La tour à signaux
General Summary
Karl et Rayaar se retrouvent au port après deux semaines passées à Altdorf. Karl est maintenant l’apprenti de Heironymous et il explique à Rayaar avoir choisi de se spécialiser dans la magie du feu. Il indique également n’être qu’au début de sa formation et ne connaitre que quelques petits sorts.
Rayaar raconte de son côté s’être rapprochée de la guilde des chasseurs de primes d'Altdorf . Mais après enquête, son dirigeant a découvert qu’elle était impliquée dans la mort d’Adolfus Kuftsos. à Weissbruck … membre de cette même guilde ! Il a donc donné un choix à Rayaar : soit payer l’amende de 100 pièces d’or, soit faire effacer son nom des registres impériaux concernant cette affaire. La femme du fleuve décide prendre le temps de la réflexion et à hâte de quitter Altdorf.
Alors que la discussion se termine, un grand voyageur se présente : Il s’agit du Colonel Olaf Sievers qui s’est mis d’accord avec Rayaar pour voyager sur l’EHR jusqu’à Grissenwald. Le trio lève donc l’ancre et commence à remonter le Reik à contre-courant.
Les premiers jours de voyages se passent dans le calme. Rayaar pilotant la barge et péchant quelques menus poissons. Karl prenant un peu de repos et lisant quelques ouvrages érudits après deux semaines visiblement intenses à Altdorf.
Olaf Sievers profite de ce temps pour raconter son histoire : Membre des Ostlanders impériaux, un régiment historique des forces impériales. Ce groupe a été formé il y a plusieurs générations pour s’opposer aux invasions gobelins de Grom La Panse. La famille Sievers a depuis eu ses membres participant à cette force militaire. Olaf ne fait pas exception et s’est entrainé depuis son plus jeune âge au maniement des armes, avec l’ambition affichée de rejoindre le régiment de renom.
Maintenant plus âgé, Sievers fait partie de la garnison qui protège le col du Feu Noir, au Sud Est de l’empire, dans les montagnes du Bord de Monde. Inquiet des incursions de plus en plus régulières des troupes d’Orcs et Gobelins, il s’est décidé à voyager jusqu’à Altdorf pour convaincre les instances militaires d’envoyer des renforts. Il admet du bout des lèvres que sa visite fut un echec, étant peu habitués aux hautes sphères de la noblesse impériale.
Malgré sa déception, l’homme se fait solennel lorsque l’EHR longe Castle Reiksguard, place forte lourdement protégée, lieu de pouvoir où réside l’héritier désigné du trône Wolfgang Holswig-Abenauer .
Le lendemain, en fin d’après-midi, la barge passe près d’une tour en construction. Alors que l’esquif approche, deux nains accourent et commencent à agiter leur bras : « Arrêtez vous ! Emmenez-nous ! Nous pouvons payer ! »
D’abord très méfiants, Karl et Rayaar se rangent aux arguments de Sievers et stoppent l’embarcation à quelques encablures de la rive : « Les commandements Sigmarites nous imposent de prêter assistance aux nains ! N’êtes-vous pas des croyants vénérant Sigmar ? »
Alors que la discussion est sur le point de s’engager avec les deux nains, une troisième silhouette accourt depuis la tour : Il s’agit d’une ouvrière naine qui se montre très vocale et autoritaire auprès de ses collègues : « Dites donc vous deux ! Vous vous prenez pour qui ? Lâchez un chantier de la sorte, mais vous êtes tombés sur la tête ! Revenez immédiatement à vos postes ! Par Grungni, je vous promets que vous allez m’entendre ! »
Les deux piteux décident donc de faire demi-tour à contre cœur.
Aynjulls Isembart , c’est le nom de la contremaitre naine, explique qu’elle est en charge de la construction de cette tour à signaux. Ils ont réussi a terminer le premier étage, en prenant appui sur une structure en pierre existante, mais rapidement des problèmes sont apparus.
L’équipe de nains, initialement composée de 12 nains, a dû faire faire à des maladresses inhabituelles, des chutes d’objets, des échafaudages qui s’écroulent et dernièrement des désertions : « Nous ne sommes plus que sept maintenant… Nous sommes en retard. Que diriez-vous de nous aider à termine cette tour. Comme vous l’avez vu, certains de mes nains sont maintenant convaincus que le lieu est maudit… une vieille tombe d’Elfe sans doute. Ou pire ! Quoiqu’il n’y a pas vraiment pire que des elfes… »
Peu enclins aux travaux manuels, le trio accepte de mener l’enquête et de trouver ce qui cause ces issues. Une rapide inspection de la tour ne donne pas grand-chose. La cheminée semble normale et aucune pierre ne bouge.
Le petit groupe décide donc de passer la nuit dans la tour, en mettant en place des tours de gardes. Les premiers à veiller sont Karl et Aynjulls. Peu après minuit, Rayarr et Olaf prennent leur suite.
C’est moins d’une heure plus tard qu’une créature se glisse silencieusement hors d’une trappe dans le sol : Une goule aux crocs acérés se jette sur Olaf. Rayaar pousse un cri qui réveille les deux endormis et le combat s’engage !
C’est Olaf qui se montre le plus offensif en brisant les cotes de la créature ! Karl tente d’utiliser ses nouveaux pouvoir, en matérialisant une fléchette d’énergie magique qui fait mouche. Enfin Rayaar, avec son habituelle lance, se montre aussi décisive.
La goule rend bientôt son dernier souffle. Sur son corps décharné se trouve une clé singulière qui permet l’apparition de la trappe magique dans le sol. Lorsque la clé en est eloignée, la trappe disparait et est invisible. Voila qui est la preuve d’une étrange magie.
Le trio décide donc d’emprunter cette trappe, et se laissent glisser dans l’obscurité. Un étage plus bas, Rayaar allume sa torche. La lumière révèle une salle circulaire et une étoile à six branches gravée dans le sol. Après une rapide investigation, il s’avère que le mur de la salle est en acier. Grace à deux poignées, il est possible de faire pivoter les murs de la salle…. Révélant une ouverture, donnant sur un couloir circulaire avec deux portes : une au nord et une au sud.
Les aventuriers optent pour l’ouverture de la porte Nord, qui révèle une grande pièce garnie de bibliothèque où trois zombies sortent de leur torpeur. Olaf et Rayaar se jettent dans le combat, tandis que Karl reste en retrait, d’abord effrayé par les créatures mort-vivantes.
A suivre dans Emplettes à Kemperbad
Karl and Rayaar meet again at the port after two weeks in Altdorf. Karl is now Heironymous 's apprentice and explains to Rayaar that he has chosen to specialise in fire magic. He also says that he's only at the beginning of his training and only knows a few minor spells. Rayaar, for her part, explains that she had approached the Altdorf's bounty hunter guild . But after an analysis they figured out that Rayaar was involved in the killing of Adolfus Kuftsos. in Weissbruck ... a member of the same guild! So he gave Rayaar a choice: either pay the fine of 100 gold coins, or have his name removed from the imperial registers concerning this affair. The woman from the river decided to take some time to think things over and was in a hurry to leave Altdorf. As the discussion drew to a conclusion, a tall traveller appeared: This is Colonel Olaf Sievers who has agreed with Rayaar to travel on the EHR to Grissenwald. So the trio weighed anchor and set off up the Reik against the current. The first few days of the journey pass calmly. Rayaar piloting the barge and catching a few small fish. Karl taking a rest and reading a few scholarly works after two clearly intense weeks in Altdorf. Olaf Sievers uses this time to tell his story: Member of the Imperial Ostlanders, a historic regiment of the Imperial forces. This group was formed several generations ago to oppose the goblin invasions of Grom The Pounce. Since then, the Sievers family has had members participate in this military force. Olaf is no exception, and has trained in the use of weapons from an early age, with the stated ambition of joining the renowned regiment. Now an older man, Sievers is part of the garrison protecting the Black Fire Pass in the south-east of the empire, in the mountains of the World Edge. Worried about the increasingly regular incursions of Orc and Goblin troops, he decided to travel to Altdorf to convince the military authorities to send reinforcements. He admits that his visit was a failure, as he is unaccustomed to the upper echelons of the imperial nobility. Despite his disappointment, the man is solemn as the EHR passes Castle Reiksguard, a heavily protected stronghold of power where the designated heir to the throne resides Wolfgang Holswig-Abenauer . Late the next afternoon, the barge passes by a tower under construction. As the skiff approaches, two dwarves run up and start waving their arms: "Stop! Take us away! We can pay!" Initially very suspicious, Karl and Rayaar agreed with Sievers' arguments and stopped the boat a few cables from the shore: "The Sigmarite commandments require us to assist the dwarves! Are you not believers in Sigmar?" Just as the discussion was about to begin with the two dwarves, a third figure came running up from the tower: a dwarf worker who was very vocal and authoritative with her colleagues: "Hey you two! Who do you think you are? You can't just leave a site like that, but you've gone mad! Get back to your duties immediately! By Grungni, I promise you'll hear me out! The two pitiful men reluctantly decide to turn back. Aynjulls Isembart that's the name of the dwarf forewoman, explains that she's in charge of building this signal tower. They managed to complete the first floor, using an existing stone structure, but problems soon arose. The team of dwarfs, initially made up of 12 dwarfs, had to deal with unusual clumsiness, falling objects, collapsing scaffolding and, most recently, desertions: "There are only seven of us left now... We're behind schedule. How about helping us finish this tower. As you've seen, some of my dwarves are now convinced that the place is cursed... an old Elf tomb no doubt. Or worse! Although there really aren't any worse than elves..." Not very keen on manual work, the trio agreed to investigate and find out what was causing the problems. A quick inspection of the tower doesn't reveal much. The chimney seemed normal and none of the stones were moving. The small group decides to spend the night in the tower, setting up guard duty. The first to keep watch were Karl and Aynjulls. Shortly after midnight, Rayarr and Olaf took over. Less than an hour later, a creature slips silently out of a trapdoor in the floor: a ghoul with sharp fangs pounces on Olaf. Rayaar utters a scream that wakes up the two sleeping ones and the fight begins! It's Olaf who takes the most offensive, shattering the creature's ribs! Karl tries to use his new powers, materialising a dart of magical energy that hits the mark. Finally, Rayaar, with her famous spear, proved just as decisive. The ghoul soon takes his last breath. On his emaciated body is a singular key that allows the magic trapdoor to appear in the ground. When the key is pushed away from it, the trapdoor disappears and is invisible. This is proof of some strange magic. The trio decide to use the trapdoor, and slide down into the darkness. One floor down, Rayaar lights his torch. The light reveals a circular room with a six-pointed star carved into the floor. A quick investigation reveals that the wall of the room is made of steel. Using two handles, the walls of the room can be rotated.... This reveals an opening into a circular corridor with two doors: one to the north and one to the south. The adventurers choose to open the north door, which opens into a large room lined with bookshelves, where three zombies emerge from their torpor. Olaf and Rayaar throw themselves into the fight, while Karl hangs back, initially frightened by the undead creatures. Next in Emplettes à Kemperbad
A suivre dans Emplettes à Kemperbad
Karl and Rayaar meet again at the port after two weeks in Altdorf. Karl is now Heironymous 's apprentice and explains to Rayaar that he has chosen to specialise in fire magic. He also says that he's only at the beginning of his training and only knows a few minor spells. Rayaar, for her part, explains that she had approached the Altdorf's bounty hunter guild . But after an analysis they figured out that Rayaar was involved in the killing of Adolfus Kuftsos. in Weissbruck ... a member of the same guild! So he gave Rayaar a choice: either pay the fine of 100 gold coins, or have his name removed from the imperial registers concerning this affair. The woman from the river decided to take some time to think things over and was in a hurry to leave Altdorf. As the discussion drew to a conclusion, a tall traveller appeared: This is Colonel Olaf Sievers who has agreed with Rayaar to travel on the EHR to Grissenwald. So the trio weighed anchor and set off up the Reik against the current. The first few days of the journey pass calmly. Rayaar piloting the barge and catching a few small fish. Karl taking a rest and reading a few scholarly works after two clearly intense weeks in Altdorf. Olaf Sievers uses this time to tell his story: Member of the Imperial Ostlanders, a historic regiment of the Imperial forces. This group was formed several generations ago to oppose the goblin invasions of Grom The Pounce. Since then, the Sievers family has had members participate in this military force. Olaf is no exception, and has trained in the use of weapons from an early age, with the stated ambition of joining the renowned regiment. Now an older man, Sievers is part of the garrison protecting the Black Fire Pass in the south-east of the empire, in the mountains of the World Edge. Worried about the increasingly regular incursions of Orc and Goblin troops, he decided to travel to Altdorf to convince the military authorities to send reinforcements. He admits that his visit was a failure, as he is unaccustomed to the upper echelons of the imperial nobility. Despite his disappointment, the man is solemn as the EHR passes Castle Reiksguard, a heavily protected stronghold of power where the designated heir to the throne resides Wolfgang Holswig-Abenauer . Late the next afternoon, the barge passes by a tower under construction. As the skiff approaches, two dwarves run up and start waving their arms: "Stop! Take us away! We can pay!" Initially very suspicious, Karl and Rayaar agreed with Sievers' arguments and stopped the boat a few cables from the shore: "The Sigmarite commandments require us to assist the dwarves! Are you not believers in Sigmar?" Just as the discussion was about to begin with the two dwarves, a third figure came running up from the tower: a dwarf worker who was very vocal and authoritative with her colleagues: "Hey you two! Who do you think you are? You can't just leave a site like that, but you've gone mad! Get back to your duties immediately! By Grungni, I promise you'll hear me out! The two pitiful men reluctantly decide to turn back. Aynjulls Isembart that's the name of the dwarf forewoman, explains that she's in charge of building this signal tower. They managed to complete the first floor, using an existing stone structure, but problems soon arose. The team of dwarfs, initially made up of 12 dwarfs, had to deal with unusual clumsiness, falling objects, collapsing scaffolding and, most recently, desertions: "There are only seven of us left now... We're behind schedule. How about helping us finish this tower. As you've seen, some of my dwarves are now convinced that the place is cursed... an old Elf tomb no doubt. Or worse! Although there really aren't any worse than elves..." Not very keen on manual work, the trio agreed to investigate and find out what was causing the problems. A quick inspection of the tower doesn't reveal much. The chimney seemed normal and none of the stones were moving. The small group decides to spend the night in the tower, setting up guard duty. The first to keep watch were Karl and Aynjulls. Shortly after midnight, Rayarr and Olaf took over. Less than an hour later, a creature slips silently out of a trapdoor in the floor: a ghoul with sharp fangs pounces on Olaf. Rayaar utters a scream that wakes up the two sleeping ones and the fight begins! It's Olaf who takes the most offensive, shattering the creature's ribs! Karl tries to use his new powers, materialising a dart of magical energy that hits the mark. Finally, Rayaar, with her famous spear, proved just as decisive. The ghoul soon takes his last breath. On his emaciated body is a singular key that allows the magic trapdoor to appear in the ground. When the key is pushed away from it, the trapdoor disappears and is invisible. This is proof of some strange magic. The trio decide to use the trapdoor, and slide down into the darkness. One floor down, Rayaar lights his torch. The light reveals a circular room with a six-pointed star carved into the floor. A quick investigation reveals that the wall of the room is made of steel. Using two handles, the walls of the room can be rotated.... This reveals an opening into a circular corridor with two doors: one to the north and one to the south. The adventurers choose to open the north door, which opens into a large room lined with bookshelves, where three zombies emerge from their torpor. Olaf and Rayaar throw themselves into the fight, while Karl hangs back, initially frightened by the undead creatures. Next in Emplettes à Kemperbad
Report Date
17 Dec 2023
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