I've been working on HeroQuest alongside Advanced HeroQuest for quite some time now. I tend to have some down periods as I'll either end up busy doing music projects or having problems with my mental health. However, I wrote a story I was mostly satisfied for HeroQuest and I consider it to be mostly finished. Ideally, I wanted to finish up redoing the maps (For co-op/solo) for the base game and release the story alongside each one. Also, each map will now have just Orcs/Goblins/Orc Champions or Chaos Warriors/Marauders/Chaos Champions or Skeletons/Zombies/Skeleton Champions. There is also one boss for each map now. I've picked out models from the early 90s/late 80s for each of these roles (Most of them GW). The reason I did all of it is to bring HeroQuest more in line with the rearranging of Warhammer Fantasy during the 90s. I've moved Castle of Mystery to the front and used it as a tutorial quest and merged the Orc Warlord/A Race Against Time and also The Rescue of Sir Ragnar/Legacy of the Orc Warlord. Finally, Bastion of Chaos has now become the Bonus Quest which you can play at the end to earn extra GCs for the expansion "Kellar's Keep". The Heroes will become Champions of the Emperor after saving him and they will be called upon in The Great War Against Chaos. These changes were made to put the Heroes into the timeline of Warhammer Fantasy and references are made to some events (Such as the Twin Tailed Comet). It is important to know that I have added some informational/story text to the Quest Notes under the map and the story that follows will be presented on a page opposite the respective quest maps.
I also wanted to add that everything I mention is a proper place or person mentioned officially in a GW release or supplement. I also wanted to make a World map that will show the Heroes' journey. So far, I've only made a rough one. I was also thinking of having the official bits of information on the towns or such added in between the quest pages so that you may choose to get a bit more world building. I wanted to add Monster Bios within a newly written manual (With rules for solo mode), too. The writing is pretty much all finished, but a properly presented version of the Quest Book and Manual will take quite some effort, so for now, here is the story alone:
HEROQUEST BACK STORY: HeroQuest takes place inside a dark world in constant conflict. Within this world is a gathering of provinces known as The Empire (of man). The year is 2302 IC... Unfortunately, it is currently a time of political turmoil, where some of the provinces are at odds with each other. As the conflict has been active for so long now, the forces of the northern Chaos barbarians and their terrible knights have been gathering strength and have now decided to launch an assault southwards; They plan to destroy The Empire and then dominate the rest of the known world, filling it with violence and bloodshed. Fortunately for the weakened The Empire, the neighbouring nation of Kislev has been bearing the brunt of the initial attack so far and staving off the Chaos invasion of The Empire. It is obvious that this defence will not last forever...
At the same time of these terrible machinations and conflict; Two previously Lahmian vampires that had defected to the Von Carstein line and also survived the purge of Sylvania had made an unlikely ally in a seclusive (Yet relatively sane) Necrarch vampire. The trio had already put in motion their own schemes of conquest...
However, our journey starts with a group of ragtag adventurers; A Dwarf known as Durgin from the World's Edge Mountains to the east, a Barbarian known as Rogar; whose family had moved with a small commune to the Frozen Wastes in ancient times (Before the corruption of chaos infected their people), an outcast known as Ladril from the Elves of the wood and a mysterious Arabyan magician known as Telor, who will not elaborate on his origins. Telor must keep his powers hidden from those around him as this is currently a land that views magic with fear and disdain. Together, this motley crew had formed through bonds of their previous solitude and together they were going to look out for each other.
THE HAUNTED MINES (Fortress Ruins, Reikwald Forest)
INTRODUCTION:
"Rumour has it, that long ago, a man named Ollar discovered the entrance to a gold mine. With a small group of workers, he built a compact, concealed fort above the mine to protect it. His greed endless, he died extracting the gold himself after killing the men he hired to do the work for him in an episode of paranoia and rapacity. The mines are guarded to this day by the spectre of Ollar, who is doomed to haunt them, forever desiring the riches within. Not only do the mines have many dark and narrow passages (probably under threat of collapse), but many have never returned from the search for the mines and those who have claim to have barely escaped from the ethereal inhabitant with their lives". The Dwarf struggles to overhear this story from a well travelled adventurer to the bar man, but does manage to get a rough location. He then relays the information to his newly formed group of Heroes. Running short on gold and needing a plan for the future, they have together decided that this will be the first quest they tackle as a team. The isolated mines will also allow the Wizard to use his powers in Reikland without worry about persecution. However, if the Dwarf had listened a little longer he may have also heard that the adventurer claimed to have investigated the place already and that the rumours seemed to be greatly exaggerated; Some of the mine had collapsed and he saw no apparitions in his venture, but more importantly, it also "looked like someone had cleaned the place out a long time ago.".
After some exploration, the Heroes locate the ruins of a small Fort and stumble into the mines below, where it is eerily silent...
*QUEST TEXT*: Here lie the bones of one who has long sice left this world, nearby them is a note that reads: "I will never forgive that traitor! He has injured me, trapped me within these mines and is sneaking away with our gold as I write this! I suppose it's my punishment for standing by after he killed the mining crew that had worked so hard to unearth most of it... But I couldn't deny the riches we would split between us and I didn't want him turning on me. At least I was able to hold on to this ruby. May he face the might of Sigmar's wrath or my own if he should ever return, because I, Ollar Magill, will not leave this place... Even if death should come for me.".
It seems the mines were plundered and emptied long before the Heroes ever set foot in it... Just after reading the scrawled note, the spectre that has been attacking the Heroes appears and inhabits his old bones, reanimating them. It's time to lay Ollar to rest for good, so return to the Game Guide and read the Combat Section. When you are ready to continue, Ollar's full stats are listed below:
*STATS TBD*
CONCLUSION:
Upon cracking the skull of Ollar, the shadow soaked bones drop to the floor. The Heroes take what little they found and return to the surface. They decide the best course of action is to head to Altdorf to sell the ruby for a good price (After all, they had to split it four ways). Along their journey, they return to the tavern in Auerswald for some rest and respite... Little did they know, it would be short lived.
THE RESCUE OF SIR RAGNAR (Reikwald Forest)
INTRODUCTION:
Whilst the party are relaxing, a bloody Altdorf soldier bursts through the tavern doors. Searching for anyone to help him, he loudly spoke of a man named Sir Ragnar and the fact that the soldier and the rest of his retinue were escorting Sir Ragnar back to Altdorf. Apparently they fell under attack from a band of Goblins. The attackers killed most of the men before taking the unarmed Sir Ragnar alive. The few surviving but wounded guards followed the band from a distance; the plan was to trail the assailants until they made camp, then one of the men would head for the nearest settlement to ask for aid... However, it was the dead of night, near closing hour and most had either had too many drinks, or simply weren't willing to leave the village, citing their duty as town guard (But really believing that Ragnar was most likely dead by this point). In this time of infighting, many Reikland soldiers did not feel a duty to Emperor Wilhelm I or his company, either. Now, the Altdorf guard looks for anyone that may be willing to lend a hand. Before the Altdorf soldier finishes his story, the Barbarian rises to his feet... "We will offer our hands." he asserted. The other members of the party looked at each other for a second before standing, too. They would follow the guard to the band's lair.
Upon arriving, they see the band of goblins were taking refuge in a built up cavern. The other Imperial men were nowhere to be found and the one that had lead the party there was far too wounded to be of any use. After a brief chat, the Heroes decided to enter alone...
*QUEST TEXT*: The Heroes enter the prison and tell Sir Ragnar that they are here to rescue him. "They had me fashioning furnishings and working like a dog!" (The captive is unusually outraged instead of anxious), the Heroes reassure him that everything will be okay, they will get him to safety. He will now follow the Heroes through the rest of this floor (Decide who should roll for him and move his miniature). Should all the Heroes become engaged in battle, the enemies will begin to attack Sir Ragnar. He rolls a defence die of only 1 and does not retaliate.
CONCLUSION:
After the Goblin Leader is defeated the, the guard and Sir Ragnar are helped back to the town. The town guardsmen here, now awake and shocked at the Heroes' impressive feat quickly offer help. They also soon offer to accompany Sir Ragnar back to Altdorf. However, Sir Ragnar insists that the Heroes are to join the retinue. Along the journey, the Heroes recount their tales of the Haunted Mines to Sir Ragnar.
When back in Altdorf, the Heroes do not ask for pay for the rescue. However, it just so happens to be that Sir Ragnar is a member of the High Council, consultants of the current Emperor of Altdorf, Wilhelm I, himself. He offered a proposal; He would buy the ruby the Heroes had found within the mines from them for a generous price to thank them for his rescue. He offers 320 GCs and the Heroes split it equally (80 GCs each).
THE TOMB OF TRIALS (Gluckshalt, Reikland)
INTRODUCTION:
Undead have been seen near Gluckshalt, a village with a temple and a sizeable graveyard adorned with statues of fabled warriors from long ago. Although Gluckshalt is considered to be a village that is under Altdorf's protection due to it's close proximity, the men of Altdorf are preoccupied. There have been many catastrophic events as of recent, including attacks from the men of the North and Greenskins from the forest... On top of the continued infighting, no more men can be spared to help investigate Gluckshalt as of right now. Sir Ragnar, another High Council member, recalls the story of the ruby and his brave rescue by the Heroes and puts them forth as a solution. The Emperor agrees and asks them to lend their hands.
After talking to the locals of the village and putting together a map of likely areas the undead could have come from, the Heroes have arrived at an old Crypt not far from the village. The entrance looks as if it has recently been disturbed. Inside, there are torches still lit and furnishings not long used. The Heroes must be careful, as this crypt is also said to house the body of Felmarg, a giant warrior of old known for his vicious scythe skills. If he has been raised with the rest of the bodies, he must be slain.
CONCLUSION:
The Heroes had no answers, the only thing they were certain of is that a Necromancer had very recently been operating in the crypt. Who were they and why were they there? For now, the Crypt has been cleared and the Heroes will report to the Emperor, who will no doubt order all of the unusual contents of the crypt be seized as evidence. The Heroes have been paid 40 GCs each.
THE EMPIRE'S GOLD (Tallerhof, Reikland)
INTRODUCTION:
Sir Ragnar has commissioned the Heroes to help train the militiamen at the village of Tallerhof. The Wizard can not reveal his powers in Reikland still and so follows to offer his services as a scholar instead... Whilst the Heroes are busy in Tallerhof, Sir Ragnar himself rides into the village in a state of urgency. He is claiming that three Treasure Chests carried by the Imperial escorted carts were stolen by some Orcs and Goblins on the way to Altdorf. They each contained a sum of gold mined from the mountains. Sir Ragnar had joined the Imperial escorts along their route and had managed to flee the onslaught. Feeling it was his dilligent duty to make up for the oversight and focused preservation of his own life, he hired some huntsmen and accompanied them as they tracked the band (And missing gold) to their hideout. Sir Ragnar feels that the militia of Tallerhof are still too inexperienced and their numbers too small, so it has been decided that they should all remain where they are to protect the village as lives take priority over gold. The Heroes overhear Sir Ragnar's proclamations and decide to go in their stead. Sir Ragnar says that he had almost forgotten he had hired the Heroes to help here and is overjoyed at their bravery once again. He will lead them to the band's hideout and make sure nothing escapes the cave.
CONCLUSION:
Upon defeating Ulag, the Heroes notice a couple of goblins leering at them from the shadows beyond the entrance of the room. They give chase all the way to the entrance of the cave where Sir Ragnar steps aside to avoid confonrtation. Sir Ragnar admits he is not a good fighter and that he had even hired the Heroes to train the militia of Tallerhof just in case something happened to the transports he was guarding. He took comfort in the knowledge that the same Heroes that had saved him before would be nearby. The Heroes have ended the main threat and saved the Empire's gold!
Upon returning to Altdorf the Emperor is informed of the situation. The council question how the Orcs knew about these containers of Gold or why they'd even want them. Sir Ragnar theorises it could be to lure more humans from the roads and into a trap. A troubling event indeed, but for now the council tithe the party 50 GCs each.
MELAR'S MAZE (The Barren Hills, Talabecland)
INTRODUCTION:
Long ago, a powerful wizard by the name of Melar was gifted a Talisman of Lore, thought to be shaped by the Goddess of Lore, Verena. It enhances the wearer's knowledge of magic. It is rumoured that the wizard hid the Talisman in his underground lair, at the heart of his maze, outside of civilised settlements. No merit has been given to these rumours due to adventurers previously investigating an underground structure that fit the description of Melar's Maze and finding nothing of interest. However, recent activity by servants of Chaos has been spotted near this very same location within the once Green Hills near the monastery of Priestlicheim. The monks at Priestlicheim were Sigmarites at heart and made haste in reporting this to Altdorf, choosing to ignore the fact that the Barren Hills are within the borders of Middenland.
Apparently the enemy didn't appear to be great in number, so Emperor Wilhelm I has chosen the Heroes of renoun to be sent for by the Emperor's council. They are to defeat these foes and uncover their plans.
When arriving at the location within the now Barren Hills, the Heroes are left to survey it and lay in wait for any more Chaos followers to be seen. They must also keep hidden from the threat of fell beasts that stalk the area. Many hours passed and the Heroes had almost decided to give up, but sure enough, those that worship the dark gods were seen... Followers of Slaanesh, the filthy obsessive. The Heroes follow them and upon finding the entrance to Melar's Maze, slay those that they tailed. Now, they take the long, winding stairway down into the uncovered structure.
*QUEST TEXT*: After defeating the Sorcerer, the Heroes find a note on the table: "Still nothing! The notes left by Melar are cryptic nonsense and I'm starting to doubt the Talisman is even here.". Nearby is another, much older looking, note. This one reads: "One must be as if a Spectre to find the hidden treasure".
*QUEST TEXT 2*: In this room the Heroes find the Talisman of Lor upon a body within the Casket. A final note accompanies it: I can only hope this Talisman has found a worthy successor as I could not find one at the time of my passing and so I chose to keep it with me. May you continue of your journey of unravelling the mystery of magic, stranger."
CONCLUSION:
The Heroes return to Altdorf with the news of slaying the cult, but their arrival is not met with joy. It seems that the Emperor has now fallen gravely ill and can not wake. The council, in their panic with all the recent turmoil and Emperor's illness, have little interest in the Heroes' story but trust their good will and loyalty so tell them of the Emperor's ailments and ask them to keep it secret. They then reward the each Hero with 40 GCs and send them on their way.
THE LOST WIZARD (Gluckshalt, Reikland)
INTRODUCTION:
Only a couple of days after the news of the Emperor's illness, the Heroes have once again been called upon, this time by his most trusted council. The council spared no expense tracking down methods to attempt to cure the Emperor's ailments and awaken him, but to no avail. Due to their recent triumphs, the councillors have asked the Heroes to track down Karlen, the Emperor's personal Alchemist and Healing Wizard who has mysteriously went missing not long after the Emperor fell ill. It seems that Karlen's wife, Francesca (Who lives in the village of Gluckshalt), fell under the same sickness as Wilhelm I a while before the Emperor. Along with the undead previously seen in Gluckshalt, the circumstances surrounding Karlen are suspicious. The council have specified that he must be brought back alive and showed the Heroes a sketch of Karlen.
The Heroes head to the last known whereabouts of Karlen; the village of Gluckshalt, the same town that previously had activity of Necromancers near to it. The village seemed emptier than the Heroes' last visit. The first militia guard they saw had stopped them on their arrival. He spoke swiftly; "It's great to see you all again, but I wish the circumstances were better. We have just sent word to Altdorf requesting any help that may be spared in these times of war. Many villagers were kidnapped within the last 2 days and yet again more undead have been spotted. This time they were inside the town itself and were even attacking some children. We've had guards at every entrance since before they were seen, so we couldn't understand how they had entered. It was only on the second night that some of the villagers noticed that some of the graves from the yard had been unearthed and one of the statues guarding one had been removed. Also, on the night that last fell, we began to suspect these foul undead had been coming from the old Wardoz residence.". The Heroes head to the house and soon find a hidden basement within...
CONCLUSION: After defeating Karlen, the Heroes find a note on the Alchemy Bench: "I regret what I've done! I wanted to go back and at least offer what help I could to find a cure before I no doubt faced punishment... However, I'm now doomed to slowly rot under this house of ours, my beloved. There is no escape and I have failed you, Francesca. I..." (The rest of the note has been torn away). It seems to implicate that Karlen was perhaps responsible for poisoning the Emperor. Maybe he had poisoned his own wife by accident and figured the best chance of getting a cure was to poison someone of great importance... The Heroes take Karlen and his note with them.
When the Heroes return to Altdorf, the body of Karlen Wardoz is delivered. The councilman they meet has a look of fury upon his face when seeing Karlen's body. However, the Heroes explaind the situation and also hand over the note found in Karlen's study. The councilman's face turns from anger to despair before he meets with the rest of the High Council. After talking for a while, they comment that they are yet to decide on the next best course of action for the situation and proceed to reward each Hero with 50 GCs each.
With all that the Heroes have done for the Empire, they are permitted temporary residence within the palace in case they may be needed again. On the next night, the Heroes look up to see a Twin Tailed Comet in the sky...
REVENGE OF THE ORC WARLORD (Mattersheim, Averland)
INTRODUCTION:
Countless healers have since been brought in to attempt to cure the Emperor's sickness and revive him from slumber, but none have been succesful. So now archivists are employed to search Altdorf's great libraries for a possible cure for the Emperor... To make things worse, the Chaos incursions within the land are intensifying, including from within Nuln and the High Council has had to send more Altdorf soldiers outside of it's walls to help the men of Reikland and to allied provinces. The Heroes have entered official employment within the Imperial army and have been ordered to join a retinue heading to help defend Black Fire Pass, a place of great significance to the Sigmarites of Altdorf and also a place of strategic importance to Averland - the only neighbouring province that remains on good terms with Reikland.
Part way through the Heroes journey, they notice a village fuming with smoke in the distance. The party move to investigate the village of Mattersheim, but little can be found but ashes and bodies. Surely there were no survivors of this nightmare... They were so shocked at the scene of carnage before them that they failed to notice a familiar goblin leering at them from in the shadows. This goblin soon ran to it's master, who just so happens to be Grak, a pillaging pal of Ulag. Grak had been informed by the goblin that the same Heroes who killed it's former master were now isolated in the village ruins that Grak's band had taken up residence in. Grak orders his group of Orcs and Goblins together to ambush the group and kidnap the Heroes... He wants them alive and captured with the rest of the survivors he took from Mattersheim as slaves.
The Heroes and Altdorf men try desperately to overcome the Orcs and Goblins, slaying many in the process, but they ultimately become overwhelmed. The Altdorf soldiers are killed and the Heroes are knocked unconscious... They awake within a locked room to the sound of grunts and screams. They are also defenseless, left only in their undergarments with no weapons. Soon enough, Grak comes to check on them, he then orders his Orcs to start slaying the slaves they had taken from the village, starting with the one in front of the Heroes' very eyes. This, was his revenge for their intrusion and murder of Ulag.
So confident and disturbed was the Orc leader, he instructs the Orc in the room to unbolt the door after killing the slave next to him before walking away... He wanted to see how far the Heroes would get and how many slaves they would watch die. The Orc proceeds with Grak's commands... The Heroes will have to fight bare fisted to save the captives until they find their belongings.
*QUEST TEXT*: The Heroes open the prison door and see a woman of noble aesthetics within. They inform her they have destroyed the leader of the band and she is safe now. She responds: "I... They...". Feeling some semblance of safety for the first time in a while, the noble begins to let out a flood of tears. The Heroes are not sure on what she endured, but reassure her that things will be okay, but it's best to get moving to a safer settlement.
CONCLUSION:
The slaves that the Heroes have managed to save are grateful. It turns out that the woman they rescued, Lady Meywulf, was the noble owner of the rather large farmland abode they were trapped in with the Heroes. She asks the Heroes to escort her and her farmhands to the nearby town of Lengenfeld where the noble has a second property.
As soon as the party arrives, Lady Meywulf's husband insists on rewarding the Heroes for their actions and extra for their farm hands, despite the parties protests. He pays the party 80 GCs for her safe return. As a bonus, for each farm hand you saved, 40 GCs are rewarded.
THE SORCERER OF FLAMES (Black Fire Pass, south of the Empire)
INTRODUCTION:
Nearly a week and a half later, the party finally arrives at the Black Fire Pass outpost. The Heroes are quickly offered residence and begin their work there. Before long, they are informed that a breakaway group of Chaos worshippers has been spotted around this area. No one knows of the aim of the intruders, but some say they've recently seen the mythical "Frost Dragon" and that both events might be connected. The Reikland men of the outpost have witnessed the heretical forces moving in and out of a cavern carved within a crag North East of Black Fire Pass. A fairly succesful attempt was made to ambush them, however some of the worshippers retreated and it is suspected that some agents of the Chaos Band still remain within this crag. When the men tried to follow, they soon realised how deep and winding the tunnels are and the tricks of the Tzeentch followers made it impossible for them to escape. Worst of all, they seem to be lead by a powerful Fire Sorcerer who is responsible for the deaths of many of the outpost's men. The few scouts who made it back out of the crag in time suspect that the followers of Tzeentch are now low on numbers but the results of sending in another force of Imperial men will probably fare no better than the last. With the threat of the Chaos incursions from the south ever looming and possible attack of Orcs from the mountains, the risks are simply too high to spare any more men from Black Fire Pass. The High Commander of the outpost had received a Messenger Hawk from Altdorf in which he was told to employ the Heroes services in such situations, so he has requested that they lead a stealthier assault on the hideout of this filfth and put an end to their leader's schemes.
*QUEST NOTE*: Upon reducing Balur's Body Points to 0, a note on the Altar is found, it reads: "The Dragon of Frost was finally found, slumbering deep within the mountains below us. These foolish Warriors and meager puppets could not stop it from leaving and many died trying. Our great Lord of Change will form them new in a way he sees fit, anyway. What bothers me is that my spells of subjugation and fire were not enough to fell the creature either, though... It must be stronger than we had initially though and therefor definitely worth corrupting for our own purposes. I predict it will return some day soon enough and we might succeed next time. One success has arisen from this venture, though; The Orc's Bane sword I had enchanted seems to be stunning those mindless creatures as intended. It was a gift from our Lord that we were to come to these mountains so I could have plenty of subjects to test it upon. Perhaps I will endeavour to make similar weapons for all of our enemies...".
CONCLUSION:
Upon arriving back at Black Fire Pass, the Heroes also recall their findings and give the Sorcerer's note to the High Commander. He says he will continue to be on the lookout for both the dragon and any further Chaos activity. Unfortunately, there is not the time to celebrate as the High Commander handed them instructions delivered by a Messenger Hawk to lead the Heroes to the City of Myrmidia. He proceeds to introduce them to the Griffons who had recently returned from surveilance of the surrounding mountains. Tomorrow they will take flight above the Border Princes on these elegant beasts.
Before they part ways for the evening, the Commander also compensates the Heroes with 80 GCs each. The tithe includes an advanced payment for stocking up for their journey to the tower.
TOR-ANROK, DEN OF THE STAR (Tor-Anrok, the Badlands)
The Heroes mount the great Griffons resting at Black Fire Pass, the Dwarf with much more reluctance than the rest... Before they knew it, they were ascending to the skies, lead by the High Commander on his own Griffon. The Heroes made the City of Myrmidia in relatively little time, with only a few stops for rest and replenishment. The gates of the city were not usually opened for outsiders, but the attendance of Griffons and imposing presence of the commander warranted consideration and curiousity in the officials there, some of which were still allied with the Empire. The commander consorts with the officials of the city whilst the Heroes stock up on supplies. After they are reunited, the commander introduces them to their new guides and announces his leaving. He explains that the price of help is steep in these cutthroat lands, so he has paid for the guides with one of the Griffons the Heroes rode in upon. Since the rest of the Griffons would no doubt be needed elsewhere again, the commander bids the Heroes adieu and leads the beasts back towards the Empire.
The journey to the tower was thankfully not eventful, probably due to being on outer side of the Dragonback Mountains and the bulk of Chaos bands passing through the Badlands causing a great distraction. The guides wait outside the tower as the Heroes ascend it...
*QUEST TEXT*: The Altar here holds a mysterious looking stone and a journal that reads: "My beloved, Francesca, I am prisoner here in this ancient structure whilst you no doubt still lay dormant in Gluckshalt. I despise that twisted necromancer that put the curse upon you. She claims that I can use the Star to lift the curse and any other such curse out there... She also claims that her means were harsh, but motives pure... However, I have no doubts that her intent is nefarious and I will be just a puppet to be thrown away when I've served my purposes. This "Star" does not even shine a single ray of light... In fact, it looks much like an ordinary stone, albeit with some strange curvatures. I will try to solve the mysteries of this stone."
The Heroes take the journal with them and the Wizard picks up the stone... Almost immediately, it begins to glow with vibrant colours and project beams much like the sun. This was indeed the Star of Light that may cure the Emperor!
CONCLUSION:
The Hero carrying the Star quickly becomes the primary target of their foe and they are struck by the staff of the Liche, Zargon. The Star becomes his primary focus of attention, allowing the Heroes their escape with relative ease. They were no threat to him.
Upon exiting the tower, they realise that the group of guides had already deserted them before their job was done. They had even taken the Heroes' horses... So, they continue on foot and soon take refuge in a small cave not far from Tor-Anrok. The Wizard reads more of Karlen's journal, hoping for some insight to the Star or the identity of the assailant in the tower:
"I have been studying the book that the necromancers have given me, it is all in ancient Elven and hard to decipher. It seems that they wanted me to look at the pages specifically about awakening the star. They had already read them but did not fully understand the meaning. The book claims that the heart of the holder of the Star must be pure to use it. Either my heart is not pure enough or there is something more to it."
The journal continues:
"I have discovered the reason the star does not shine for me. It seems that we had all been translating the tome improperly... Only those with pure hearts AND intentions can bring this stone to life... And I know, Francesca, that deep down, my want for your restoration is mostly my own selfish desire to hold you once more.".
The Wizard realises that he and his party had no stake in the Emperor's cure and that they were here to help selfessly. They MUST go back to the tower and attempt to take the Star from the hands of evil...
THE QUEST FOR THE SPIRIT BLADE (A foresty Island between Estalia and Ulthuan)
INTRODUCTION:
Morrslieb and Mannslieb shone brightly upon the lands as the Heroes emerged from the cave, the fact they would not be travelling to Tor-Anrok in total darkness provided only a little comfort to them. Soon, the tower was once again within clear sight... But this time, hundreds of skeletons were crawling up from beneath the ground; The remains of a battle that took place at Tor-Anrok long ago. In the distant sky, another source of light appeared; A comet followed by two tails of light. This omen, both good and bad, made the Heroes even more sure of what they were about to do; They braced themselves for a battle they would unlikely win, but may their impact be felt. However, suddenly, marching is heard from another direction; From the north came hundreds of Wood Elves, lead by a beautiful Mage Queen. It seems that the Elves would meet the Undead and the Heroes quickly decided it best to watch for the outcome before making a move... Perhaps they could sneak into the tower whilst the chaos of battle distracts the skeletal sorcerer and his army? They scramble to take cover quickly.
However, as the leader of the army closed in towards the Heroes location the skies grew darker, thunder and lightning soon also settled in. One of the crackles of lightning struck one of the sparse dead trees the Heroes were using to conceal themselves, setting it ablaze and attracting attention. It did not seem a coincidence because the Everqueen had zoned in on the fire and approached. She had noticed the Heroes... However, her voice was not one of threat as she spoke clearly:
"Reveal yourselves to me. I am Ariel, Queen of the Woods and I promise not to harm you.". The Heroes step out and the Everqueen continues; "It is you, the one from my visions. I don't know of your full part in this, but I know you must accompany me to the place in which the blade that can slay the foul Liche rests.". With the need for the Star to cure the Emperor and curiousity to see where the Elf would lead them, they decide to do so.
A rather small portion of the Elven army joins Ariel and the Heroes before Ariel commands the rest of them to begin their assault of Tor-Anrok. The sounds of battle begin to grow distant as they head back North. Ariel explains that Zargon was a very powerful Liche that had learned to stave off death. He had been put to eternal rest by a specially enchanted sword called The Spirit Blade. Thanks to the Wood Elves and High Elves previous conflicts and Ariel's visions, they know where the blade is being kept... The Blade rests in another Elven tower called Tor-Ulthuan and it must be retrieved to put the Liche back in his unwaking prison. She also explains that a few years ago their own artifact, the Star of Light, had been stolen. Nothing was thought of it as the Star had simply became an usual stone and so was considered to have lost it's power; the power to banish all curses upon any person that it's light touches. Only when Zargon was awakened did Ariel have visions of the Heroes, the Blade and Tor-Anrok. With these revelations came realisation of the gravity of the situation. She asks why the Heroes had come to Tor-Anrok and the party explain about the Emperor's condition and their instructions to look for the Star.
Before the Heroes had noticed it, they were in a path entirely different from that which the Heroes had traversed to get to the tower. They had not seen anything like this this path on their way. Soon they found themselves in a place with many roads that were folding and changing in indescribable ways. It was like a hall of mirrors that ebbed and flowed into one another, the path barely discernable to them. "Do not worry, for you are being guided through our sacred ways. Think yourselves very lucky, because you will be some of the few outside of our people to witness it's marvels.".
When the Heroes and the Elves arrive, they see almost an echo of the scene they had left Ariel with; a tower, the unliving and an Elven army. However, these Elves were dressed quite differently to those of the Wood Elves. Their apparel much more akin to the armour of the Imperial army. These, were High Elves.
The Elves of this tower weakened, so Ariel and her retinue join the combat in defense of this place. She instructs the Heroes to go on ahead... It was time for the party to claim the Spirit Blade. They head in alone whilst the skirmish continues.
At the final floor of the tower was a higher concentration of unliving that had seemed to have already wiped out any of the tower's former inhabitants...
TOR-ANROK, HOUSE OF THE LICHE LORD (East of the Border Princes)
INTRODUCTION:
When the Heroes exit Tor-Ulthuan, they see the Elves outside had proven themselves and held steady and all the unliving had fallen. Ariel was already in talks with an important looking High Elf of the tower. The Heroes wait for a moment before they reunite and head once more through the Worldroots back to Tor-Anrok where the battle is still raging. It seems the Liche Lord had been relentlessly raising each and every skeleton since his awakening and even some of the fallen Wood Elves began to battle their former allies in a zombified form. Whilst in parley with the High Elves, Ariel had learned of a secret entrance into Tor-Anrok. She decides it best to keep from the battlefield whilst they launch a surprise attack on the Liche. However, a masked figure intervenes before they enter. It seems this must be one of the necromancers that Karlen had wrote of because she is followed by her own accompaniment of undead. Ariel once again must be distracted, leaving the Heroes conveniently alone once more.
Inside, the ruins had already been fortified and partially restored by the minions of the Liche Lord. It seems as if he is planning on making this sieged tower his temporary home after slaying the attackers. New Traps lay in place as he keeps an eye on the battlefield from an ancient, crumbling window, aside another of the necromancers that had once kept Karlen here.
FINAL CONCLUSION
Upon laying the last blow to the Liche, he retreats to his Throne once more, but the Skeletons do not move this time... It was time for the Heroes to finish this...
As the Spirit Blade is plunged into the Liche Lord one final time everything goes dark, as if all the light that was in the room had been sucked away. The Blade is pulled out and a clunking sound is heard before finally, the light returns to the room. Now, laying on the floor is the skeletal corpse of the Liche Lord, slowly dissipating. Seconds later, a blast is heard. It seems as if the ruins of the tower were going to begin falling apart. The Heroes watch the body fade to nothing before retreating to the Stairway. On the way, they see the Star of Light was upon a pedestal near Zargon's tomb. It had once again lost it's glow until the Wizard picked it up again.
Upon returning to the Battlefield, the Heroes see that all the undead had now dropped to the floor... Not many of Wood Elves were still standing, maybe less than a hundred. It was a bitter sweet victory, but it was finally over.
Ariel finds the Heroes and allows them to borrow the Star of Light, noting that big changes were to happen soon and it may be the best option to save Wilhelm I. However, the Heroes should disguise the Star when bringing it close to the Emperor and to pretend they had not found it as it must be returned to the Wood Elves, for there would be conflict if those conditions were not met.
The ride back to Altdorf was a silent one. The Heroes contemplated about the Liche Lord's death by the same blade that was only able to comatise him before. They also wondered about the Star of Light and if it would work to cure the Emperor. Upon their arrival, the Council had asked the Heroes where they had been, as they requested an update from Black Fire Pass and the reply had informed them of the Heroes departure... The Heroes show the council the instructions the High Commander of Black Fire Pass had given to them. It beared the official seal of the Emperor that only the Council were to use in a unified decision. The council quickly bid them leave as they had important matters to discuss, but the Heroes requested they see their Emperor first if possible. It is allowed to be so.
When the Star was brought close to the Emperor's body nothing changed... At first. Soon, though, the Emperor showed signs of life and movement of his body began. The Heroes left the room and informed the guards of the Emperor's awakening before leaving unnoticed. They met one of Ariel's operatives outside of the city walls and returned the star.
A day or so later, the Heroes were once again called to the Palace. The Council had asked the Heroes when they had last seen Sir Ragnar and wanted details of everything he had asked of them. It seems he had gone missing recently and was under suspicion... The party recounted all that they could about Black Fire Pass, the journey to it and the expedition to Tor-Anrok. Though, they did of course omit the information about finding the Star and the Wood Elves. The Council were trying desperately to understand just how the Emperor fell under his curse and how he had miraculously recovered, but Wilhelm I himself had ordered the Heroes be allowed to join the celebrations as they were the first faces he saw upon opening his eyes for the first time in months. By the light of Sigmar, he had survived and he was going to celebrate.
THE BASTION OF CHAOS (Castle Alexandronov, Troll Country, 2303 IC):
INTRODUCTION:
During the celebrations, Wilhelm I had adressed the Council as well as all the attendees there. Alerted to Magnus Von Bilderhof's visit and request whilst the Emperor lay dormant, Wilhelm I had decided that Altdorf's men would travel to meet the growing forces following Magnus. They would not be accused of cowardice in the face of Chaos. Tomorrow, they were to ride for Kislev.
The councillers ask the Heroes to accompany the reinforcements to the battlefield, push back these foul worshippers of Chaos to their base of operations and then destroy them from within. Also, they are prepared to offer 150 GCs for the execution and head of any commander of this Chaos warband and 40 GCs for each lieutenants' (The Champions of Khorne) body also. Wilhelm I had insisted Altdorf's forces should be the ones to cut off the heads of the commanding units.
A long battle proceeds in the North. The Heroes and the Altdorf army arrive in time of a massive push back from the capital city of Kislev. The Wizard notes that there are human mages taking part in the battle lead by High Elven forces. Amnesty has been declared and the Wizard could freely use his powers before all. Soon after, the Heroes and the armies clear the port city of Erengrad and push the enemy back further to a last bastion; Castle Alexandronov. Kislev and the Empire's combined forces have been dwindling, too, however and so the Heroes break away to search a floor down a stairway. Before they do so, Alexis Romanoff, the Tzar of Kislev, warns the party to be on the lookout for Gulthor, a particularly strong and evil commander of the enemy.
CONCLUSION:
Upon defeating Gulthor, the Heroes spot a note in the room. "This infallible castle was not true to it's name! At least not with our help. The Tzar is a traitor. He is commiting treason upon himself and all of Kislev by moving us out of the city. He claims we are too extreme! There is nothing too extreme when it comes to defense of your people and way of life. Once this placed is taken, he'll have no choice but to see some sense and reinstate us or others in our stead.".
The note appears to be written by the old Chekist agents of Kislev, who once accused even each other of treason against the Tzar. This is most likely due to the mad whisperings of Tzeentch. Perhaps this is why they would even torture their own, with such suspicious minds... When the Tzar found out of the collapse of structure within this once secret group, they were replaced by the Akshina and left with a group of Ice Witches to guard Zvenilev, a secret fort to the north of Kislev. It seems this may have been the final nail in the coffin for the Chekists and the whisperings had driven them to abandon their duties and instead help fall Castle Alexandronov's defences from within, opening it to an attack briefly carried out by Gulthor and his army. This act ultimately led to the swift attack of Erengrad.
I also wanted to add that everything I mention is a proper place or person mentioned officially in a GW release or supplement. I also wanted to make a World map that will show the Heroes' journey. So far, I've only made a rough one. I was also thinking of having the official bits of information on the towns or such added in between the quest pages so that you may choose to get a bit more world building. I wanted to add Monster Bios within a newly written manual (With rules for solo mode), too. The writing is pretty much all finished, but a properly presented version of the Quest Book and Manual will take quite some effort, so for now, here is the story alone:
HEROQUEST BACK STORY: HeroQuest takes place inside a dark world in constant conflict. Within this world is a gathering of provinces known as The Empire (of man). The year is 2302 IC... Unfortunately, it is currently a time of political turmoil, where some of the provinces are at odds with each other. As the conflict has been active for so long now, the forces of the northern Chaos barbarians and their terrible knights have been gathering strength and have now decided to launch an assault southwards; They plan to destroy The Empire and then dominate the rest of the known world, filling it with violence and bloodshed. Fortunately for the weakened The Empire, the neighbouring nation of Kislev has been bearing the brunt of the initial attack so far and staving off the Chaos invasion of The Empire. It is obvious that this defence will not last forever...
At the same time of these terrible machinations and conflict; Two previously Lahmian vampires that had defected to the Von Carstein line and also survived the purge of Sylvania had made an unlikely ally in a seclusive (Yet relatively sane) Necrarch vampire. The trio had already put in motion their own schemes of conquest...
However, our journey starts with a group of ragtag adventurers; A Dwarf known as Durgin from the World's Edge Mountains to the east, a Barbarian known as Rogar; whose family had moved with a small commune to the Frozen Wastes in ancient times (Before the corruption of chaos infected their people), an outcast known as Ladril from the Elves of the wood and a mysterious Arabyan magician known as Telor, who will not elaborate on his origins. Telor must keep his powers hidden from those around him as this is currently a land that views magic with fear and disdain. Together, this motley crew had formed through bonds of their previous solitude and together they were going to look out for each other.
THE HAUNTED MINES (Fortress Ruins, Reikwald Forest)
INTRODUCTION:
"Rumour has it, that long ago, a man named Ollar discovered the entrance to a gold mine. With a small group of workers, he built a compact, concealed fort above the mine to protect it. His greed endless, he died extracting the gold himself after killing the men he hired to do the work for him in an episode of paranoia and rapacity. The mines are guarded to this day by the spectre of Ollar, who is doomed to haunt them, forever desiring the riches within. Not only do the mines have many dark and narrow passages (probably under threat of collapse), but many have never returned from the search for the mines and those who have claim to have barely escaped from the ethereal inhabitant with their lives". The Dwarf struggles to overhear this story from a well travelled adventurer to the bar man, but does manage to get a rough location. He then relays the information to his newly formed group of Heroes. Running short on gold and needing a plan for the future, they have together decided that this will be the first quest they tackle as a team. The isolated mines will also allow the Wizard to use his powers in Reikland without worry about persecution. However, if the Dwarf had listened a little longer he may have also heard that the adventurer claimed to have investigated the place already and that the rumours seemed to be greatly exaggerated; Some of the mine had collapsed and he saw no apparitions in his venture, but more importantly, it also "looked like someone had cleaned the place out a long time ago.".
After some exploration, the Heroes locate the ruins of a small Fort and stumble into the mines below, where it is eerily silent...
*QUEST TEXT*: Here lie the bones of one who has long sice left this world, nearby them is a note that reads: "I will never forgive that traitor! He has injured me, trapped me within these mines and is sneaking away with our gold as I write this! I suppose it's my punishment for standing by after he killed the mining crew that had worked so hard to unearth most of it... But I couldn't deny the riches we would split between us and I didn't want him turning on me. At least I was able to hold on to this ruby. May he face the might of Sigmar's wrath or my own if he should ever return, because I, Ollar Magill, will not leave this place... Even if death should come for me.".
It seems the mines were plundered and emptied long before the Heroes ever set foot in it... Just after reading the scrawled note, the spectre that has been attacking the Heroes appears and inhabits his old bones, reanimating them. It's time to lay Ollar to rest for good, so return to the Game Guide and read the Combat Section. When you are ready to continue, Ollar's full stats are listed below:
*STATS TBD*
CONCLUSION:
Upon cracking the skull of Ollar, the shadow soaked bones drop to the floor. The Heroes take what little they found and return to the surface. They decide the best course of action is to head to Altdorf to sell the ruby for a good price (After all, they had to split it four ways). Along their journey, they return to the tavern in Auerswald for some rest and respite... Little did they know, it would be short lived.
THE RESCUE OF SIR RAGNAR (Reikwald Forest)
INTRODUCTION:
Whilst the party are relaxing, a bloody Altdorf soldier bursts through the tavern doors. Searching for anyone to help him, he loudly spoke of a man named Sir Ragnar and the fact that the soldier and the rest of his retinue were escorting Sir Ragnar back to Altdorf. Apparently they fell under attack from a band of Goblins. The attackers killed most of the men before taking the unarmed Sir Ragnar alive. The few surviving but wounded guards followed the band from a distance; the plan was to trail the assailants until they made camp, then one of the men would head for the nearest settlement to ask for aid... However, it was the dead of night, near closing hour and most had either had too many drinks, or simply weren't willing to leave the village, citing their duty as town guard (But really believing that Ragnar was most likely dead by this point). In this time of infighting, many Reikland soldiers did not feel a duty to Emperor Wilhelm I or his company, either. Now, the Altdorf guard looks for anyone that may be willing to lend a hand. Before the Altdorf soldier finishes his story, the Barbarian rises to his feet... "We will offer our hands." he asserted. The other members of the party looked at each other for a second before standing, too. They would follow the guard to the band's lair.
Upon arriving, they see the band of goblins were taking refuge in a built up cavern. The other Imperial men were nowhere to be found and the one that had lead the party there was far too wounded to be of any use. After a brief chat, the Heroes decided to enter alone...
*QUEST TEXT*: The Heroes enter the prison and tell Sir Ragnar that they are here to rescue him. "They had me fashioning furnishings and working like a dog!" (The captive is unusually outraged instead of anxious), the Heroes reassure him that everything will be okay, they will get him to safety. He will now follow the Heroes through the rest of this floor (Decide who should roll for him and move his miniature). Should all the Heroes become engaged in battle, the enemies will begin to attack Sir Ragnar. He rolls a defence die of only 1 and does not retaliate.
CONCLUSION:
After the Goblin Leader is defeated the, the guard and Sir Ragnar are helped back to the town. The town guardsmen here, now awake and shocked at the Heroes' impressive feat quickly offer help. They also soon offer to accompany Sir Ragnar back to Altdorf. However, Sir Ragnar insists that the Heroes are to join the retinue. Along the journey, the Heroes recount their tales of the Haunted Mines to Sir Ragnar.
When back in Altdorf, the Heroes do not ask for pay for the rescue. However, it just so happens to be that Sir Ragnar is a member of the High Council, consultants of the current Emperor of Altdorf, Wilhelm I, himself. He offered a proposal; He would buy the ruby the Heroes had found within the mines from them for a generous price to thank them for his rescue. He offers 320 GCs and the Heroes split it equally (80 GCs each).
THE TOMB OF TRIALS (Gluckshalt, Reikland)
INTRODUCTION:
Undead have been seen near Gluckshalt, a village with a temple and a sizeable graveyard adorned with statues of fabled warriors from long ago. Although Gluckshalt is considered to be a village that is under Altdorf's protection due to it's close proximity, the men of Altdorf are preoccupied. There have been many catastrophic events as of recent, including attacks from the men of the North and Greenskins from the forest... On top of the continued infighting, no more men can be spared to help investigate Gluckshalt as of right now. Sir Ragnar, another High Council member, recalls the story of the ruby and his brave rescue by the Heroes and puts them forth as a solution. The Emperor agrees and asks them to lend their hands.
After talking to the locals of the village and putting together a map of likely areas the undead could have come from, the Heroes have arrived at an old Crypt not far from the village. The entrance looks as if it has recently been disturbed. Inside, there are torches still lit and furnishings not long used. The Heroes must be careful, as this crypt is also said to house the body of Felmarg, a giant warrior of old known for his vicious scythe skills. If he has been raised with the rest of the bodies, he must be slain.
CONCLUSION:
The Heroes had no answers, the only thing they were certain of is that a Necromancer had very recently been operating in the crypt. Who were they and why were they there? For now, the Crypt has been cleared and the Heroes will report to the Emperor, who will no doubt order all of the unusual contents of the crypt be seized as evidence. The Heroes have been paid 40 GCs each.
THE EMPIRE'S GOLD (Tallerhof, Reikland)
INTRODUCTION:
Sir Ragnar has commissioned the Heroes to help train the militiamen at the village of Tallerhof. The Wizard can not reveal his powers in Reikland still and so follows to offer his services as a scholar instead... Whilst the Heroes are busy in Tallerhof, Sir Ragnar himself rides into the village in a state of urgency. He is claiming that three Treasure Chests carried by the Imperial escorted carts were stolen by some Orcs and Goblins on the way to Altdorf. They each contained a sum of gold mined from the mountains. Sir Ragnar had joined the Imperial escorts along their route and had managed to flee the onslaught. Feeling it was his dilligent duty to make up for the oversight and focused preservation of his own life, he hired some huntsmen and accompanied them as they tracked the band (And missing gold) to their hideout. Sir Ragnar feels that the militia of Tallerhof are still too inexperienced and their numbers too small, so it has been decided that they should all remain where they are to protect the village as lives take priority over gold. The Heroes overhear Sir Ragnar's proclamations and decide to go in their stead. Sir Ragnar says that he had almost forgotten he had hired the Heroes to help here and is overjoyed at their bravery once again. He will lead them to the band's hideout and make sure nothing escapes the cave.
CONCLUSION:
Upon defeating Ulag, the Heroes notice a couple of goblins leering at them from the shadows beyond the entrance of the room. They give chase all the way to the entrance of the cave where Sir Ragnar steps aside to avoid confonrtation. Sir Ragnar admits he is not a good fighter and that he had even hired the Heroes to train the militia of Tallerhof just in case something happened to the transports he was guarding. He took comfort in the knowledge that the same Heroes that had saved him before would be nearby. The Heroes have ended the main threat and saved the Empire's gold!
Upon returning to Altdorf the Emperor is informed of the situation. The council question how the Orcs knew about these containers of Gold or why they'd even want them. Sir Ragnar theorises it could be to lure more humans from the roads and into a trap. A troubling event indeed, but for now the council tithe the party 50 GCs each.
MELAR'S MAZE (The Barren Hills, Talabecland)
INTRODUCTION:
Long ago, a powerful wizard by the name of Melar was gifted a Talisman of Lore, thought to be shaped by the Goddess of Lore, Verena. It enhances the wearer's knowledge of magic. It is rumoured that the wizard hid the Talisman in his underground lair, at the heart of his maze, outside of civilised settlements. No merit has been given to these rumours due to adventurers previously investigating an underground structure that fit the description of Melar's Maze and finding nothing of interest. However, recent activity by servants of Chaos has been spotted near this very same location within the once Green Hills near the monastery of Priestlicheim. The monks at Priestlicheim were Sigmarites at heart and made haste in reporting this to Altdorf, choosing to ignore the fact that the Barren Hills are within the borders of Middenland.
Apparently the enemy didn't appear to be great in number, so Emperor Wilhelm I has chosen the Heroes of renoun to be sent for by the Emperor's council. They are to defeat these foes and uncover their plans.
When arriving at the location within the now Barren Hills, the Heroes are left to survey it and lay in wait for any more Chaos followers to be seen. They must also keep hidden from the threat of fell beasts that stalk the area. Many hours passed and the Heroes had almost decided to give up, but sure enough, those that worship the dark gods were seen... Followers of Slaanesh, the filthy obsessive. The Heroes follow them and upon finding the entrance to Melar's Maze, slay those that they tailed. Now, they take the long, winding stairway down into the uncovered structure.
*QUEST TEXT*: After defeating the Sorcerer, the Heroes find a note on the table: "Still nothing! The notes left by Melar are cryptic nonsense and I'm starting to doubt the Talisman is even here.". Nearby is another, much older looking, note. This one reads: "One must be as if a Spectre to find the hidden treasure".
*QUEST TEXT 2*: In this room the Heroes find the Talisman of Lor upon a body within the Casket. A final note accompanies it: I can only hope this Talisman has found a worthy successor as I could not find one at the time of my passing and so I chose to keep it with me. May you continue of your journey of unravelling the mystery of magic, stranger."
CONCLUSION:
The Heroes return to Altdorf with the news of slaying the cult, but their arrival is not met with joy. It seems that the Emperor has now fallen gravely ill and can not wake. The council, in their panic with all the recent turmoil and Emperor's illness, have little interest in the Heroes' story but trust their good will and loyalty so tell them of the Emperor's ailments and ask them to keep it secret. They then reward the each Hero with 40 GCs and send them on their way.
THE LOST WIZARD (Gluckshalt, Reikland)
INTRODUCTION:
Only a couple of days after the news of the Emperor's illness, the Heroes have once again been called upon, this time by his most trusted council. The council spared no expense tracking down methods to attempt to cure the Emperor's ailments and awaken him, but to no avail. Due to their recent triumphs, the councillors have asked the Heroes to track down Karlen, the Emperor's personal Alchemist and Healing Wizard who has mysteriously went missing not long after the Emperor fell ill. It seems that Karlen's wife, Francesca (Who lives in the village of Gluckshalt), fell under the same sickness as Wilhelm I a while before the Emperor. Along with the undead previously seen in Gluckshalt, the circumstances surrounding Karlen are suspicious. The council have specified that he must be brought back alive and showed the Heroes a sketch of Karlen.
The Heroes head to the last known whereabouts of Karlen; the village of Gluckshalt, the same town that previously had activity of Necromancers near to it. The village seemed emptier than the Heroes' last visit. The first militia guard they saw had stopped them on their arrival. He spoke swiftly; "It's great to see you all again, but I wish the circumstances were better. We have just sent word to Altdorf requesting any help that may be spared in these times of war. Many villagers were kidnapped within the last 2 days and yet again more undead have been spotted. This time they were inside the town itself and were even attacking some children. We've had guards at every entrance since before they were seen, so we couldn't understand how they had entered. It was only on the second night that some of the villagers noticed that some of the graves from the yard had been unearthed and one of the statues guarding one had been removed. Also, on the night that last fell, we began to suspect these foul undead had been coming from the old Wardoz residence.". The Heroes head to the house and soon find a hidden basement within...
CONCLUSION: After defeating Karlen, the Heroes find a note on the Alchemy Bench: "I regret what I've done! I wanted to go back and at least offer what help I could to find a cure before I no doubt faced punishment... However, I'm now doomed to slowly rot under this house of ours, my beloved. There is no escape and I have failed you, Francesca. I..." (The rest of the note has been torn away). It seems to implicate that Karlen was perhaps responsible for poisoning the Emperor. Maybe he had poisoned his own wife by accident and figured the best chance of getting a cure was to poison someone of great importance... The Heroes take Karlen and his note with them.
When the Heroes return to Altdorf, the body of Karlen Wardoz is delivered. The councilman they meet has a look of fury upon his face when seeing Karlen's body. However, the Heroes explaind the situation and also hand over the note found in Karlen's study. The councilman's face turns from anger to despair before he meets with the rest of the High Council. After talking for a while, they comment that they are yet to decide on the next best course of action for the situation and proceed to reward each Hero with 50 GCs each.
With all that the Heroes have done for the Empire, they are permitted temporary residence within the palace in case they may be needed again. On the next night, the Heroes look up to see a Twin Tailed Comet in the sky...
REVENGE OF THE ORC WARLORD (Mattersheim, Averland)
INTRODUCTION:
Countless healers have since been brought in to attempt to cure the Emperor's sickness and revive him from slumber, but none have been succesful. So now archivists are employed to search Altdorf's great libraries for a possible cure for the Emperor... To make things worse, the Chaos incursions within the land are intensifying, including from within Nuln and the High Council has had to send more Altdorf soldiers outside of it's walls to help the men of Reikland and to allied provinces. The Heroes have entered official employment within the Imperial army and have been ordered to join a retinue heading to help defend Black Fire Pass, a place of great significance to the Sigmarites of Altdorf and also a place of strategic importance to Averland - the only neighbouring province that remains on good terms with Reikland.
Part way through the Heroes journey, they notice a village fuming with smoke in the distance. The party move to investigate the village of Mattersheim, but little can be found but ashes and bodies. Surely there were no survivors of this nightmare... They were so shocked at the scene of carnage before them that they failed to notice a familiar goblin leering at them from in the shadows. This goblin soon ran to it's master, who just so happens to be Grak, a pillaging pal of Ulag. Grak had been informed by the goblin that the same Heroes who killed it's former master were now isolated in the village ruins that Grak's band had taken up residence in. Grak orders his group of Orcs and Goblins together to ambush the group and kidnap the Heroes... He wants them alive and captured with the rest of the survivors he took from Mattersheim as slaves.
The Heroes and Altdorf men try desperately to overcome the Orcs and Goblins, slaying many in the process, but they ultimately become overwhelmed. The Altdorf soldiers are killed and the Heroes are knocked unconscious... They awake within a locked room to the sound of grunts and screams. They are also defenseless, left only in their undergarments with no weapons. Soon enough, Grak comes to check on them, he then orders his Orcs to start slaying the slaves they had taken from the village, starting with the one in front of the Heroes' very eyes. This, was his revenge for their intrusion and murder of Ulag.
So confident and disturbed was the Orc leader, he instructs the Orc in the room to unbolt the door after killing the slave next to him before walking away... He wanted to see how far the Heroes would get and how many slaves they would watch die. The Orc proceeds with Grak's commands... The Heroes will have to fight bare fisted to save the captives until they find their belongings.
*QUEST TEXT*: The Heroes open the prison door and see a woman of noble aesthetics within. They inform her they have destroyed the leader of the band and she is safe now. She responds: "I... They...". Feeling some semblance of safety for the first time in a while, the noble begins to let out a flood of tears. The Heroes are not sure on what she endured, but reassure her that things will be okay, but it's best to get moving to a safer settlement.
CONCLUSION:
The slaves that the Heroes have managed to save are grateful. It turns out that the woman they rescued, Lady Meywulf, was the noble owner of the rather large farmland abode they were trapped in with the Heroes. She asks the Heroes to escort her and her farmhands to the nearby town of Lengenfeld where the noble has a second property.
As soon as the party arrives, Lady Meywulf's husband insists on rewarding the Heroes for their actions and extra for their farm hands, despite the parties protests. He pays the party 80 GCs for her safe return. As a bonus, for each farm hand you saved, 40 GCs are rewarded.
THE SORCERER OF FLAMES (Black Fire Pass, south of the Empire)
INTRODUCTION:
Nearly a week and a half later, the party finally arrives at the Black Fire Pass outpost. The Heroes are quickly offered residence and begin their work there. Before long, they are informed that a breakaway group of Chaos worshippers has been spotted around this area. No one knows of the aim of the intruders, but some say they've recently seen the mythical "Frost Dragon" and that both events might be connected. The Reikland men of the outpost have witnessed the heretical forces moving in and out of a cavern carved within a crag North East of Black Fire Pass. A fairly succesful attempt was made to ambush them, however some of the worshippers retreated and it is suspected that some agents of the Chaos Band still remain within this crag. When the men tried to follow, they soon realised how deep and winding the tunnels are and the tricks of the Tzeentch followers made it impossible for them to escape. Worst of all, they seem to be lead by a powerful Fire Sorcerer who is responsible for the deaths of many of the outpost's men. The few scouts who made it back out of the crag in time suspect that the followers of Tzeentch are now low on numbers but the results of sending in another force of Imperial men will probably fare no better than the last. With the threat of the Chaos incursions from the south ever looming and possible attack of Orcs from the mountains, the risks are simply too high to spare any more men from Black Fire Pass. The High Commander of the outpost had received a Messenger Hawk from Altdorf in which he was told to employ the Heroes services in such situations, so he has requested that they lead a stealthier assault on the hideout of this filfth and put an end to their leader's schemes.
*QUEST NOTE*: Upon reducing Balur's Body Points to 0, a note on the Altar is found, it reads: "The Dragon of Frost was finally found, slumbering deep within the mountains below us. These foolish Warriors and meager puppets could not stop it from leaving and many died trying. Our great Lord of Change will form them new in a way he sees fit, anyway. What bothers me is that my spells of subjugation and fire were not enough to fell the creature either, though... It must be stronger than we had initially though and therefor definitely worth corrupting for our own purposes. I predict it will return some day soon enough and we might succeed next time. One success has arisen from this venture, though; The Orc's Bane sword I had enchanted seems to be stunning those mindless creatures as intended. It was a gift from our Lord that we were to come to these mountains so I could have plenty of subjects to test it upon. Perhaps I will endeavour to make similar weapons for all of our enemies...".
CONCLUSION:
Upon arriving back at Black Fire Pass, the Heroes also recall their findings and give the Sorcerer's note to the High Commander. He says he will continue to be on the lookout for both the dragon and any further Chaos activity. Unfortunately, there is not the time to celebrate as the High Commander handed them instructions delivered by a Messenger Hawk to lead the Heroes to the City of Myrmidia. He proceeds to introduce them to the Griffons who had recently returned from surveilance of the surrounding mountains. Tomorrow they will take flight above the Border Princes on these elegant beasts.
Before they part ways for the evening, the Commander also compensates the Heroes with 80 GCs each. The tithe includes an advanced payment for stocking up for their journey to the tower.
TOR-ANROK, DEN OF THE STAR (Tor-Anrok, the Badlands)
The Heroes mount the great Griffons resting at Black Fire Pass, the Dwarf with much more reluctance than the rest... Before they knew it, they were ascending to the skies, lead by the High Commander on his own Griffon. The Heroes made the City of Myrmidia in relatively little time, with only a few stops for rest and replenishment. The gates of the city were not usually opened for outsiders, but the attendance of Griffons and imposing presence of the commander warranted consideration and curiousity in the officials there, some of which were still allied with the Empire. The commander consorts with the officials of the city whilst the Heroes stock up on supplies. After they are reunited, the commander introduces them to their new guides and announces his leaving. He explains that the price of help is steep in these cutthroat lands, so he has paid for the guides with one of the Griffons the Heroes rode in upon. Since the rest of the Griffons would no doubt be needed elsewhere again, the commander bids the Heroes adieu and leads the beasts back towards the Empire.
The journey to the tower was thankfully not eventful, probably due to being on outer side of the Dragonback Mountains and the bulk of Chaos bands passing through the Badlands causing a great distraction. The guides wait outside the tower as the Heroes ascend it...
*QUEST TEXT*: The Altar here holds a mysterious looking stone and a journal that reads: "My beloved, Francesca, I am prisoner here in this ancient structure whilst you no doubt still lay dormant in Gluckshalt. I despise that twisted necromancer that put the curse upon you. She claims that I can use the Star to lift the curse and any other such curse out there... She also claims that her means were harsh, but motives pure... However, I have no doubts that her intent is nefarious and I will be just a puppet to be thrown away when I've served my purposes. This "Star" does not even shine a single ray of light... In fact, it looks much like an ordinary stone, albeit with some strange curvatures. I will try to solve the mysteries of this stone."
The Heroes take the journal with them and the Wizard picks up the stone... Almost immediately, it begins to glow with vibrant colours and project beams much like the sun. This was indeed the Star of Light that may cure the Emperor!
CONCLUSION:
The Hero carrying the Star quickly becomes the primary target of their foe and they are struck by the staff of the Liche, Zargon. The Star becomes his primary focus of attention, allowing the Heroes their escape with relative ease. They were no threat to him.
Upon exiting the tower, they realise that the group of guides had already deserted them before their job was done. They had even taken the Heroes' horses... So, they continue on foot and soon take refuge in a small cave not far from Tor-Anrok. The Wizard reads more of Karlen's journal, hoping for some insight to the Star or the identity of the assailant in the tower:
"I have been studying the book that the necromancers have given me, it is all in ancient Elven and hard to decipher. It seems that they wanted me to look at the pages specifically about awakening the star. They had already read them but did not fully understand the meaning. The book claims that the heart of the holder of the Star must be pure to use it. Either my heart is not pure enough or there is something more to it."
The journal continues:
"I have discovered the reason the star does not shine for me. It seems that we had all been translating the tome improperly... Only those with pure hearts AND intentions can bring this stone to life... And I know, Francesca, that deep down, my want for your restoration is mostly my own selfish desire to hold you once more.".
The Wizard realises that he and his party had no stake in the Emperor's cure and that they were here to help selfessly. They MUST go back to the tower and attempt to take the Star from the hands of evil...
THE QUEST FOR THE SPIRIT BLADE (A foresty Island between Estalia and Ulthuan)
INTRODUCTION:
Morrslieb and Mannslieb shone brightly upon the lands as the Heroes emerged from the cave, the fact they would not be travelling to Tor-Anrok in total darkness provided only a little comfort to them. Soon, the tower was once again within clear sight... But this time, hundreds of skeletons were crawling up from beneath the ground; The remains of a battle that took place at Tor-Anrok long ago. In the distant sky, another source of light appeared; A comet followed by two tails of light. This omen, both good and bad, made the Heroes even more sure of what they were about to do; They braced themselves for a battle they would unlikely win, but may their impact be felt. However, suddenly, marching is heard from another direction; From the north came hundreds of Wood Elves, lead by a beautiful Mage Queen. It seems that the Elves would meet the Undead and the Heroes quickly decided it best to watch for the outcome before making a move... Perhaps they could sneak into the tower whilst the chaos of battle distracts the skeletal sorcerer and his army? They scramble to take cover quickly.
However, as the leader of the army closed in towards the Heroes location the skies grew darker, thunder and lightning soon also settled in. One of the crackles of lightning struck one of the sparse dead trees the Heroes were using to conceal themselves, setting it ablaze and attracting attention. It did not seem a coincidence because the Everqueen had zoned in on the fire and approached. She had noticed the Heroes... However, her voice was not one of threat as she spoke clearly:
"Reveal yourselves to me. I am Ariel, Queen of the Woods and I promise not to harm you.". The Heroes step out and the Everqueen continues; "It is you, the one from my visions. I don't know of your full part in this, but I know you must accompany me to the place in which the blade that can slay the foul Liche rests.". With the need for the Star to cure the Emperor and curiousity to see where the Elf would lead them, they decide to do so.
A rather small portion of the Elven army joins Ariel and the Heroes before Ariel commands the rest of them to begin their assault of Tor-Anrok. The sounds of battle begin to grow distant as they head back North. Ariel explains that Zargon was a very powerful Liche that had learned to stave off death. He had been put to eternal rest by a specially enchanted sword called The Spirit Blade. Thanks to the Wood Elves and High Elves previous conflicts and Ariel's visions, they know where the blade is being kept... The Blade rests in another Elven tower called Tor-Ulthuan and it must be retrieved to put the Liche back in his unwaking prison. She also explains that a few years ago their own artifact, the Star of Light, had been stolen. Nothing was thought of it as the Star had simply became an usual stone and so was considered to have lost it's power; the power to banish all curses upon any person that it's light touches. Only when Zargon was awakened did Ariel have visions of the Heroes, the Blade and Tor-Anrok. With these revelations came realisation of the gravity of the situation. She asks why the Heroes had come to Tor-Anrok and the party explain about the Emperor's condition and their instructions to look for the Star.
Before the Heroes had noticed it, they were in a path entirely different from that which the Heroes had traversed to get to the tower. They had not seen anything like this this path on their way. Soon they found themselves in a place with many roads that were folding and changing in indescribable ways. It was like a hall of mirrors that ebbed and flowed into one another, the path barely discernable to them. "Do not worry, for you are being guided through our sacred ways. Think yourselves very lucky, because you will be some of the few outside of our people to witness it's marvels.".
When the Heroes and the Elves arrive, they see almost an echo of the scene they had left Ariel with; a tower, the unliving and an Elven army. However, these Elves were dressed quite differently to those of the Wood Elves. Their apparel much more akin to the armour of the Imperial army. These, were High Elves.
The Elves of this tower weakened, so Ariel and her retinue join the combat in defense of this place. She instructs the Heroes to go on ahead... It was time for the party to claim the Spirit Blade. They head in alone whilst the skirmish continues.
At the final floor of the tower was a higher concentration of unliving that had seemed to have already wiped out any of the tower's former inhabitants...
TOR-ANROK, HOUSE OF THE LICHE LORD (East of the Border Princes)
INTRODUCTION:
When the Heroes exit Tor-Ulthuan, they see the Elves outside had proven themselves and held steady and all the unliving had fallen. Ariel was already in talks with an important looking High Elf of the tower. The Heroes wait for a moment before they reunite and head once more through the Worldroots back to Tor-Anrok where the battle is still raging. It seems the Liche Lord had been relentlessly raising each and every skeleton since his awakening and even some of the fallen Wood Elves began to battle their former allies in a zombified form. Whilst in parley with the High Elves, Ariel had learned of a secret entrance into Tor-Anrok. She decides it best to keep from the battlefield whilst they launch a surprise attack on the Liche. However, a masked figure intervenes before they enter. It seems this must be one of the necromancers that Karlen had wrote of because she is followed by her own accompaniment of undead. Ariel once again must be distracted, leaving the Heroes conveniently alone once more.
Inside, the ruins had already been fortified and partially restored by the minions of the Liche Lord. It seems as if he is planning on making this sieged tower his temporary home after slaying the attackers. New Traps lay in place as he keeps an eye on the battlefield from an ancient, crumbling window, aside another of the necromancers that had once kept Karlen here.
FINAL CONCLUSION
Upon laying the last blow to the Liche, he retreats to his Throne once more, but the Skeletons do not move this time... It was time for the Heroes to finish this...
As the Spirit Blade is plunged into the Liche Lord one final time everything goes dark, as if all the light that was in the room had been sucked away. The Blade is pulled out and a clunking sound is heard before finally, the light returns to the room. Now, laying on the floor is the skeletal corpse of the Liche Lord, slowly dissipating. Seconds later, a blast is heard. It seems as if the ruins of the tower were going to begin falling apart. The Heroes watch the body fade to nothing before retreating to the Stairway. On the way, they see the Star of Light was upon a pedestal near Zargon's tomb. It had once again lost it's glow until the Wizard picked it up again.
Upon returning to the Battlefield, the Heroes see that all the undead had now dropped to the floor... Not many of Wood Elves were still standing, maybe less than a hundred. It was a bitter sweet victory, but it was finally over.
Ariel finds the Heroes and allows them to borrow the Star of Light, noting that big changes were to happen soon and it may be the best option to save Wilhelm I. However, the Heroes should disguise the Star when bringing it close to the Emperor and to pretend they had not found it as it must be returned to the Wood Elves, for there would be conflict if those conditions were not met.
The ride back to Altdorf was a silent one. The Heroes contemplated about the Liche Lord's death by the same blade that was only able to comatise him before. They also wondered about the Star of Light and if it would work to cure the Emperor. Upon their arrival, the Council had asked the Heroes where they had been, as they requested an update from Black Fire Pass and the reply had informed them of the Heroes departure... The Heroes show the council the instructions the High Commander of Black Fire Pass had given to them. It beared the official seal of the Emperor that only the Council were to use in a unified decision. The council quickly bid them leave as they had important matters to discuss, but the Heroes requested they see their Emperor first if possible. It is allowed to be so.
When the Star was brought close to the Emperor's body nothing changed... At first. Soon, though, the Emperor showed signs of life and movement of his body began. The Heroes left the room and informed the guards of the Emperor's awakening before leaving unnoticed. They met one of Ariel's operatives outside of the city walls and returned the star.
A day or so later, the Heroes were once again called to the Palace. The Council had asked the Heroes when they had last seen Sir Ragnar and wanted details of everything he had asked of them. It seems he had gone missing recently and was under suspicion... The party recounted all that they could about Black Fire Pass, the journey to it and the expedition to Tor-Anrok. Though, they did of course omit the information about finding the Star and the Wood Elves. The Council were trying desperately to understand just how the Emperor fell under his curse and how he had miraculously recovered, but Wilhelm I himself had ordered the Heroes be allowed to join the celebrations as they were the first faces he saw upon opening his eyes for the first time in months. By the light of Sigmar, he had survived and he was going to celebrate.
THE BASTION OF CHAOS (Castle Alexandronov, Troll Country, 2303 IC):
INTRODUCTION:
During the celebrations, Wilhelm I had adressed the Council as well as all the attendees there. Alerted to Magnus Von Bilderhof's visit and request whilst the Emperor lay dormant, Wilhelm I had decided that Altdorf's men would travel to meet the growing forces following Magnus. They would not be accused of cowardice in the face of Chaos. Tomorrow, they were to ride for Kislev.
The councillers ask the Heroes to accompany the reinforcements to the battlefield, push back these foul worshippers of Chaos to their base of operations and then destroy them from within. Also, they are prepared to offer 150 GCs for the execution and head of any commander of this Chaos warband and 40 GCs for each lieutenants' (The Champions of Khorne) body also. Wilhelm I had insisted Altdorf's forces should be the ones to cut off the heads of the commanding units.
A long battle proceeds in the North. The Heroes and the Altdorf army arrive in time of a massive push back from the capital city of Kislev. The Wizard notes that there are human mages taking part in the battle lead by High Elven forces. Amnesty has been declared and the Wizard could freely use his powers before all. Soon after, the Heroes and the armies clear the port city of Erengrad and push the enemy back further to a last bastion; Castle Alexandronov. Kislev and the Empire's combined forces have been dwindling, too, however and so the Heroes break away to search a floor down a stairway. Before they do so, Alexis Romanoff, the Tzar of Kislev, warns the party to be on the lookout for Gulthor, a particularly strong and evil commander of the enemy.
CONCLUSION:
Upon defeating Gulthor, the Heroes spot a note in the room. "This infallible castle was not true to it's name! At least not with our help. The Tzar is a traitor. He is commiting treason upon himself and all of Kislev by moving us out of the city. He claims we are too extreme! There is nothing too extreme when it comes to defense of your people and way of life. Once this placed is taken, he'll have no choice but to see some sense and reinstate us or others in our stead.".
The note appears to be written by the old Chekist agents of Kislev, who once accused even each other of treason against the Tzar. This is most likely due to the mad whisperings of Tzeentch. Perhaps this is why they would even torture their own, with such suspicious minds... When the Tzar found out of the collapse of structure within this once secret group, they were replaced by the Akshina and left with a group of Ice Witches to guard Zvenilev, a secret fort to the north of Kislev. It seems this may have been the final nail in the coffin for the Chekists and the whisperings had driven them to abandon their duties and instead help fall Castle Alexandronov's defences from within, opening it to an attack briefly carried out by Gulthor and his army. This act ultimately led to the swift attack of Erengrad.
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