One cold dark night in January, Werekin & Frogprince got together to play with noxious chemicals. Why? Check the WiP (Works in Progress) thread over on Tom's Boring Mordheim Forum to view our modular campaign dream set-up, and to follow progress of the realisation of Ludyenhoek Isle in Marienburg's South Dock district.
'Geekgirl' Michelle Steele was on-hand to collect evidence. What follows is candid camera footage uploaded from Werekin's video capture device as two amateur hobby enthusiasts act out their fantasy of becoming mad scientists while building a maritime wargames table for playing Mordheim. Please note that if you want to skip straight to the good stuff then you should just load up Part 3.
Step One: The Opening
In part one of 'Making of a Mutiny' the intrepid enthusiasts release noxious vapours from a 5L tin of polyester resin and the catalyst agent used as its hardener.
Step Two: The Mixing
In part two of 'Making of a Mutiny' the daring hobbyists plow on through potent fumes released by toxic chemicals in their ambitious quest to achieve Warhammer world hobby utopia.
Step Three: The Pouring
In part three of 'Making of a Mutiny' the foolhardy wargamers continue to dabble with highly toxic chemicals in the hope of creating a gaming table worthy of the seafaring scum and river pirates to be found in Marienburg.
Out-take: The Elven Gauntlet
"The gloves are off!" Well actually, they are not even on yet in this video from the 'Making of a Mutiny' as Chris tries to squeeze his big hands into some fetching protective elven gauntlets.
Battle royale
Posted by | Sunday, February 6, 2011 at 7:52 PM
"Last Orders!" hollered the flea-bitten old harpy behind the bar. The Dancing Pirate in the Craftsmarket, so called for the crude sign hung above the door with an image of a sailor with an eye patch twisting at the end of a hangman's rope.
I've always said that I'll write a battle report and so far I never have. This weekend just gone I invited my group of gaming buddies to come around for a good old fashioned tavern brawl! A couple of the guys have never played Mordheim or Warhammer before. The premise was to play 'Last Orders!' This is one of the core scenarios in Border Town Burning. Each player was allocated a thirsty gang consisting of 4x Heroes from their respective warband.
This report reveals the identity of the first two new warbands I have been developing and playtesting for the Mutiny in Marienburg campaign. In addition, we used a couple of our favourites from Border Town Burning, one from the Mordheim rulebook and one from the Mordheim Annual. The sides were not particularly even as you will see but the contestants decided to play for fun, notably without the inclusion of magic users. Only two of the gangs would have been eligible to bring a spell caster. Apparently witches and sorcerers are not big drinkers anyway.
PLAYER ONE: Stu Webb
WARBAND: Battle Monks of Cathay (225 gold crowns)
HEROES: 1x Emissary (60 gold crowns) 3x Dragon Monks (55 gold crowns)
CHANCES OF WINNING: Poor - Stu has never played a Games Workshop game before in his life! Stu plays Magic the Gathering and occasionally other card games & board games. After we explained the combat rules to Stu for the umpteenth time he is ready to be baptised in fire with the Monks.
PLAYER TWO: Chris 'Frogprince' Kneller
WARBAND: Skaven Clan Eshin (160 gold crowns)
HEROES: 1x Assassin Adept (60 gold crowns) 2x Black Skaven (40 gold crowns) 1x Night Runner (20 gold crowns)
CHANCES OF WINNING: Excellent - Chris is odds on favourite to win. He avidly plays every Games Workshop game except LotR including all Specialist Games. The Frogprince won the Nemesis Crown campaign I ran at GW Poole using Dwarf Rangers. Skaven is his primarily played warband, although he is handicapped in this scenario by not having the superior numbers he is accustomed to.
PLAYER THREE: Antony Bowker
WARBAND: Dwarf Treasure Hunters (235 gold crowns)
HEROES: 1x Dwarf Noble (85 gold crowns) 1 Dwarf Engineer (50 gold crowns) 2x Dwarf Troll Slayers (50 gold crowns)
CHANCES OF WINNING: Slim - Ant has also never played Mordheim or Warhammer. He is relying on his competitive edge as a Magic the Gathering player, his experience in playing a bit of Blood Bowl, and his like-minded attitude to quaff ale with Dwarfs.
PLAYER FOUR: Michelle Steele
WARBAND: Strigany River Gypsies (160 gold crowns)
HEROES: 1x Domnu (65 gold crowns) 1x Tinker (45 gold crowns) 2x Truants (25 gold crowns)
CHANCES OF WINNING: Fair - This is Shel's first outing with her new river pirates. Their water-caravan anchored out on the wharf, she is looking to take advantage of the wrestling skills of her musclebound caravan master. The Domnu is a prize-fighter, like Cathayan Monks he is not penalised for fighting unarmed. Her remaining Heroes are weak. Truants are youngbloods and the benefits of a Tinker are no use in a bar fight!
PLAYER FIVE: Phil Card
WARBAND: Maneaters (280 gold crowns)
HEROES: 1x Captain (145 gold crowns) 3x Youngbloods (45 gold crowns)
CHANCES OF WINNING: Good - He played his first Mordheim campaign using the Battle Monks and won it! Phil was once UK number 1 ranked player for Magic the Gathering. Diplomatically pointing out that Dwarfs and Skaven are much better than their hire costs suggest, Phil has been allowed to take a full compliment of Ogre Youngbloods.
PLAYER SIX: Stu 'Werekin' Cresswell
WARBAND: Sea Elf Rangers (220 gold crowns)
HEROES: 1x Wayfinder (70 gold crowns) 1x Feast-Master (90 gold crowns) 2x Sentinels (30 gold crowns)
CHANCES OF WINNING: Very Good - Stu is playtesting a new elf troupe that he hopes will be accepted as being both balanced and a fitting tribute to the original elf warband. It remains to be seen whether the Werekin will be competitive without the aid of his beloved Norse warband! His hopes are resting on the Feast-Master, best described as a Wardancer who can't dance very well yet.
Clockwise from left: Stu Webb, Frogprince, Antony, Michelle, Phil, Werekin (out of shot)
The Cathayans must have been on washing up duty as they charged out from the kitchen confines behind the bar, where (surprise, surprise) the Dwarfs Treasure Hunters were all quaffing ale! The Dragon Monks must have spilled a Dwarfs pint because a bloody bout of fisticuffs ensued. The River Gypsies divided their attack between the scrapping Dwarfs and Monks, with the Domnu fancying his chances against the Ogre Captain. With 2 Attacks base being increased to 3 by fighting unarmed, the barrel-chested Strigany leader managed to inflict a wound on the hulking Ogre leader. The return blow knocked the Domnu off his feet, through the wall and out of action.
The yellow-bellied agents of Clan Eshin spent the best part of the battle skulking in the restroom, as befits their craven nature. The cowardly vermin eventually vacated the lavatory to join the skirmish (under threat of being discovered by elf radar). By now four of the other gangs had been depleted in numbers. As the rats got stuck in it became evident that the Ogre warband was the only gang with 4 surviving members. No mean feat considering that the Captain has 3 Wounds and even Youngbloods carry 2 Wounds. The Ogres had been tactically deployed on the lower stairs with their Captain shielding his younger squishier brethren.
Meanwhile there were Elves leaping heroically from table to table. Describing these movement plays as being 'real elf tactics' Stu eventually saw both Sentinels nose-dive to the pub floor, face-planting themselves conveniently before the Ogres. It was at this point that the Werekin needed to reveal the new elven youngbloods are only Toughness 2, while resolving the D3 Strength 1 hits! By the time Stu realised his agile Elves could of scaled the banisters and charged the Ogre calves from the rear it was too late as they were already bloodied and bruised. The Wayfinder was out of action and the rest were knocked down.
There were a number of random happenings during the course of the game. Many rounds of combat had been fought by the time the first event occurred. This sparked a flurry of further 1's to be rolled. Here were all the special events;
1. Emissary from Cathay found Ornamental Weapon and passed Strength test!
2. Strigany Truant paid the Renegade to knife Dwarf Noble. Dwarf hit but not wounded!
3. Feast-Master was approached by a Buxom Barmaid. Being as Immune to Psychology meant he was immune to her charms!
4. Dwarf Noble paid the Renegade to knife the Ogre Captain. Ogre was hit and wounded!
5. Dragon Monk found Ornamental Weapon and passed Strength test!
6. Strigany Truant drank Liquid Courage becoming drowsy! (-1 Initiative)
Surprisingly the Ogres were the first patrons to leave the tavern in a battered state when the Feast-Master dealt the final blow to their twice-wounded Captain (pictured below). The feral Elf followed up the assault by polishing off the last remaining Ogre Youngblood. The Elves accomplishment was short-lived. A Dragon Monk felled the last Sentinel. In turn, the Battle Monks were the next warband to be eliminated from the contest as a measly Truant from the Strigany camp decked the last of the Monks proving that Cathayans can't hold their liquor!
The last three warriors standing were a Black Skaven, a Truant, and the Noble. The dying sequence of events in the brawl were as follows. The Dwarf charged and stunned the Skaven, already locked in combat with the Truant. This left the Truant in the dilemma of whether to stamp on the injured rat or charge the Noble. In the heat of battle the Strigany felt obliged to kick the Skaven while it was down. As a consequence the Dwarf charged in and boxed the youths ears taking him out of action.
Victory to the Dwarfs and to Antony in his first game of Mordheim!
Joy of the marketplace
Posted by | Wednesday, January 19, 2011 at 1:22 AM
The original encampments article (Town Cryer issues #27-28) described itself as purely experimental and was introduced as being designed to add more spice* and background to campaigns and allow a warband to establish themselves a base camp around the ruins of Mordheim in Cutthroat's Den, Sigmarhaven or Brigandsburg.
*Not the valuable trade commodity from Araby and Ind!
The base camps of warbands can be determined easily enough by districts and wards marked on any campaign map. This might be of Mordheim, Marienburg or other cities where adventure beckons. Each gang is assumed to be housed. What is less obvious is where warbands can discreetly conduct their private affairs. Keeping hideouts a secret is impossible using the original rules for encampments. A major flaw for any campaign promoting intrigue!
The question of housing clouds the juiciest campaign material idea in the encampments article. That of encouraging Heroes to pursue alternative activities during the Trading phase of the post-battle sequence.
Heroes are not restricted to visiting one special location. The warband as a group may visit D3 locations (in the settlement where they are housed). This experimental process imposes limitations. Visiting locations is presented as an alternative to your Heroes using the Trading chart, implying they cannot do both! There is a contradiction in terms here because some location entries convey bonuses to the Heroes visiting a trading post.
There is also a superfluous random event to resolve between each location visits. (ie, Two locations visited requires one roll on the Events chart to find out what happens in between as the warband carouses around town.) A warband carousing around town is lacking subtlety! Another crucial flaw when there are organised crime networks, Chaos cults, and law enforcement patrols to worry about.
My interpretation of all this would be as follows…
During the Trading phase of the post-battle sequence D3 Heroes may visit one of the special locations instead of searching for a rare item in the marketplace.
The idea of encouraging a Hero to forgo his standard trip to the marketplace in the post-battle sequence is appealing in campaigns. As a game mechanic I have been experimenting with this in a couple of the new gangs for MiM. My hope is that every warband has an opportunity for Heroes to be forfeiting their traditional trading action to pursue an alternative. This could be a tactical decision or a story-based choice which supports the narrative of the campaign plot.
All that remains of interest to me is deciphering which of the existing location entries from the original encampments will have value in my campaign.
"The joy of the market place is that you pay for what you get. The curse of life is that you get what you pay for."
— Strigany saying
*Not the valuable trade commodity from Araby and Ind!
The base camps of warbands can be determined easily enough by districts and wards marked on any campaign map. This might be of Mordheim, Marienburg or other cities where adventure beckons. Each gang is assumed to be housed. What is less obvious is where warbands can discreetly conduct their private affairs. Keeping hideouts a secret is impossible using the original rules for encampments. A major flaw for any campaign promoting intrigue!
The question of housing clouds the juiciest campaign material idea in the encampments article. That of encouraging Heroes to pursue alternative activities during the Trading phase of the post-battle sequence.
Heroes are not restricted to visiting one special location. The warband as a group may visit D3 locations (in the settlement where they are housed). This experimental process imposes limitations. Visiting locations is presented as an alternative to your Heroes using the Trading chart, implying they cannot do both! There is a contradiction in terms here because some location entries convey bonuses to the Heroes visiting a trading post.
There is also a superfluous random event to resolve between each location visits. (ie, Two locations visited requires one roll on the Events chart to find out what happens in between as the warband carouses around town.) A warband carousing around town is lacking subtlety! Another crucial flaw when there are organised crime networks, Chaos cults, and law enforcement patrols to worry about.
My interpretation of all this would be as follows…
During the Trading phase of the post-battle sequence D3 Heroes may visit one of the special locations instead of searching for a rare item in the marketplace.
The idea of encouraging a Hero to forgo his standard trip to the marketplace in the post-battle sequence is appealing in campaigns. As a game mechanic I have been experimenting with this in a couple of the new gangs for MiM. My hope is that every warband has an opportunity for Heroes to be forfeiting their traditional trading action to pursue an alternative. This could be a tactical decision or a story-based choice which supports the narrative of the campaign plot.
All that remains of interest to me is deciphering which of the existing location entries from the original encampments will have value in my campaign.
"The joy of the market place is that you pay for what you get. The curse of life is that you get what you pay for."
— Strigany saying
Juice dreams
Posted by | Thursday, January 6, 2011 at 7:21 PM
Heroes in the Old World can sometimes be found tripping on contraband. After a hard-fought battle against mutants or the undead you can't blame them! A small dose of Crimson Shade here, a snuff of warp-tainted Dust there, or chewing on a piece of Weirdroot to induce a hallucinogenic dream-state. In Marienburg, drug cartels and vice houses are rife in the slums. This is where your more hedonistic Heroes will be able to feed their addictions. All of the latest herbal delights are on offer at the Golden Lotus Dream House on Riddra Isle. It is a house of vice in the notorious district called Three Penny Bridge where every watchman fears the most to patrol. At the Golden Lotus any drug can be supplied to a heroic libertine who needs their next fix.
Any warrior visiting the Golden Lotus Dream House for the first time receives 1 Experience Point.
Experience points gained from entering a drug den!? Why not? Experience can still be gained from bad situations. Your indulgent Hero might already thirst for danger if he was sold to the 'Sold To The Pits'. The infamous Dream House is that exotically designed building with an orange roof on Three Penny Bridge.
How does misadventure affect us in the real world? Rather than pit-fighting or drug abuse, consider the famous quotation below and how it applies to my flunking a History exam (even though I dearly loved the subject).
"That which does not kill us makes us stronger."
— Friedrich Nietzsche
Educational events from my youth are something I've reflected upon while enjoying my craft hobbies. The benefit of hindsight, living life, and working experiences can lead folk to question their education (I know I have) regardless of how fond you might have been of the syllabus! Look back! You studied Kafka, I had Shakespeare. Decipher what parts of the curriculum have proved the most useful.
I never got a lower grade than a B+ in English at Grammar school until I handed over an assignment which was a story featuring Dwarfs & Trolls. I scored a B- and was horrified. This was subject matter which I felt far more familiar with than a lot of the other crap I turned in! Traumatized, that was my first and last attempt at writing fantasy fiction. The experience evidently haunts me as my English teacher has made occasional cameos in my nightmares, the witch.
I may have failed this examination but I still walked away with the same learning as my classmates who scored an A and didn't give a shit about their History lessons. While I can't ever claim to be an expert historian, the benefit of experience I gained from studying the subject will always be mine to draw upon.
Network of specialists
Posted by | Wednesday, January 5, 2011 at 6:52 PM
Mordheim has developed a cult following. The game is a spin-off from Warhammer. While the Specialist Games no longer receive the attention they once did in an official capacity there is still an awful lot of hard work put into developing the Warhammer suite. It is from this which Mordheim campaigning draws inspiration and depth. The support comes from you.
Recently I had the pleasure of sharing a PDF containing all of the best Hired Swords available in Mordheim campaign. Advanced* rules solutions and suggestions in 'Swords of the Empire' have been included to give campaigns more depth and reality. There was brilliant feedback here on Tom's Boring Mordheim Forum concerning a number of issues. One of these topics related to enforcing a maximum capacity on the number of Hired Swords appearing with a warband.
*Optional/Experimental
The maximum limit placed on Heroes is 6. While a warband would be hard-pressed to employ and retain more than 6 Hired Swords (and see them survive!) it would technically be possible for more to be acquired if a limit was not applied. That being the case I'm supporting the sensible suggestion that a limit of 6 Hired Swords per warband be applied.
A slick new Warband Roster Sheet is now available to record your Hired Swords on, thanks to the established specialist in this field! Sean 'Zetazot' Maroney has updated the roster on behalf of the Mordheim community on previous occasions most recently for Border Town Burning.
Download the new Warband Roster Sheet here:
Mutiny in Marienburg Roster Sheet (PDF, ca. 0.7 MB)
On top of making more efficient use of space the new form was improved to allow for mounts and draft animals to be recorded in the calculation of your warband rating. Other tweaks will appear aesthetic at this stage because the full story concerning campaign 'Plots' and their 'Objectives' is yet to unfold.
Recently I had the pleasure of sharing a PDF containing all of the best Hired Swords available in Mordheim campaign. Advanced* rules solutions and suggestions in 'Swords of the Empire' have been included to give campaigns more depth and reality. There was brilliant feedback here on Tom's Boring Mordheim Forum concerning a number of issues. One of these topics related to enforcing a maximum capacity on the number of Hired Swords appearing with a warband.
*Optional/Experimental
The maximum limit placed on Heroes is 6. While a warband would be hard-pressed to employ and retain more than 6 Hired Swords (and see them survive!) it would technically be possible for more to be acquired if a limit was not applied. That being the case I'm supporting the sensible suggestion that a limit of 6 Hired Swords per warband be applied.
A slick new Warband Roster Sheet is now available to record your Hired Swords on, thanks to the established specialist in this field! Sean 'Zetazot' Maroney has updated the roster on behalf of the Mordheim community on previous occasions most recently for Border Town Burning.
Download the new Warband Roster Sheet here:
Mutiny in Marienburg Roster Sheet (PDF, ca. 0.7 MB)
On top of making more efficient use of space the new form was improved to allow for mounts and draft animals to be recorded in the calculation of your warband rating. Other tweaks will appear aesthetic at this stage because the full story concerning campaign 'Plots' and their 'Objectives' is yet to unfold.
Slumming it
Posted by | Saturday, December 4, 2010 at 6:30 PM
As a consequence of directing the action to a sprawling city-port there will be nautical and piratical trimmings aplenty. What else? Hopefully it won't come as too much of a shock to hear that our maritime campaign is heavily themed around upholding, bending and breaking the law! Previous posts indicate that crimefighting agencies and criminal gangs both play significant roles in the struggle.
One of my conspirators has been encouraging me to introduce the wards and boroughs of the city. Another great idea from Cianty! The districts of Marienburg might help inspire hobby projects because they certainly will be influencing many new scenarios and game links during campaign play. You have a super sexy map to drool over! But what of all these designated zones?
Marienburg is broken down into a number of districts. In addition to the recognised wards, local boroughs are given recognition on the Great Map. These ghetto districts harbour criminal enterprises and the dens of vice they lord over. Ghettos are affected by laws which govern the city, but each borough tends to be subject to rules (local laws, not game rules) of its own kind. Crimelords and racketeers maintain lordship over nearly every slum and its denizens. Their perpetual state of lawlessness tailors them perfectly to suit the needs of any Mordheim fan.
The Dead Canal, Old Money Ward and the South Dock are the slum districts in Marienburg. The rule of law is greatly reduced in these areas. While there is a semblance of order in the decaying mercantile district of the Old Money Ward, and watch patrols covering most of the South Dock, the remaining slums from these major districts can be described as being virtually ungoverned. The Dead Canal is the worst of all, a blight stricken domain that is shunned by all excepts cultists, mutants and foolhardy thrill-seekers. Here in the worst of slums and in shady corners of the South Dock (Three Penny Bridge in particular) is where illegal activity runs rife.
With precious few exceptions all backroom deals and violence (the fighting!) takes place in the areas described where appointed constabularies fear to tread. The character of each foreign ghetto can be defined by its inhabitants. Here is a brief rundown of expatriate communities, designated hot-spots for street brawls and illicit dealings.
Arabtown is renowned for fine tutors and strange wares. The Arabyan district is also infamous for its drug dens and vice houses offering a safe haven for drug cartels, slavers, Hashishin assassins, and Pirate Lords of the Twin Seas hailing from Mahabbah in Araby. It can be a dangerous place where harsh criminal punishments are meted out by deposed sultans and desert sheikh focusing mainly on the removal of offending body parts.
Indic District on the surface is the place of dark-skinned traders, spice merchants, house servants, petty magicians, and subscribers to the drug parlours and bordellos. Spice traders eagerly travel to Marienburg to auction valued herbs. Of the three nations to the east Ind is closest. Their gods and traditions puzzle scholars. Observing local customs is advisable because the deeply spiritual culture of Indic District is as exotic as the Spice Islands of Ind. Something as simple as crossing a bridge the wrong way, or eating meat can stir up the ire of the locals, bringing down swift retribution upon confused outsiders.
Kislevan Way is a tough neighbourhood populated by mercenaries and labourers, as cold and unforgiving as the Oblast itself. Their vices are funded by fat fur-hatted traders from Erengrad.
Knife Alley is the Estalian district, predominantly known among other things for violent crime, criminal gangs and extravagant facial hair.
Nippon Town lies in the shadows of the Palace District suiting their ridged class system. The ghetto is home to labourers and fishermen from the islands of Nippon, preferred house staff for the elves. Here is where a wealthy patron might recruit a ninja, the deadliest of assassins. The distrustful Nipponese hear more tales than they tell making the district a valuable haunt for information brokers.
North Miragliano is a hotbed of political wrangling and the home away from home for mercantile elitists branching out from the sphere of influence controlled by the Merchant Princes of Tilea. There are frequent brawls with the Remeans.
Norscan Town on the edge of the South Dock. The moon-faced plainsmen of Norsca transport their wares on the backs of snow mammoths in the Northern Wastes before transferring their cargo aboard longships which sail out from the icy fjords of Ormskaro and Olricstaad eventually crossing the Sea of Claws to reach Marienburg. Traders in amber, furs and ivory provide passage to barrel-chested employment seekers, Norse mercenaries embarking for the city of islands rather than doom in battle admitting them to Norscan Valhal. Sailors, dockers and mercenaries frequenting mead halls and whore-huts are all subject to the vendetta law of Norse Town.
Remas Way is the stomping ground for the Swords of Solkan. Remas is the seat of power for worship of the God of Law and as a consequence his masked reactionaries possess a firm grip of authority in the Remean district of Marienburg. Tileans from Remas, will often brawl with the Miraglianese.
Wine Sack was named for the Bretonnians refusal to drink the local water. Agents of the court sent to spy on Imperials find a home for themselves in the district alongside mercenaries, artists and adventurers. Due to the pungent culinary preferences of its residents the Bretonnian quarter has also become known as Garlic Town.
The Silk Market supplies high quality silks, tea and fireworks. Rich merchant houses frequent the market district to employ swaggering Cathayan bravos with heavy curved swords and Oriental masters of the Mystical Martial Arts. Small banking houses offer financial services to clients from all over the city. Persistent rumours suggest Chaos cults operate behind the scenes in the Cathayan quarter.
One of my conspirators has been encouraging me to introduce the wards and boroughs of the city. Another great idea from Cianty! The districts of Marienburg might help inspire hobby projects because they certainly will be influencing many new scenarios and game links during campaign play. You have a super sexy map to drool over! But what of all these designated zones?
Marienburg is broken down into a number of districts. In addition to the recognised wards, local boroughs are given recognition on the Great Map. These ghetto districts harbour criminal enterprises and the dens of vice they lord over. Ghettos are affected by laws which govern the city, but each borough tends to be subject to rules (local laws, not game rules) of its own kind. Crimelords and racketeers maintain lordship over nearly every slum and its denizens. Their perpetual state of lawlessness tailors them perfectly to suit the needs of any Mordheim fan.
The Dead Canal, Old Money Ward and the South Dock are the slum districts in Marienburg. The rule of law is greatly reduced in these areas. While there is a semblance of order in the decaying mercantile district of the Old Money Ward, and watch patrols covering most of the South Dock, the remaining slums from these major districts can be described as being virtually ungoverned. The Dead Canal is the worst of all, a blight stricken domain that is shunned by all excepts cultists, mutants and foolhardy thrill-seekers. Here in the worst of slums and in shady corners of the South Dock (Three Penny Bridge in particular) is where illegal activity runs rife.
With precious few exceptions all backroom deals and violence (the fighting!) takes place in the areas described where appointed constabularies fear to tread. The character of each foreign ghetto can be defined by its inhabitants. Here is a brief rundown of expatriate communities, designated hot-spots for street brawls and illicit dealings.
Arabtown is renowned for fine tutors and strange wares. The Arabyan district is also infamous for its drug dens and vice houses offering a safe haven for drug cartels, slavers, Hashishin assassins, and Pirate Lords of the Twin Seas hailing from Mahabbah in Araby. It can be a dangerous place where harsh criminal punishments are meted out by deposed sultans and desert sheikh focusing mainly on the removal of offending body parts.
Indic District on the surface is the place of dark-skinned traders, spice merchants, house servants, petty magicians, and subscribers to the drug parlours and bordellos. Spice traders eagerly travel to Marienburg to auction valued herbs. Of the three nations to the east Ind is closest. Their gods and traditions puzzle scholars. Observing local customs is advisable because the deeply spiritual culture of Indic District is as exotic as the Spice Islands of Ind. Something as simple as crossing a bridge the wrong way, or eating meat can stir up the ire of the locals, bringing down swift retribution upon confused outsiders.
Kislevan Way is a tough neighbourhood populated by mercenaries and labourers, as cold and unforgiving as the Oblast itself. Their vices are funded by fat fur-hatted traders from Erengrad.
Knife Alley is the Estalian district, predominantly known among other things for violent crime, criminal gangs and extravagant facial hair.
Nippon Town lies in the shadows of the Palace District suiting their ridged class system. The ghetto is home to labourers and fishermen from the islands of Nippon, preferred house staff for the elves. Here is where a wealthy patron might recruit a ninja, the deadliest of assassins. The distrustful Nipponese hear more tales than they tell making the district a valuable haunt for information brokers.
North Miragliano is a hotbed of political wrangling and the home away from home for mercantile elitists branching out from the sphere of influence controlled by the Merchant Princes of Tilea. There are frequent brawls with the Remeans.
Norscan Town on the edge of the South Dock. The moon-faced plainsmen of Norsca transport their wares on the backs of snow mammoths in the Northern Wastes before transferring their cargo aboard longships which sail out from the icy fjords of Ormskaro and Olricstaad eventually crossing the Sea of Claws to reach Marienburg. Traders in amber, furs and ivory provide passage to barrel-chested employment seekers, Norse mercenaries embarking for the city of islands rather than doom in battle admitting them to Norscan Valhal. Sailors, dockers and mercenaries frequenting mead halls and whore-huts are all subject to the vendetta law of Norse Town.
Remas Way is the stomping ground for the Swords of Solkan. Remas is the seat of power for worship of the God of Law and as a consequence his masked reactionaries possess a firm grip of authority in the Remean district of Marienburg. Tileans from Remas, will often brawl with the Miraglianese.
Wine Sack was named for the Bretonnians refusal to drink the local water. Agents of the court sent to spy on Imperials find a home for themselves in the district alongside mercenaries, artists and adventurers. Due to the pungent culinary preferences of its residents the Bretonnian quarter has also become known as Garlic Town.
The Silk Market supplies high quality silks, tea and fireworks. Rich merchant houses frequent the market district to employ swaggering Cathayan bravos with heavy curved swords and Oriental masters of the Mystical Martial Arts. Small banking houses offer financial services to clients from all over the city. Persistent rumours suggest Chaos cults operate behind the scenes in the Cathayan quarter.
Monstrous artefact
Posted by | Saturday, November 27, 2010 at 10:00 AM
I thought about writing something which reflected on the discussions which Cianty & I had (what seems like ages ago) concerning what the perfect setting would be good to visit after Border Town Burning. A city sea-port seems like an ideal location. Marienburg has so much to offer, too much in fact! It's also the stomping grounds of one of Mordheim's original mercenary warband favourites.
Rather than dwelling on why we discarded other viable locations before I had suggested Marienburg was an attractive propsect, check out this epic piece of cartography and judge for yourself...
Large version - (2000 x 1500) - 16 MB
This monster tapestry is the Great Map. The Great Map is an artefact of Chaos. It's so devilish it even has its own story! In brief, the map was produced as a commission by the artist Ralf Hawkslay (Ralph Horsley original version in 1989 for Hogshead Industries WFRP publication 'Marienburg: Sold Down the River') who succumbed to the Ruinous Powers in a bizarre sequence of events. This artefact is supposed to be locked away beneath the Temple of Verena in Marienburg! Don't tell anyone we have it here or else the Witch Hunters and the Inquisitors of Solkan will be on our tails. The estimated value of the Great Map is 15,000 gold crowns! Just think about how many warbands you can hire with that much income. :)
The version viewable here has been enhanced for campaign play by a powerful warlock; Scanned from the original, after a few touch-ups to remove scan lines, scanner dirt & crease marks, the map was lightened slightly as it started life too dark. Next the district borders were carefully plotted from referencing another version of the Marienburg map provided in the 1st Edition WFRP book. Finally each of the translated (common rather than Reikspiel) names were added for Marienburg's wards & boroughs. Districts are upper case. Ghettos are lower case. A few other locations of note are tagged for reference such as Three Penny Bridge and the Bruynwater canal.
The Great Map has unique character and will serve as a source of inspiration for anyone following Mutiny in Marienburg. It's worth mentioning that there are other 30 locations (buildings mostly) which can be identified on the map by a keen eye. If you have a copy of Marienburg: SDTR handy they are all confirmed. See if you can spot the Golden Lotus Dreaming House in the South Dock district or Deedsveld Cemetary in Porters Wall!?
Most of the action will take place on the wharfs of slum districts and the streets of lawless ghettos. Colourful background describing the wards & boroughs ensures that all scenarios will be special (including Chris Kneller's proposed backstreet adventure in the Craftsmarket; "Creature From The Black Market Lagoon".) Each ward has a strong theme. Each borough possesses plenty of intrigue and enough character to follow in the wake of Mordheim's derelict zones.
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