Tag Archives: Marienburg

[Bitter Moors] Tancred Castle

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“Tancred Castle, only recently completed, is a good example of this. It sits on a low but steep hill, and the outer wall is studded with towers. The high inner wall allows defenders to turn the region between the walls into a killing zone, whilst the final round keep also has a tall signal and watchtower. The castle has a good well and large stores of food. Fully manned, it could survive a siege for over three months. The surrounding land is not particularly fertile, and it is unlikely that a living army could last that long.”

See KotG p.70

Standing on the disputed border of Bretonnia and the Empire Tancred Castle has changed hands numerous times during its 500 year old history. It was brought to ruin in the Great War against Chaos and was only recently rebuilt. The castle was given to a notable war hero, Earl Adalbert, by King Louen Leoncoeur and the Earl moved in immediately.

Earl received huffed letters from Marienburg and Altdorf for taking a castle not belonging to Bretonnia but no actual army was ever send to oppose him And as the Storm of Chaos hit the Old World such quarrels were but quickly aside. Earl Adalbert was quickly to reinforce the castle to withstand the forces of Norse reavers.

During the war it withheld against large invading troops and now a mound of burnt corpses rises near the castle. Earl Adalbert gained fame for his virtuous behaviour and unswerving courage against the hordes of Chaos.

After the war Earl Adalbert has sent his Knights of the Realm to patrol the Couronne Swamps as well as the Bitter Moors. Though officially he is making sure that the people living there are safe it is rumoured that he is considering about making a move to conquer Marienburg. Should this be a fact it just might be that he was sent to Castle Tancred to do precisely that by no other than the King of Bretonnia.

Under-Tancred

Unbeknownst to the inhabitants of the Tancred Castle the Skaven of Clan Sheehakk have carved a small warren under the castle. This warren mainly acts as the focus point of Sheehakk spies that have been sent here by Vasrin the Sneak to learn about knights riding to Bitter Moors.

[Bitter Moors] Clan Scruten

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I’m making some progress here and even though this seems to turn out to be a much bigger project than I had anticipated I’m still having fun with it. As Skaven have always been a major factor in my campaigns and I really want to run a campaign where PCs are Skaven I also needed a possible Skaven threat. Though Clan Scruten doesn’t have too much information about it I think I’m quite happy (at least at this point) with what I came up for it. Continue reading →

Hamschik

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The village of Hamschik sits on edge of the Bitter Moors in Wasteland. It is only a small community of pig herders, coal burners and other serfs that mostly work to pay for the little protection the local lord, Hans Gruber, offers against beastmen of the moors, green skins of the Pale Sisters and the raiders from the North.

Right in the middle of this small village next to the old well stands the Three Knights Tavern the only notable man-made location in miles. It is ran by a striking Ulrika Grünkopf with his three young sons. Three Knights doubles as a local town’s house where important meetings are kept and where the locals might learn the news of the outside world – if they cared about such things.

Ulrika’s husband died two years ago fighting in the army of Empire and even though suitors have come from quite afar Ulrika has yet to re-marry. According to the old midwife Sigrid Ulrika is being courted by lord Gruber. Ulrika herself neither acknowledges or denies this rumour simply choosing to keep her personal matters to herself.

Another notable feature at Hamschik is the Roteblüte, a great big oak that weirdly blooms red flowers during summer. The blooms smell lovely but there no insects ever land on them to gather their pollen. A half-remembered song tells that Roteblüte was once a brave captain in the Emperor’s army who never married nor had sons. Mórr took petty on him and let his soul to linger in the tree waiting for a young maiden who would smell the flower and be conceived by it.

Some years ago a Witch Hunter of the Order of the Flame came to Hamschik. He studied the dead and suspected it was tainted with chaos. He ordered the men to hew it down and burn the logs but when the men took axes against the tree the Witch Hunter suddenly ordered them back. He offered no excuse for his actions simply stating that the tree should stand. Later that evening he left the village for Altdorf.