Episode 41: "Von Plotzkanal's Horological Tower" Report

General Summary

The Enemy Within: Death on the Reik Episode 41 - “Von Plotzkanal’s Horological Tower” 8/6/24 Post-Game Notes   Day 113 - Bezahltag, 31 Brauzeit, 2512 IC After a good night’s sleep (in which Kris regains a smidge of vitality), the Crew plans on tying up a few loose ends in Kemperbad before continuing upriver. It seems that it would be best not to tarry in Kemperbad; one or two days at the most. Rumors continue to circulate that the Gravin and her agents were responsible for unleashing hell on the trial, and other parties seem to be getting ever closer to doing something sinister with Karl.

• They start by looking for a buyer for their copper ore. The Crew finds Burkhard Winkler, a local merchant, and talk him into paying 80 GC for the load.
• From there, the four would-be river traders maneuver about the merchant district until they score a case of Kemperbad brandy from Alram Holz, for the relatively good price of 55 GC.
• They head to the plaza square that houses Von Plotzkanal’s Horological Clocktower, and are mystified by the countless gears, dials, and counterweights comprising this elaborate chronoscope. The tower is a 12-foot machine covered in beaten brass, its nine faces studded with doors, clock faces, and automatic hourglasses. They circle about, but can find no entry point that might house a playing card, or even any noticeable seams of craftsmanship. Some of them only barely connect some of the functions to common indicators, like time or season. God sees more than the others… enough that he gets dizzy at one point.
• The Crew meets Dr. Rosmarin Kuhn, who is studying the tower and making notes. She is obsessed with the device and compliments Godabert on some of his more astute perceptions regarding its machinations. She claims that she has “solved” the mystery of the engineers tower, and plans to construct a similar tower in a new city – likely Middenheim.
• Dr. Kuhn also tells the Crew about the tragic events that followed Gerd Von Plotzkanal’s departure for the sanatorium. After the engineer was committed to the Great Hospice, his remaining family, a niece and her husband Hannes Richter (one of the judicial magistrates in town) were meant to organize the engineer’s apartment. But only two days after Gerd’s departure, a fire consumed the whole building. Anyway… she can be reached at her local tavern, The Snoring Worker, if they have other questions.
• Then, suddenly, Godabert passes the fuck out.

  The Crew goes back to the Sfartz manor to put God to bed, then they head back to the courthouse to talk to Herr Richter about the clocktower engineer. Court is closed for repairs. Onlookers seem to recognize the Crew and they overhear conversations that run the gamut from admiration to suspicion to accusation.

• A guard, who is on the side of the admirers, agrees to see if Herr Richter will see the Crew. After a few minutes they are led inside, up the stairs, and into Richter’s office.
• The conversation, in a large office, sparsely furnished apart from an extravagant bookcase behind Richter’s desk, begins cordially. The Crew is introduced to Richter’s clerk, who predicts that the baseless rumors regarding the Crew’s involvement in the demon summoning will subside within the week.
• When the Crew starts to inquire about Von Plotzkanal, and the unfortunate fire, Richter gets cagey. He excuses his clerk, and then fumbles through various stories. All three PC’s know he is hiding something.
• Eventually, with calm, perseverance, and no small amount of charm, the Crew extract the whole story: Gerd von Plotzkanal was committed to the Great Hospice three years ago by his niece, Margery Richter, and her husband the magistrate. Not long after, Margery died suddenly. The official report listed it as a stroke, but Hannes covered up the fact that the woman gouged out her own eyes and choked on her own blood. Going through Gerd’s apartment after he was shipped off to the sanatorium, piles of notebooks and occult tomes were uncovered, many of which, even to the untrained, pointed at something demonic. It was one of these notebooks that caused Margery to kill herself. This was a scandal-in-waiting, and a threat to Richter’s political standing. He had the building torched. Nothing (ahem) survived the fire.
• While Richter is telling the story, Karl makes note of a particular shelf of books, upon which there is one volume with an unmarked spine.
• The Crew leaves, and Karl deftly picks the lock of the adjoining office, a large space seemingly reserved for guild workers. They wait and listen for Richter’s departure.
• They don’t wait long as the magistrate seems in a hurry to leave. Carefully timed between guard patrols, Karl once again (just in time!) picks a lock, this time of Richter’s office, and they steal inside.
• The suspicious book has been hollowed out and it holds the remnants of charred Reiklander tarock cards. Under the ashes, unharmed and ominously weighty despite its apparent make-up, is a card from the infamous Deck of Many Things… The Bonesaw!

Back at the Sfartz manor, God wakes up. His fingertips ache – because he had bitten them off while blacked out. His bedsheet is on the floor, scrawled completely in indecipherable runes. God collects his linens and hides them in his pack.   When the Crew returns with news and the card, God relays his experience, and they decide to include some of the scrawlings in an update letter to Christophe.     Interlude:   “Okay, so I’ve copied some of this random shit down.” Beau cocks his head and looks intently at the blank sheet of paper. “I think. Hard to tell what the fuck I’m writing when it disappears like that.”   “Well some of it is fine. We don’t have too many sheets to spare, and we need space to update Christophe on the card.” Godabert puts his chin in his hand and sighs. “I guess we can tell him the whole story when we see him back in Altdorf.”   “Vampire sigil, Sanguine Brotherhood, bonesaw card, Godabert's demonic wet dreams... So what else do I need to write?”   “Send money,” Kris hisses.   “Send where?” Karl laughs. “We’re not even sure where we’re going.”   Kris shrugs.   “Welp, doesn’t hurt.” Beau scribbles a few more words, smiles with satisfaction, and folds the foolscap in half.   “Right. We have an idea as to where we’re going.” Godabert loves correcting Karl. “Black Peaks by way of Grissenwald.”   “Where the dwarves are all drunks.” Karl loves showing that he pays attention.   “Indeed. Now, some rest for our frog-throated friend,” God glances at Kris, who is thoroughly unamused. “And in the morning we can pick up his spooky armor en route to the docks.”   “Imma go post this.” Beau slides out of the Sfartz study. “Pretty sure I saw a post office next to the brothel.” * * *

Rewards Granted

XP:

• 10 for turning their first profit as river traders (All)
• 15 for uncovering the backstory on Von Plotzkanal
• 15 for staring a little too hard into the Abyss (God)
• 15 for getting the truth out of Richter and enacting some glorious cloak-and-dagger work (Karl, Beau, and Kris)
• 50 for obtaining a third card from The Deck of Many Things (Party short-term ambition)
• 25 for a spiffy sesh

Godabert: 115 Beau: 115 Karl: 115 Kris: 115   Loot:

• 10 encumbrance points of cargo: Kemperbad brandy (“excellent” quality)
• The Bonesaw card

Character(s) interacted with

Locations scouted and new NPC’s engaged:   Kemperbad, merchant district and surrounding area

• Burkhard Winkler, merchant
• Alram Holz, merchant
• Dr. Rosmarin Kuhn, engineer