience of corporeality. spell comes to an end and he becomes fully material. At the
same time, screams and crashes ring out from the town walls
as the main Undead force attacks. If the Characters are at the
walls, they may sensibly wish to help defend them. While the
Skeletons and Zombies have some trouble scaling the walls, their
numbers quickly add up. The Undead throw up crude ladders
of lashed-together bone, and the nimbler Skeletons attempt to
assault anyone defending the walls. Flying Death Skulls assault
defenders from the air, along with other flying Undead.

THE SHELVES

During any fight in the library, there is a very good chance that
a Player will think of tipping the bookcases over to stop Gräber
reaching the restricted section, to crush or escape from some
Undead attacker, or for some other reason.
The bookcases in the university’s library are huge and heavy in
proportion. Double-faced and made of oak planks an inch thick,
they stand 8 feet high, 12 feet long, and 2 feet deep. Each one
holds books totalling several hundred pounds in weight. This
weight makes them hard to tip, at least initially.
To get a shelf unit to a tipping point requires a Very Hard (-30)
Strength Test. Up to eight Characters and NPCs can co-operate
in pushing one shelf over (see Assistance on page 155 of the
WFRP rulebook). As the bookcase tips, books will begin to slide
from the shelves on the side opposite the Characters pushing it.
They will rain down on anyone beneath, causing a Damage 3d10
hit on any creature in the way who fails a Difficult (-10) Dodge Test
— though of course Ethereal creatures are immune. A Critical
Success on the Strength Test leads to a domino effect. Instead
of ending up leaning against its neighbour, the falling bookcase
knocks that one over too, and so on until a bookcase either hits
a wall or falls into an empty space.!

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TRIUMPH OF THE GRAVELORD XII

Leitdorf ’s troops were unprepared — some are drunk, others Flee!: The Characters may well attempt to flee the town, leaving
injured from the battle. The defence is desperate. There should it to its fate. If they have found Nyman, the Characters have
be some kind of Undead for each Character to attack every all the information they require. If not, they will have to live
round, though in the cut and thrust of mass combat, it is difficult without being able to renew Ghal Maraz — see Empire in
to make any real progress. The presence of Ghal Maraz, if it is Ruins page 176.
drawn, bolsters the defenders, and any section of wall where
the bearer of the great hammer stands is defended bitterly and The docks are a likely path to freedom. Though they are under
with success. siege by Undead emerging from the river, Gräber is no tactician
and underestimated the flow of the river. Many of his forces
After he is finished in the university, or when things start to go are carried away downstream, likely to confuse and terrify
badly for him if the Characters are there, Gräber tries to cast a some fisherfolk near Nuln in the near future. The Characters
Marsh Lights spell (WFRP, page 241) and send the lights out may grab a boat or raft here with relative ease, seeing off
through the main window. This is a pre-arranged signal to his the few waterlogged Undead who cling to it, and flee. This
Undead force, and a barrage of Screaming Skulls (WFRP, page is not the most heroic response, but it is certainly the safest.
257) strikes the window on the next round, shattering the glass Leitdorf will eventually hold Streissan, but at a terrible loss,
and offering Gräber a potential escape route. and his convincing victory and claim to the seat of Elector is
again thrown into doubt. More civil strife will result, and the
Combat Gravelord will survive to trouble the Empire further. Despite
his theatrical bluster, Gräber clearly has a gift for Necromancy,
By this stage, battle has been joined between the defenders of and though the Characters may have laughed at him in the past,
Streissan and the attacking Undead. You can resolve this battle in they are unlikely to be quite so full of mirth should they cross
a number of different ways; three possibilities are offered below: his path again.

The Mass Combat Rules: Archives of the Empire II contains
rules for mass combat. They can be used to cover the party’s
experience of the battle, though you should do this only if
the Characters enjoy larger combats. Elsewhere in Empire
in Ruins the Characters find themselves at another siege if
they attempt to renew Ghal Maraz, and again at Diesdorf if
you use the additional material The Siege of Diesdorf in this
book, all of which could use the mass combat rules. Be aware
that the Characters may well become fatigued from finding
themselves in the midst of such battles, though others might
find it a suitably epic experience as the campaign nears its end.
You should play this by ear, and attempt to cater to your Players’
preferences.

Defend the Walls!: The walls of Streissan are assaulted from
all directions, and some areas risk being quickly overrun if the
Characters don’t pitch in. Defenders sound horns from distressed
areas; if the Characters aren’t aware of what this means a nearby
soldier quickly fills them in — someone is almost overrun. If
the Characters respond to this call, they find 1d10 beleaguered
soldiers holding out against a group of Undead that have scaled
or breached the walls.

You can use the table provided, or select the numbers yourself. If
any Character makes a successful Challenging (+0) Leadership
Test, the soldiers obey their orders and any survivors continue
to follow them once the combat is resolved. This Test becomes
Average (+20) if the Character wields Ghal Maraz. The
Characters might be able to gather a force around them to
retake the walls.

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Ending the Attack THE GRAVELORD’S
ARMY
Gräber’s Undead force breaks off its attack on the monastery as
soon as one of the following conditions is fulfilled: A definitive list of Gräber’s Undead army is not given here. This
is deliberate.
Gräber is killed; see The Gravelord Falls below. As GM, you must decide in advance how you are going to run
this incident. Depending on the choice you make, a hard-and-fast
The Character bearing Ghal Maraz rolls an Astounding Success army list may be unnecessary. It can also be damaging to the
(6+ SL) on a Challenging (+0) Leadership Test to command campaign experience.
the troops defending the town; see Heroes of the Day below. While the party is certainly stronger by now than they were at
the start of the campaign, their actual combat strength could vary
The Characters appear to be utterly doomed and need rescue; widely, according to the Careers and Skills they have taken, the
see The Wrath of Sigmar below. equipment they have bought or otherwise acquired, and various
other factors. Any attempt to provide a ‘one size fits all’ army list
As the GM, you can also end the attack if anything else happens would be doomed to failure: either in the form of a demoralising
that makes it appropriate in dramatic terms for the Undead to ‘total party kill’ or as an enemy scarcely worthy of the name.
retreat. The following paragraphs may provide some inspiration Only you know your Players and their Characters, and only you
for how to bring this about. can decide what would make a suitably challenging foe.
Therefore, we recommend that before running this part of the
RANDOM UNDEAD adventure, take a little time to plan. Look over the available range
of Undead creatures, both in the WFRP rulebook and in other
1d100 Encounter sources (such as the previous Gravelord adventures). Choose the
01–30 1d10 Skeletons creatures that make the most sense, add any that you think would
make things more interesting for the Characters, and be prepared
31–35 2d10 Skeletons to adjust numbers on the fly if things turn out to be too easy
or too hard.
36–40 1d10 Flying Death Skulls

41–45 3 Carrion

46–80 1d10+5 Zombies

81–90 1d10 Crypt Ghouls

91–92 1d10 Cairn Wraiths

93–94 1 Spirit Host (Ghost with Swarm Trait)

95–100 Roll twice

A Strategic Retreat

Gräber, as ever, underestimates his opposition. He certainly did
not expect the Characters to be carrying the Ghal Maraz. Once
he realises the books he sought are not here, and once he has
convinced himself that the Characters do not have them, he
retreats. Whatever troops he has available continue to attack
the Characters, attempting to distract them, and the troops
attacking the walls continue their assault, though their strength
is diminished once the Gravelord has fled.

The Characters can try to pursue Gräber — they are very likely
to want to put a final end to him. He flees into the nearest
open area, and after two rounds, his Winged Nightmare swoops
down and picks him up, its talons barely grazing the battlements
and rooftops as it struggles into the air. Under cover of a barrage
of missile fire from the Undead army, he abandons the attack,
leaving masses of Skeletons and Zombies to fight a rearguard as
the army withdraws.

If Gräber is killed in the course of his escape attempt, refer to
The Gravelord Falls below.

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TRIUMPH OF THE GRAVELORD XII

The Gravelord Falls at Brass Keep. Priests of Morr gather up the Gravelord’s mortal
remains and subject them to a series of divine rituals that ensure
Gräber has been a thorn in the party’s side for some time now, that Gräber is utterly destroyed, in body and soul, forever. The
and few things would be more satisfying to the Players than to Characters can escape the town and are free to carry on with
bring him down — especially here, at the zenith of his power, Empire in Ruins.
where none can possibly deny the threat he poses. It smacks
of poetic justice, and the Characters’ role in his defeat goes a A Cunning Plan: Gräber has also been frustrated by his various
long way to ensuring their safe exit from the town, as Marius encounters with the Characters, and his natural overconfidence
Leitdorf should almost certainly be aware of the presence of has been tempered somewhat. While scouring the vaults for
Ghal Maraz by the battle’s end, if he wasn’t before. He seeks to traces of Krell and Kemmler, he recovered a rare Nehekaran
claim it, but if the Characters slew the dread necromancer who scarab amulet, which he wears out of sight inside his clothing.
assaulted Streissan in full view of his soldiers, Leitdorf has no Upon his death, the scarab frees his spirit as a ghost, crumbling
option other than to let them go. to dust as it does so, and he either escapes or the Characters
might manage to chase the Ghost down and destroy it. If he
The Characters may have killed Gräber, or come close to doing escapes, Gräber is Ethereal in the next encounter. If the Ghost
so, in one of the previous encounters. Their best chance was in is destroyed, refer to Victory! above.
the village of Pritzstock during the events of Flying Death Skulls
(Power Behind the Throne Companion). If so, the Players Heroes of the Day
might be enormously frustrated by his return and eager to put
a permanent end to this dangerous — and profoundly irritating While the Characters may well be enemies of Marius Leitdorf
— foe. If Gräber falls at Streissan, you have a choice: and pursued by his troops, all that is put aside during the Undead
attack. The troops are weakened by their occupation of the town,
Victory!: The Characters have prevailed. Gräber is dead — and the possibility of an Undead horde was far from anyone’s
truly dead this time — and bereft of their master, his Undead mind. They are prepared to defend the walls, as a counterattack
followers crumble to dust and blow away on the breeze. This is by the Alptraums was always a possibility, but had thought any
particularly appropriate if the killing blow was struck by Ghal counter-attack would take weeks to muster. The Characters are
Maraz, as it is an ancient enemy to Necromancers, having long likely skilled combatants and certainly have experience fighting
ago been used by Sigmar to overcome the Necromancer Morath the Gravelord and his undead. They also bear Ghal Maraz, which
will likely become obvious during the battle.

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If the Characters find themselves fighting on the walls, and The Aftermath
a Character scores an Astounding Success on a Challenging
(+0) Leadership Test, the troops begin to rally to them. Much The Undead are in full retreat, and if Gräber has fallen many of
of Leitdorf ’s leadership takes a long time to get organised, them will have crumbled to dust. The soldiers begin the task of
and the sight of an inspiring Character, shouting words of cleaning up, while priests of Morr prepare the dead for burial with
encouragement and striking down Undead left and right is an more care than usual, should the Undead influence have spread to
inspiring one. The nearby forces swiftly rally to the Character, their bodies. What remains of the Undead is burned in a great pyre
pushing the Undead back all around them. If the Father Olaf that lasts for days, and chokes the sky above Striessan even further.
made an appearance earlier to mediate for the Characters with
Leitdorf, he appears again now, invoking Sigmar and calling PART FOUR: WHAT NOW?
all to resist the Undead. Leitdorf ’s forces temporarily gain the
Hatred (Undead) and Holy Hatred Talents (WFRP, page 138) After this battle, if he still lives, the Characters may decide that
at maximum level until the battle is over, but it will likely be Gräber needs to be stopped once and for all, distracting them
more than enough to describe the narrative as the rallied troops from the main plot of Empire in Ruins. The Pursuit (page 105)
overwhelm the Undead attackers. The creatures are cast back section gives some options for making sure that Gräber is able
from the walls and pursued mercilessly into the plains beyond. to give the Characters the slip so they can carry on with the
adventure. The section in Part Two, Handling the Rumours,
A brief time later, the surviving Undead pull back (if Gräber offers some more ideas, including the option of letting the
is alive) or turn to dust, should he fall in the battle (See The Characters follow Gräber.
Gravelord Falls, above).
Alternatively, you may decide that the Characters have had
The Wrath of Sigmar enough of Gräber by now — he certainly is annoying — and
simply let him die and stay dead. This is an especially good
If, and only if, the Characters are completely overwhelmed and choice if the Characters were particularly heroic in defeating
likely to perish, you may consider having Father Olaf return for him — there is still much adventure to come, and the Characters
a final strike against the Gravelord. Wielding an old carpenter’s may well be humbled yet on their return to Altdorf. Let them
hammer, glowing brightly with holy might, he emerges from the have the moment, granting them Leitdorf ’s mercurial respect
melee to strike at Gräber. The blow lands true, but the Gravelord for just long enough to see them safely from Streissan and back
is only staggered. Gräber turns and with a blast of necromantic upon the path of Empire in Ruins.
energy casts Drain, withering the old priest to a dried husk in
moments. Still, he is staggered, and the hammer’s blow had a EXPERIENCE POINT AWARDS
touch of the divine about it. Unwilling to risk himself further, the
Gravelord flees the battlefield (see A Strategic Retreat, above). You can award the following Experience Points for this
adventure, with bonus awards for bright ideas and good
This should be an embarrassment for the Characters, as Gräber roleplaying.
once again escapes their grasp. Not being the heroes of the hour,
they still have to deal with escaping Leitdorf ’s grasp. 0 25 points for defending the walls.

0 50 points if they stop Gräber at the university

0 50 points if they rally the defenders and drive back the
Undead

0 100 points each for finally killing Gräber

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TRIUMPH OF THE GRAVELORD XII

NPCS AND MONSTERS HANS GRÄBER
Hans Gräber, ‘The Gravelord’ LEVEL 1 MONK, LEVEL 4 WIZARD (NECROMANCER)

‘The Gravelord’ is a scrawny Human with black, straight hair in M WS BS S T I Agi Dex Int WP Fel W
a disheveled pudding-bowl cut; pale blue eyes; and a pointed,
turned-up nose. With his small size and whining voice, Gräber 4 34 39 27 32 35 42 44 56 47 32 12
looks and sounds ten years younger than his true age, and this
bothers him immensely. Violently sensitive to slights both real Traits: Clever, Prejudice (those who do not fear him),
and imagined, he has turned his almost superhuman propensity Stealthy, Weapon (Staff )+7
for learning and his overwrought imagination into a means of
revenge against everyone who has ever slighted him, everyone Skills: Channelling (Death 56, Necromancy 66), Cool
who ever will — in fact, everyone. By means of his ‘Gravelord’ 55, Intuition 48, Language (Magick) 67, Lore (Magic
persona — an attempt to emulate his hero Heinrich Kemmler, 65, Necromancy 70, Theology 61), Melee (Polearm) 44,
‘the Lichemaster’ — and his carefully planned, theatrical attacks, Perception 49, Perform (Bombastic Speeches) 33,
Gräber seeks to spread fear and earn respect, humiliating all Research 65, Stealth (Rural) 45
who cross him in revenge for all the humiliation that he feels the
world has visited upon him. While vain and rather ridiculous, Talents: Aethyric Attunement 2, Arcane Magic (Death,
he is far from stupid, and although he would hate to admit it — Necromancy), Beneath Notice, Bookish, Fearless
especially to himself — his ability to be underestimated is one (mortals), Instinctive Diction, Iron Will, Magical Sense,
of his more powerful weapons. Nose for Trouble, Petty Magic, Read/Write,
Savant (Necromancy), Sixth Sense, Strong-minded
NEW LORE OF NECROMANCY SPELL: SPIRIT WALK
CN: 6 Spells: All Lore of Death and Lore of Necromancy
Range: You spells, at GM’s discretion
Target: You
Duration: Willpower Bonus Rounds Trappings: Dagger, Spell Ingredients, Bedroll,
Necromantic Tomes, Purse with 5 GCs 17/6
You draw Dhar into your body, becoming one
with its power. For the duration of the spell, you Note: The GM should decide how many books Gräber
gain the Ethereal Trait (WFRP, page 339). has, and which spells, if any, they contain. PCs trying
to learn this forbidden magic, or even being found in
possession of the tomes, could face serious consequences.

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Flying Death Skulls Abyssal Terror

While still pleased with his creations, Gräber has become less Created from the skin, bones and putrid flesh of an assortment
enchanted by these monstrosities since his last encounter with of creatures, Gräber’s Abyssal Terror is his most prized creation.
the Characters. Created using by an obscure ritual, a Flying It shrieks dreadfully as it carries him aloft, and mounted on it
Death Skull looks identical to a normal, dead skull until it the necromancer feels even more invulnerable than usual.
becomes active under the control of the spellcaster. Its eyes glow
and eerie red and it moves under the control of its master, who WINGED NIGHTMARE
can see through its empty eye-sockets (but not hear through M WS BS S T I Agi Dex Int WP Fel W
its nonexistent ears). It remains under Gräber’s control until it 4 55 — 60 55 15 45 — 10 50 — 84
is reduced to zero Wounds, or until he is distracted, by being Traits: Armour 2, Bestial, Bite +10, 2 Claws
attacked, for example +8, Fear 2, Flight 75, Size (Enormous),
Trained (Broken, Mount, War), Undead
FLYING DEATH SKULLS
M WS BS S T I Agi Dex Int WP Fel W
* 41 — 35 37 41 34 30 — — — 11

Traits: Bite +4, Construct, Fear 2, Flight 100*,
Night Vision, Size (Little), Undead, Unstable

Optional: Infected

Hexwraiths

Hexwraiths are powerful Undead warriors, similar to Cairn
Wraiths but bound to the service of a master rather than to a
place of burial. On the battlefield, they often ride skeletal mounts
that can pass through solid walls along with their riders, but
those entering the library with Gräber are unmounted. Their
fondness for great, two-handed scythes has earned them the
nickname ‘Reaper Knights’. It is said that the Necrarch
Vampires were the first to bind Hexwraiths to their
service, and these foul creatures have been seen in the
service of the Vampire Counts of Sylvania — and,
less often, following mortal necromancers — since
before the time of Sigmar.

HEXWRAITHS The Gravelord's Zombies

M WS BS S T I Agi Dex Int WP Fel W Created from the skin, bones and putrid flesh of an assortment
of creatures, Gräber’s Abyssal Terror is his most prized creation.
6 65 — 35 30 20 30 25 25 70 15 16 It shrieks dreadfully as it carries him aloft, and mounted on it
Traits: Champion, Chill Grasp, Dark Vision, Ethereal, the necromancer feels even more invulnerable than usual.
Magical, Terror 3, Undead, Unstable, Weapon +9
THE GRAVELORD’S ZOMBIES
M WS BS S T I Agi Dex Int WP Fel W
4 55 — 40 40 5 10 15 — — — 15
Traits: Construct, Dark Vision, Fear 2,
Painless, Undead, Unstable, Weapon +7

118

From: Q.M. Albertus
To: Diesdorf Council

Councillors,
The town has the following standing troops mobilised:

The college has a standing contingent of 180 cadets. These are divided into companies of 60,
commanded by a major, with each further divided into units of 20, commanded by a captain.
They are supported by two sergeants and a corporal with 10 junior ranks. The units are Black
Fire Pass (‘Sigmar’s Own’), Astofen (‘The Shieldbearers’), Hel Fenn (‘The Stakers’), Nebelheim
(‘The Slayers’), Swartzhafen (‘The Light Bringers’), Praag (‘The Raiders’), Roskova (‘The Furies’),
Howling Hills (‘The Ratters’), and Grim Moor (‘The Grim’). The Howling Hills and Grim Moor
units are on active duty elsewhere.
The college has 20 guards under the command of the College Commander of the Guard.
There are 50 City Guards who have responsibility for guarding the gates and main wall. Under
command of the Commander of the Watch.
50 members of the Watch.
30 members of the Order of the Knights Griffon. This is an elite cavalry unit founded by
Magnus the Pious. They are tasked with guarding holy sites dedicated to Sigmar. They maintain
a small barracks in Diesdorf.
A group of 20 scouts has been formed consisting of military scouts and local woodsmen.
There are 5 priests of Sigmar, 3 priests of Ulric, one priest of Morr, and one priestess of Shallya.

There are also 200 members of the militia. These are adults in the town who spend four days
training each year using swords and shields plus short bows. The militia armoury has only enough
good equipment for 40 soldiers. The militia have yet to be mobilised.

There are an estimated 600 citizens able to undertake work or carry a weapon.

Provisions

The town has a number of food and supply stocks.
Food is said to be plentiful in the shops although prices are rising.
The town has a number of food stocks. A further report will be made on these tomorrow.
There are grain silos and mills throughout the city. These are privately owned.
The college has enough stocks for the military.
The warehouses on the docks are well stocked. These are privately owned.
Three wells in the town produce potable water.





Hail the Great Changer!
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CITIZENS OF
GOOD DIESDORF

Beware the creeping RATTE, for
as well as spoiling crop and

spreading disease it is a spy for
the forces of Chaos!

In their generosity and wisdom,
the Baron’s Council has decreed
a reward of 4p to be provided

for a dozen fresh rat tails.
To receive the reward, take your

tails to Klaus Kopp of the
Komission of Public Works.

One of the most highly regarded roleplaying campaigns ever written,
Every Gamer should play the Enemy Within

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