Captain's Log: Kaldezeit, 2514.
Ever since the halfling cook got on board the enthusiasm for meals has risen considerably. Harbull isn't around so I can say things like that now. It's nothing to do with whether you're a halfling or a lady, the old cooking. I reckon that Werner's the best chef out of the adventuring crew. I think he had to learn a bit about food while working in a tavern when no one else could perform that duty. Witchery, sailing and herbs don't really help as much with the preparation of a fine meal. Well, perhaps the last one when you are trying to cook... I do apologize for my rambling. Thank Sigmar I caught on or we could have been here for hours! The point I am trying to make is that Dumpling was a wonderful new crew member and I am glad that I was able to have her on board The Comet.
Got to Pfeildorf after Nuln. It's home to about eight hundred or so Averlanders and it isn't too remarkable to look at from a boat. What makes it unusual is how everybody acts here. So, as you probably know by this point, nobody in the Empire is pleased with what is going on. There is civil war brewing and all are aware and scared of it. Not Pfeildorf. They're trying to smile around the whole bloody thing and it gets on my nerves! Every single person, from the mayor to the rat catcher, pretends to know nothing about the outside world. They are trying to be constantly happy and it is slowly wearing them down. One of them is going to crack eventually and Sigmar help them when they do! We only spent a day there but it chilled me to the bone! Wuppertal was next. The place is an entire stronghold dedicated to Sigmar and famous for the figure of Josef the Reverent. In earlier times they may have been welcoming but now they only twist recent events to further a burning hatred against the Ulricians. We had to keep to ourselves and not draw too much attention. The Comet made that difficult but in the end no trouble was caused. Would have driven them into a berserk rage if they saw the Ulric medallion. Thankfully, The One reminded me just in time!
Loningbrook was our next port, a very small but wealthy town with a prosperous vineyard. They followed Sigmar but mostly venerated Rhya. With wine and money that good I suppose I can understand that. The One had the fortune of finding a very interesting book while searching for magic. It was a series of travel journals concerning Sigmar that had never been properly recognized and recorded by any of the major city libraries. In it there was mention of a valley occupied by elves. These elves normally didn't allow anyone to pass but were willing to compromise if you would do them a favour. They're probably still around, knowing how long lived elves are. Let's hope that their willingness to make a deal is as long lasting! Agbeiten was similarly interested in nature and had nearly four hundred people. They were friendly if a little bit odd. Even odder was what saw when we set sail. A barge, shabbier but similar in construction to ours, was moving aimlessly down river! Two women who were, erm, less than completely attired were yelling in horror as our boat was passing them by. Their screams for help were met with ropes hurled heroically by Blessed Jim. We soon had their vessel completely stopped and they became very friendly with both Werner and Blessed Jim. Their names were Annika and Emmanuelle and they told me that they alone were sailing their barge until the rudder had become faulty. I told them that I would be happy to hop over onto their boat and fix it. I did once build a fine boat in the Kislev cold!
They brought wine to Blessed Jim and Werner, checked our vessel and said something to each other. I didn't catch it really, I was over on their barge quickly. Yup, seemed fine to me so far. I whistled a jolly little tune I'd heard in Altdorf and went down to check the rudder. I stopped whistling. It was perfectly fine. It was in a better bloody condition than ours! Shite! I had to see if I could find something inside their barge to figure out what was going on. This had to be an ambush! I walked inside and saw two muscular young thugs. We both blinked at each other and then they drew their swords. Shite! I've gotten better at dueling but fighting never gets easier. I made a couple of poor strokes with my rapier and they were happy to take advantage of this. I'm getting old. They were at the peak of their young man... ness while I was struggling to keep up with even their clumsiest strikes. Brought my pommel swiftly crashing down on the head of one of them. He could barely stand after that. The other one raised his sword and I couldn't muster the strength to dodge the blow. Sigmar help me, I was doomed. Thankfully, I found that I had no reason to fear a smoking pair of boots. The One and her wizardry had saved me!
We both rushed towards The Comet's main deck and saw a scene of utter horror. Olaf and Captain Rinner were engulfed in unholy flames! Werner and Blessed Jim, wearing distressingly little, battled Emmanuelle and Annika. The two women were powerful wizards, evading blows through shielding sorcery and bizarre extending legs. Swimming in the river was a daemon too foul for my mind to fully grasp! I stood there petrified by the sight of this abomination. Our arrival had distracted Emmanuelle for long enough that Death Dealer could bite into her arm. The Comet would need twice the usual cleaning after that. Klaus was clawed in twain by the monstrosity and Gunther was grabbed by its tongue. I regained my wits to see The One blast the thing with lightning and send it back below the river! I hastily struck Annika with a deadly thrust to the leg and she died quickly. Thank Sigmar, we had seen enough of their foul sorcery! The daemon must have faded due to instability soon after.
We took the surviving member of their crew and asked him a few questions. The One used her usual methods and figured out they were The Cult of the Jade Sceptre. Chaos bastards. We took no time in deciding to hang the man from the barge and leave the boat burning. I gave that blighted vessel a bitter smile as we sailed away. It was good to have given our fallen crew members true vengeance. They were given proper burials as soon as we reached land. We reached Hochsleben, a frontier town near the Black Peaks. They all spoke with a very strange accent that I cannot put my finger on. Very supportive of our journey into the mountains though. They recommended us to a place with all the supplies we needed. Got two mules there as well. Their names are Enzo and Eluisa.
I fear that the winter blizzard will hound us the whole damned trek.
It'll be all worth it when we get the hammer.
Right? Right.
- Johann Dasbuut.
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