League of Oldies

Hi guys, its been an age since i last made a post here so had to change my account but times are a changing. As the title suggests a few cronies and I have just started a new Mordheim campaign and I have decided to try and narrative its path for us all to read. This is my first attempt at recording a campaign but after reading the Vampire hunter campaign (link below) and thoroughly enjoying it I wanted to contribute something to the community.

http://hobbyblog.wargameweaver.com/mordheim/the-vampire-hunters-mordheim-campaign

If you have not had a chance to read the Vampire hunters campaign, I urge you to take a look. The photos/scenery/narrative are all superb.

So lets start at the beginning. Our group consists of 4 regulars with a few odd guests who travel in from out of town occasionally . We have been playing together on and off for over a decade across all the game workshop ranges, mordheim however is definitely our favourite. At first we were certainly WAAC minded but over the years the community matured and we much prefer coming along for the ride now. In short, winning is just gravy.

After a night of discussion we all settled on our bands, aiming for a decent split of 'goodies' and 'baddies'. At roll call we ended up with:

Witch Hunters - Played by Nikk the Greek
Undead - Played by Big Dai
Cult of the Possessed - Played by little Dai
Kislev - Myself

I will take a note now and state the Kislevs were played as 'Inquisitors of the Order Raven'. Basically i used the rules of kislevs but played in character of a 'vampire hunting band'. We agreed the cossacks hatred rule would be transferred from 'Chaos aligned' to 'Undead aligned'. I also used the rules from the TC rather than annual as I wanted to retain the 'shooting skill' on my youths. No one complained as they higher costs of druzhina/bear + lower int on Druzhina was thought to be a fair trade.

The back story is pretty simple. The Witch hunters vs the Cult of possessed. The Kislevs vs the Undead. To fluff it up we introduced a few extra rules on top of our house rules:

# 'Kill at all Costs' - Heroes receive +1 bonus xp on top of the norm for every hero of their nemesis warband they take out of action.
# 'The Head of the Snake' - All 'leaders' gain hatred against their nemesis warbands leader.

# 'Cumbersome' - Dual Wielding adds a -1 to hit on all attacks (ie both weapons)
# 'Longreach' - Spears provided +2int when charged
# 'Easy to use' Handguns ignore long range penalties and are at +1 to hit at short range
# 'Shield Wall' - Shields and Bucklers provide an additional +1 armour in close combat
# 'Streets of Gold' - All armour (light and heavy) is half price (normally 10gc for light and 25gc for heavy)
# 'Bread Knife' - Dagger attacks are at -1S

Below is the starting warband lists which i hope to keep updated as we go.

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Templars of Sigmar the Almighty (Witch Hunters 'Nikk the Greek')

'Garius' Witch Hunter Captain (60gc)
Pistol (15gc)
Sword (10gc)

'Barnabas' Warrior Priest (40gc)
Double Handed Hammer (15gc)
Heavy Armour (25gc)
*The Hammer of Sigmar*

'Leo' Witch Hunter (25gc)
Spear (10gc)
Crossbow (10gc)

'Marx' Witch Hunter (25gc)
Sword (10gc)
Shield (5gc)
Light Armour (10gc)

'Karl' Witch Hunter (25gc)
Crossbow (25gc)
Axe (5gc)

'The Damned' Flagellants x2 (80gc)
Double Handed Weapons (30gc)

'Burning Flame' Zealots x2 (40gc)
Bows (20gc)

'Cerberus' Warhound (15gc)

Total - 500gc
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Cult of the Eye (Possessed 'Little Dai')

'Kaarn' Magister (70gc)
Axe (5gc)
Bow (15gc)
*Word of Pain*

'Garnak' Possessed (90gc)
Cloved Hoofs (40gc)

'Branz' Mutant (25gc)
Great Claw (50gc)
Axe (5gc)

'Bjorn' Mutant (25gc)
Spines (35gc)
Spear (10gc)

'Brethren' Brethren x2 (50gc)
Bows (30gc)

'The Soulless' (35gc)
Axe (5gc)
Mace (3gc)

Total- 493gc
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Yuri's Host (Undead 'Big Dai')

'Yuri' Vampire (110gc)
Heavy Armour (25gc)
Helmet (10gc)
Bow (10gc)
Halberd (10gc)

'Syrus' Necromancer (35gc)
*Call of Vanhell*
Sword (10gc)
Bow (10gc)

'Igor' Dreg (20gc)
Bow (10gc)
Axe (5gc)

'Brain' Dreg (20gc)
Double Handed Axe (15gc)

'Simon' Dreg (20gc)
Spear (10gc)
Shield (5gc)
Light Armour (10gc)

'Rotting Claws' Ghouls x3 (120gc)

'The Shambler's Zombies x 3 (45gc)

Total - 500gc
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Inquisitors of the Order Raven (Kislev 'Me')

'Lucius' Druzhina (80gc)
Ancestral brace of Dueling Pistols (25gc)
Sword (10gc)

'Drake' Esaul (35gc)
Dueling Pistol (25gc)
Axe (5gc)

'Boris' Bear Tamer (35gc)
Double Handed Axe (15gc)
Shield (5gc)
Hammer (3gc)

'Cain' Youth (15gc)
Throwing Daggers (15gc)
Sword (10gc)

'Able' Youth (15gc)
Bow (10gc)
Axe (5gc)

'Acolytes' Cossacks x2 (60)
Spears (20gc)
Shields (10gc)

'Redeemers' Streltsi x2 (50gc)
Crossbows (50gc)

Total - 498gc
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So. The scene is set, 4 warbands, 4 friends, 4 cases of beer & 4 packs of crisps. Let the Games Begin!!!

Game 1.

To start up we rolled a 4 way slaughter!!! Awesome!!... except little Dai had to go. Family emergency bla bla bla. Oh well.. a 3 way slaughter it is!!!

Setup.

With the loss of a player we decided to chuck some wyrdstone counters in the middle of the board (5 total). Each counter was worth a random amount, decided by a role at the end of the battle on a D6 (1= a dud, 2-5 = 1 wyrdstone, 6 = 2 wyrdstones!). Hopefully this should counter act the loss of a player, providing the Witch hunters with something else to aim for.

We all grabbed a dice and started rolling, Nikk the cheat... did i say cheat? i meant greek rolled a 6 giving him the POWER!! As such Nikk started arranging the terrain to his liking. (We ensure that there is always 75% terrain on the board, but random it up by letting a different person arrange it each game. Ill explain why if you really want to know but after a decade we have resolved this is the safest way to avoid arguments).

The next roll determined the table edges which Nikk the cheat won again!!! (although Dai and I did roll pitiful, 1 and 2 respectively). As such he plopped down the Witch Hunters in the top right corner, commanding a strong path down the main street.

Coming second with my mighty roll of 2 I chose the bottom left corner, as far away from the witch hunters as possible. There was no way I was going to be 'piggy in the middle'.

With a sigh of resignation Big Dai chose the top left corner, not like it made much a difference at this point.All players placed their guys within 8" of the table edge taking it in turns to place models one at a time.

Focus turned to the box o' doom (the dice box). Lucky dice polished and prayers to the dice gods whispered. The roll for the first turn...

After the dust settled Big Dai had won, myself second and Nikk getting his just desserts coming in last. after the Victory dances were finished and cries to the fickle gods howled we were ready to start.
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Turn 1 - Vampire.

Realising his position was grim, Dai rushed (read; ambled) his men forward towards to Kislevites. Time was against him and his only chance of survival was taking out the men of the north before the Witch Hunters got close. No time was to waste. The Vampire ran forward to the base of the tower, preparing to climb its walls next turn. Everyone else bounded forward at full speed along the road.

In the magic phase Syrus the necromancer raised his arms pushing one of the zombies further forward, enabling it to rejoin with the rest of the 'host'.

As no one was in range to string their bow the Undead turn came to an end.

Turn 1 - Kislev

Observing Dai's undead minions running at me I couldn't resist meeting him head on. The Witch hunters were a turn or two further away, diagonally across the board. Plus i knew Nikk is a little hoarder of gold so would gun for the wyrdstone counters.

Splitting my men into three groups, The druzhina headed north east with a youth and cossack in tow. The esaul, bear tamer and another cossack headed north west around the left flank of the manor. Meanwhile the final youth and 2 streltsi moved into the manor, planning to climb up into the second floor.

Once again everyone was out of range so the shooting phase and kislev turn came to a close.

Turn 1 - Witch Hunter

With the pile of wyrdstone in the middle of the table, Nik the Greedy decided to leave his opponents slug it out for now.

Sending his zealots and one of his witch hunters to the center of the table in search of the gold while the rest of his troops started strolling towards the other warbands. Hoping to arrive at the end of the brawl and polish off the remnants of the winner, Nik was feeling confident.

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Turn 2 - Undead

With a sigh of relief Dai kept rushing towards the Kislevs to the south. One more turn and his troops would be in range of a charge. Yuri the vampire climbed up to the second floor, inching forward along the ledge bow in hand. Everyone else raced forward, spreading out to take cover where possible.

Syrus again successfully cast his spell, encouraging a zombie forward with his dark spells.

In the first shot of the game the vampire aimed at a cossack peeking from around the manor. Being a superstitious bunch dai grabbed his favourite lucky black dice, with a kiss and a flick of the wrist dai hoped to draw first blood. After watching the dice spin for what seemed an eternity the dice came up a 1. Not a good omen for the undead.

==(I would like to note we understand the laws of statistics. We are all men of logic, 2 of us being scientists by profession. However, when standing around a gaming table, dice in hand, our better judgement melts away and we turn into a bunch of horoscope reading, alternative medicine practicing, ritual following nut jobs. In the past little dai literally burned an entire unit of handgunners in a fire, fearing their accursed luck would 'infect' the rest of his empire army).

Turn 2 - Kislev

The undead were now perilously close, probably only 10" away from the front ranks of the Kislevites. Placing confidence in my spears and shields my cossacks advanced forward into charge range of the ghouls. The line was drawn and battle was to commence.

Preparations continued for the eventual counter charge. The rest of the kislevites edging forward, the druzhina and esaul priming their pistols.

The shooting phase was the first of note. The esaul aimed at the nearest ghoul, missing his mark. As both streltsi had run to the edge of the manor they couldn't shoot this turn but the youth with bow took a pot shot at the necromancer, missing completely. Finally ending the turn the druzhina aimed at the ghoul in front of him. His shot hit but failed to wound. Too many missed shots, the undead were still at full strength and next turn the cossacks were going to get charged. Time to pray.

Turn 2 - Witch Hunters

Things were hotting up on the left side of the table, perfect though Nikk the Sneaky. Pushing forwards at a leisurely 6" his main forced meandered towards the action, leaving his zealots and Karl to advance on the wyrdstone.

Nikks turns were nice and short, just like him

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Turn 3 - Undead

It was at this point Dai began grinning like a Cheshire cat, the undead were unscathed and in a position to inflict some pain. The undead turn began with the ghouls all declaring charges against the Cossacks. Two ghouls charged the cossack on the left, one on the cossack to the right. Obviously overwhelmed at the thought of fighting ghouls one of the cossacks failed his fear test. Dai was getting more and more confident, forgetting the accursed role of 1 earlier. The remainder of the movement phase consisted of the necromancer, dregs and zombies lining up charges for next turn, while the vampire inched closer into a better firing position.

In the magic phase the necromancer tried his best but couldn't cast Vanhells to propel the nearest zombie into combat.

Attention turned to the shooting phase, the dreg stringing his bow first and missing. Next up was the vampire who from his vantage point loosed an arrow at the Lucius the Druzhina. Whispering a prayer, Dai unleashed his 'lucky' black dice. This time lady luck favoured him, the druzhina was both hit and wounded, knocking him down. Not a bad turn so far but the best was yet to come..... or so Dai thought.

Deciding to start with the double ghoul charge the cossack struck first but failed to role the 6 to hit. The ghouls struck back ripping the poor cossack limb from limb. 3 hits, 2 wounds and 2 failed armour saves. The first casuality of the game!!! Huzaaaa!! Its just a shame it was one of my men

Next up was the remaining cossack vs his ghoul. Once again i got to strike first due to the spears, after the dice landed it came up a 6! Rolling on the critical chart i got a 5! Its Kebab time. Thrusting his foe backwards 4" the ghoul smashed into the Necromancer hiding behind him, inflicting an automatic S3 hit! The result? one out of action ghoul and a stunned necromancer. Quite the turn around.

Looking up in disbelief Dai handed over the measuring tape and I stepped forward to seek my revenge.

Turn 3 - Kislev

OK, i have lost a cossack and my leader is knocked down, but on the flip side a ghoul is dead and the necromancer is stunned at the feat of one of my cossacks with no one to intervene. Starting on the left the esaul and bear tamer both declared charges at the 2 ghouls who took out the cossack. On the right the Youth with axe tried to charge the nearest dreg but stood paralyzed in fear. The triumphant cossack chose to ignore the downed necromancer (he was stunned anyway) and charged the nearest dreg.

Lucius stood up dusting himself off, ending the movement phase.

With the streltsi finally in position some weapons could be brought to bear. Both crossbows were pointed at the dreg on the left who was primed to charge into help the ghouls against the kislev heroes. 1 hit and 1 wound, enough to stun the dreg and buy the bear tamer and esaul some time to finish their foes unopposed. Able the youth with bow aimed at the dreg on the opposite roof to no avail. Finally Lucius aimed his second dueling pistol at the stunned necromancer (remember heroes get +1 bonus xp for grabbing kills) hoping to snag some much needed xp. Lucius squeezed the trigger and blew a hole in the necromancers side, knocking him out of action. Kill number 2 for the Kislevites.

The combat phase struck hard and fast. The cossack managed to stun the dreg he was fighting while the esaul took his ghoul out of action. Meanwhile the bear tamer fought for his life, only surviving due to the save from his shield. The turn was over and I was feeling confident, 2 dead, 2 stunned and 1 knocked down. Not a bad turn.

Turn 3 - Witch Hunter

After seeing the brawl heat up and noticing the undead were now 3 "men" down, Nikk the Greedy started to move his men with more haste. The zealots had reached their goal and began climbing the building to collect their wyrdstone while Karl continued his race to the south. With no shooting Nikks turn came to an end. He was only a couple of turns away from getting into the fight now and he would be able to draw a bead with his ranged weapons next turn. Things were going to get messy.

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Turn 4 - Undead

After the onslaught of last turn Dai was looking a little pale. Passing his route test he began the battle to turn the fight around. Figuring the punch of the vampire was needed in the brawl he leaped from the tower, declaring a charge on the surviving cossack while the zombie charged the youth cain. Advancing the last 2 zombies forward, finally in a position to charge next turn.

The shooting phase was uneventful, the dreg missing his shot. With no necromancer we moved straight into combat.

The vampire began by slicing the remaining cossack in 2, easily dispatching him with his halberd. Cain the youth fared better fighting the zombie who charged him to a standstill, both sides failing to wound. In the combat on the left the ghoul didn't do so well, the esaul knocked the ghoul down before the bear tamer took him out of action.

The turn was over and the situation was the same. Dai was hoping the presence of the vampire could swing things round but it was starting to look a little to late.

Turn 4 - Kislev

The turn started with the druzhina declaring a charge at the zombie fighting Cain on the right, while the bear tamer charged the knocked down dreg. The esaul moved to the right, hoping to reinforce the druzhina against the vampire. On the roof the streltsi and Able moved to the eastern wall of the manor, preparing for the entrance of the Witch Hunters.

In the combat phase Lucius stunned the zombie, leaving Cain to take it out of action. Meanwhile the bear tamer clove the knocked down dreg in two with his double handed axe.

Turn 4 - Witch Hunter

Sensing the combat in the left to be almost over Nikk the slow pushed his men out into the open. Figuring it was best to strike while the vampire was still swinging rather than bide his time and allow the Kislevites to regroup. Over on the right the zealots began their long treck for the table edge with their spoils.In the magic phase Brother Barnabas successfully cast Hammer of Sigmar in preparation for the fight to come.

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Turn 5 - Undead

At this point Dai decided it was better to bow out gracefully, it was too early in the campaign to risk losing models and so the story of the Undead in this fight is over.

Turn 5 - Kislev

Feeling the boon of beating the Undead the kislevs began to run for cover. Having already lost 2 models I was well aware my critical route number was close. The esaul and druzhina both reloaded their pistols and braced themselves for the fight to come.

Drawing a bead from the roof the streltsi let loose their bolts. A few dice later and Marx the witch hunter was down and out of action. A good start...

Turn 5 - Witch Hunter

Clearly irked at the loss of Leo, Nikk the Rash charged his flagellants and warhound forward, trusting in their T4 to shield them from the worst the Kislevites had to offer. Brother barnabas and Garius the captain shielded themselves against a wall from the view of the streltsi in the manor.

The shooting phase started with a Leo loosing a bolt strait into the chest of Able the youth who was standing to close to the window. The shot stunned the hapless lad forcing him to lose his balance and fall out of the manor. As usual the ground was their to catch leo, taking him out of action in the process. With no one else able to shoot Niks turn came to an end.

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Turn 6 - Kislev

With the death of the steltsi it was time to start taking a route test. Rolling a 7 i left off a sigh of relief. It was not or never, if the kislevs planned to win they had to make the next few turns count. Trying to grab the bull by the horns, the bear tamer charged the warhound while the druzhina charged the nearest flagellant. Drake the esaul edged forward within shooting range of the witch hunter Leo. Aiming his pistol square at Marx another 6 was rolled to hit, critically blasting Marx off his feat, taking him out of action.

In the combat phase the bear tamer fluffed his attacks and found himself stunned by the warhound, his future was not looking so bright. Meanwhile the druzhina blasted the flagellant in the face, making the roll to wound before finishing with a 5 on the injury chart. 2 dead Witch hunters in 1 turn, hopefully it is enough.

Turn 6 - Witch Hunter

With 3 models down Nikk the coward had to take a route test. Looking at the table he was feeling confident, the bear tamer was stunned and soon to be auto-gibbed by the warhound and the druzhina and esaul were in charge range of numerous witch hunters. Flinging the dice high the entire group was focused on the box o' doom. The dice gods spoke, a 5 and 4. The Witch Hunters took flight and the Day was carried by the Kislevites.

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Post Battle Sequence

short and bloody the battle was over, it was time to count the cost.

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Undead.

Rolling on the injury chart, Dai's bad luck continued. Everyone made a full recovery bar the Necromancy who was captured.

Dai facepalmed at the loss of his necromancer, not the glorious start to the campaign he was hoping for. With only 3 heroes standing at the end of the battle the undead only managed to find 2 shards, bringing in 50gc. After a lengthy discussion we decided the next battle would be a rescue attempt, giving the undead a chance to save their necromancer from the torturous grasp of the Kislevs.

Counting up the experience none of the undead earned enough to advance this game, the vampire though and one of the dregs should get auto advances as long as they survived the next battle.

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Witch Hunters.

Rolling at the end of the battle the zealots managed to retain 2 tokens (fleeing models have to role a 4+ to keep the shard they are carrying) bringing in a total of 5 wyrdstone shards, converting into 80gc. On the exploration table Nikk found 2 peasants needing saving who granted him an extra 11gc. All of Nikks models made a full recovery and so overall Nikk the smug was feeling good.

Counting up experience Nikks warriors were all found lacking except for Leo who managed to get the quick shot skill. A little retail therapy helped solve this problem though. 2 rope and hooks and a lucky charm later, Nikks Witch Hunters were starting to be pimped out.

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Kislevites.

Rolling on the injury chart both the cossacks and Able made a full recovery. With 4 heroes standing i was feeling confident of my exploration but the dice werent feeling kind. I managed 3 shards which converted to 65gc, bad but not great considering I won. I did manage to find a quiver of hunting arrows though in a 'fletchers'. Able the youth happily recieved the arrows, hopefully increasing his use in the battles to come.

After a trip to the shop the Druzhina had a nice shiny set of heavy armour and the bear tamer some light armour. I decided to save the rest of my gold for future purchases.

Counting up experience the Lucius (druzhina), drake (esaul) and cain (youth) all got 1 advance while Boris (bear tamer) got 2! Some dice rolling later and Lucius ended up with +1 BS, drake got step aside, Cain +1 BS and Boris got +1T and the Strongman perk. Not bad really. This battle had definitely been a lucky one for the men of the north. Next game was going to a different story hopefully though i wouldnt end up like dai..... weeping into his beer glass

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So this is the first report, messy and without pictures or diagrams I know. I plan to improve on those in the future. I am currently waiting on Dai to get back to me with the sketches on the movements of this game. Hopefully i can load them before our next game this weekend.

All feedback is appreciated, especially the criticism (constructive ofc!). Let me know what works and doesnt, this is a learning curve for me

I hope you enjoyed this report, i should be writing part 2 of the campaign next week

Morsleib was shinning bright tonight, never a good omen. Garius had spent to long in this accursed place to know venturing out at night was unwise, but times were getting desperate. Supplies were running low and the temple was asking questions. It had been over a month now and Garius had no new leads on the magister and his occult. Searching by day was futile, the foul denizens of chaos feared the light of day.

"This light is ungodly" muttered brother barnabas. The priest was the most fervent to oppose the night raids. "We should not be out on a full moon, mark my words this night will end bad".

"Sigmar is with us always barnabas, by his will we know no fear" garius replied, trying his best to reassure the priest. He could see the fear in his mens eyes. His witch hunters had faced demons and beasts but there was something about this erie city, under this pallid moon, that sent shivers down even the most grizzled veterans' spine. "The heretics try to hide from the sun in their cellars and caves, we shall show them the light of sigmar penetrates even the darkest shadow". Just as Garius finished his sentence a thick cloud shrouded the twin moons, casting the streets into darkness.

"Seems Garius was not speaking literally lads" chirped in Leo from the back of the group.

"Light those torches then boys, sigmars light does not falter" Garius knew it wasn't wise to advertise their presence but fire was mans friend in hours of need. "Lesson 3 of Witch hunting, The Heretic fears the flame"

Hours went by without event, the witch hunters stayed vigilant searching the streets of the ruined city. Except from the periodic scuttle of vermin and eerie creek of the buildings, the night was passing quietly.

"Garius, we should start to turn back, we haven't seen or heard anything of note this night" Barnabas was eager to get out of the city. He had joined the Temple to avoid the conscription, not hunt heretics. Typical of his luck Barnabas thought, he never understood why he was placed in the militant wing of the church. Despite all his objections and plea's, look where he ended up, on the battlefield and now in this condemned place.

Garius turned to the priest deflated "Alright brother, this nights search is over men. Let us turn.." A crack of gunshot echoed in the distance, interrupting the words the men had been longing for.

"Our beds can wait, something lurks in this night and we shall not leave until we find out what it is" Garius took off running towards to the sound, taking care to stick to cover as he darted down the street. Experience told him the noise came from a good distance away, if it wasnt such a quiet night he doubted the sound would of carried so far. After a couple of minutes of pursuit he gave the signal to stop.

"Something is not right, we should be able to hear something by now. the fighting must have stopped. Barnabas take the zealots to the left, I'll lead the rest forward" Garius pulled his pistol and began the slow advance forward. The air had started to turn rank, a foul stench was afoot.

Barnabas signaled from the other side of the street that something was amiss. He began pointing down an alley a few meters south of their position. Darkness still engulfed the street, cloaked by the blankets of clouds. Garius gave the signal and his men drew their weapons. Crossing the street in single file covering each other as they went. Marius admired the discipline of his men.

"There is a noise coming from behind that building, its feint and erratic but definitely there" Barnabas whispered to Garius.

"The Flagellants and I will lead the way, Leo and Marx guard out backs, the rest stay close we don't know what is through the clearing but I can assure you it will regret coming out tonight" Garius led on, always the fearless leader.

The Witch hunters crept down the alley, Barnabas was right, something was down this alley. The stink was now unbearable, whatever was down here wasnt Holy. The Alley led along the base of a wall, where too, Garius didn't know. The band reached a gate some thirty yards along the wall, priming his pistol and pausing for a brief prayer to Sigmar, Garius readied himself.

In a dart of speed Garius burst around the corner, immediately crouching and aiming his pistol to chest height. His men followed him, spreading across the width of the gate, their weapons pointed forwards ready to face whatever foe faced them. Before the hunters lay a courtyard, flanked by a manor on all sides. Dark shapes lay on the stone, still and lifeless.

"Watch your step men, something is afoot"

Leo threw his torch into the center of the courtyard, illuminating the shapes on the floor. The restless dead, dismembered and bloodied littered the ground. The corpses were still fresh, their wounds still oozing fluid across the cold stone cobbles. One zombie hung impaled against the wall on the left, its undead body trying to wriggle free.

"Whatever returned these creatures to their cold sleep was here recently men. Search the area for clues to their origin but be careful I see no signs of their vile master. It could be close" The witch hunters began checking the corpses, anxiously approaching each body in turn. Zombies are notorious for not staying dead and there was no way Garius' men were taking chances".

After a couple minutes of spreading zombies brains over the floor as a precaution the men finally stood at ease. "Anything men?" Garius hopefully asked. "There must be some evidence of who did this and where these creatures came from"

"Oh there is no evidence, we arent that sloppy" A hooded figured stepped through the same gate Garius entered through.

Garius spun, raising his pistol up and aiming it at the face of the intruder. "Who are you and what are you doing here" demanded Garius.

"Me?" calmly replied the hooded figure, "I am Drake, Inquisitor of the Order of the Raven. These corpses are my work and there is no need to point that weapon at me. It will do you no good".

"Order of the Raven? I have never heard of you and this pistol has been blessed by sigmar, it will remain pointed at your head until I chose to lower it". Garius was not used to his authority being questioned, not even fools question a Templar of Sigmar.

Barnabas cleared his throat, "Captain Sir, I have had dealings with the Order of the Raven. They hail from Kislev, the icy lands of the north. Their order are known radicals specialising in the hunt of vampires".

"Vampire hunters, hrm" Garius stared hard at the hooded figure. "So, 'Inquisitor' Drake. You are a long way home and either a master linguist or a terrible liar. Your accent bears no trace of a Kislevite, you sound like a man of the empire. So which is it?" Garius was a veteran interrogator, bartering words was one of his greatest tools.

"You have a good ear, Captain. As you have guessed I am not from Kislev, I was born on the banks of the river Reik. My heritage is none of your concern though captain, I am here to return something to you..." Drake raised his left hand, signalling someone or something unseen. From the darkness of the night stumbled forward Leo and Marx, unconscious but alive.
"We found your men at the end of the alley. You should not leave your men alone in this cursed place, Captain. It is a dangerous place out there" Drakes voice was cold and emotionless although Garius could tell the Inquisitor was mocking him.

"We are Templars of Sigmar and by his divine right I command you to reveal yourself, You have Assaulted my men, appointed to me by the Church and so you have affronted Our Lord. We will escort you and whoever is lurking in the shadows behind you to the Temple where your faith will be assayed in the fires of truth!" Garius raised his arm signalling his men to take Drake prisoner.

"Despite your most courteous offer my good Captain, I must decline" Drake raised his arm before him signalling to the windows of the mansions surrounding the courtyard. "My fellow men have had you surrounded before you even arrived"

Barnabas spun around searching the ruins. Above them, motionless in the breeze, stood half a dozen men weapons primed and ready. "Garius" whispered the priest "we are surrounded".

Garius crooked his head to the side, surveying his position. "So Inquisitor Drake, it seems we are at an impasse" Garius was not done yet. "Being surrounded does not relieve me of my duty, my pistol is still aimed at your head, nothing has changed. I am not leaving here without answers".

A door hidden at the side of the courtyard creaked open. From it a tall cloaked figure strode out dragging a bound struggling body in its wake. The figure stopped some twenty feet from Garius, hoisting the bound man up to his feet, thrusting him forward into the light.

"This man is a practitioner of the dark arts. He is the one responsible for raising the corpses that litter this courtyard but he is but a pawn of his blood drinking master. He is the reason we are here." stated Inquisitor Drake coldly.

"A Necromancer" spat Barnabas.

"Aye" Garius agreed. "And what is to become of this creature I wonder, what does the Order of the Raven want with a practitioner of the dark arts?"

"That is none of your concern Captain, all I can tell you is he will answer for his crimes. First though, he will tell us where his master sleeps. He has many a tale to tell before he is allowed to die" for the first time excitement crept into Drakes voice, the thought of torturing the necromancer getting the better of him.

"Inside the manor you will find the remains of his twisted experiments. Two children need your assistance in there, take them back to the Temple and claim your reward. They are of no use to us"

The cloaked man turned dragging the necromancer back towards the manor. Garius could not help but notice the fear in the bound necromancers eyes, desperately pleading with the Witch Hunter captain for help. Futilely struggling, the Necromancer clasped his hands on the door frame, hoping in vain to avoid his fate at the hands of the Inquisitors. The cloaked figured backhanded the necromancer, knocking his body limp and lifeless before hurling him through the door.

Garius turned his attention back to the courtyard gate. Drake was gone.

"It seems we have a manor to hunt, hopefully the theatrics for tonight are done. Come on men, I want to be back in my bed before the cockerel crows!" Garius barked at his men, clearly angered at the events just passed. "Barnabas tend to Leo and Marx wounds, when they awake i will want to know how they let themselves be captured"

Barnabus kissed the sigmarite amulet around his neck. "Sigmar Preserve us, I thought we were dead souls back there".

Garius approached the priest laying his hand on his shoulder. "Not tonight Barnabus, but the week is young and I doubt that is the last we will see of the Inquisitors. Now lets go save some children".

That is a FINE start to your Narrative Campaign. Despite the early morning fog, I found my way through all those words...EXCELLENT story. When you get to it, the photos will be a real plus. Keep up the GOOD WORK!

Excellent start! I hope there is more to come.