Solo Black Powder and Brimstone: The Enemy Within - Episode 5

--/-- Welcome to a Black Powder and Brimstone Solo attempt at The Enemy Within. BPnP, by Benjamin Tobitt, is a 3rd-party creation of the Mork Borg family of RPG rules. 

--/-- Mature content warning: content refers both to the original WFRP campaign and to the more hellish world of BPnP. Listener discretion is advised.

--/-- Episode 5: How did it come to this? Day 1 in Bogenhafen ends with Tod about to descend into a sewer in pursuit of a mutant goblin. He is not prone to oaths but this episode, uses very salty language.

--/-- Background music "Cathedral" "The gaping Maw" and "The Madding Crowd" from Tabletop Audio

https://larrymannplayssolobickering.blogspot.com

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:27

Society on the name. Initial QF. It strikes me if Joseph had been honest and open with me back at the boatmen, and I had not tried to read him like a book and just told my story, we wouldn't have been at odds at all. And those men I cut down and the others that I'm guessing Max Ernst had killed, or maybe Joseph, they wouldn't have had to die either. I guess we're born stupid, and as we plod towards the grave, little changes. But we work to better ourselves, if we can. And with that, I light a candle to Sigma and say my devotion. It seems my visit to the cathedral has set a mark on my brow. Verbergist Heinstock is not one of the dreaded fucking Puritans, I believe. But burnt is burnt. He seems satisfied with my account. Well, welcome to episode 5 of my pellet cleanser. Using black powder and brimstone rules to follow the plot as best I can of the enemy within. In case the disclaimer at the front of the show did not warn you, this is not a PG show. Chaos, depravity, and unspeakable vileness stalk the roads and cities of the now decayed empire. Toddweiss, or White Death as it used to be called, has finally arrived in Bogenhaven. Here he may or may not get answers to the reason why a man had his face and had in his possession some papers pertaining to some kind of property of value. Of course there's the third paper, a copy of a pamphlet advertising for Adventurous Wanted, for which Todd was too late, but the company that was hiring is possibly still here in Bogenhaven. He may follow that up. And then there's the letter from Joseph, his old friend, who turned out to have a very different agenda. Finally, there's the threat of Max Ernst, the Tuckman, or rapier duelist. He has not forgiven Todd for twice humiliating him. The last time they met each other, Todd demolished his hired bullies and forced Ernst to flee. But surely, given the slow speed of Josef's barge, Ernst is already here in Boggenhafen, plotting. Tod is a pious man, as much as his own mortal needs will allow, at least, for as he said a few times, he has an eye for a good hip line. He likes a well-upholded ass, if you like to put it crudely. So to cool his blood, he makes his way to the cathedral. At least, as Todd thinks of it, the High Temple of Sigma has an unwelcome resident. Infamous witch hunter Fabergus Heinstock has set up shop in the temple, quite ignoring the blustered protest of High Priest Adel. He intends to stage some burnings in the Gortonplatz. All he needs now are some perfidious miscreants. When his fevered eyes are light on Todd, his story had better be straight and their devotion to Sigmar sincere. Well here, Heinzdorck, as I shall now refer to him, has no fertile ground for Todd is a devotee of Sigma, and he makes Presence 16 check. No problem at all. Heinzdork files him away as a potentially useful tool. As for how Todd came to be at the Sigmarite Temple, let's let him take up the narrative again. Ah I feel the old devil tree rising. But no, a visit to the cathedral will cool my blood. It seems that Drakeplatz or some such as the upmarket place within walking distance of the equivalent of a cathedral. High chapel, so the lad says. Prices are high in the near empty fighting lion. So, privacy at last. I place most of my valuables in the strong box, store the rest in my chamber, and head out. Call me a coward, but after that run-in with the witch burner, Heinstock. I guess I'd like to scout out the lawyers. Even though it's getting late, I can at least check their location. I open the first paper again. Lock, stock, and barrel. That's a bit on the nose, isn't it? I catch a watchman's eye and ask direction. So I find the Adler of the Isenbar. Apparently not that far from the east gate. From where I can find this shuffin fest that I think I can hear already. That'll be easy to find, just follow my ears. The Adlaveg doesn't have the look of anything in particular. There's a small sign. Lock stock bar. Advocats. Yeah. Something's off here. Still. It's got a sign. I guess I'll come back tomorrow. Yep. Up the way the watchman point it. So this is the shuffle fest. Holy things catch the eye. The stall's about to be upset by a brawl. I stomp in front of it and set my survivor point down at the ready. I steer clear. A couple of guild brothers and their hangers on, I guess. Judging by their good clothes. Now, whose stall have I saved? Why? A young woman. At the random incident, brawl and stall, two things I roll together. I roll members of the Teteamsters and members of the Stevidors Guilds as the battling parties. That doesn't sound a particularly good combination to interfere with, but Todd rolls a presence test and rolls 17. A 17 on presence is White Death at his most imposing. He doesn't need to say a word. Suddenly, the brawlers decide they have somewhere else they need to be. But those aren't random drunks, they're organized men. That could be bad later on. But right now there's a young woman in her stall. The question is, what's she selling? According to the module, stalls around the Schaffenfest sell either worthless rubbish or food. And it seems this stall is offering trash-level Jewjaws. As for the woman, Black Powder and Brimstone has a list of names. And her name, it seems, is Salida. Exotic. And so I decide she has an exotic tan. Probably from somewhere south or east. Estalian perhaps, maybe Arabian blood. Still, a woman running her own stall, however humble, at a major festival, is independent-minded at minimum. From this point in the module, I think it's worth mentioning that I'm increasingly using Soluborg's grand oracle. An exotic tan. Her name, it seems, is Salida. And she sells, well, trash, really. I offer to escort her as she gives me a tour about. Better ask if there's someplace Salida wants to see, but is more fit for two. And if she objects to leaving the stall, buy her stock. After she's comfortable on my arm, cruise sweet stalls. The hipline has room to grow, but potential. As the evening progresses, and she enjoys this or that sweet, and currently, with a soft flush and a happy sparkle to her eye, greatly improving her looks as she nibbles a waffle. I've learned that she was just about at the end of her tether. The stall work must have been one step away from selling her body. She seems happy to chat, but is getting tired. We need to find a sit-down venue. I think this woman is going to repay my time. A real investment. Let me tell you the story in my own way, and I'll try to remember all the many things that had led me to being ready to descend into a sewer, with state soldiers pushing a long ladder down, and a dwarf named Gautry beside me, and a potion in my pocket. A dwarf? I came by way of being generous. It was after Salida and I had sat down watching the comic opera. We went outside, comfortable again. Saleda had powdered her nose. I'd had a good crap. And we were listening to a barker. Yelling, roll up, roll up, amazing wonders to be seen. And wondering if that's the next venue for us. When a hover breaks out and a goblin comes running at me. Well, wanting to show off a little to Salida, because not long ago I put my foot in it by mentioning that I cut four men apart the other night. Had to apologize. I grabbed the goblin. Nearly pulled something doing it. But uh I guess she was impressed, and besides, the bark allowed us to see a show free. Only because it's highly relevant to the next session, I'll mention that Todd is definitely thinking with his dick. He spends a devil's luck to retrieve his bad gaff, by mentioning murdering four men, and then another devil's luck, making sure he catches the goblin to look cool. Yeah. It was after the show. And the arrest. I make Gotri the Dwarf. Right. It was this way. We sat down watching the show for a while. It was okay. Just freaks. Bearded ladies pretending not to be mutants and that sort of thing. And before they could get to the supposed three-legged goblin, which, by the way, it really was three-legged. I could see that when I grabbed it. The thing escaped again. And there was a hub up. State soldiers were called for some reason. I guess they're patrolling. Some cunt points at me across the crowd, as if it was something to do with me, and I find myself being asked to walk with the soldiers to talk to the magistrate, local magistrate, maybe. Well, we're passing by some stocks where this sorry looking little dwarf is sobbing, begging for two shillings to pay his fine. As a way of separating Salida from the Halalou, I give her three shillings. Two for the dwarf, at which he sobs more and calls me his lifelong friend. And one for herself. Arranging a place to meet up later. Suggest a couple of places. She nods, and then I feel her hand slipping me a potion bottle, a vial. Well, the magistrate's got this weird idea that we ought to go chasing down to where the goblin was traced. Into the sewer. I say, well, daylights a step away. Let me go back to my residence and rest. At which the magistrate snaps back, lights all the same underground, daylight or night, you'll get going right away. So that didn't work. It may not have worked anyway, but the fact that Todd rolls an O1 on his presence check to persuade the magistrate. And with only one devil's luck token left, I can't afford to spend it. A while later. I'm taking it easy. So hurry up and wait. And it's near dawn by the time that they find a long ladder. And a familiar face.